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Bhanumati's POV
In Evening
In Kalinga.
I bided my family a painful tear- filled goodbye. No daughter is ever ready to leave her parents' home, the love , the care. How could I be?
I think whenever a parent gets their kid married, they wish to find the best house they can. One where there are facilities for their daughter to live comfortably, my parents couldn't do that. And thus, my mom seemed extra chagrined about it.
Somehow even as I am walking away from the palace, away from the place that housed me for more than twenty years, I don't really feel the loss of a mother. Bhabhi Shree has been walking beside me as the brothers walk in front of us. The moment we walked out of the palace, she silently took my hands in her own, intertwining our fingers. Occasionally letting it swing between us. It was therapeutic, I found myself at ease.
As the small hut that would house us was seen, Bhabhi Shree squeezed my hand before un-weaving our fingers, passing a reassuring smile to me she pats the brothers on their shoulder saying something silently.
I watch her speed walk to our hut as the brothers silently started to walk with me in between them. I am very well capable of taking care of myself but at the moment, their presence helped fill the hole in my heart.
As we reach the house, I realised that Bhabhi Shree walked faster to make preparations of welcoming me in the house. Can a person grow any sweeter?
Me and Arya stand at the gate of the small hut as see does a welcoming arti for the two of us. We take her blessings once she is done.
"Jite raho. Hamesha Khush rehna." (Stay Blessed. Always stay happy.) She pats our back softly before letting us rise. "Aaj toh iss ghar mein bula kar tumhari aarti maine karli, Bhanumati. Lekin yeh vada bhi aaj main tumhe de rahin hun ki ek din Suyodhana ki ma, bhi aapni bahu ko uske ghar mein bulaye gi. Aur tab main nahi, woh aarti karengi." (Today, I did your Aarti & welcomed you in this house, Bhanumati. But I promise you that one day Suyodhana's mother will also invite her daughter- in- law in the house. And then she will stand with the Aarti in her hand.)
