The bleeding rose

The Present

She stood there, too numb to react. Watching her family burn in the holy fire. After all, we all belong to kanhaiya and will return to him in the end. But this soon? The pampering of her father, the fake anger of her mother, the giggling of her sibling, all gone, straight into ashes and dust. They all were breathing and talking sometime back and now they lit in the holy fire. She was alone. Alone in this world of unknown cruelties. Just like a wandering ship with no sight of port. She watched with emotionless eyes as unknown faces came to her with heartfelt condolence. The faces she never knew, introduced themselves as friends and distant family. She wondered carelessly, where these people had been in her parent's whole life. Where were these people when her father struggled? but she didn't mind these questions for long. After all, just like the blank condolences, these questions aren't going to bring back what's lost nor will they give her the justice she was craving for. The faint whispering of the people around graced her ears as the girl in her early teen smirked not in a dirty way but in a helpless one. As the words became clearer, her resolve for justice started breaking. She wished at that moment to be deaf but when had such wishes ever been true...

'poor girl, what will happen to her now? Such a fate at a young age.'

'Who will marry her now? An orphan like her is a bad omen.'

''Yup, her bad luck killed the whole family and even the young child in the mother's womb only.''

"Why do you think the family was killed?"

"The Mehra family is quite a mysterious one, they must have done something."

"Mr. Mehra was quite a nice man, always so polite and helped people out, it must have been that witch of his wife only...."

"Yes, that woman who fought against my husband and blamed him for misbehavior, it could be her only. She was the one clinging behind the man and blaming innocent people."

Krishnaa stood there wide-eyed and mouth open. She was devasted when she heard such things about her mother. Her blood was boiled in anger and she clenched her fist in anger but it was as if she was not the same Krishnaa who stood up to people. Her soul cried from inside begging her to open her mouth and shut those people down.  She tried... Believe her she did... But each time she opens her mouth... A fear deep within her suffocated her. Tears welled in her ears as her heart fought with her mind to answer those people. Who were they to talk like that? Who gave them such rights? But the fear of her mind won. She has no one and all these people could do whatever they like with her. She had lost her reason for leaving before but today she lost herself.

She looked at the holy fire again where along with death bodies burn one another. Her old self burned along with her family and pierced through the air.

She had close relatives left. The side of her father, still alive and living in a village. A lovely and happy family, who were too busy to be bothered about their son's funeral. Her custody was now theirs and so she have to leave everything now. For the last time, she went through the house and garden that once was her heaven. The walks that trapped the lovely laughter and memories now stink of murder. She couldn't bear to part with her home. It's the place she had grown up, the home that her father brought for her mother. It had their memories. But she had to... This was her destiny. She ran her eyes for the last time around the house when her gaze fell on the mirror. She looked at herself amused. Her eyes looked dead and her hair looked like a nest.  Her hand reached for the bandage on her forehead but dropped it as she heard an impatient call.

She looked at the home through the window as it went away farther from her. She clutched the kanhaiya locket tightly and whispered," now, it's you and me all alone.. "

Krishnaa looked around. This was the place where her father was born,  where he had spent his whole childhood, it was... Beautiful. Being close to nature brought her a fresh breath of peace. Perhaps, living here won't be that bad for her. Her trance broke as the car stopped abruptly. She came out of the car awkwardly and looked at the largest house. It must belong to the mukhiya, the sarpanch. The men knocked at the door and she witnessed a stern-looking man coming outside. She shuddered at his sight. He was large and had a scar across his face and looked intimidating. She saw the man talking with him and at last, his gaze fell on her. She noticed his eyes and was amazed. The same pair of forest green. But this one wasn't the warm ones that protected her but cold. Expressionless.  Promising her of dangers. To her relief, a woman came outside. She looked sweet and from what she can see, she must have been his wife. She looked at her and smiled as Krishnaa smiled back at the woman. She brought her inside and took her to her new family as the men talked at the door.

"I am your Badi ma, the wife of your father's eldest brother. And that man was your's bade papa. Look at him, he is your another bade papa and that woman in the kitchen is his wife. You have one bua also who will come here later. And about your siblings, they are in school now but they are dying to meet you. Come now let me show you your room."

She put on a fake smile and touched everyone's feet then went with her new badi ma. Everything seemed so uncertain to her as if evil spirits were binding her guts but she ignored them and went to her room. It was small but good and cozy. She smiled at her badi ma and she kissed her forehead in return.

The people who came along with her checked everything and talked with her new family. Finally patting her head they went back. She along with all villagers watched them go when her eyes fell on a group of five children carrying bags and looking at her strangely. Her guts twisted uncomfortably as if asking her to call those men back. All of them entered and finally one of the boys, probably the eldest said, "So this is the one?"

Her badi ma replied in a sugar-coated voice, "Yes, welcome Krishnaa, our new maid."

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