Devi Lakshmi: The Legacy of Wealth

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕾𝖎𝖝𝖙𝖞 𝕰𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙

"Ganesh!" Lakshmi called, running after the boy. "Ganesh, come back!"

The boy ran through Vaikuntham, Lakshmi's slippers in his hand. They were made from threads woven from the silken petals of lotuses, golden filigree shifting patterns continuously, from simple flowers to intricate tigers running across a field.

"Ganesh, you're going to tear them!" she cried. "Your Mama bought those for me!"

Vishnu, Sachi, and Ksheera were laughing at her predicament.

"Have you looked in the mirror lately, Priye?" Vishnu shouted, gesturing at her wild hair, rumpled clothes, and flushed cheeks.

She scowled at him and he threw up his hands, smirking at her.

"What? All I meant was that you still look stunning. There's no amount of darkness in this world that could take away your beauty."

"Save the cheesy lines for when I'm not here." Bhauma snapped, though he was trying to hold back a grin.

"Caught you!" Lakshmi shouted triumphantly, grabbing Ganesh's wrist.

She snatched her slippers back from him, ruffling his hair. She never got tired of his tricks, no matter how many times he did them.

"Mami, I'm hungryyyyy." he whined. "All this running is tiring."

Everyone sighed and shook their heads, minus Vishnu who seemed to agree with him.

"He has a point." Vishnu told her. "I'm hungry too."

"But you weren't even the one running!" she said in disbelief, to which he only shrugged in return.

"Amma." she heard a voice say, sweet as nectar.

Amritavalli.

She swiveled around to find both her daughters giving her teary-eyed smiles. Lakshmi felt her own eyes get moist upon seeing her daughters after so many long years. Vishnu, Ksheera, Bhauma, and Ganesh quietly slinked out of the room, giving the three women their privacy.

Sachi lingered, confused by their expressions. Lakshmi's love and joy upon their reunion blinded her to the blatant despair written over their faces.

Sundara wasted no time in throwing her arms around her mother, sobbing into her shoulder. Amrita followed her, gliding across the floor elegantly before wrapping her arms around her mother.

"Did it work?" she asked eagerly. "What did Muruga say?"

"It did." Sundara said, and a grin spread across Lakshmi's face.

"That's wonderful!" she exclaimed. "Oh, I can't wait for your wedding. I'll have to discuss the date with Parvati, obviously, but I'm sure she'll want it to be as soon as possible as well. Just wait till I tell your father, he's going to be ecstatic! He always wanted to give away Ganga at her own wedding... And now he can do it with the both of you! I have to tell everyone, and-"

"Amma," Amrita interrupted softly, as Sundara looked away at the mention of the giving away ceremony. "We... We have something to tell you."

Now that Lakshmi looked closer, she saw the devastation in their eyes. She looked at Sachi nervously, who looked just perplexed at her.

"Amrita? Sundara? What's the problem?" she asked. "If it's that you have to move away, I already knew that, darlings, that's no matter. We go to Kailash all the time, and Murga and Ganesh come to Vaikuntham quite frequently. You have nothing to worry about."

"It's not that," Sundara sobbed. "You won't be able to give us away."

Now Lakshmi was really confused.