Sindoor | The Devotion Duet Book 1

꧁Chapter 6: Accusations and Blames꧂

Chapter 6

KETHAKI

As I sat in front of the mirror, waiting for Maa to finish pleating the pallu of my pink saree, Maithili sat on the bed, looking directly into my eye through the mirror, blatantly glaring at me. I just blink.

I didn't know what to say or do. My brain was empty, for the first time in more than a decade, and yet, my body knew exactly what to do. My hands and feet were cold. I was sweating. There was a light tingling all over my skin and inside, and my heart was racing with rage.

Rage over what was happening today.

"They should be here in the next 10 minutes, Taiji," Maithili said.

"I know! We are running late! Hurry up, Kethu!" Maa said, and I blinked.

"Me?" I said and looked at myself again. My make-up was done, and my hair was straightened and pinned to the side. I had done my part. It was her who was running late.

"Okay, get up," Maa said, and came over to me, with a safety pin in her mouth.

I got up and Maa started draping the saree around me. There was a lot of fabric and pins, and after five minutes, I was ready. I didn't want to be.

I wanted to run away from this nightmare. A nightmare, ironically, I created for myself.

I said yes.

And no matter how much I wanted, I didn't want to take it back. The look on Papa's face, when I said yes, still hasn't escaped my mind. Then came Maa, who asked me again. Confirming if I wanted to marry a man I hated. And I did. I assured her of my decision, all the while reminding myself that I was doing this for them.

And my belief that he would say no.

I was bound by my love for my parents, but he had no such obligations. Even with Dev uncle's empty threats, I was sure, he would say no.

Because why would he say yes?

But he did. He said yes, and now, we were bound.

Maa turned my face to her and looked all over me. Her eyes were slowly welling with tears and she sniffed.

"Maa!" I said, and shushed me.

Rubbing her finger on her waterline, she smugged her kajal, and then, rubbed it behind my ear. "May this Kala Tikka protect you from all bad omens, evil eyes, and bad intentions."

A tear escaped her eye, and she quickly wiped it away.

Her eyes were pinched from the corner, and her nose was red. My mother has always been a wise woman. You could see it in her eyes. And when they were filled with love, her brown eyes seemed darker, and the little golden specks shone. Maa looked at me with eyes so dark, my heart ached.

I said yes for a reason.

So, I smiled and looked her in the eyes. "There is no darkness powerful enough, in this entire world, which can harm a child, especially the child of a woman as strong as you," I said.

It was the knock at the door, that broke the brief silence that befell the room. Maithili walked to the door and opened it. Arti Chachi entered the room and paused at the threshold. With a stifled gasp, she took me in.

"You know, the day I first came to this house, I was angry, hurt and sad," she said, and Maa looked at her. "I walked in with Adhrit, and to welcome me to the family, was this little girl draped in pink chiffon, who bumped into me and fell on her cute little butt."

Maa chuckled a little, and Chachi shook her head. "When she fell, she looked up and saw me. I had tear-stained cheeks, eyes that were red, and a bruise on my forehead. Viraj bhai came running behind you, and when you fell, it was like he lost awareness of the world around him, and it was just you, who mattered. To the point he did not even notice me, standing there with his brother.