Chapter 9: 🦋 Nine • Heart And Hate 🦋

Miraya was dressed in a yellow empire cut kurta and a purple kalidaar sharara. The plunging neckline was the highlight. She couldn't understand why Sahana was hell bent on emphasizing on her cleavage. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful kurta set made of silk brocade. And it was just as comfortable as her Pajama set. She wore her mother's multi-layered diamond necklace with it and also a simple brown Punjabi Jutti at feet.

(Yes, Punjabi Juttis are not always colorful. They can be simple too.)

She was sitting in the verandah. Her hair tied in a tight but messy bun. Mehendi artist was applying Mehendi on Miraya's left hand. The right hand's Mehendi design was already completed. And the Mehendi on her feet had almost dried.

Miraya looked around her. Abhimanyu was feeding Sahana with his own hands. And Sahana was smiling so beautifully at her caring husband while caressing her baby bump. Raghbir and Angana were sitting in a corner facing the wall. It appeared Angana was breastfeeding her baby while Raghbir was feeding her Dal Chawal. Even the older couples were so romantic. Jashn uncle and Chahana auntie were sitting together on the swing and eating from the same plate. Her Raina Maasi and Angad uncle were also sitting together. Her parents were taking a walk in the garden. Her soon to be in-laws, Jodhbir uncle and Ruhani auntie were enjoying chocolate ice cream. While their son was busy devouring Butter Chicken in a corner. Miraya glared at him, mentally throwing colourful words at him.

Shashank looked at her, as if he heard those colourful words. He smiled at her, but Miraya ignored him. Shashank stood up and came to sit beside her, the plate still in his hand.

“Are you hungry, Mira?” He asked while dipping a morsel of Naan in the gravy and offered it to her.

“I ate two servings of Chicken Chawal before I sat down to get my Mehendi done,” She told him.

“Then why are you sulking?” He asked before putting that morsel in his mouth.

Miraya rolled her eyes, “Just look around yourself. All the couples are sitting together, but you are more interested in this Butter Chicken.”

Shashank chuckled, “Oh, then tell me, my Jaan, what do you want?”

“Sit with me,” She told him simply.

Shashank smiled at her simple demand and whispered into her ear, “I wanna kiss you so hard right now,” biting softly on her earlobe before moving away.

“Let the Mehendi get done,” She puckered up her lips, passing him an air kiss.

“Ma'am, Mehendi is done,” said the Mehendi artist, as if on cue.

Miraya smiled at Shashank, “I'm heading to my room,” saying so she got up.

“Should I accompany you?” He offered, they could do more than kissing in her bedroom

Miraya shook her head, “I want to rest,” and she headed upstairs.

Shashank continued eating the Butter Chicken and also managed to ruin his brown kurta with the gravy.

🦋🦋🦋

The same night, it was the ladies sangeet. As per the tradition, men were pushed into the lawn and the doors were locked from inside. The women were dressed in a carefree manner.

Miraya wore a salmon pink Sharara set designed by Sahana. Surprisingly, it didn't have a deep neck. But Miraya was relieved about that. She won't have to worry if her boobs end up peaking at the world.

She was admiring the Henna on her hands while sitting on the mattress spread on the floor. Sahana came and sat down beside her. Her cheeks were red and there was a hickey on her collarbone. Miraya chuckled and whispered in Sahana's ear, “Hide your collarbone. Abhimanyu left a love bite there.”

Sahana's eyes widened as she quickly covered the hickey with her Chunni.

Soon Angana joined them while carrying baby Raghini in her arms. Aas too came running with another girl of her age.

“Guys, meet my friend Kiran!” Aas introduced her friend as both of them sat down on the mattress.

Miraya, Angana, and Sahana smiled at the girl. She was visibly the opposite of Aas. Aas was energetic and extroverted. Kiran looked reserved and introverted.

“Hello, I'm Kiran Anand,” Kiran smiled.

