Lullaby

Chapter-3

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'Mooh Dikhai' is a ceremony in which the newly married bride is shown to the guests. The guests raise the veil covering the bride's face and look at her face. They even shower her with gifts.

At present Naina sat in the hall for her 'mooh dikhai'. Her face was covered with a veil and the guests started the ceremony. One by one the guests raised her veil and saw her pretty face.

Naina was the epitome of beauty. One couldn't help but admire her beautiful face. Her dark brown eyes were adorned with kajal (kohl). They seemed to have a charm in them. The nose pin that rested on her nose and a red bindi (sticker or vermillion applied on the forehead) added to her beauty. Her waist-long, black cascading hair was neatly plaited and decked with flowers.

She smiled sweetly at the guests who blessed her. They praised her beauty and her appearance.

Soon the ceremony was over and the guests were seated on the nearby couch. They began gossiping and it was loud enough for Naina to hear.

"Poor girl, what's the use of such a beautiful face? She ended up being the second wife after all" one of the elderly women said to the other.

"Yes, and Purab still loves his first wife. He still remembers his first wife even though she broke his heart" the other woman said.

"Don't talk about that characterless girl. I don't know why Purab loved her so much even though she betrayed her family" the lady scoffed.

Naina heard their talk clearly. Her world came crashing down listening to it. Was she the second wife? Why didn't anybody tell her before? Even her parents, who share the same blood and flesh hid such a piece of big information about Purab.

Unknowingly a tear slipped down her face. If Purab had a first wife then where was she? Why didn't she stop this marriage?

Naina decided she would find out about the first wife. She couldn't let somebody else's life be ruined along with her.

When the guests left she hurried to the kitchen unable to control her tears. The day had been hard for her and those talks haunted her. Looking at her sobbing Anandi asked what made her sad. "Why are you weeping?"

"Does Purab have a first wife?" Naina asked between her sobs. She hoped that Anandi would deny it. Say it was all a lie but surprisingly she didn't.
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So let's see what the house help is gonna say about the first wife :(

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