Three Shot-O Jhalliya-O Foolish One! (Shivika --Upd: August 13th-Pg 8) - Page 6

Oh my God, Navin...this is brilliant. You masterfully depicted Shivaay's inner turmoil and it was very powerful to read from Om's point of view.

I literally panicked when he jumped.

Yes, yes, I definitely want part two.

Btw, what is the title of the song that you posted? The link doesn't seem to be working.

Originally posted by: incandescent

Oh my God, Navin...this is brilliant. You masterfully depicted Shivaay's inner turmoil and it was very powerful to read from Om's point of view.

I literally panicked when he jumped.

Yes, yes, I definitely want part two.

Btw, what is the title of the song that you posted? The link doesn't seem to be working.

O JHALLIYA--- O FOOLISH ONE!

O foolish one, to love someone is hard
To make someone your beloved is hard

CHAPTER TWO

Her eyes were dry.

For Gauri, everything that was wrong about this unholy night could be summed up in how unnatural it was, for her eyes to be dry. She didnt know if she could go through with any of this, and she had cried hysterically all day. Even as she had come here, to get Anika ready, she had cried, begged, pleaded. The realization had been slow to come, but it had finally dawned. and Gauri had been silenced, but she still stared at her eyes. Anika calmly outlined her eyes with kohl, the smoky color carefully blended into fathomless darkness, and Gauri could not help it. Standing behind the bride, she stared deeply into her Bhaujai's eyes, reflected in the mirror before them.

Dry, burning, yet calm. Anika's chocolate eyes were smokey and lined with glittering shadow, the mesmerizing beauty of her face was almost diamond bright tonight. Her cheekbones, starkly defined with coral blush gave her face the fine boned gravity of a marble statue. But her hair was gloriously alive, softly held back with strings of jasmine, the black curls rioting freely around that serene face. The face of a martyr. But whether that martyr was a godly saint or a black magic witch-- Gauri no longer knew. For surely only God, or the Devil, could make a person this.. frozen, this calm, in the face of her execution?

Now, reflected in the dressing table mirror, Gauri watched as blood red lipstick was slicked onto pouty lips, as her sister in law carefully placed the tiny stone bindi between her slashing, arched brows. Finished with her beautifully applied makeup, Anika reached for the gold necklace with huge uncut diamonds and cabouchon rubies that Gauri was holding ready. Gauri silently stepped back, turning to pick up earrings that went with this punishingly heavy neck piece.

The gold and black ghagra had been supplied by Vikram Thappad, but it was being worn with Shivaay Singh Oberoi's gaudy, priceless wedding gift. The set -- incredibly old, incredibly expensive--- belonged in a museum, or in a bank locker, at least. Yet here it was, glinting evilly in the bedroom light, ready to adorn a travesty of a bride-- as a mockery of shagun. Gauri felt shudders of disgust as she reached into the box, wishing she could fling the whole thing out of the window. Anika simply waited, patiently, for her jewels.

When the set had come, the insult, the despair, the ugliness of what it represented had been too much for Gauri. She'd shed tears then, as a white faced Rudra pushed the gift Shivaay had sent to Anika into Gauri's hands, before stalking away. Just an hour ago. Anika had looked at even this, these jewels worth a king's ransom, the final nail on the coffin of her love, with completely dry eyes. Just for a second, Anika's fingers had trembled over the coldly glittering stones. For mere seconds, there had been an expression in her face of such grieving agony, Gauri at least would have thanked God if Anika would just cry.

But then, Anika had turned away, and for the past hour, not one word had been spoken. The two soul sisters prepared diligently for the rituals that would forever break them apart. Gauri attended to Anika as if she was actually her younger sister, getting her own blood ready for her dream wedding, not for a living nightmare. And Anika... Anika prepared as if she was getting ready for her true love's wish, not the funeral of her love story.

Anika was dry eyed as she put the jewels on now, the earrings, the heavy bangles, the elaborate mang tikka, the nose pin. She was finally ready, as she tossed the gold gauze dupatta over her head, and Gauri pinned the material in place. Turning, the frozen bride now stood regally before her teary eyed sister. Gauri thought that somewhere, in the dim mists of the past, some Rajasthani princess or Nawab's Begum had worn these antique gems. That aristocrat had surely graced her mirror. But no woman, no matter how blue her blood or royal her lineage, had ever looked more beautiful than Anika did in them, tonight.

"Bhaujai...Didi..." Gauri faltered, her heartbeat a fluttering bird in her chest. She felt sick-- fear, pain and a sense of doom made her abandon her silence now, at this very last moment. "Ab bhi waqt hai, Didi.. Yeh sahi nahi hai.. Kya kar raha hai..aapko..Plej, mei haat jor ti hu, ek baar phir soch..."

