THE SPIRIT

Part 3

After 8 hours of travel, Jasmine reached Hubla village (all imaginary) where her grandmother dwelled. On reaching her grandmother's place she saw the most devastating sight, Grandma's dead body laying covered with white cloth except her face. Garlands were placed over her dead body by the visitors.

 "She was a pure soul", said one. "She was a courageous woman", said another. "For the past six years she suffered without Maari. Now she joined him in the heaven", said Kaarmegam, a 85 years old man who was the best friend of Maari and a good brother of Zem, "even if I had a sister of my own she wouldn't have been as affectionate and honest as Zem towards me", cried Kaarmegam. When Maari and Zem married their parents and the society were against their inter religion marriage Kaarmegam was the only person to support them by providing jobs at the cotton mill he owned. Kaarmegam was a self made man, started his own mill whereas his two brothers were gold diggers. As his brothers were always after his money and his beloved mill the only people he could trust were Maari and Zem. The couple played a vital role in his life. Now Kaarmegam was a single father of two, a son and a daughter, and also a grandfather of three, as his wife passed away a year ago.

"How old was she?", asked Lilly to her father, her dad gave her a confused expression, "Your grandma was 81 years old", said Ackley. "Huh old soul", mumbled Lilly under her breath which was clearly audible to her dad. Olive on the other hand cried her lungs out," O god why, she was more than a mother to me, and you took her away, left me alone", her cry was heard by the entire street.

"How did this happen dad ?", wept Jasmine, "grandma carried some spices to dry them on the terrace, as she climbed the stairs ,she slipped and rolled down the stairs, her head was badly injured and there was a heavy loss of blood. She died before reaching the hospital. We couldn't save her......mama........why ...mama....." cried her dad.

"Now I request the grandchildren to come forward and perform the last rights", called the Priest. The sisters stepped forward and performed the ritual. Ackley and a few men gathered to lift Zem's coffin and started marching towards the burial ground.

The sisters and their mother drenched themselves with buckets of water before entering the house. Jasmine entered her room exclusively made for her in their grandparents house as she spent a lot time there grandfather's death supporting her grandma.

Jasmine sat near the window facing the gate and the road where there was a  trail of flowers thrown by the men who left to the burial ground. Jasmine heard her mom called her to clean the house before she turned something on the road captured her attention, It was a silhouette of a woman facing her.

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Hello lovelies, this is Radheya , this is my first work please comment your views about this story and i some need encouragement.

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Meet you with another chapter