Bairi Sanam: The hate of a lover

Chapter V: Kurta

Ketaki

I was holding the tokri against my waist that had rice seedlings in them and taking one out, I pushed it inside the wet soil. My feet were covered in mud and kept submerging in the mushy soil as I took steps. I planted few in a line and repeated the process all over again, to create another line of rice plants. I had filled half the field by now while chacha ji was taking a break under the tree shade.

As I moved to the other end of the field, I noticed two men talking amongst themselves standing on the dry half of my land. I thinned my eyebrows looking at them. I recognized Govardhan kaka but wasn't able to identify the other one all dressed in white, who radiated richness. He was standing with his hands behind his back with a strong posture and kept looking around.

I moved closer to them as their backs were facing me and hearing my footsteps they turned around.

"Who are y—Aaahh" I was about to ask when my feet got stuck in the puddly soil before I could take another step. I fell and landed on my butt that made the muddy water splash in the air. My clothes got all dirty and I made a crying face looking at my condition. As I got up, my eyes fell on the person standing in front of me, who was throwing angry glares at me. His white kurta had mud stains all over, leaving my jaw hung open. His loud voice made me shudder all of a sudden.

"Are you in your senses?" He bellowed unnecessarily which made me angry too. How could he just shout at me like that when it wasn't even my fault?

"It wasn't intentional," I yelled back and shook my hands in air to remove the wet soil off them. It landed on his kurta again, fueling his anger more. I gulped looking at his flaring nose, making me somewhat intimidated.

What have you done Ketaki?

I scolded myself internally.

"Who is this insolent woman?" He asked loudly and Govardhan kaka came forward to answer.
"She's Keta—" kaka began saying when he showed him his hand to stop him. He held the end of his kurta in his hand and with just one swift moment, he took it off and threw it on my face. I took it off my face and my eyes fell on his well-toned body that was glistening under the sunlight. His muscles appeared stiff and strong, and the veins of his arms became visible as he fisted his hands in anger. The metallic locket around his neck was appealingly settled around his neck.

"Whoever you are, you're going to wash this now," he spoke taking a step towards me.

"You wore a white kurta to the field, what did you expect huh?" I fired back standing firm at my position. I was utterly mad at his behaviour and was about throw his kurta that was in my hand into the mud when I heard chacha ji's voice.

"Chhote sarkaar maafi," he spoke adjoining his hands in front of him. He may have seen everything from a distance.

(I apologize.)

I thinned my eyebrows in confusion listening to his words. Why was he calling him chhote sarkaar and why was he apologizing to him like this?

"She doesn't know who you are, please forgive her," chacha ji uttered. He nodded and looked at me angrily before moving his eyes away. I fisted his kurta in my hand while gritting my teeth.

"This is Hari," Govardhan kaka spoke, breaking the silence.

Looking towards chacha ji, he said, "I want to buy this land of yours. Whatever price you deem fit for it let me know," My eyes widened when he uttered those words.

"No, you can't—"

"Whatever you want chhote sarkaar. How can I deny you?" Chacha ji cut me off.

"Chacha ji how can you sell this land? You know this is—" I tried to speak again but he interrupted again.

"We'll talk about this later. First apologize to chhote sarkaar," he ordered.

"Why would I? It wasn't even my fault," I said looking at him and flaring in anger. "First, he was being so rude to me, then he demanded to buy this land. Who does he think he is?"

"He's sarpanch's son. Apologize Ketaki," he said closer to my ear, and I felt goosebumps on my skin realising the blunder I've made fighting with the son of the head of the village.

"Ma— maafi sahib," I said looking at him while tightening my hold on his kurta and he smirked.

(Apologies sire.)

He turned around to leave and my eyes landed on his bare back with perfectly lined shoulders. He abruptly turned around again, catching me staring at him.

"Don't forget to wash my kurta," he asserted and walked away.

Tejasvin

I heard the sound of some bells behind me when I was busy scanning the area and turned around to look who it was. I saw a woman walking towards us and was struggling to take steps due to the mushy soil in which her feet kept sinking. Her legs were covered in mud up to her shins and the ends of her green skirt got somewhat dirty too. She was holding a wooden basket that was resting on the side of her sleek waist. I realised that the sound of bells was coming from her waist chain. She was about to say something but before I could decipher, she fell as her feet sank deeper into the wet soil. 

I looked down on my kurta that was now stained with mud, and it angered me. Instead of apologizing, she kept arguing back and I couldn't help but wonder if she knew who she was talking to.

How does she not know about me?

I noticed how she was gripping my kurta in anger, but her eyes softened for a moment when I asked them for the land. When I was about to leave, I turned around to say something only to catch her scanning my back and smirked internally at her act.

"Don't forget to wash my kurta," I ordered, and she frowned at my words.

As I kept walking through the village pathways with a bare chest, I noticed everyone dropping their work to stare at me while gossiping amongst themselves.

"Come fast. Look," I heard a woman's distant voice followed by giggling sounds. I turned my face in its direction and saw few of them gawking at my naked upper body while standing outside their houses. They instantly lowered their heads when I glared at them but kept lifting their eyes up in between to catch a sight.

As I went further in, I spotted an old lady walking in my direction with the support of a stick. Her back was hunched, and she was barely able to walk. I stopped on my tracks as she neared me and saw her holding a black cloth in her other hand. She gestured me to bend down with her quivering hands.

I squatted in front of her, lowering my one knee on the ground and resting my forearm on the thigh of the other. Putting the stick down, she unfurled the cloth that she was holding to cover my upper body with it.

"Tejasvin Dhyutidhara, someone with great strength and splendour, the lord of brilliance himself," her words came out shaky yet strong. "A man of few words, but when you do speak, your words hold power. You are born to rule over people's hearts. You have returned to this village for a reason that will unfold with time." She patted my back with her hand covered in wrinkles, revealing the experience that she was speaking from.

Everyone silenced down listening to her powerful words that sent a sense of pride throughout my body. I adjoined my hands in respect and straightened myself up, pulling the ends of the black cloth together at the front.