Laxita - The Mage's Awakening

7 - Tragedy

Trigger warning - This chapter contains themes which might not be suitable for certain readers. Viewer discretion is advised.

Author's POV

"I have brought you a very bad news," the soldier said.

It was something about that day, which was not letting Laxita have some peace of mind.

"What bad news?" She asked.

"Your parents were returning from their journey when they had an accident in a nearby forest. The king was also near that place when this happened and he has told me to inform you that..."

"Th-That?" Her voice was trembling now.

"Your parents are no more...."

When the last word escaped his mouth, Laxita couldn't hear anything. She was trembling and tears welled up in her eyes. She closed her eyes and ears and pretended that she didn't hear anything. But reality was cruel. She started crying madly. She stumbled and then fell on the floor. She didn't know how to react. Her parents were no more. She was alone in this world now. She could hear others' voices, they were trying to comfort her but she couldn't decipher anything. Suddenly, everything went black in front of her eyes and she collapsed.

When she opened her eyes, she saw that Reeta was sitting beside her bed and everyone was weeping.

She sat up and said, "Reeta ji, keh do ki ye sab jhooth hai, keh do ki wo abhi thodi der mai wapas aane waale hai, keh do ki wo jeevit hai..." Her voice broke at the end.

("Reeta ji, please tell me that everything is a lie, please tell me that they will come back after a while, please tell me that they are alive...")

Reeta couldn't say anything and just kept on crying. She hugged Laxita and tried to console her. But how to comfort someone who has just lost her parents. Laxita wailed, cried, wept but nothing could bring them back.

It was nightfall, when the soldiers brought their bodies into the courtyard. It was still raining.  Fresh tears welled up in her eyes after seeing her parents' lifeless faces. If she knew that, the last time she ever saw them was at the University gate, she would have hugged them one more time. She would have told them that she loved them. She would have never let them go. But it was of no use now. She lost everything in a single evening.

The king came to the mansion followed by Yash, Vanya and Nakul. They were horrified by this incident.

"I am sorry for your loss child. I wish I could do something about it but I can't. May God give you strength to overcome this", the king said. Vanya came running and hugged Laxita, she was also crying.

It was a terrible night. They were kept inside the mansion and everyone was crying the entire night. All the servants also respected them a lot. It felt like their personal loss. Their cremation was to be performed in the morning. Laxita wasn't crying anymore. Her tears had dried up and she became numb. Her friends also stayed with her this whole time. Vanya thought that if she left her alone, something bad could happen to her. So she held her hand the entire night. She was scared because her condition was not looking good. Her eyes have lost the light and now they were looking empty.

The next morning arrived and they had to perform the cremation ceremony. The entire city had come to witness this. Yashwant and Subhadra's bodies were lied on the pyre and the priest started chanting some prayers. Since, they had no son and her uncle was away at the moment, Laxita ignited the fire to cremate them. And like that, they were gone forever.

The next evening, the relatives started arriving at the mansion to meet Laxita. They were asking how this tragedy happened but she couldn't respond to any questions. It was as if she had stopped talking. Also, she was not eating properly. Vanya responded to them instead of her. Yash and Nakul were taking care of the rituals which were performed after the funeral.