LAVANYA

Chapter 3

Trisha

|1650 AD Ruling period of Shah Jahan and the soon to be Mughal king was  Aurangzeb. British East India company was already a part of India.|

This is what was written in the beginning, I nodded my head. I remember the history. The reason why this was given is to tell that this was the reality, however the fiction would be obviously different. Like in Shakespeare's Merchant Of Venice, the place named Belmont is fictional.

I thought to myself as I finally started reading, in the top it was written,

Lavanya

"Lavanya!" I heard my father calling my name.

"Yes coming!" I shouted back as I was finally done with braiding my hair and accessorizing it with real flowers.

I love to wear floral ornaments. I quickly ran outside our kuthir (hut) and went to the temple that was situated just beside.

"Yes baba?" I asked as he looked at me and suddenly twisted my ear.

"Aahh! Baba!" I said in pain.

"What did I tell you in the morning that the butter I brought from haat ( mini bazaar) is for the bhog (food) of Shri Radha Krishna. And you ate it?" I looked at him and pouted.

Well I loved eating butter, these homemade butters were so sweet. I couldn't keep myself from eating.

"I am sorry, I will go right now and bring some butter from the neighbours." I apologised but he wasn't satisfied my deeds at all.

"You are a grown up, Lavanya. You are at the age of your marriage, it doesn't looks good if you act childish. What will you do in the house of your in-laws?" He said with a disheartened face. I hugged him.

"Baba, why do you worry so much? I will be happy always, afterall I have my Radha Krishna with me. They'll protect me from everything." I said and he sighed.

"I know but sometimes I just feel that was I a good father? You don't have your mother so you never got a woman who would help you through all these girly stuffs. I did as much it was possible but as a priest my life is devoted to the gods more." I heard him and nodded.

"You are a great father, don't you worry about that. You just trust me and your teachings. Also I am sure I will get a husband as good as the Narayan himself. Now I will quickly go and bring butter. You start with the other stuffs by the time you start Puja, I'll be back." I said and he nodded with a smile.

I immediately ran towards the house of the neighbours. As I knocked on the door, the lady opened the door.

"Lavanya? You, suddenly?"

"Masi (aunty) will you give me some butter? Baba will give it in the bhog of Shri Krishn." I said and she nodded. Going inside the house she came back with a pot of butter.

"Thank you." I said with a smile and took the pot in the temple. It was time for aarti. Baba started doing Puja while many people participated. It was nothing new because, my father was one of the most famous priests in Awangarh.

After the puja was done, my sakhis (female friends) came to call me to accompany them to the bazaar.

"Lavanya, we are going to the bazaar to buy a few of accessories, you also join us." Priti said.