Bairi Sanam: The hate of a lover

Chapter XI: Kadwa karela

Ketaki

I ran home in tears and shut the doors behind me and stood with my back against it. Yet again I was humiliated, and this time in front of him making it that much more painful. It shouldn't matter so much to me as I was used all this but couldn't understand why I felt more disrespected today.

Washing off my tears, I decided to busy myself with the house chores and then help chacha ji in the field later. Daadi had gone to Somgarh to meet her brother and decided to stay there for a few days, which gave me some relief. Her bitterness towards me would've just added to my agony if she was still here. I was cooking at the back of the house when I heard Reva's voice.

"Ketaki where are you?" She yelled, making herself audible.

"I'm here," I shouted and soon she made her way to me following the sound of my voice.

I sat in front of the chulha and was blowing into it using a metal pipe to reignite the fire that kept dying down. I placed my lips on one end of the small pipe while the other side faced the chulha and I blew into it several times that caused a whoosh sound. However, all it did was cause smoke to come out. I chocked on the smoke, and it made me cough painfully. Reva flapped her hand in front of her face to keep the smoke away from her.

"Let me do it," she offered her help and began blowing into the pipe sitting next to me. It took her just one try and the flames began to erupt soon. I decided to cut some vegetable in the meantime as the cauldron was getting heated up.

"Have you heard about our new sarpanch?" She questioned and I raised my eyes from the plate that was full of bitter gourd to look at her.

"How did you find out?" I frowned.

"It has spread in the entire village like a wildfire. Some people are even celebrating it like some festival," she explained, and I hummed in response not showing any interest in talking about him. I shifted my focus back to peeling off the skin of the bitter gourd when she held my arm to make me face her.

"Aren't you happy? He'd at least be a better sarpanch than that Rajwant," she spoke, and I let out a sigh. I picked up a single bitter gourd from my plate and holding it from the tip, I showed it to Reva.

"He is just like this karela. Every time he opens his mouth, something bitter comes out of it. He spills poison from that stupid mouth of his," I said shaking the bitter gourd in my hand and she broke into laughter placing her hand on her stomach.

"Don't laugh Reva, I'm serious. I almost died the other day because of him," I said, and she stopped laughing and her expressions turned serious.

"You know we all got so scared that day. But sarkaar fearlessly jumped right into the fire to save you and carried you home while I was showing him the way to your house. He even told kaka that he won't buy your land anymore," she said making me furious. I twisted her ear with my hand, and she screamed out in pain.

"Why are you praising him so much huh? He was the reason I got into that trouble in the first place," I said twisting her ear more.

"Ahhhh Ketaki leave me," she whined, and I left it. Her ear had turned red, and she rubbed her hand over it to soothe out the pain.

"He shouldn't have saved you from that fire," she spat out, showing her anger towards me.

"Since he has stepped into this village, he has turned everyone on his side," I complained while angrily chopping the bitter gourd. Taking one karela in my hand again, I snapped it into two halves.

"This is what I will do to him if I see him next time."

Tejasvin

She doesn't leave any chance to fuel my hate towards her but seeing tears in her eyes today shook something in me. I couldn't bear seeing everyone dishonour her like that. And besides, who gave them the right to say such things about a woman and that too in public? I didn't know what they were talking about her parents but regardless of the reason, no one deserves to be humiliated like this. And being the sarpanch, it is my responsibility now to ensure that everyone lives with their heads up in this village.

I found out that her name was Ketaki while everyone was busy yelling at her. It suits her. The flower of Ketaki is beautiful to the eyes but is also cursed, which is a reflection of her life.

I kept walking home thinking about all this as Jabaaz came flying and settled himself on my shoulder. He accompanied me till I reached home and flew away as soon I reached the footsteps of the house. I began going upstairs to my room when dad's voice made me stop on my tracks.

"This is not right Tejasvin," he said and turning around, I walked back downstairs to him.

"Everyone is happy about my decision, and they've already accepted me as their sarpanch. So, it'll be better for you to accept it as well dad. Take this time to look after yourself," I replied.

"Why don't you get it? You are not made for this small village. Go to the city and become a good lawyer there. You have always excelled in your studies. Why bother yourself with the petty matters of these farmers?" He said putting his hand over my shoulder.

Removing his hand I said, "I was born on this very soil dad. We are all born from this soil. The food that we eat grows on this very soil in which these farmers that you're talking about work tirelessly. It is time that I do something back for them. It is time that I serve this dhara that has given us a place to live," I said, and he sighed heavily leaving from there.

My eyes moved towards the main door where I saw aunty walk in with a prayer plate in her hand. She might've come back from the temple, and it seemed like she overheard us. She placed the plate on the table that was on her way and picking up a red thread from it, she neared me. Taking my hand, she revolved it around my wrist. After wrapping the thread few times around the wrist, she flipped my hand over and tied the ends of it into a snug knot. Looking up from my hand, she smiled and said, "I wish you well for a new beginning beta."

"Thank you," I said and bent down to touch her feet. She placed her hand on my back and my eyes closed with the warmth of her touch.