When Vedika came back from the temple, it was still dark. She would snuck back in the same way she had come out, Vedika decided. But as she approached the back gate, she heard someone call her name. She turned around.
"Ranga!", Vedika cried out on seeing her father's favourite servant boy. Even though they basically lived in the same quarters, Vedika barely came across him these days because he worked in the stables and she, inside the house.
"Where are you going?", Vedika asked curiously as she noticed a bullock cart behind him.
"Daju Ma has asked me to transport these to Komolika's den", he gestured to bags placed inside the cart.
Vedika was outraged, "What? You are going to Komolika's den?", she burst out.
Ranga shrugged, "Your stepmother is paying me".
"And what are they?", Vedika asked pointing to the bags, though she already knew what the answer might be.
"Opium for Komolika's guests", Ranga said casually.
"Hey Ram!", Vedika slapped her forehead "Father considered you as his own son, Ranga. It's a sin to go to a whore house. Don't do this", she begged.
Ranga's nonchalant demeanor changed, "Woman, you talk like I'm on my way to rape someone", he snapped "Can't you mind your own business?"
"I thought you'd do better than that", Vedika said stiffly, "I thought you had some integrity".
"Yeah and integrity will help me in my old age, will it? Daju Ma is ready to give me money for all this. I'm just making hay while the sun is shining. Now get lost".
"You are disgusting", Vedika said, "Father would've been ashamed".
She turned her back to him and started marching into the house.
"Hey wait".
Vedika turned. Ranga was looking at her with a slightly softer expression.
"What?"
"I just want to warn you", Ranga said "Komolika's den is not so dangerous to me as it is to you".
Vedika was flummoxed, "What do you mean?", she asked.
"Your stepmother, the old witch is planning to sell you to Komolika after Diwali. That's why she is being nice to you and has allowed you to go to Mittal Mansion tomorrow. So don't be fooled. She is planning to get rid of you in the worst manner possible".
Vedika's head went into a whirl.
"Huh?", she asked not sure of what she had heard.
"Yes. I overheard her talking to that fox Damodar who hobnobs with people like Komolika. I heard they're in the process of fixing an amount for you. And apparently, the rakshasi is not happy with the price that Damodar is offering. So she's waiting for a greater bid. That's what is saving you for now. Your stepmother's greed".
Vedika cringed. And she had thought things couldn't get any worse.
Suddenly a grain of suspicion formed in Vedika's head.
"Why are you warning me though?", she asked Ranga.
Ranga looked at her for a second and then gave out a mirthless cackle, "Little bitch! You're suspecting me too? Alright..fine. If that's your stand, take it. You ask me why I'm warning you? Thank your father for that. I've eaten your father's salt for so many years. And I loved him. Because, although to you he was father, to me he was God. I'm obliged to help his daughter".
Inspite of herself, Vedika's eyes welled up. This was something that Daju Ma would never be able to claim from Yashvant. The loyalty of his servants.
It was indeed sweet to realise that, Vedika now knew of the plan that endangered her life because of the love that her father's servant had for his master.
It was not sweet, however, to realise what would happen if the plan worked out. The idea of landing in a brothel, sent chills down Vedika's spine.
"I'm just warning you..that's all", Ranga was still speaking "There's nothing else I can do anyway. These people are powerful. Take my advice. Pack all your belongings and run away from this house as far as you can, so they can never find you. It's the only choice you have. Otherwise you'll end up as a prostitute. Nobody else can save you, none of the other servants, no Ganga or Yamuna and certainly not me."
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Diwali morning dawned like a thousand lighted lamp. Half of Rewa was woken up by the din of firecrackers being burst by the other half.
Vedika was an exception, who had risen up well before dawn, (she had barely slept for an hour. In any case, Ranga's words were echoing in her head louder than any cracker, ensuring that she didn't sleep).
The miasma of smoke from the fireworks hung like a blanket over the city. Large and flavorful rangoli designs, decorated the grounds of every household regardless of the social status of it's inmates.
