Durga | ✓

38. Alakshmi

Durga has crossed 5k reads!!!
*Durga and I do a quick dance, Rudra laughs at us and smacks his forehead. We both sit down quickly.*
Thank you so much! Honestly, I didn't expect the story will receive so many reads within 5 months!!!

***

Durga sat on her designated desk, searching an article to post it on their website. She flipped through the pages of few books but couldn't find anything interesting to post on their website.

Ramaiah had typed a lot the previous day but Shekar was tried of correct his typing errors. Rudra made Ramaiah correct all his mistakes.

That morning, Durga was too weak to cook lunch for afternoon. She decided to hit the hotel near to her office. But to leave office, she needed Rudra's permission.

She knew very well that if she went to ask his permission, he will definitely accompany her. That's what was happening right now.

Durga and Rudra sat down in a hotel. Durga looked excitedly at the menu. Rudra smiled at her innocence. Quickly placing their orders, Durga looked around to check the hotel ambiance.

Durga chattered for some while till the food came. She saw Rudra closing his eyes and muttering his prayers. His ordered dish was kept in front of him yet he was chanting something.

Durga looked at him for sometime. He opened his eyes and his eyes fell on her amused look. He deliberately avoided and started eating it.

Durga fumed. What? He didn't even look at me.

It's okay Durga. No harm in asking him again.

"Rudra, what were you chanting?"

Rudra smiled. "What took you so long to ask this question?"

Durga paused for a moment. She said, "That's not important. What is important at this moment is what were you chanting."

Rudra smiled and started to eat his dosa.

Durga started to grew impatient. She growled softly, "Rudra!"

Rudra was startled and started coughing. Durga gave him a glass of water and apologized quickly. "Sorry Rudra."

Rudra drank water from the steel glass. He kept it on the table. "Don't keep telling me sorry. I thought of pulling your leg."

Durga shook her head and rolled her eyes. Rudra smiled sheepishly. "Well, actually I was praying to Goddess Alakshmi."

"Goddess Alakshmi? You mean Goddess Lakshmi?"

"No. I mean Goddess Alakshmi. Or in simple terms, Goddess Jyeshta."

Durga ate a morsel of her steaming idli dipped in green coconut chutney. "Goddess Jyeshta? Who is she? I have never heard of her."

"You don't know Devi Jyeshta?"

"No."

"You haven't seen few shopkeepers dusting with broom on the money?"

Durga thought for a while. "As a matter of fact, I have seen them."

"Have you ever observed in any poor or middle class family, some kind of small fights occur before the family earns money or something?"

"Durga! Where are you?"

Durga came running from kitchen. "Now what happened Indrajeet?"

"Pack your bags. We are going to Kamakhya Temple. Your father betrayed me but I won't leave any stone unturned for our future child."

Durga fumed. "I am not against going to Kamakhya Temple. I am against the reason for going to Kamakhya Temple. Just because someone told this, you can't take me there."

"Who asked your opinion? Why do you open your mouth unnecessarily?"

Durga decided to pack her bag. She had no option.

Days passed into weeks. Soon five weeks were over and Durga received her first salary in her life for writing an article on Kamakhya Temple.

"Yes Rudra. You are right," she said with teary eyes. Rudra was surprised. "Hey, Durga, are you okay?"

Durga nodded her lightly. "Nothing Rudra. Must be speck of dust irritating my eyes."

Rudra raised his left eyebrow. "You should know this. You are bad at telling lies. Very bad."

Durga quickly changed the topic of their discussion. "What do these things have to do with Devi Jyeshta?"

"Ah! Now you have arrived to right question. She is is the Hindu Goddess of inauspicious things and misfortune. She is regardes as elder sister of Goddess Lakshmi, hence the name Jyeshta.

Jyestha is associated with inauspicious places and sinners. She is also associated with sloth, poverty, sorrow, ugliness and the crow. She is exactly antithesis of Goddess Lakshmi, Jyestha denotes the negatives of a Hindu wife, while Lakshmi denotes the positives; hence the name Alakshmi. Her worship was prescribed for women, who wished to keep her away from their homes.

Her worship was at peak in South India in the 7th-8th century CE, but by the 10th century, her popularity waned pushing her into oblivion. Today, numerous ancient images of Jyestha still exist, though she is rarely worshipped."

Durga looked at him with total awe. "You know so much!"

Rudra raked his fingers through his black hair. He grinned and Durga laughed at him. Suddenly a thought occured to her mind. "But why were you chanting?"

Rudra smiled. "Devi Jyestha should be worshipped by a male devotee to bring fortune to his wife and progeny. And I was praying for you. My future wife. And my Indumati."

Durga looked at him with moist eyes. Not because she was crying. Because she had found her perfect man. Her perfect man. It sounded very pleasing to her ears.

She couldn't have asked Devi Shakti more than this.

***

Rishab banged his fist on the table. This girl is getting on my nerves. First she finds the that weird script written on that box, then they give whole lot of information about Nadi Astrology and now, a website.

How can I forget that day? That day when she humiliated me. I will humiliate her too. She will repent and lament. She will be broken into pieces. I will defame her. Rudra and Durga are planning to get married. I will see to it that they won't.

***

There is a small change in plot. I thought the part of Rosy will make the story more cliche so I have deleted that part from my story. Anyways, it won't affect the story much.

How is the new cover with Ishita Dutta? Did you guys like it?

What do you think can happen next? Durga and Rishab had some past? Or dark past?

Thank you for reading.