Durga | 18 +

~The Wedding ~

Durga's pov ~

I was with the neighborhood ladies when bhaisa came to fetch me to the mandap . Maa followed suit after bhaisa and entered my room. She excused herself and took my hand and move to the other end of the room,  taking my hand in hers she gave it a gentle squeeze maybe trying to calm my nerves. She gave me one of her genuine smile reminding both me and her maybe to pretend happy .

"Dekh laadoo jo bhi ho jaye shikayat nhi ani chahiya aur apne sab sapne bhool ja , apna ek ghar ba sa " she said to me quietly and i only nod my head in response. 

" Aur jo bhi Rashmi ne kaha tujhse wo bhuliyo mat , apne pati ko khush karna aur rakhna ek patni ki sabse bari zimedari hoti han , aur ek saal ke ander baccha kar liyo " her last words caught my attention snd i looked up at her face first time during our entire conversation. 

"Baccha, maa mein kaise ...abhi toh mein khud bacchi hun aur mujhe padhna han" i replied getting out of the hold of my nerves.

"Padhna han? Ye sab sochti bhi kaise han tu han " " aur chup chap ek saal ke andar ander baccha kar lena , apne pati ko aulad dena hum patniyo ka dharm han " her tone bitter as she spoke to me .

"Par maa apne toh kaha tha na ki shaadi vhaya tak ladki log nhi padhti han toh uske bad toh padh pati han na ?" I asked.

"Nhi koi ladki shaadi ke bad padhti nhi han sirf apna ghar basati han samjhi aur tujhe toh pehele kaksha tak padhne diya tha na toh , wo hi kafi han " she replied.

"Aur yad rakhna pati ko kabhi mana mat karna , aur sasural wale jo bhi bole chup chap sab kar dena " she said.

"Par maa bhabisa ne kaha ki dard hota han , agar hua toh " i ask meekly.

"Agar hoga tab dekha jayega abb chup reh aur ye sab baat kisi aur se mat kehna , wo log bohot bare gharane se han aur tere baapu se dahej ki bhi mang nhi kiye ... yad rakhiyo sabra ka phal meetha hota han " she replied.

I avert my gaze away from her . My mind racing with the thousand words that she just spat to me . Her extremely cold talk and odd behavior shot daggers in my heart, i have seen my friends family especially the ladies consoling them before fetching them to the mandap but maa's resentment to do so utterly shocked me .

I see from under my veil my bhaisa approaching us "Maa abb hamein Durga ko madap leke jana hoga abb riti anusar iske kamre me rukh ke saman samet dijiye " bhaisa said to maa .

The neighborhood boys brought out a wooden sitter decorated with a red and white blend cotton cloth and placed it near my feet.

"Chal abb iss pe baith " bhaisa said to me  . I take his forwarded hand and sit carefully on the sitter and the boys long with bhaisa lift the sitter with me sitter on in . Maa hand me two pan patta ( betel leaf) and told me to cover my face with it .

I sneak my hand over my bhaisa's shoulder to balance myself as they lift the sitter and covered my face with the pan patta as they walked carrying me to the mandap .

Reaching the angan ( hall) bhaisa and the other boys placed me near the fire beside him and soon the pandit resumed chanting the mantras .

"Ladki ke pita apne beti ka dyana ( right ) hanth ladke ke hantho ke upar rakhiya aur boliya...." the pandit said to my father and only then i realized baabasa's  presence near me .

Baabasa grabbed my right hand and placed it on his hand and wrapped it with a ghamcha ( cotton towel) continuing to chant the mantras after pandit ji .