Young children scurried around the lanes, learning to burst crackers from the older ones, loud chanting of mantras could be heard from all the temples, the river Bischya had taken on a golden hue that day as it plummeted down the city, young girls from the elite circle rode around in resplendent carriages showing off the elaborate clothing they wore and the pearls and opals that glittered on all of their necks.
The rich aroma of exotic sweetmeats and eatables wafted from the kitchen of every home, as plate after plate of delicacies got piled up in the dining rooms with copious amounts of pure ghee and oil oozing out of them.
In this, however, Vedika's house was an exception.
There was utter chaos in the Thakur's kitchen. It was several hours past the dawn of Diwali and the cooking hadn't even begun yet. All the inmates were shocked to discover that the chief cook had disappeared. Rudra and his daughter Rumki were nowhere to be seen. The gardeners claimed that he had last seen them in their own quarters after having dinner but no one had spotted them after that.
There was so much frenzy among the servants though the reason for it was not their concern for the butler's whereabouts but their anxiety of not getting a Diwali feast.
Everyone scurried around the large and spacious kitchen, wondering what to do. The junior cooks had started arguing among themselves, the other servants helped themselves to peanuts and sugar candy from one corner of the kitchen, just in case, there turned out to be no Diwali feast at all.
Vedika spotted Ranga sneaking out to the stables, with a whole stash of sugar candy and rolled her eyes. Daju Ma was in a very bad temper as she shouted instructions to the servants, who for once, seemed to have decided that they were going to be as cantankerous as her.
Amidst all of this, Vedika too quietly grabbed a handful of peanuts from a jar and hurried out for two reasons.
One - she didn't want Daju Ma to suspect her for Rudra and Rumki's disappearance, though she knew the matter would eventually come up again (Daju Ma wasn't one to just let people vanish). Two - she didn't want to be honoured with the job of preparing that day's feast as well, in addition to the already long list of chores she had to complete before evening.
In any case, her stepmother seemed too distracted with all the chaos in the kitchen to remember that she had to torture Vedika.
As Vedika went up to Sonakshi's room carrying her stepsister's freshly laundered clothes, Ranga's words resonated in her head for the hundredth time. His warning had alerted Vedika to reality like never before. She realised the house was a ticking time bomb for her. It was only a matter of time before Daju Ma's greed succumbed to Damodar's efforts. And when that happened, nobody was coming to save her.
Vedika's only hope - though she had disclosed this to nobody, she didn't dare to fully articulate it even in her own mind - was to get married and move out of the house. And when she thought of marriage, she had no choices to make. For she had already made her only choice.
She began to press Sonakshi's dress with renewed vigour.
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Vedika's day was no less tedious than the previous one. She was busy the entire day. Or rather, she was kept busy, as she preferred to say inside her head. Inside her head, because nobody else spoke to her anymore.
Finally, after she had finished all her chores, after she has finished getting her sisters ready a good couple of hours before they were due to leave for Mittal Mansion, after she had finished readying the carriage for all of them and after she had finished arranging for all the footmen who would accompany them with gifts, Vedika marched to her own room feeling like a warrior who had won a battle.
She had ample time to get ready, Vedika thought happily as she changed into her dress for the evening. She allowed it's familiar essence to soak her up as she delved in the sense of triumph she felt. She had, indeed, finally succeeded in getting the better of her stepmother.
Vedika put on the adornments that Rumki had chosen for her. Though she probably would never see Rumki again, she silently sent a prayer to God for the child to recover soon.
After she was done applying a copious layer of kohl to her eyes and some lotus pollen to burnish her cheeks, Vedika turned to look at herself in the small circular mirror hanging on the wall of her room and smiled.
This was going to be a memorable night. A life changing one, if she was lucky.
A/N : My precious people..Diwali night is finally here â¤ï¸
Get ready for the crux of the story which will happen in the next few updates.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please do let me know what you think. And please do not forget to vote and comment.
See you in the next update â¤ï¸