Have you ever read your own history? The culture we come from. The bloodline we were descended from? Even before caste and religion were part of an ancient India there were only two kinds of people. Shaivas and Vaishnavas.
But even before them were...
"Dorsanamma..." A girl called making Shivali raise her eyebrows.
"You can call me Shivali" Shivali insisted but everyone shook their heads.
"No...no...you are our Dora's wife. Basically we have to treat you like a queen" One of the women said.
"That's why you have to get ready so come with us" Another woman walked out with Shivali following her.
"Where are we going?" Shivali asked.
"To bath" The woman answered and after a few minutes they stopped at a lake.
"Wow!" Shivali gasped at the beautiful river surrounded by deers, peacock and rabbits.
The women held her and walked her to the banks of the river making her sit on a rock and started applying oil to her hair "This will take off all your stress and worries away".
Shivali smirked sadly "My worries are far more greater than a simple oil massage".
"Don't worry! Dora will take care of you" The second woman said.
"How do you know Kal?" Shivali asked.
The woman stopped the masssage and looked at her weirdly "Why are you calling your husband with name?"
(Shit! How did I forget he was my husband?)
She cleared her throat "He's my husband I can call him any way I want. Don't you call your husbands with their names?".
"No! We call them penimiti" The woman resumed the massagge on her head and arms.
"Penimiti ah?" Shivali tested the word as her massage came to an end.
They applied turrmeric on her skin along with sandal wood paste and then asked her to bath in the river making her get up with only a knee length saree wrapped around her body like a towel while they left her alone to bath peacefully.
Shivali tested the temperature of the water and slowly walked into the river closing her eyes enjoying the feel of the flowing water listening to the soothing sounds of the forest. Suddenly she heard a splash and opened her eyes to see Kal towards the far right making her widen her eyes "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Bathing" Kal was now coming close to her.
"Can't you see a woman bathing here? How can you be so careless?" Shivali huffed.
"I came here first" Kal stood opposite her lowering his voice "Why did you tell them you were my wife?"
"Am I not?" She asked innocently.
He scoffed "Don't you think you're taking advantage of me?"
She shook her head "No I am taking advantage of the title you gave me. It's a win win anyhow. I'm safe and treated royally also we can hide here".
He sighed "Just don't talk rashly tonight" and was about to walk away but she held his hand.
"Why are we here?"
"We're going to kill Samael" His reply made her leave his hand making him walk away leaving her alone with her thoughts.
"Dora! You seem disturbed. Is anything wrong?" The village chief asked politely.
Kal shook his head "Were there any attacks after I left?"
"No Dora! We've been careful and using mystical binds to hide ourselves" The chief replied.
The huge trumpet sound made everyone gather near the kalika devi idol. And Kal followed the chief towards the goddess to pray. The women walked out of the hut which they took Shivali in and hearing anklets sound Kal turned around to see Shivali walking in between the women wearing a cream and golden saree.
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She looked at him as she walked towards them and stood beside him making the tribal chief grin "You look like a goddess dorsanamma. Even your name matches with our dora".
"Huh?" Shivali looked at the tribal chief confused.
"Your name is Shivali which means Shivuni aali (Lord Shiva's better half) and dora's name is Maha Kaala which is another name of lord shiva himself. Just like your names you guys are meant to be together too" The chief explained making Kal and Shivali look at each other.
The chief started the pooja by showering Kaali ma's idol with pasupu, kumkuma and flowers and then gave aarati making everyone take blessings of the goddess. The chief bought a plate with little pasupu, kumkuma and thali towards Kal "Ayya! We couldn't see your marriage and now you are here with your wife. On this auspicious day please marry Dorsanamma once again so you'd always find her in every birth".
"What?" Shivali and Kal questioned.
"Please tie this mangalsutram around dorsanamma's neck so we can see you both together" The chief's wife insisted.
"Bu..t we are already married! Why is it necessary?" Shivali questioned.
"There is no thali on your neck" One of the ladies pointed out.
"We married english way by exchanging rings" Kal spoke.
"Now you can marry according to our traditions dora please don't say no. Let's us see your auspicious marriage" The chief looked pitiful.
Kal looked at Shivali who looked at Kal facing him making Kal take the thali and knotted around her neck making everyone shower them in akshintalu. He took the kumkuma and applied it in her hairline and took the pasupu applying to her thali finishing their marriage rituals becoming husband and wife.
