Chapter 177
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Chapter 257: On the News of the Newborn
The news that Lady Jha's awaited child was born spread throughout the Villages and even to the outskirt towns of Arhasia and there was much jubilation in the land. They were saddened for the young mother that the child was without speech, but the celebration of the little one's birth drowned every thought of possible sorrow and reluctance.
Even more ecstatic was the joy of those residing within the Castle.
Family and servants together busied themselves in taking care of both the mother and the child, while they also prepared for a most festive Amphidromia that was to be held in one of the Temples when the child was a week old.
Simultaneous to it, the Raizada Castle was preparing for the annual Summer Sale in the Orchard and, on account of these two occasions, everyone was happily driven in the whirlwind of preparations without a moment to standstill and sigh.
After the child had been born, it was essential that the father not be shown the child until the evening of the Ceremony when his acceptance decided whether the child would be part of the family or not, which ofcourse was believed to always be in the affirmative for any family.
Only the mother and the eldest woman in the family was to hold the baby, and the baby was to be confined in the mother's birthing chamber for its first seven days. The child was taken outdoors only once, when all of the family would be asleep early at dawn, so that the child could begin to be acquainted with the gentle sun who would bless her unblemished skin to be salubrious.
Ram was restless, waiting for the Ceremony to be over, so that he could hold the baby and play with her.
The ceremony of Amphidromia was to be held on the evening of the newborn's seventh day of survival. It was at the occasion that the child, in our tale being Lady Anjali's daughter, would be officially welcomed into the family and named. First, the child would be taken to the Temple where she would be prayed upon and blessed by the eldest member of the family. The next ritual was most important: the child was to be accepted by her father who was required to pledge before the hearth that the child was legally of the family thenceforth. On the contrary, if the father refused to accept the child, it was to be abandoned. (But it was only a law writ in the rituals of Greece and not feared in practice for no father ever found cause to reject one's own blood child.) After this, the mother would walk around a hearth with the infant in her arms. Since it was a girl, it was the mother who chose her name.
The child would be given an official name, inclusive of a praenomen, a cognomen and sometimes a nomen, which are first name, family name and middle name respectively. The child would also be given an agnomen which was the name by which she would be called at home.
All this was done in the witness of relatives and guests.
During the week Lady Anjali was resting and her child was confined with her in the room, the rest of the Raizada family was seated to breakfast. Everyone was discussing about the impending Ceremony as they breakfast when Payal noticed Lady Deviayni watching her.
Infact, the Second Lady realized Lady Mother had been watching her for a pretty long time.
As though realizing that her study of Payal had been found out, Lady Deviyani openly addressed her, "Did you finish that scarf you had been knitting last day, Payalbitiya?"
Everyone paused on hearing Lady Deviayni speak and then they turned to look at Payal, expecting her to respond.
Payal blushed slightly at the attention but humbly replied, "Well, not quite, Dadi. My eyes seem unable to strain too much these days. If I spend an hour knitting, my head feels dizzy."
"Of course," said Nani and then she turned to Lord Akash, "Akashbitwa, how is your work?"
Lord Arnav looked at his Nani, "What is with all this unusual enquiring, Nani?"
Lady Deviayni frowned at him, "Why, can I not inquire into the affairs of my children once in a while? What sort of a Nani would I be then!"
Lord Arnav opened his mouth to reply but Lord Akash intervened, answering his grandmother's query, "Work is well at the Industry, Dadi. Thank you for asking."
"I am happy to hear everything is to your satisfaction, bitwa," assured Lady Deviyani and then she looked at Lord Arnav, "Sometimes bitwa, it is the duty of the Nani to remind members of the family that they are all important and they will be taken care of just the way everyone else deserves to be in this family."
As soon as she'd said these words, Payal stared blankly at her plate, disturbed emotions running in her mind.
An hour later, when Kushi was helping Payal in clearing the dining table, the former noticed the latter was not in her usual spirits.
"Jiji?" Kushi held her sister's hand, "Are you alright?"
With a start, Payal looked up as though awoken from a dream.
Kushi was concerned, "You look pale... Is something worrying you?"
Payal shook her head and smiled, "How can one be worrying when the air feels jubilant as this?"
Kushi was unconvinced, "True, but-"
All of a sudden, Payal pulled Kushi into a gripping embrace, "Indeed I am happy, Kushi, I am so happy I can hardly show it on my face..."
Kushi wrapped her arms around Payal and smiled against her head, "I know what you mean, Jiji. I know what you mean."
Inclining her head against Kushi's, Payal gazed at the dust dancing in the light from the window, Do you REALLY know what it means...
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