Jamuna

Episode 2

Jamuna looked up from the stone on which she was grinding all the spices. Her mother had apparently given her the task that she hated the most, that was to grind the spices.

It was one thing to like spicy hot food and other to have to grind the spices. The smell of the spices wafted in her nostrils. It was so strong that Jamuna had to resist the urge to drape her nose with her dupatta.

Her father had apparently requested a delicious meal to be prepared. As some special guests were coming for tonight's dinner. And her mother, without even trying to know about the guests, started preparing for tonights meal.

Jamuna's big brother, Saurabh, has gone in the nearby village to attend a relatives wedding a week ago. And was most likely to come back today.

While her younger brother, Shaurya, was in the temple with their father. Helping him and learning the aspects of being a priest. In which he had no interest.

But Jamuna had her full suspicions that instead of being with their father, he must have gone to that secluded and barren area of the river Yamuna, to meet the love of his life.

Saraswati

Jamuna remembered that if she hadn't had that urge to go to that area that day. She would've never found out that her little, sixteen winters old brother had a romantic bone in his body.

She remembered just how much startled he was to find her rooted on her spot with her lips parted in shock. And, how Saraswati tried to cover her face with her dupatta, too embarrassed to look at Jamuna.

Jamuna knew her brother would never dishonour Saraswati. She knew he was trying to stand on his own, so that he could ask Saraswatis father for her hand in marriage.

So, she was sure that the physical intimacy must have been concluded to touching hands and small hugs only.

Jamuna's train of thoughts broke when she heard her mother ask if the spices were grinded or not. 'If not then she must brace herself for her scolding at how slow she was.' Jamuna thought and mused at the underlying threat in her mother's words.

It was only evening and the guests were not likely to arrive for the next two hours. Her mother was worried for nothing. But Jamuna knew that if she tried to calm her mother down to stop her ranting.

It would only result in her mother trying to make her understand that time is god, they shouldn't waste the precious time like water.

So, Jamuna fastened the speed of her hands to quickly finish the overwhelming task of grinding the spices.

After putting the grinded powder in a bowl, she stood the stone up against the nearby wall and washed it with some water.

Rising from her position she took the bowl in her right hand and walked towards their small kitchen to help her mother.

After so much hard-work, the food was ready and from the commotion outside she figured that the special guests had arrived. Just then she saw her elder brother enter the house in the nick of time.

He sported a tired look on his face. But the smell of the delicious food must have entered his nostrils, for his face lit up immediately.

Jamuna quickly poured some water in a glass and hand it to him. She watched him gulp it down in few seconds and hand the empty glass to her.

"Who are the guests Jamuna?" He asked her. He had catched a glimpse of the people when he entered the house but couldn't recall his memories to remember if he had seen them before.

"I don't know. Baba asked us to prepare a delicious meal tonight. That's all I know." Jamuna answered. She thought that he must know who they were. But found out that even he hadn't had a tiny idea of their identity.