ARANYAM

Chapter 4: Blessing vs Cursing

Absent mindedly, I purchased the pooja material and paid 1000 rupees for my 200 shopping and stepped into the temple.

The bell rang by priest caused me to come back into reality and face it.

"You are Vikram's wife... Right ?" He asked adjusting his spectacles

I looked at him with confusion nodding in yes.

"Your Ajji told me about you guys. Glad that you arrived today.

Actually, today is very auspicious for starting the ritual.

I was actually supposed to call your Ajji.

But see, god wants you to perform the ritual, that's why brought you on right time"

I feebly smiled, but he didn't join me...

Now ritual ?

"Purohitre, He didn't come. So, how can we ...!?"

"Today pooja you can do... But tomorrow you need him."

She nods in yes and they start the dosha nivarana pooja for that day, after she took bathe in shanmukhadhara nearby.

Actually, being grand daughter of her Ajji, she understood the meaning of the mantras being uttered in that ritual...

The ritual is being done to pacify the souls of snakes killed by her or her consort knowingly or unknowingly.

A sarcastic smile crept on her face, snakes are pacified like this atleast... What about the vengeful human souls just a wall behind.

After she completed the ritual, the priest blessed her

"May god gift you with good child"

And tears welled up in her eyes, those didn't go unnoticed by the priest.

"Don't worry my child, keep hope. You are performing all this to seek blessings from him. And they are powerful.

Blessings from pure heart don't go wasted"

"Neither the curses from deep the heart too" I said myself

If the blessing has the power to change my fate, so with the curses too.

"May god curse you with the same pain I'm enduring... Pain of loosing the Child"

While the words were resonating and abdomen was cramping due to alot many reasons...

My head started getting lightheaded.

After 6 miscarriages, I have completely lost my mental strength to cope the loss of another child.

I can't see my child's informed body bleeding away through my vagina.

I can't see the lumps of blood stains sticking to my clothes anymore.

I don't want to see my strawberry like baby to be grind away.

Kanna...

I lost you even before, I knew you were in me.

Please stop your hide and seek and reach your Mom, Kanna.

Mamma, misses you alot.

My butt touched the ground and I before my head touches it, a lady held me

"Madam... Madam... Stay awake" Tapping my cheeks, she was trying to keep me awake.

Little she knows, I drifted my awakeness long back into eternal darkness.

Her trails succed unlike mine and bought me back into consciousness.

"Tq god!" She closed her eyes in content.

Standing, I thanked her while noticing her and the 1 year child beside her.

Soon, she introduced herself as Pallavi, my neighbour, who lost her husband 2 months back.

The women were still energetic to swear the cops.

I was looked at them with dismay.

These guys seriously...!?

Pallavi understood my facial expressions and said

"It might be new to you, Ma'am. But this how the people are and the atrocities of cops are over these forest villages.

It's never ending war... The war that always seeks the blood... It might be either villager or cop or a commoner"

I saw her eyes welling up. I put my hand on her shoulder,

"Was your husband ?"

"Yes... A just PC... Who lost his life in a operation in forest in search of that Smuggler...

But that government don't know right...

He was also our life"

I didn't have words to console her and was in search of them, but her teary eyes widened in shock when a voice met us

"Oi... Whom are you calling Smuggler?"

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