First Ishq

Chapter 29 [Badi Durga Mandir]

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|Ishika's POV|

Finally, we arrived at the temple.

It was so silent in the car that it felt awkward.

As soon as I stepped down, a cool gush of wind passed me and I felt tingles in my body. A warm feeling filled in my heart as I turned to face the temple.

We entered inside the temple while Ansh had gone to park the car.

I thought this place might be crowded but it was not too crowded.

It felt a little different because this was the first time I was not with my mother on Durga Puja.

But I tried to ignore those emotions and walked past the huge gate of the temple.

It was a huge area, as if a field. Bhaiya called it Badi Durga Mandir.

But there wasn't just one mandir here. We walked a few steps and reached the main temple, The Durga Mandir.

It was marvellous and huge. The golden sunlight fell onto its whitish marble floor and pillars, making them glow. Sandals and shoes were piled at one corner at the foot of the mandir.

I took off my bellies and placed them among the pile. I touched the first stair to the temple and grazed over my head.

We walked up the short stairs, barefoot and the cool marble made me feel tingles and send butterflies to my stomach.

We did the evenjng aarti and walked down the stairs again. I was about to wear my bellies again when Mausi stopped me and said, "There are two more temples we need to go to."

I was a little confused but still nodded. I walked behind them for a few seconds to reach the other mandir in the same place.

There was Shri Krishna's idol along with Radha Rani and Lakshman. There was a tulsi charan in front of the mandir, at a little distance from the temple.

It too was made of white marble but it didn't make me feel the same way as Durga Maa's adobe did.

I felt warm and calm there. But here, a tint of blush spread on my face as I felt attracted to the mandir.

I entered and raised my hand to ring the hanging bell.  And we repeated the same process.

Next, we had to walk a little more than previously but still, it was not far. It was Lord Shiva's temple.

I felt the intimidating, divine sensation from a little distance itself. But it didn't make me fluster. Instead, it felt safe and warm, a different warmth from Maa Durga.

'Right..', I spoke in my mind as it all clicked. Durga Maa's warmth was that of my mother.

Lord Shiva's intimidating aura was that of my father, that he would always protect me.

Shri Krishna reminded me of my little brother, his playfulness and excitement.

A smile spread on my face.

I rang the hanging bell there as well as I stepped into the mandir. I did the evening aarti and exited along with Mausi and Anjana Aunty.

I was still barefoot when I returned to where Kittu bhaiya was. But Ansh and little Aahaan weren't with him.

"I think I like it here", I said and scrunched my nose a little.

"Really?" He chirped and added, "More than Patna or Bhagalpur?"

"Of course not", I replied as I remininced my hometown. "Maa, Papa and that cutie aren't here. I kinda miss them.'

I had always, always spent Durga Puja in either Patna or Bhagalpur my whole life.

It felt too new to me, staying away from my family during this festival.

"You look like a bandariya, you know." Bhaiya commented all of a sudden.

"What?" I questioned in shock but he simply grinned while looking at me.

"Then you are a bandariya's brother, big bandar", I commented and stuck out my tongue.

"It that so?" He said in amusement and started laughing.

Suddenly, Aahaan came running towards Anjana Aunty.

"Maa! Bhaiya said you look very beautiful today." He exclaimed with a wide smile on his face.

"Really?" Anjana Aunty chirped.

It reminded me of Vivaan, my little brother. He was around the same age as Aahaan.

"All three of you look so beautiful, just like Durga Maa." That little cutie pie chirped with a cutr grin.

I smiled whiel looking at him, how he was so similar yet so different from my brother.

"Ansh, Kittu", Anjana Aunty and Mausi called them.

They put a red tika on their foreheads and that reminded me of my mother.

I really missed my family.

"Let us sit here for a while before returning", Mausi suggested and we all nodded.

We all sat at a side of the Durga Mandir as it was the most spacious among the three.

There were benches too but it felt serene to even simply sitting where we sat.

I wondered about my family as I recalled my feelings throughout the day.

I looked around until my eyes zeroed at Ansh.

He looked so tranquil for some reasons, even though he was laughing so vividly.

He always seems to be smiling, laughing and joking but as soon as he spots me, everything would stop.

He would stand still as if frozen and all the expressions on his face would turn blank.

Why though? What about me scared him that he would lose all his demeanor?

'Does he.. hate me?' I questioned myself in my mind.

There was no reason for it, but I was turning sensitive. Maybe 'cause I missed my family.

'He didn't even do anything wrong.' I reminded myself. But he didn't have to treat me like that.

He didn't have to be so cold to me. He should simply say if he didn't like my presence.

I furrowed my eyes as I stared at him with the hurt feeling in my heart.

Suddenly, he looked at me and my eyes locked with his eyes.

'See?' I spoke in my mind with a scoff as he again froze at his spot.

The behind of my eyes burned and my lips trembled as it pursed into a small pout.

My eyes glistened and my eyesight slowly blurred as tears flooded them.

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Hey..

Well, a little info ---

There is no such mandir in Mumbai. I don't really know what kind of mandir to take as a reference from Mumbai.

So, I just took reference from the mandir I go to in Durga Puja.

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Anyways, I would like it if you vote and comment.