"What have you done? Why did you ruin everything? Our story was a fairytale dream come true."
She kept thrashing her arms on the door with full force, only for her pleas to fall on deaf ears. Her wedding bangles broke and fell, her wrists bled and h...
And Kalyani was in her second year of post-graduation. Life was going smooth, and somewhat boring too.
As the auspicious month of Shravan was almost about to end, she would soon conclude her 16 Somwar Ka Vrat, a determined 16 Monday long fast, kept to please Lord Shiva.
Some do it to achieve His blessings, and some do it to get married to their soulmates.
She poured water and milk on the Shivlingam. She then offered fruits, sweets, Dhatura, His favourite seed. She circumambulated around the Shivlingam thrice, with folded hands and bowed her head in prayers.
She poured some water at the three sections in the Lingam. They were manifestations of the three children of Lord Shiva, Kartikeya, Ganesha and Ashoka Sundari. The four idols around the Shivalingam stood as Guardians of the Four Cardinal Directions.
I pray to You to release all blockages and fear. For fear is the only enemy of love. To be fearless, I choose love. Love is the universal sacred element which binds all the beings together in divinity.
She then went on her way to her hospital.
It was the last Monday of the month, and the OPD was a little less crowded.
Kalyani took out her phone to look at her schedule. She had to take a clinical posting class with one of the UG MBBS batches.
Aah! Nostalgia!
She had been there herself, in the same phase, once upon a time. It was a class on X Rays of Medicine patients.
As she went towards the wards to get ready for the class, her phone rang.
She looked at her phone screen. It was a call from her mother.
"Yes, Maa?" She assumed it must be an important call, during her work hours, and hence she picked it up.
"Beta, please go to the Blue Cafe, after you're done with your work. Avinash will be waiting for you."
"Avinash?" She asked, touching her forehead.
"Yes, Avinash, the head priest's son. You were supposed to meet him today."
It had completely slipped out of her mind.
Her mother had been searching for a groom for her. Amidst many proposals, she had found this one guy suitable. And he was the son of the main temple priest at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, and was very acquainted with them.
"Okay, I will be there."
No matter how much she tried, she just couldn't bring her mother to accept the fact that she was uninterested in getting married.
Shaadi? Barbadi! Usse pehle aazadi!
Not because she hadn't moved on or because she was waiting for someone.
It was just that she didn't feel anything for anyone at all now.
What once had turned into a flame, burning her like a moth, had left her only in ashes.
And she could never feel this same intensity ever again.
She took a deep breath and entered the demonstration and teaching room.
The class was about to begin.
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