Just Roommates

The ritual

It had been a week since diya's wifely Duty parade had begun, and Arjun left no opportunity to annoy, irritate of belittle her. Well after the 2nd time of glass shattering Diya was actually scared whether Arjun would get physical with her but she knew at the back of her mind that nothing of that sort would occur. 

She certainly didn't feel good about the things that Arjun would make her do, bring him his morning tea, get her to iron his shirts in the mornings or put his clothes out of his cupboard, sometimes ask her to get him his laptop bag, asking her to get him his coffee and toast, followed by her waiting for him over dinner while he came as late as he could, all deliberately so Diya would be frustrated but Diya knew that she couldn't let her ego lose the image and credibility that she had built over the years, even if it meant getting up an hour earlier.

Her wifely duty also included helping out with the household chores which she gladly did as it had less of interaction with the others in the house. She was beginning to want a break already and wondered how wives could do these things for their husbands all through out their life. She had seen her mother and aunts do it as well but it still seemed so unnatural and alien for her. She almost hated it!

As she cleaned the table after everyone left, sumitra said, "Diya, your mother had called, she said you weren't picking her call? Anyways she said you had to go to your house tomorrow for the festivities of gangor, also that you guys aren't done with the pagphere ritual too right? you can get that done as well!"

Diya exhausted from her day's work simply nodded and smiled. She hadn't spoken to her mother because she just didn't feel like.

 Gangor, sounded familiar to her.

-

Two women sat before a choki with two idols placed in a clay cup as they joined their hands and prayed for their respective daughters. 

"Maa why do we really have to do this" Asked a little girl wearing a tshirt and a pair of pyjamas with her hair till just below her ears

"Diya! you ask too many question, just stay still and pray to god!" Said her mother 

Sitting next to the little girl was another girl, a little elder, dressed in a traditional attire, joined her hands closed her eyes and prayed like a devout devotee

"Diya, we do this ritual when married women come to their homes to meet their parents and their husbands come to pick them up, so we bid them goodbye through this farewell!" the other woman explained to quench her childlike curiosity 

"But badi maa, we aren't even married, why are we doing this pooja?"

"So both you and your sister Meeta get two beautiful princes on white horse to come and marry you!"

"But i don't want to get married only badi maa! why will I leave you, maa, baba, bade papa and all my cousins and go to some one elses house!? I don't want to go anywhere" declared Diya

"Diya, shhh just pray!" her mother intervened

"We'll see when you grow up!" her badi maa said as she cupped her cheeks and let out a chickle

Diya whispered to a deeply engrossed Meeta, "Meeta di, why are you praying so much?"

"Huh?" Meeta asked

"you already have Vedaant na"

"shhh" meeta said as both of them sniggered. They could barely keep anything from each other. On all the pooja's and festivites when Diya would be least bothered, an enthusiastic Meeta would often help Diya so she could save her little sister from her aunt's admonish.