Kalarikkal House [6]: Chp. 80 - new thread link p. 156 - Page 94

Originally posted by: -publicenemy-

Awww... you warm my heart with your words. And I have watched both those movies that you reference and I agree; Nithya is a Goddess... A muse in a league of her own...

More than any other story that I have written, I want to finish this one. However, the break has indeed been a long one and I feel as though I have to really sit down and read it through entirely at least once before I can even start to get into the space of continuing... I do hope to do so one day though... maybe on my blog.

The reason my break ended up being such a long one is because life intruded (it was tough to write with a 4-year old and an infant), and then before I knew it years had passed... But Kalarikkal House still beckons... so, one day I will have to return...

Love,

Devi

Chapter 77- Seetha Kalyana... Vaibhogame...

[Music Selection]

At exactly seven minutes to the muhurtam, he appeared.

Her gaze had been trained on the blazing fire in front of her for the past fifteen minutes and she lifted it slightly at the sudden commotion. Her vision was blurry as she looked up. There, in the hazy dark wave in the air where the fire escaped, his eyes met hers.

Her throat and tongue were parched as she watched him walk towards the mandap, dressed in the traditional garb of the Malayalee Hindu groom. The kasavu mundu and kurta that reached past his hip no longer looked as foreign as it did on him the first time she had made him wear it. His eyes were trained only on her as he climbed the three steps that brought him up to her. The pujari was gesturing wildly at him to sit down, trying to impess upon him the essence of time, although he appeared to not notice at all as he stood there for a long moment, holding her gaze. Her vision blurred even more and she wondered if the events of the day were finally starting to make her lose her sight. His expression changed little as he leaned down and wiped the tear that fell onto her cheek. His form was alarmingly clear now and she finally looked away as he lowered himself next to her.

The musical instruments and the hymns of the puja started, although she heard them as if from far away.

Her eyes fell on her father and her sister, standing side by side just in front of the mandap.

She willed herself to draw energy from them, to make it through the next few moments...

Pallavi smiled a slight smile, almost as if reminding her to do the same.

Her eyes sought out those of her father. His eyes were full, she saw, and she looked down when she felt hers fill again.

She felt him take her hand suddenly and felt her belly clench tight. She was so afraid, she could never let him know or see how much...

"You're already mine. You saw to that yourself that night in the rain. Now take responsibility for it like the big girl I know you are." She heard him whisper in her ear, his voice deep and tinged with anger.

She looked at him, anger flashing in her eyes as if on reflex.

He lifted one eyebrow, daring her.

She turned her palm up underneath his and took his hand in hers, squeezing it, holding his gaze.

"You're late." She whispered tightly, digging her heavily henna-ed nails into his knuckles.

His expression changed for a moment, to what she did not know, but was then sure she imagined it when he turned to face the crowd, the condescension that was his birthright etched into his unforgiving face.

His hand remained in hers though, all through the hymns and all through the prayers that followed until the pujari finally asked him to tie the sacred thread around her neck, now the earth, wind, fire, water, and the entire universe as witness.

She raised her gaze to him as he knotted it tightly and his eyebrow arched once more, although this time she thought he was not daring just her, but all the Gods in all the Skies that dared to forbid him this right.