“Ah, you must be Sameep uncle and Sandhya auntie's daughter, right? When did you return from London?” Angana asked with a smile.

“Yes, I returned last week.”

Miraya was listening to the conversation silently. So, Kiran was her half-sister. She didn't know how to feel about it. Kiran looked like a simple-minded person who knew nothing about deceit and lies. Or maybe it was just a facade. But Miraya had no reason to hate someone she met for the first time, so she tired to ignore the unsettling feeling in her heart.

The function began with a bang. It was Chahana who danced first. Everyone was awestruck. It's not everyday when you see the prime minister dancing in a carefree mood

“Saani, don't you think Maa looks happier at Miraya's wedding than she was at our weddings?” Angana asked Sahana who nodded her head in agreement.

Miraya looked at Sandhya who was sitting with her friends group. And then she glanced at Kiran, who excused herself a while later.

Miraya tried to ignore them and enjoy the function. She was already done igniting the fire, Sandhya's world would been burning down by the next morning.

Amidst the function, Raghini began crying. Miraya took baby Ragh from Angana and went to the balcony upstairs. She needed some air too.

“Ragh, baby, Mira Maasi is getting married. Will you dance on my wedding, hmm?”

Raghini gave her toothless grin as if agreeing to dance on Miraya's wedding the next day. Miraya laughed and kissed Raghini's both cheeks, making the baby giggle.

But then she smelled the smoke of cigarette from somewhere near. She entered the balcony and saw Kiran smoking while standing at a distance from the parapet so that the men outside in the lawn don't see her smoking.

Miraya didn't step ahead because she had Raghini in her arms and she didn't the baby to inhale smoke.

“Kiran,” She called her.

Kiran turned around with her eyes wide in surprise. She quickly threw the cigarette on the floor and crushed it under her feet.

“I'm sorry I... I couldn't control the urge to smoke,” Kiran apologized.

Miraya looked at her nervous face than at the pack of cigarettes peaking from Kiran's hand bag. She nodded, “It's alright. You can smoke comfortably. I'm leaving,” She began to walk awat but Kiran stopped her, “I want to ask you something.”

Miraya turned around and looked at Kiran, “What is it?”

“Are you my sister?” Kiran asked nervously.

She used the word ‘sister’, not ‘half-sister.’ And somehow it warmed Miraya's heart.

“How do you know?” She didn't try to deny it.

“Isn't it obvious? You look like Mom. And... I know that she had abandoned her first child twenty-four years ago.”

“Kiran, there's no point in discussing the past. She abandoned me but I got caring and loving parents. Actually, now I feel happy that she left me at the doorsteps of an orphanage,” Miraya tried to act nonchalantly, as if getting abandoned by her mother didn't hurt her.

“Don't you feel like destroying her? Don't you feel like taking revenge?” There was a desperation in her voice. As if she wanted Miraya to destroy Sandhya.

“Why does it seem like you hate your own mother?” Miraya asked. She could see hate burning in Karan's eyes.

“I do... I do hate her. You are lucky that she abandoned you. For her, children are nothing but assets. You really are lucky, Miraya,” A tear slipped down her eyes.

There was a long and uncomfortable pause before Miraya finally spoke up, “Kiran... I have already taken my revenge. Sandhya Anand will be destroyed as soon as the Sun will rise tomorrow.”

Saying so Miraya walked away from the balcony. Raghini fell asleep in her arms when the confrontation was happening. Miraya joined the function again. Raghini was put in Angana's lap. And Miraya was drowned in deep thoughts. Kiran's face kept flashing in front of her eyes.

What did Sandhya do to make Kiran hate her so much?

Kiran too returned to the hall after a while. She was acting normal, as if she didn't urge Miraya to destroy their mother just a while ago. Miraya felt undeserving. Undeserving to be the destroyer of Sandhya's world. The hate she carried all these years was nothing in front of the hate she saw in Kiran's eyes.

•••

What do you think about Kiran? What if I wrote her story in the future?