ArHi FF:1: The BEASTS and the BLEEDING ROSES - Page 34

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FF Update

Chapter Thirty Seven: What Lay Within the Room At the Far End

Kushi paused at the door and realized that it could not be the Gallery. It was too dark inside to be the Gallery. Or was it? Maybe the curtains were closed because there was no one visiting it. She stepped in and walked towards the lit outline of the window frame, darkened by thick curtains. Still holding her basket in one hand, she clutched one side of the curtain by her other and drew it apart. Sunlight burst into the room and in accompaniment to this sudden blasting appearance of light came a horrendous scream from behind her.

Kushi turned around, clutching her hand at her heart, her basket dropping to the ground with a clatter of swords spilling to the ground, some muffled by their fall on the kerchiefs. The frightened girl stared at the sight before her, the sudden revealing of what lay in the room. It was dreadfully bleak inside. No colour, no light'.there was a bed and a table and they were empty as if untouched and dusty for so long. But seated between the bed and table, on a rocking armchair that was presently not rocking, was a frail old woman, her hands shielding her eyes from the light. There was a single sad candle lighted on a tiny table before her.

Seeing that it was only a harmless woman, Kushi relaxed but her heart was beating fearfully knowing that she had trespassed into a forbidden zone and that she had done something that promised an infuriated reaction from the woman sitting before her.

"I'm sorry, I dreadfully am," said Kushi hastily and turned around and drew the curtains shut, once again plunging the room into darkness.

Kushi waited in the gloom to get any kind of response from the woman but when none came, she decided to gather her things and leave. Kushi bent down and, without making too much noise, she replaced the swords and kerchiefs into her basket and stood up to leave.

"Wait," said a feeble voice behind her.

Kushi stopped in her tracks, her back to the woman, the open door waiting before her.

"Who are you?" asked the woman, not sternly but demanding an answer, "I know you are no servant and that you are no family. Every servant knows that I am not to be disturbed, and I would know who my family is."

"I'" Kushi's voice sounded croaky so she cleared it and began again, "I'm just a village girl who came here to ask Lady Anjali if she would buy some things I was selling."

Kushi could hear, faintly, the sound of feet bounding up the stairs. She knew the clatter of swords and the sudden scream of the old woman had not gone unheard in this eerily silent Castle. It wouldn't be long before whoever was coming would reach the landing, walk the corridor and be at this door.

"What things do you sell?"

Kushi broke from her wandering thoughts, "S'swords, ma'am. Swords and kerchiefs."

There was a silence before the woman said, "Swords to hurt and kerchiefs to heal'." The woman's solicitous words had Kushi's attention and the young girl turned to see the older one for the first time without hands shielding her face.

The woman sat there on her armchair, rocking as if that was all she could do, and the dying candle that stood on the short table touched on her features with a sad glow. The wrinkles were prominent everywhere: under her eyes, on her cheeks, on her tired forehead and on the back of her hands'.and her hair was a dark grey in the candlelight but when the window light had poured in Kushi had seen how nearly white it was. However, of all this, it was her eyes Kushi was struck by. The deep pain and unforgiving determination she saw in them were so unusual for an old woman as frail and forlornly rocking as her, that Kushi wondered what had brought this woman to be confined in this room such that she looked like she was another piece of furniture among the other dusty unmoved articles. Did she never leave this place?

"If I am not asking too much, ma'am, why do you speak of hurt and healing?"

The woman, who had been staring with a faraway look at her candle, looked up at Kushi as if she had just then realized that Kushi was present in the room.

The woman stared at her, trying to see if the girl could be trusted and then seeming to be satisfied with her finding, said, "Why I speak of hurt? Because I know what it is. Why I speak of healing? Because I know what it is not."

Kushi frowned, what did that mean? She opened her mouth to ask but the sound of footsteps was at the door and a voice exclaimed, "Hello Hi Bye Bye!! Can you believe this, Anjali bitya? Rags playing Tags at our house!"

Kushi winced.

"Miss Gupta?" another voice called, sweeter and not taunting like the first voice.

Kushi turned to face the two women at the door. They were looking from Kushi to the older woman seated within.

"Naniji?" Lady Anjali was tender in her query, her eyes on the old woman, "Did Miss Gupta-?"

"I'm sorry," interrupted Kushi, suddenly, "I wasn't thinking when I walked in and I didn't see if the door said it was the Gallery-"

"Anjalibitiya," the old woman's voice was strangely strong, "for a while, can you and Manorma leave the two of us alone?"

All three women at the door gaped open-mouthed at the woman in the armchair.

"Rags alone with you, Sasuma?"

"Alone with me?"

"Are you sure, Naniji? You never let anyone inside, except me'"

"Yes," Lady Manorama supported, "it's the first time I'm walking into the room of my mother-in-law after so long."

"Enough!" The older one's stern look stopped all questions, and without another word, Lady Anjali curtsied and left and Lady Manorama, after shooting Kushi a furtive look, walked off strutting like a hurt peacock.

"Close the door, Miss Gupta," said the old woman and Kushi instantly obeyed, fearing the strange fury of the woman. She gulped as she turned to face the woman, not knowing why she was demanded to be caught inside this room, and then suddenly something white flew from the corner of her eye and perched upon her shoulder. Kushi gasped and then seeing that it was only a white parrot, heaved a sigh and smiled at it. It twirled its wing listlessly.

"Fortune," said the old woman.

"Sorry?" Kushi looked at her.

"Her name is Fortune," said the old woman.

Kushi looked at the bird and smiled, "Hello, Fortune. Do you speak?"

"She does, sometimes," said the woman. "She used to speak a lot once."

Kushi looked at her and the woman had a sad look again, but when she saw that the girl was watching her, she shook her head, "It is unwise of me to forget my manners. I should have offered you a seat for you are my first visitor in over seven years."

