The Veiled Hearts

🌹Har Har Mahadev 🔪

SHARMA'S HOUSE (Banaras,Uttar Pradesh, IND)

Vanya (18 Years Old) POV

In the heart of the ancient city Banaras where the Ganga flows serenely which get witnessed by the golden ray of the sun. I lived in a narrow lane where day begins with euphonious temple bells , chirping birds and the incense wafting through maze-like alleys of the old city whose bricks were spectators of archaic history.

I woke up early in the morning as it's last monday of Shravan month, so I have to visit the Kashi Vishwanath temple and Dad is also coming today but he will only stay for sometime as his boss's family is coming to pay a visit to the temple and he is the bodyguard of their family. My mother died the day I was born,my father blamed me for her death till date,saying "If you didn't swallowed her all energy she would have been alive".But my brother says,"Mom went away because she cannot trust God when writes my fate, so she went herself to write my fate."

I have a 6yrs older brother .Calling him my brother doesn't do justice to who he truly is to me; he is my mother, my father , my grandfather, my grandmother-he is everything. During my childhood days I used to sit back of his cycle and our adventures took us to ghats, old shops sweets, chaats,attended cultural & music festivals and once the sun meets the horizon we went for ritualistic aartis and rhythmic chants happening near Ganga river.

My father always considered him as his only child who will bring him pride whereas for me he considered just the baggage he needs to remove before I turn 25. Whereas my brother always made sure I learn everything .When he was cooking he set me next to him and taught me, when he was fixing the loosened chains of his cycle he set me next to him and taught me. When I had my 1st period i panicked after seeing the bedsheet,he came to my room with a bag which looked like it was packed with all menstrual cycle essentials quite a while ago . He cleaned my stained bedsheet and clothes .After I came out of the bathroom he hugged me and educated me regarding menstruation.

That's why I want to become like my brother a caring one, a person who understands other people's emotions and is always standing with what's right even if they are alone. That's why he is training me so that I can also enlist myself in commando training like he did.

But today I took leave from morning training from my brother as I need to go to Kashi Vishwanath temple to worship MAHADEV JI.
It's 3am in the morning. I switched off the alarm clock and went to take a bath.After coming from the bathroom.I picked up a slight pinkish saree with small hand-stitched red roses on saree made by me because I love flowers then I picked the same colour tone blouse. I wore my underwear, peticot, blouse and tied the dori of my blouse then draped saree around me.

I went to the temple of my house, picked a worship plate and placed all the things which I will use in the Vishwanath temple for worshipping.Then I picked house keys, locked the house and started walking towards Kashi Vishwanath.

Aarti usually happens between 3am- 4am in morning. We don't usually see traffic in these morning hours but since it was last Shravan's Monday so there was a lot of traffic on the road, thankfully i reached on time .I saw very big cars outside the temple and thought even the rich people get humbled by my MAHADEV JI. As I reached inside the temple I saw long queues outside the MAHADEV temple, thankfully I was the rangoli (Floor art) maker for this temple during Shravan so I reached to a wife of priest who helped me get inside the temple. Still I was standing behind lot of people but I was happy I got glance of MAHADEV JI.

Then I took blessed food of MAHADEV JI and came outside . I was eating the food which was provided earlier while walking and then my glance shifted to ganga river and I thought of taking dip in Ganga river like old times I did with my brother on Shravan Month.

I put the worship plate down and started walking towards the ghat . Once I reached I stepped into the Ganga starting with my right foot then my left.I then immersed my whole body in the Ganga, joining my hands together. I stayed submerged for a while, and when I came up, I faced the rising sun and closed my eyes, chanting mantras.

As I was chanting mantras i could hear some devilish giggles reaching my ears . I heard a boy saying," Kitni khoobsurat subhah Hui hai !! Mahadev ki aarti ke baad gulaab dekhne mill gya"( what a beautiful morning!! after worshipping MAHADEV i got a glimpse of rose).I heard him, didn't bother to reply as mantras with right pronunciation was important for me and as for him I can stop his breath from one chest punch.

Once I was done with my mantras , I came out and shook away excess water from my hair and looked at my clothes which was making my chest noticeable. But i couldn't hear those devilish giggles anymore,then my eyes went to 4 boys similar to my age or maybe older dressed very finely and I could see a shining brooch on their kurtas that indicated their prosperous Lineage.

Those 4 boys screamed while coming towards me,"YASH, ruk ja hum bhi aa rhe hai" (Yash!! wait we are also coming).After hearing them I was scared a bit as I was in no state where I can stand near a guy and feel comfortable. Before I can turn I felt someone behind me draping me in some male sherwani dupatta without touching me but that person came near my right ear .

I felt heavy and warm breaths against my ear and skin ,while I was drenched in cold water.He murmured,"Agli baar se koi gehra rang pehna, aur han ye bhat khoobsurat hai"(Next time go for darker shade cloth, by the way these are beautiful),before I can turn back and reply he jumped in water making his bare back facing to me and he screamed.

"HAAAAARRR HAAAAAARRRR MAHADEEEEEEEVVVVVVV"

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Hello Quill Whisperers,

Thank you so much for reading this chapter as my origin is Banaras.I wrapped my childhood Banaras alleys in this chapter.

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Siren_quill 🪶