The Cinderella Of Rewa

Prologue

October 1934
Rewa, Madhya Pradesh

The sun started to sink behind the Govindgarh mountains as the residents of Rewa city gathered on the banks of the Bischya river to offer prayers.

Six year old Vedika Thakur ran down the riverbank ahead of her parents. She reached the chief priest who was busy getting ready for the aarti. Vedika was a friendly child who loved to ask questions. She went and sat cross legged next to the priest and started talking to him about the puja. The priest loved children and he patiently answered all her questions.

Vedika watched as a group of British officials galloped past on horses.

"Why are they not coming here uncle?", Vedika asked.

"Shh..Vedika..not uncle..call him guruji", Vedika's mother whispered from behind her.

The priest smiled at her, "Daughter, there are three kinds of people in this world - Hindus, Christians and Muslims. We do not follow the same practices. We are different from each other".

Vedika could not make sense of this statement so she fell silent. Vedika's parents Anjali and Yashvant Thakur heard the conversation and frowned.

After the prayers were over, Vedika went with her parents to watch the diyas being set afloat in the river. Anjali took a diya and placed it in Vedika's little hand, guiding her to let it afloat in the Bischya.

"Always remember Vedika", Anjali whispered as the diya they had set afloat joined the hundreds of others lit by the rest of the people "in reality, there are not three but only two kinds of people in this world - human and inhuman, irrespective of their religion. No act of kindness will go in vain. If you help someone...it will always come back to you".

Vedika nodded her curly head as she clasped her father's long fingers with one hand and her mother's dainty ones with the other.

"Anjali, it's time to leave. Let's take Vedika and go home", Yash told his wife. Anjali nodded.

Together, the three of them walked towards the riverbank not knowing that it would be their final evening together.

A/N : This is a three sixty degree turn from all the flamboyant, fun teen fictions, I've written so far and I have no idea what makes a period drama good. So your girl's bound to generate a lot of crap (to which, please be kind)

After two years in Wattpad, I don't want to say thank you for choosing my book or me. There can be no formality with one's own people. I just want to say thank you for making me feel at home here. With all your love and support..here starts another beautiful journey!

PS : Please let me know what you think of the prologue.