ODIO AMOR

AKRAMAK

NEXT MORNING

Inside Adhavan's chamber

The orange hue of dawn graced inside their bedroom, cocooning Abhidnya in its glow. Abhidnya opened her eyes slowly after a rueful sleep.

Her eyes got first accustomed to the bedroom and then clutching her saree to her chest, she sat on the bed. She squeezed her legs near her chest and looked at her alta clad feet.

Her eyes slowly shifted towards the broken anklet, beside that she saw her shattered red coloured bangles and the destroyed waist chain along with her wrecked dreams of a romantic first night. But who else is to be blamed when she is at fault?

Her eyebrows furrowed in grief and her lips started quivering producing one hiccup after another. She looked straight. The mirror reflected her disoriented self. Her vermillion is spread on her forehead. Her Kohl is smudged. She looks like a mess. She would have loved it if this would have been out of love rather than pretence.

She started sobbing cursing herself repeatedly. And gradually her sobs turned into a gut wrenching wailing.

But before anyone could hear, her crying got subdued with the loud ringing of the sacred bells.

She composed herself and ran near the large window to look out of the room. She could see everyone gathering near the temple. All of them were now chanting "har har Mahadev", while a vague figure was performing the aarti along with the head priest. Abhidnya successfully identified the figure as her husband and ran inside the washroom to get ready and join the sacred ceremony.

(Abhidnya's look)

Getting dressed up as quickly as possible she stepped out of her chamber. She with her curious eyes and heavy steps started walking towards the corridor.

She peeked out of the Jharokha style window to see whether the pooja is over or not. She heard women gossiping about her absence in the pooja but she hardly paid any attention to it.

Taking a deep breath she smiled. She descended the staircase towards the garden to pluck few frangipani flowers from the trees that she planted as her therapy. She wanted to offer those flowers to lord Mahadev.

As soon as she reached the garden her steps halted. A frown appeared on her forehead when she saw the branches of the trees are trimmed.

She couldn't understand who can dare to cut the trees when there was a strict order from Adhavan that no one should touch those particular trees.

She almost ran inside the haveli only to came face to face with Yuvan.

Without wasting much time Abhidnya asked, "Yuvan, woh frangipani wale ped ko kisne kata....woh toh...."

Yuvan spoke while cutting her sentence short, "bhai sa ne hukum kiya ki woh ped kat diye jaye"

"Par kyu?"

Yuvan in a serious tone answered, "Lash ko jalane ke liye lakdi ki zarurat thi isiliye"

"Lash? Kis ki lash?"

Yuvan walked near the open lawn and pointed his finger towards Adhavan who was offering prayers to lord Mahadev.

"Maha Puja ho rahi hai bhabi sa. Maha Puja tab hoti hai jab Bhai sa kisi rakshahi hevan ke hadiyon ka rakh Mahadev ke charano mein arpan kar dete hain", Yuvan said with immense pride in his voice.

Abhidnya's face was the mirror of her panic laden thoughts. Her heart was beating fast against her chest.

She with her quivering voice asked, "Vha... Vhavya...kya Vhavya?...."

She couldn't complete here sentence but Yuvan's eyes gave her the answer that Vhavya is no more and his ashes are smeared on the feet of Lord Mahadev.