Durga | ✓

36. Valli and Karthikeya

Tears were streaming down her face when she heard an angry male voice outside her house.

"How dare you talk about her like that?"

Durga gasped, "Rudra! What is he doing here?"

She ran out to see Rudra screaming. "Do you have any idea that her ex-husband was a beast? She was a victim of domestic violence. She has suffered a lot due to that demon. She taught him a lesson how Goddess Durga had taught to Mahishasura."

Tulasi said, "Why are you shouting? Ramya pointed out that Durga is divorcee and maybe we shouldn't have called her. Did I say something?"

Ramya looked down as Tulasi gave her a piercing look. Rudra folded his hands in front of his chest. He narrowed his eyes and raised his left eyebrow. "Don't you think that you should have corrected her? Why were you silent?"

Tulasi gasped. Durga sensed Tulasi was offended and their already strained relationship may turn bitter. Durga's teardrops had dried but still she looked like ghost. Okay, blood deprived ghost.

She knew this pretty well. Pasting a wide fake smile she said, "Aunty, please excuse him. He never thinks twice before he speaks. I apologize on his behalf."

Rudra was shocked at her apology. "Durga! What are you-"

Durga whispered fiercely, "Come inside. I want to talk to you."

Tulasi looked at the retreating form of the couple and fumed.

***

Durga closed the door and Rudra sat on the sofa. Durga raised her left eyebrow and folded her hands in front of her chest. Rudra gulped and stood up

"Thank you for coming and shouting on them. You have ruined the relationship between neighbours. I know she speaks in a humiliating manner but she is my neighbour and we need... I mean, I need to maintain good relationship with them."

Rudra sighed. "I know, Durga. But she was talking ill about you so I stepped in. I couldn't bear looking at your crying face."

Durga gave him an irritated smirk. "Is this the reason why you edited my article without even considering my opinion?"

I will kill you Ramaiah. You and your stupid acts always ended me in some kind of trouble.

"Durga, let me explain what happened."

Fifteen minutes back,

Rudra wondered why Durga left him without even publishing the article. She was so excited for this.

His attention caught at a paper lying on Ramaiah's desk. He said, "What is this?"

Surely enough, Ramaiah gulped knowing that Rudra's anger can be more volatile than legendary Lord Rudra's temper. Though he rarely used to get angry but when he would get angry, that person should better beware.

Rudra started reading the article.

(Continuation of Wives of Bachelor God)

This handwriting looks like Durga's handwriting. It is so similar to Akshad Sir's.

Near a mountain called Valli Malai or Valli Verpu, not far from the village of Merpati, in the Tontainatu country; lived a hunter called Nampi. He longed for a little girl since he had only sons. On the mountain slope, an ascetic named Śivamuni was engaged in austerities. One day ascetic was smitten by beauty of gazelle; his lascivious thoughts made the gazelle pregnant.

In due time, the gazelle gave birth to a girl in a pit dug out by the women of the hunter tribe when they searched for the tubers of edible yam (valli). The female deer, having round out that she had given birth to a strange being, abandoned the child which was discovered by the hunter-chief Nampi and his wife. Overwhelmed with joy, they took the little girl to their hut and named her Valli.