Raghu returned with boys from the grove, but saw Muliya still standing near the hut. Said- ” Why don’t you go and eat something?? I am not hunger right now??“(Raghu)
Muliya taunted-” Yea, why will you be hungry!! Your brothers ate, so it must have reached your stomach too.”
Raghu ground his teeth and said-” Don’t taunt me Muliya, it won’t be good. Food is not going anywhere. If I don’t eat once I won’t die from it!! Do you think today something small happened in our house?? You have not lit stove in this house but have lit my heart. I had pride that anything can happens to us, but the disease of splitting would never affect my house, but you destroyed my pride. Maybe it is a result some of my past sins. ”
Muliya said twitching-“ Only you have these thoughts, does anyone else have these thoughts?? I only see you thinking of these things.”
Raghu said while inhaling cold breaths-” Muliya, don’t rub salt into my wounds. Because of you my back is now covered with dust. If I won’t have thoughts about my households, then who will have?? I have gathered it by killing myself time-to-time. Those who played in my lap, are now sharing a wall with me ( like neighbour ). To those whom I scolded, now I can’t see them with instructing eyes. Now if I will talk of their well being, then people will say I am looting them. Just leave me, I can’t eat anything right now. ”
Muliya-” Just come here now, otherwise I would make a swear on you.”
Raghu-” See, nothing have changed till now. Don’t be stubborn.”
Muliya-“ He will drink my blood who will not eat. ”
Raghu said while putting hands on his ears-” What have you done Muliya?? I was going to stand. Lets just eat. Who will go for bathing now!! But I will say just this, even if instead of 4 rotis I eat 6 rotis, even if you drown me in butter, even then this blot on my heart will never wash away. ”
Muliya-” Blot or whatnot will just wash away. Initially everyone think like that. Don’t you see, flute of silence playing there, she wanted us to get separated. Its not like before, whatever comes in this house gets spent immediately! Why would she live with us?? ”
Raghu with pain said-” I am sad about only that. I didn’t expect this from her.”
Raghu sat down to eat, but each bite was like venom. Rotis were like stalk. Pulses tasted like water. Water didn’t get down the throat easily, couldn’t even see towards milk. He stood up after 2-4 bites, like we do at some funeral.
Even at night he ate like that. Actually he was just eating to not break the swear. His mind was anxious all night. His heart was shadowed by some unknown worry, felt like Bhola Mehto is weeping at his doorsteps. He got up several times in the middle of the night. It was as if, Bhola was looking at him with eyes filled with disappointment.
He used to eat two times a day, but now it was like he is eating in his enemy house. He could never forget the sorrowful eyes of Bhola. He couldn’t sleep in night. When he went out in village, he wouldn’t show his face to anyone, and would always keep his head down, like he has killed a cow ( cow is a holy divine creature in INDIA and killing it is like a sin against heaven).
Hello readers, Sorry that I couldn’t upload any post previous week
Something personal came up, but now I can go to my previous routine easily.
Current story has 9 parts and we have reached till 6, in some days 789 would follow soon
Regards
Harshit Joshi