"Seven years?" Kushi repeated, surprised, and then grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, I was just shocked that'..you had stayed in this room for seven years?"

"Yes," said the woman, her eyes falling on the candle again, "I didn't even go for my granddaughter's wedding."

"You mean, Lady Anjali?"

The old woman nodded, her eyes still on the candle.

Kushi saw that the candle was almost finished and asked, "Is there a spare candle, my lady, I could light one for you."

"Please call me Nani, child, and yes, there is a spare candle in the drawer of that table."

With the parrot still on her shoulder, Kushi did as directed and soon found the candle. She came back to the short table and lit the new candle with the dying fire of the finished one and as soon as it was lit, the old one extinguished and Kushi replaced it with the new one in the candleholder. After she had set the new candle burning bright and tall, she looked up and noticed that the old woman had been watching her all along.

She said, "Do you know, child'.you are very beautiful."

"Sorry?" Kushi went red in the face and didn't know if she had heard it right.

The old woman smiled and how delightful a smile it was for Kushi saw youthfulness in that old woman's face. The wrinkles no more noticeable when she smiled.

"You must smile more often, ma'Nani," said Kushi.

"Do you smile often?"

"Yes, I do," said Kushi.

"Is that why your parents named you Kushi?"

"I believe so."

"Indeed they are right. You have come to give light and joy into hearts that prefer darkness."

"I'don't understand."

"You will one day," said the woman, and then she patted to her side, "Sit here on this rug next to me, Kushibitiya."

Kushi sat down and the parrot flew off her shoulder and perched upon Nani's shoulder. Kushi placed her basket of goods next to where she sat.

"Show me what you have there, Kushi," the woman said, nodding at the basket, and Kushi opened it and took out some handkerchiefs.

The woman held them one by one and then she ran her hands over a kerchief that had a green heart embroidered on it.

"That heart is shaped awkward, Nani," stated Kushi, blushing, "because it was I who made it."

"Green heart'" the woman spoke as if to herself, still caressing the embroidered heart, "A heart that gives life'..a heart that heals'."
Kush frowned. "Do you always speak in riddles?" she asked, bemused.

And then Nani laughed, and what a laughter it was. Below, Lady Anjali and her aunt looked up at the ceiling where Nani's room supposedly was. Then they looked at each other, their faces baffled with wonderment at the possibility of what they had heard.

"Riddles?" Nani struggled to stop laughing and then her smile froze on her face and tears welled up in her eyes, "How many years, how many years it has been since I smiled'.since I laughed." Her eyes swept to take in the girl seated before her, "You are indeed one of a green heart."

"If you do not mind me asking, Nani," said Kushi, "Why have you kept yourself locked like this?"

"That is not for you to know, my child," said Nani, "I have done what I knew was right."

"Will what one knows always stand right in deeds?" asked Kushi.

Nani smiled at her, "You are a very clever little thing, you are! I like you! Where do you live?"

"My parents are in the North Village but I am staying with my aunt now in the South Village," said Kushi, "have you always stayed here, Nani?"

"For the past ten years," said Nani.

"Don't you ever feel like going out of this room?"

Nani looked at the candle wistfully, "No."

Kushi was silent, she didn't know if she needed to prod on this topic further and opened her mouth to say something else when her eyes fell on the old woman's hand. The last three finger s of the left hand was completely enclosed in a cloth tied around it and Kushi had not noticed it in the dim light of the candle. Kush was about to ask about it when suddenly Nani said, "I am not feeling well, can you leave me for now, Kushibitya?"

"Yes, Nani, if you need to be alone'" Kushi stood up.

"Please leave this kerchief with me," said the woman, clutching at the kerchief Kushi had made, the one with the green heart, "Tell Anjalibitya and she will give you the price for this."

"There might be a better worked kerchief in here, Nani, that one is not good."

"I want this one." Nani was resolute; she leaned back in her armchair, clutching the kerchief tight in her fist and looked at Kushi.

"As you wish, Nani," said Kushi bowing low, and then turned to walk away.

"Green heart!!" Kushi tuned around, and Nani looked up. It had been Fortune who had spoken. The white parrot was perched on Nani's shoulder and looking at Kushi.

"What did you say?" Kushi asked the bird but the bird only flapped its wings and squawked.

Nani had a strange look in her eyes and then she looked at Kushi, "It was nice meeting you, child."

Kushi bowed, "It was nice talking with you, Nani." And then she left the room, and as she closed the door, she couldn't quite get the parrot's exclamation out of her mind. Maybe it was thanking me for giving Nani the green heart kerchief, thought Kushi.

Kushi had been walking along the upstairs landing, heading for the stairs to get downstairs, with her basket swinging in her arms, when the sound of the huge entrance doors closing, stopped her in her tracks. She paused and listened, her breath held back.

Footsteps echoed, reverberated against the huge walls of the Castle, as it headed towards what was presumably the dining hall. The voice of women greeting. And then she heard him, "Who is the tea for?"

Originally posted by: vidya.sanjay

Cliffhanger!!!!!! nooo pleeease!!!!! aqua dear!
Awesome update.Nani's wise words held so many meanings.
Green heart ! Great!How do u come out with such good stuff?:)
Thanks again for the PM Aura!
I was wondering whether I had missed update 36?coz i did not find one, or is it a simple numbering confusion?

Originally posted by: vidya.sanjay

Cliffhanger!!!!!! nooo pleeease!!!!! aqua dear!
Awesome update.Nani's wise words held so many meanings.
Green heart ! Great!How do u come out with such good stuff?:)
Thanks again for the PM Aura!
I was wondering whether I had missed update 36?coz i did not find one, or is it a simple numbering confusion?