Anika touched Gauri's hands, folded pleadingly in front of her. She lowered her forehead, sagging a little before the younger woman, her hands clutching convulsively onto Gauri's folded hands. For long minutes, Anika breathed, head bowed, a loud gasping sound, as she struggled with her own fear, her own nerves. No words were spoken between them, when she finally straightened and looked back into Gauri's teary eyes. For one moment, the veil of glittering brilliance in those eyes, that had kept everything hidden from this small, earnest sister -- lifted.

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Darddan de maari Jind, Rohr roh ke haari Jind
Tarse weechari Jind, Labdh di piya
Ishq che sari Jind, Sajna to waarii Jind Maari udari Jindh, Labdh di piya

Life is overcome by anguish, Life cries as it is defeated
Life longs for the one it loves!
Life becomes all about love, Life is sacrificed for love
Life will go to any length, for the one it loves!

Jhalliya, ishq kamauna aukkha
Kisse noon yaar banauna aukkha

O foolish one, to love someone is hard
To make someone your beloved is hard
--BULLEH SHAH
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She, who had strangled her own love with her bare hands, who was being tried for its murder by the man she had killed for. The despair of a woman had been asked to prove herself so many times, and knowingly failed each test, so her love could win. Who'd given up every single relationship that she, a lonely orphan, had so gratefully formed, so all of his ones could flourish, instead. Who was leaving behind brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers, to go to strangers tonight, at his behest--because he asked it of her.

She, who had dressed like a princess, for the man who was handing her away to someone else. She, who was returning his family to the man who had never seen her as his own, who had thrown her away. Without looking to see if she was already broken, before he tossed her aside. Wordlessly Anika's eyes screamed her pain, her majboori-- And Gauri, that other orphan, the one burning in her own hell, by her own demonic love- understood.

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Gauri sucked in her breath, shock freezing in her lungs as she stared into Anika's still dry eyes. "Didi..." she choked, her hands trembling, the small fingers still held between Anika's icy grasp "Aap kaise seh rahe ho, Didi? Bhaiya ke liye aur kitna... ? Kaise..."

Anika stepped back. She had not spoken one word, and Gauri, now, reached inside herself. Reached for her own formidable strength, her own knowledge of what she'd also learnt about life, and love, in her short time on Earth. Only women quietly suffered. Only women silently endured, so those who they loved could live -- serene, safe and secure--without them.

The sacrifice women made, unseen, unasked, unknown. The devotion it took. The pride, the tenderness and ferocity, to give it all. And the humility it took, the sense of joganniya, to not wait to receive anything, in return. Awed at the relentless strength that was being shown to her, Gauri became aware that she would have to show at least the same strength, now. She would have to let Anika go, tonight.

And being a woman, being a similar Phoenix, born bred and burnt in a similar fire, Gauri swallowed her questions, her tears, her protests. She straightened Anika's black and gold skirt, dusting at the seams, composing herself as she knelt and fussed with gold cloth. Anika stood, calmly, staring straight ahead, waiting for Gauri to declare her as ready. And finally, after several attempts to gather herself and move past what she had seen in Anika's dry eyes, Gauri Kumari Sharma was ready to do just that.

Gauri stood up. Stroked the last of her tears away, and blackened one fingertip with kajal. Reaching for Anika's carved-marble face, with its burning eyes and blood red lips, Gauri put a black dot delicately onto Anika's alabaster chin, stroking the skin throbbing there, one last time, with a sister's birthright.

"Chaliye Didi. Bhohot khoobsurat lag rahe ho, aap. Sab se haseen, sab se alag. Kissi ka nazar na laage. Bholenath aapki sath hai, Didi. Chaliye."
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I'm actually kind of on a creative roll here, so I'm working on the next part right now...I will post Chapter Three on when we get to page 16, so I'll see you there! Please comment, like and get to the next bit for a hopefully final (SATISFYING) conclusion! This is what happens when we are all tense and on edge and incapable of focussing in asli duniya! Harneet has much to answer for, ladies! 😆

Beautifully written Navin. Love how you portrayed the two girls, giving strength to each orher, understanding the pain.

You brilliantly portrayed the pain the two of them are going through and beautifully described them finding solace in each other and giving each other the strength! Is Annika running away in the next chapter and we will get ShivIka convo? Can't wait for your next update!

This was another brilliant piece!!!!

She, who had strangled her own love with her bare hands, who was being tried for its murder by the man she had killed for.

Superb awesome outstanding fantastic fabulous perfect beautiful

nicely done

You totally didn't waste two hours. That was really good. Didi you want me to get you to page 14 now, or...?