Part 23 Pooja (Long Update)
Khushi came out of the room. She saw Lavanya coming towards her.
"Hi, Khushi" She smiled.
Khushi also smiled but hesitatingly.
"I'm Lavanya"
"I know"
"Friends?" Lavanya extended her hand for a shake.
Khushi nodded ok and clutched her hand.
"Let's go"
Lavanya took Khushi to her room.
"Sit..."
Khushi sat at the edge of the bed.
"You made me happy"
"Me? How?"
Lavanya looked here and there.
"Wait"
She closed the door. Going to the cupboard, she brought something to Khushi.
"Open your mouth"
"Why?"
"Please open"
Khushi opened her mouth. Lavanya stuffed a laddoo in her mouth, making Khushi's eyes widened. Khushi was supposed to take it out,
"No... don't take it"
Khushi raised her brows with her mouth full.
"I don't want you to say anything."
Khushi gestured WHY.
"Because I don't want you to say anything"
Khushi blinked her eyes slowly.
"I'm so happy because of you because you don't want to marry Akash"
Khushi shrank her eyes.
"I know what you think. Why should I be happy if you don't want to marry Akash? Right?"
Khushi nodded yes.
"Because I love him"
Khushi's eyes widened.
"Please please don't say anything. please... I love him very much" Lavanya pleaded.
There was a restlessness in Khushi's eyes. She broke the laddoo inside her mouth and munched it, looking at Lavanya.
"Did you feel to say something when I said about Akash?"
Khushi gulped the laddoo and nodded no.
"Thank you so much, Khushi... You are a good girl" Lavanya hugged her.
Khushi reciprocated her hug feeling something in her heart.
On the other side, Arnav was thinking about Khushi. Everything related to her was magic. But she seemed innocent. He didn't even know whether she was doing all this realizing her specialty or not. His eyes caught hold of the rose plant that looked greenish. He never thought the plant would germinate. It was certainly a miracle. What was she? What did he want to understand from all this?
He saw Khushi coming to the garden from the other pathway. Taking the water sprayer, she sprinkled the water on the rose plant, thinking something deeply. Arnav came to the French door and leaned on it.
"what are you thinking?" Arnav asked.
Khushi looked at him jerking and nodded no.
"I have forgotten to water the plant in the morning. That's why..." She kept the sprayer down.
"Why are you looking dull?"
"Nothing..."
"Do you miss your Nana?"
She nodded yes.
"I too miss my Maa..." he stopped.
"Shall I ask you something?"
"What?"
"How did your mother die? Was she sick?"
Arnav nodded no.
"She was killed"
"Whaaat? Killed?" She was shocked.
"Yes... I was ten years old at that time. My Maa saved me from the thief, giving her life"
"I don't know what to say, Arnavji"
Arnav smiled painfully.
"It's eighteen years. She just planted this rose a month before her death. After her death, the plant withered all the leaves but I watered with faith that one day it will germinate"
Khushi looked at the plant.
"When my mother died, many people said she will be with me. I thought those were consoling words but I really feel them true... Thank you for giving me such a wonderful feeling" He looked at her.
"I just..." She didn't find words.
"Honestly speaking Khushi, I really don't know what to say... What to think... But, thanks... for everything"
"What should happen will happen Arnavji... I'm just a mediator... that's all"
"Why you?"
Khushi was stuck.
"When there are many people around me, why did you come from Lucknow to germinate my Maa's plant?"
Khushi bit her nail, thinking about his words.
"It was only you who could light my Maa's lamp after me"
Khushi looked at him stunningly. Arnav nodded yes.
"To date, no one could light the lamp except for me... it was only you"
"Really?"
"Yes, that's why it has been my job of lighting the lamp every day"
"Why, Arnavji?" She asked him making a face.
Arnav chuckled.
"I think there is a connection between me and your Maa..." she said shrinking her eyes, shaking her head slightly as if she had found a big secret.
"Well, as you found you have some connection with my Maa, don't think of going to Lucknow back. Ok?"
Khushi sighed.
"What happened?"
"I don't know why this Delhi sucks" she pouted.
"What will make you happy?"
"There is a big neem tree in front of our house. We don't even need a fan. Its cool air gives us so pleasing feel..."
"Oh... then?"
"Then, Gomti River... I delightfully dive in it with my friends" she said yearningly.
"Go and ask your,r friends. They would long for the life you are living now"
"That I know"
"What will you do going to Lucknow? How will you survive?"
"I will do some work... can't I?"
"But why, when you have us?"
She pouted.
"I don't know... I'm going"
Arnav rolled his eyes. It was clear that she was not comfortable with RM. Arnav thought to do something about it because he didn't want her to leave RM no matter what.
The next day
Khushi woke up early in the morning and took shower. She came to the kitchen and prepared a keer to offer to Pooja. After finishing it, she cleaned the Pooja room. She again went to the kitchen. Taking a bowl, she filled the keer and brought it to the Pooja room. Keeping it aside, she let it cool. She decorated the DM idol with flowers. After that, she lit nine earthen lamps in front of Devi Maiya, exactly at 6o' clock. Making the Pooja room pleasant with the incense sticks' aroma, she started chanting the mantra given by Pandit. She had to chant the mantra for thousand times, in three segments. Four hundred times, in the morning, three hundred times in the noon, and three hundred times in the evening.
