Jamuna

Episode 6

Jamuna looked up into the little mirror, hanged on the wall. The red drapes gave her an ethereal and elegant look.

Her face was dolled up, but she couldn't find any traces of happiness, excitement or any other relatable emotion on her countenance.

Radha sauntered into the room, which was already filled with her gushing cousins; some of them were praising her while a few shared envied glances.

"Didi, the priest has called the bride. Let's go." Radha said her eyebrows raised in anticipation. Right now, she was being stormed by two different emotions.

She was delighted and exultant that her sister-in-law was getting married. Whilst equally sad at worried at the lack of enthusiasm on her sister-in-law's visage.

One of Jamuna's elder and already married cousin quickly pulled down the red veil down her face. And helping her stand up, they slowly walked out of the room.

Jamuna's heart curled inside the chest as her blood turned cold. Her home was lavishly decorated with marigolds and colourful drapes.

Of course, she was her father's only daughter. So, she expected him to spend away his hard-earned money, just like water.

Every single one of her relatives was present. Their smiling and excited faces only reminded her that she was going to be sad and hollow from the inside all through her life.

This is the path she has chosen out of her cowardice.

Because, she had acted like a quitter. When her father, who even asked for her opinion, she had cowardly nodded her head, giving her consent half-heartedly.

When her maa suspected something, she shrugged it off as her hyperactive imagination.

And when Radha Bhabhi found out, she silenced her by making her swear upon their forefather's hard-earned pride and prestige.

She was ashamed for giving upon the one she loved dearly. Her first and last love. Her only one.

Her soulmate.

Over the past days, she had painstakingly braced herself to live her whole life without her other half.

Jamuna docilly sat beside the groom, whose name she was least interested to know; the priest started reciting the Vedic mantras and hymns that bounded tow individuals together in a holy matrimony for a lifetime.

What was holy in this matrimony? She wanted to scream out loud. She was feeling half-dead already forget about giving all of herself in this relationship.

Three months, thirteen weeks, ninety-one days, and 728 prahars, she had waited. Her prayers were answered, for he did return when she was already promised to someone else.

Her aunt Kamla tied the end of her dupatta with the groom's angavastra.

The sacred Agni in the hawan kund burned bright yellow with hues of orange. Jamuna stared at the bright fire through the veil.

Tears of haplessness brimmed at the end of her eyes. Her throat felt heavy and ached with the choked cries.

Her first ever love was ready to die a cruel and horrible death. By her own hands.

~*~*~*~*~

Shaurya accessed his surroundings carefully. He had quietly made an escape when he mysteriously received a small letter in his kurta's pocket.

From the handwriting he had already deduced who would call him to such a remote and isolated place. In the midst of his sister's wedding rituals.

Walking further into the deep woods, he suddenly came to a halt. From here he could see the outline of a person.