A shark and a gold fish

• Three •

Prerna trembled down to the spine when the anonymous man applied sindoor on her cheek, "Shubho doshami.", wishing her unsmilingly.

She stuttered nervously, "Sh-shubho doshami," witnessing him, first in the lifetime, noticing the surrounding, and suspected him an over-excited follower.

The only question that arose in her mind, "Who was he?", she licked her lips as she brushed off all the questions in her mind.

She shifted her concentration to Ma Durga and bowed her head. She was about to pick up the sindoor bowl kept near Ma Durga, which flew into her eyes, making them itch. "Aah," she closed her eyes and turned away, tears stinging her.

Anurag's eyes fell over Prerna, when he realized she was there along with a man. But when he reached, the man had disappeared, so he helped Prerna wash her eyes with some water. She felt better after rinsing them out. He scolded her lightly, being an over protective fiance, "You should be careful"

"Don't worry, I am fine now", Prerna curved her lips into a smile.

But his face fell, "I wanted to play sindoor khela first with you, but you already played with him."

"Are you jealous?", she teased him and he pursed his lips, "Okay! fine, I don't know who he was and why did he apply sindoor on my cheek," she asked, searching for the mysterious person.

"Gone." He ran his fingers on her face and laughed, "He has gone.", at which she irked and continued, "Oh, but I still remember the depth of his eyes," she said, completely lost in the stranger.

Anurag spoke gloomily. "So someone else has taken MY place!"

She immediately shut him down. "No one can take your place, understand?"

Hearing this, he smiled cheekily. He applied the sindoor on her nose playfully, stiffening as he caught sight of her filled her hair parting. Then he shrugged it off.

She hugged him. "I love you, Anurag!"

"Love you too." He wrapped her in his arms.

They parted when they heard a roar. "Onu!"

This was Mohini, her voice like that of a tigress. "Don't you know I don't like it when you meet with this girl!"

"Mohini! She is his to-be wife. Your daughter-in-law. Give her some respect!" Moloy intervened and dragged her to the corner.

Mohini, who was not in the favor to accept Prerna as her daughter-in-law, left murmuring, "Just for your sake, I am letting this daughter of that servant Rajesh and not Komolika marry my dearest son!"

"Mohini! I have given Rajesh my word. Do nothing that will ruin my dignity!" Moloy pleaded.

"Are you threatening me?" she asked.

A gasp escaped his lips, "You are hopeless!" and walked away.

"I want to change that day, Kali Ma, when my husband gave his word to Rajesh," she joined her hands as the bells rang.

"Please do something that will cause Prerna to leave my son alone," Mohini prayed and turned to find Veena, who said in a judgmental voice. "Dusro ka bura chahne se humesha apna bhi bura hota hai, Mohini ji!"

Mohini being an arrogant woman, replied."Mujhe aisa bura bhi manzoor hai jo mere bete ko tumhari beti se alag kar de

"Chahenge to hum bhi aisa hi," said Veena in agreement,

Prerna's POV:

However, was Anurag in my fate or someone else? Oh, might have decided by Ma Durga, for me?

-----

Coming back to the home, the very next morning of Dashami, Prerna, who did not know what Mohini and Veena were thinking, was talking to Anurag over the phone, sitting on the windowsill.

Prerna was all lost in the past night, thinking of that mysterious person, who applied sindoor on her cheeks and how the sindoor flew in her hair parting as while he took the bowl of sindoor from the feet of Maa Durga.

Anurag teased her over the video call. "Was he more handsome than me?"

"Mmmm... Yes," she teased him back.

"Eyes?"

"Hazel."

"Hair?"

"Grey."

"Height?"

"Tall."

"Smile?"

"He didn't smile," she pouted as if she hated this about him.

Anurag laughed. "You are speaking as if you're going to marry him!"

"Who can say? Destiny has its plans!" she taunted him.

"Haha. Not funny," he made a face, at which she laughed and Anurag gave up, joining in.

Veena witnessed her daughter from behind the curtains. "I am sorry, my child, I did not pray for Anurag for you. It is not like he is not right for you, but his mother is not!"

____

The next coming night was the engagement ceremony, for Anurag and Prerna, alas! Only the fathers were happy from both the families, not the mothers, both were thinking for their own child's future.

One was a proud and self-centered lady, and the other being a middle-class and future-oriented woman, who knew her child would never be happy in the house Prerna wanted to marry into.

Prerna and Anurag were enthusiastic about their engagement. They had fallen for each other when we met for the very first time, at the very young age of 7 and 9, which was transformed into love when they crossed the threshold of youth. It exasperated the feelings of love has no boundaries and ages.

The only scourge was they were following the path which wasn't chosen for them by the deity, but being an ordinary human being, they only knew the feelings developing inside them for each other.

But what had diety decided? Or was it someone else who was writing their fate?