Sumedha opened the door of the house hearing the calling bell. She saw Sreedhar standing. A crooked smile spread on her face
" Suniyeji you were correct. Here stands the Varma boy. Came to meet Jethji" she asked with a mock laughter
Sreedhar didn't tell anything. This was not the time to get into any argument. Mahantji came out hearing his wife
" Come come Sreedhar Varma. The poster boy of new generation who doesn't want to respect traditions. Bhaiyya is in meditation. Will not come out till midnight. And what will you do for Brahman Bhoj Sreedhar Varma. Not a single person from the mandala will come to your house and take the bhoj if that widow bhabi of yours is not shut in a room with white dress and shaven head. Chudayil. Let me see how you give peace to your brother's departed soul by refusing to stand by traditions" Mahantji laughed menacingly
Sreedhar was silent. The only thing in Sreedhar's mind was the long tresses of Suman and how much he loved them when she had allowed him open her locks in one of their private moments in college. She had let it open just for him as she always preferred to tie her hair. He could not allow those tresses to be cut at any cost. And if that meant listening to this man's insults he was willing to bear it
Mahantji and his wife went on talking about what all kind of dis respect he has done to society, how the God's wrath will fall on him and his family. But Sreedhar remained calm not uttering a word. After sometime without getting a response Mahantji uttered some curse and went inside, so did Sumedha shouting to their bahu as soon as Dinakarji came out to tell him the Varma boy is waiting.
Sreedhar was sitting in the verandah still when Mahantji's daughter came. Her Bhabi has told her to tell Tauji as she is tired.
"Please have water. I will tell Tauji as soon as he opens the door " . Sreedhar looked up to see Gayatri Mahantji's daughter standing
" Your father wont like it. I am fine here" told Sreedhar
" This is not just Bauji's house, but also that of Tauji. Tauji has taught me to be polite to all guests. You came to meet him right. He will not like if he sees you in verandah"
Sreedhar took the water and sat in the front room. Soon they heard a door opening.
" I guess Tauji meditation is over. I will tell him you have come to meet him" told Gayatri and walked inside
She came after sometime. " Tauji has called you in his chamber"
Sreedhar went inside to Dinakar's room. As he entered he could see that room had an aura about it. A hanging lamp was there. On one side there were many ancient palm leaves and on another side many books. Dinakarji sat in centre.
He asked Sreedhar to sit. Sreedhar sat in front of him
" So what brings Sreedhar Varma this late to meet me" he asked with a smile. He has guessed why the boy was there. But he wanted Sreedhar to tell. He wanted to see the determination of Sreedhar
Sreedhar folded his hands " I have come with a plea Dinakarji. Maa told me you are not doing poojas and other religious rituals for past 20 years. I wanted to request you to Dinakarji end this vanvas of yours and please come and do the shradh of my brother"
" Sreedhar there are priests for doing it, why should I come" asked Dinakar
" Because they want Sumanji's head to be shaved and she to be shut in a room. Dinakarji I am responsible for giving her a hope, by bringing her out of that room. I cannot allow that hope to be crushed brutally. Please help me" told Sreedhar
" Beta even if I come and do the Shradh how will you do Brahman Bhoj. The Brahmin Mandali doesn't listen to me and Shradh without Brahman Bhoj is incomplete. Especially this is your brother's first shradh"
" Dinakarji you say yes. To get Brahmins for bhoj you leave that to me. I will roam this state of Rajasthan, if needed I will go to Delhi. I will ask my friends, somehow I will get Brahmins for the bhoj. You don't worry"
Dinakar looked at Sreedhar's face. There was deep pain in his face"
" Beta I cannot say no to you. You have come here with the most earnest and sincere request. I will do the shradh of your brother. And to get Brahmin bhoj you don't have to search Brahmins. I know some brahmins to whom bhoj can be given. But there is a problem"
" What problem Dinakarji "
" They cannot come to your house. You will have to go to Somalatha Devi's ashram to feed them" told Dinakar
" Why, why cannot they come to our house " asked Sreedhar
" Beta they are people whom the society has shunned because of leprosy. They are completely cured, but you know the social taboos right, their families just threw them out. So they don't come out. They are taken care in the ashram. You go and feed them. Then maybe others will go, then slowly they will decide they can come out. There are around 10-15 brahmins like that in Somalatha Devi's ashram"
Tears rolled from Sreedhar's eyes. He folded his hands in gratitude " Dinakarji we will go there and feed them. I am so thankful to you "
Dinakar watched him going and he remembered a night similar to this almost 24 years ago
" Dinakarji " came his assistant priest Kalyan
" Yes Kalyan" told Dinakar who was closing the Murali Manohar temple after Janmasthami special Pooja
" Dinakarji Rajalakshmi Varma is waiting at your house for past 2 hrs. I didn't tell you because the Pooja was going on"
" Rajalakshmi Varma, at this time that too on a Janmasthami day when she should be at home celebrating it. Please tell her I will be in another 10-15 minutes "
He hurriedly finished the work and walked briskly to his house. At the entrance he saw Rajalakshmi Varma standing with her youngest son in law. The time in the clock on the front room showed 3 am.
" Rajalakshmiji please come inside, if I had known earlier I wouldn't have made you stand like this "
" No no Dinakarji. I know how important today is for you. You cannot come without doing all the Pooja"
" But Rajalakshmiji why suddenly. What urgent need you have" he asked as they walked to his chamber. Rajalakshmi's son in law stood outside
" Dinakarji my bahu has given birth today at 12 am. The 4th child of Varma family is born exactly at the time Krishna was born and it is a boy " she said looking straight at him. Dinakar understood the elation and at the same time a fear in Rajalakshmi Varma's eyes. " Hope you understand Dinakarji" she said without elaborating.
Dinakar nodded and he took his instruments to calculate the horoscope of the boy
Dinakar looked at the parchment in front of him. He had written the destiny of this boy which Rajalakshmi Varma wanted to change. He knew that was not possible because there was something in that horoscope which he didn't say to Rajalakshmi Varma as she didn't ask the question related to that. And today seeing Sreedhar he once again knew the boy was following his destiny. Only one thing puzzled him. Sreedhar was not married, yet his destiny was playing out. Just like the Sowbhagya Yoga of Suman Varma, this also looked puzzling for Dinakar. Even if he assumed the kundali of Suman was matched with Sreedhar and that's the reason Rajasekhar Varma didn't bring the kundali of Murali or Suman-Murali kundali milan book still Suman took the phere with Murali. He sighed. There was no point speculating, Mata Gowri will reveal it only when she thinks the time is appropriate. He got up from the chamber and moved to his room.