Posted:
Originally posted by: MagicalKash
When are you gonna continue?😒
Tomorrow, hopefully or the next day for sure. So sorry for the wait, I worked extra hours this week!😕
Cheers,
dc
Originally posted by: MagicalKash
When are you gonna continue?😒
"Asmaa" SR SS
Please see page 1 for first update.
(Flashback Continued)
She could feel the fire blazing in Padma Gupta's eyes... burning a hole into her hopeless existence. A silent prayer of thanks escaped her next breath as Anjie Di intervened, "Maa, koi baat nahin, hum aur..."
"Aur nahin Anjali," her mother's defiant note sliced through her sister's genuine effort. The next line cut a hole in her chest, "woh tumhaare liye nahin teeh beta... Woh to iss ke liye thi." Her eyes flickered upwards, catching the sudden exhaustion in her mother's beautiful features. It wasn't what she had said, it was the tone... the un-sweet mixture of tiredness, disbelief, anger, and most of all, disappointment. It took her a moment to realize that she had always taken her mother for granted, annoying her, teasing her, venting at her... That momentary stillness in time changed the frame of her life.
As she took a step forward, gathering Padma's experienced hands delicately in her own, a thin film glazed over her vision. It was a rarity, she hated crying, especially in front of others... but she could feel the dam loosen, though never fully giving way. Caressing the smooth texture of those beloved hands, she juggled them between her fingers, admiring them. After a long, pause, she lifted her head, meeting her mother's gaze with softness, "I'm sorry mamma... I promise, aage se kabhi nahin hoga." Her voice edged, and she felt herself melt as Padma's tired expression faded into the abyss, giving way to a gentle smile.
Her mother had forgiven her that day, but she had not. The silver jewel hung at her ankle ever since, hoping someday it's old chum would come around... The red stole recaptured her imagination and she silently prayed for reprise of the moment. Since then she kept every gift as if it were her first... and last.
(End Flashback)
A smile of realization tingled at the edges of her lips. It bubbled in her chest, mixing with other sentiments of surprise and happiness. Then, as though to confirm her doubts and with strained effort, she lifted her leg forth, relishing the soft tinkling the jewel still...
(New Flashback)
The end of her dupatta twisted nervously between her contemplating fingers as she walked briskly, only partly aware of the trail of curses being left behind. The hazy figure had long left and the likelihood of reprise seemed minimal. It was eating her up inside... that someone had walked off with a part of her. No matter how much she tried, the void in her existence was stubborn, just like herself. Her mother and sister had tried to pacify her with words of forgiveness and soft gestures, but the brilliant red against the midnight black remained a fuzzy, but vivid part of her thoughts. Marjana, khasma nu khana... najaane kaun tah woh. Kasam se, agar phir kahin mila toh... toh... Her thoughts drifted as she stepped into the silence of Anjie Di's room.
"Di?" The silence beckoned her slow feet forward and the lemony dupatta slipped through the length of her fingers. "Di?" she called again, a slight urgency catching up to her voice. Calling again, she realized that she was the sole occupant of the room. Her eyes danced across the neatly kept space, falling restlessly on the circular figure resting above the four-pillared bed. The metallic lines told her that the day was going quicker than she had anticipated. As realization dawned on her, her mind moved closer to the panic button. Between their wild steps across the room, her eyes fell upon the square sheet of paper quietly waiting for her attention. Her mind froze and dread spelled into her soft features. Kahin Anjie Di Atul se toh... Oh no! Rushing towards the table, she almost ripped the thing leaf of white inscribed with her Di's hurried scrawling.
Ridzy, jaanti hoon ke sabse pehle ye letter tum hi padogi. Ye bhi jaanti hoon ke aaj meri shaadi hai aur mujhe ghar par hona chahiye lekin ek choti si "problem" nikal padi hai. Atul ki sherwaani par daag nikal aya hai. Stupid shopkeepers, zaroor pehle se he kuch. Khair chodho, you know Atul, baat baat par kaise pareshaan ho jaata hai. Aur har cheez mere hisaab se honi chahiye... which is good, of course. Lekin phir bhi, I sometimes wonder, main uss duffer ko zindagi bhar kaise sambhaaloongi. Anyways, my sweet si sister, main bas tohri der mein aati hoon aur main jaanti hoon ke tab tak tum sab kuch sambhaal logi. Thanks! Love,
Anjie.
As each word registered, her heart plummeted to the pit of her stomach. Ab kya karoon main... sambhaal logi, lekin kaise Di, woh toh aap batan bhool hi gayi! First that kala bandar and now this. Oh shit.
Panic tickled the ends of her nerves and she realized the world was starting to blur... Calm Riddhima, just calm down. Di ne tumpe vishwaas kiya tabhi toh... "Tabhi toh kooeyein mein dhakhel ke chali gayi mujhe!" A voice resonated off the ends of the room and for a second she did not realize it was her own. Her hands jumped her mouth, covering it so that no words could slip through. Releasing her arms, she walked aimlessly in the space, "nahin, agar kissi ko pata chal gaya toh bhuchaal ajayega."
Shutting out the world tightly for a minute, she re-opened the curtains of her vision to hear a stifled knock on the door. Her heart skipped a beat. This was it. Gulping, her gaze darted frantically around the room. Stepping towards the door, her feet were forced to retreat. Turning adjacently, she realized her dupatta had caught hold of the end of an open drawer. Hai sayapa, she cursed silently while yanking out the feeble material just as the door barged open. Turning around with a heaving chest, she clung desperately to the grass-coloured chunri, silently praying for a miracle.
... and then it happened. The world went black, and her breaths cut short. She could feel something wrap itself around her... a snake perhaps... saanp! Did it sting her?... O rabji, yahan toh koi mujhe dhoondne bhi nahin ayega. Goodbye world, it was nice knowing you.
"Ssssh… Bhabhi main hoon, aapka devar," a cool breath of air blew passed her ear as the hushed voice penetrated her death barrier. After what seemed like eternity, the foggy thread of words met her in alarming comprehension. Bhabhi… main… hoon… aapka… devar… Devar! Hai Rabba. Taking a deep breath, she did the only thing that possibly could be done when you're caged in a lunatic.
"Oww!!" screeched the same unfamiliar voice once again, tingling the
ends of her nerves. Turning, she found herself face to face with the tender
hues of a face hidden slightly by the down-turned position of the owner. And
then, just as abruptly as the last capture, she found herself at a loss of
ground and conscious as a pair of hands held her away from all else. Instinctively, the curtains of her gateway to the world fell over, shutting it out entirely. Her heart thundered against her ribcage, and her senses flew to the unseen.
A moment passed as she wandered by the silvery river that divided the layers of her existence. She didn't know where she was, but the anxiety left her dumbfounded to a point of amazement... A hazy warmth filtered through the cracks of the earth she walked, while the warm air began to thicken. She shuddered, awakened rudely by shivers of nausea. After what seemed to be an eternal pause, she allowed the universe to find her, slowly lifting her curious veils. She half-expected the burn of light to strike at her, but instead... she felt the earth shift beneath her feet as her own familiar features stared back at her through the darkness of a pair of fiery eyes... they consumed her, and she felt the nervous tingle of paralysis hold all movement and thoughts in the distance....
Cheers,
dc
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