Khushi chanted it four hundred times and counted them using beads. Completing the morning Pooja, she stood up to do Harti. That was when she saw Nani sitting behind her, praying. She did Harti and extended the Pooja plate to Nani. She touched the blaze with a smile.
Keeping the plate down, Khushi said,
"The morning Pooja is over, Nani"
Nani was about to say something, but she stopped, seeing Arnav entering the room.
"Oh... Is Khushi here? Then you light the lamp"
Nani looked at him confusingly.
"Khushi lit Maa's lamp yesterday, Nani" Arnav smiled.
Nani looked at Khushi dumbfounded.
"Is it?"
"I don't know it can't be lit by anyone other than Arnavji, Nani"
"But you lit"
She nodded yes.
"I can't believe this" Nani murmured.
Taking the matchbox, Arnav forwarded it to Khushi, gesturing for her to go ahead. Taking it from him, she lit it again. Nani's breath ditched her, seeing the lamp lightening with a blaze. She looked at Khushi stunningly.
"I really can't believe this... Khushi bitiya, I'm sure, my daughter is the one who brought you to RM" Nani hugged her emotionally.
Khushi looked at Arnav suffocating. He was gazing at her with no expression. Breaking the hug, Nani kissed her forehead.
"Let's have breakfast," Arnav said.
"I'm fasting today," Khushi said.
"why?"
"For my parents"
"Anything special?"
"Today is No Moon Day and also Friday. This is a special combination. That's why" Khushi lied.
"Oh... Ok, then...today, I'm also going to be fast for my Maa" Arnav said making Khushi and Nani surprised.
"But, It's tough, Arnavji"
"What so big deal? I too can do it"
"But you are going to the office unlike me."
"so what? I will have juice... shall I ?"
Khushi and Nani glanced at each other.
"Yeah... you can have," Khushi said hurriedly as she didn't want him to starve.
"But, you said you will drink only water?"
Manorama asked who just crossed the Pooja room. Khushi closed her eyes, gritting her teeth. Arnav looked at her raising his eyebrows.
"Did you lie?"
"You can't be starving for the whole day, Arnavji"
"I will... I can..."
Khushi sighed but Nani was looking at them with unknown feelings.
"Bye"
"come home soon. Then only you can break the fast" Khushi said.
Arnav nodded ok smilingly and left.
"What's this Naniji?"
"Let it be..." Nani said looking at Ratna's photo.
Khushi completed the noon Pooja also successfully. Then, she prepared to go to the temple. She asked HP to keep the things in the car as everyone would be in the living room in the evening.
Evening
Khushi started the final and last Pooja. She chanted the sloka for the last three hundred times. Nani was ready to take her to the temple. Both of them went to the temple. Lighting the hurricane lamp in front of Devi Maiya, Khushi chanted the same sloka for hundred and eight times in addition, sitting in front of DM.
After that, she went to the neem tree of the temple. Taking a betel leaf, she applied honey to it. Then she kept a Thilak using turmeric and vermillion on it. keeping the betel leaf under the tree, she placed an earthen lamp on it and lit it.
"Why is this for, Khushi bitiya?"
"Within a few minutes, ants will start having the honey on the betel leaf, Nani. My Nanu said this will bring happiness to our family. That's why I thought to do it"
Nani was overwhelmed. She didn't know how to thank the selfless soul in front of her.
Khushi distributed Prasad which she prepared at RM.
Taking the hurricane lamp,
"We can go home, Naniji" Khushi said.
Nani was delighted. She didn't expect the Pooja could be completed so effortlessly. She thought the person who was behind Ratna's murder would try to stop Pooja in any way. But, nothing happened like that.
They came to the car. Khushi felt slightly dizzy as she didn't eat anything.
"Give it to me Khushi bitiya. I will give you it after you sat in the car" Nani said.
"Jee Naniji"
Khushi gave the lamp to Nani. In no time, the blaze of the lamp waved, like, it would go off even though it was shielded one. Khushi took the lamp from Nani hurriedly. To their surprise, the blaze became serene. Khushi looked at Nani with confusion who was gulping down. Nani understood the reason why it happened. Something or someone was trying to stop or spoil the Pooja. As no spirit could affect Khushi, the Pooja held smoothly. That was why the lamp was about to go off when Nani had it. The Pooja was completed successfully only because of Khushi.
Khushi sat in the car, keeping the lamp on her lap. Nani took a seat next to the driver. They came to RM. Khushi kept the lamp in the Pooja room and went to the kitchen. She brought the halwa that she made before going to the temple. Doing Harti, she completed the Pooja and smiled at Nani.
"We did it, Naniji"
"Thank you so much, Khushi bitiya, have something"
"Jee Naniji"
"You had nothing. So, don't have solid but liquid"
"Ok, Naniji"
"Wait. I will bring you milk"
"I will take Naniji"
"No problem Bitiya... You sit" Nani went to the kitchen.
Khushi looked at Devi Maiya and then Ratna's photo. She shrank her eyes seeing something like a SMOKE forming next to her photo. She squeezed her eyes and looked at the spot. Her eyes widened, seeing Ratna coming out of the smoke.
To be continued...
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