FORBIDDEN
Prologue:
Twenty-five years ago...
The young tour guide watched as the boisterous group milled in front of their coach; the forced quiet they had adhered to during the tour broken as soon as they exited the temple. She shook her head, wondering why they had even included the religious site on their tour at all when it was clear that their upcoming afternoon activity, the pool party at their hotel was way more to their liking. She sighed, irritated for the time she had spent with the bunch that could have been better utilized, but then chided herself for doing so. Despite how she felt about the matter, she had fulfilled the task that had been asked of her...even it felt like a completely wasted effort. Perhaps the true lesson that was to be imparted today was that impatience was still a vice that she had yet to overcome. She would never reach her full potential if she didn't curb this flaw of hers, but it was very hard when she was assigned duties such as this. Just then she spied the luxury car pulling up to the temple gates and inwardly shuddered...at least she thought, her duties hadn't progressed to what was expected of so many others in her position.
"Excuse me, Meera ji, I was wondering if you could clarify one thing for me..."
Grateful for the distraction from the odious dignitary's arrival, Meera turned around, an automatic smile coming to her face. After the ninety minutes spent in the group's company, she had immediately recognized the voice as one of the few touring students who had expressed more than a passing interest in the information she had conveyed.
"Haan, Susheel, what is it?"
As handsome as the young man was, it was the spot of colour that came to his cheeks when she addressed him by his given name, that endeared the student to who had hung back to speak to her, to Meera. He was definitely nothing like the any of the others in his group...and she really, really liked that: probably more than she should. In fact, and this was surely the craziest idea she had ever had, if things were different, she believed that it would be someone exactly like Susheel Sharma that she would have hoped her mother would have chosen as life-partner for her. How she knew this after less than two hours in his company she had no clue, but something instinctively told her that she was correct in her belief. Susheel Sharma, to her at least, was perfection personified. The smile she couldn't contain, remained on her face, as he asked his question and then another, and yet another. For a few minutes, at least, she thought, she could pretend that she had a normal life.
Present Day...
They had always said that it was giving birth to me that killed Mama; that in bringing me into this world she had given the greatest gift a mother could ever - her life for the sake her child. But, lying here now fighting for my own life, I know different; finally, I understand. It wasn't the loss of blood that sealed my mother's fate, but the loss of her heart.
Devadasi... that's what they call us...but the fact remains that we were...are...so much more than that.
We are the revered protectors; respected but destined to be alone. Never to seek the solace of anyone but our God, our relationship and devotion with Him the only intimacy we would know. Unless it became necessary, that was. Then to propagate and secure our lineage we would become more. Cold lovers: some would say, one step higher than a prostitute only because of our mission, we would lay with a man as often as necessary in order to conceive. They would receive blessings through our union, and we would secure our future...
My name is Mehek Sharma and evidently, my birth mother was Devadasi, as had been her ancestors. However, she had betrayed her heritage in her desperation to save me from my legacy, begging Papa to take me away right after my birth and hide me from the fate she did not want for her daughter. She could not bear the unjustness of her life to be visited on another girl child, and because Papa loved her, he did what she asked.
In that moment, Mama experienced love in its purest form; for the man who had seen more to her than a vessel for his desire, and for the doe eyed child she had borne him. But in her decision, she sealed her fate and the curse, hundreds of years in the making, was swift and cruel. My name was the last word she uttered, and I would like to think that in that instant her blessings for me for a happy life would have followed. But Papa said that she was gone so quickly... And he had followed suit, spiriting away the precious bundle as he had promised...
He had fulfilled his promise from the very first day, and I had lived the best life a girl could, but it seems that one can never escape one's fate. No matter how hard one tries, Destiny will seek you out and bring you back to the path you were meant to be on.
"Doctor, how is she? Will she live?
Shaurya...Beyond the beeping of the equipment that monitored me, I hear him, and I am relieved. He is safe...and that's all that matters. If I must go now, then it will be alright, because he is okay, but deep down I don't want to. I want him...I want us... I want love, and curses be damned.
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
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