Yuhn Hota Toh Kya Hota- Rikara FF

Chapter 6

Gauri woke up tired. She almost always woke up tired, fatigued by overworking. 

She looked at the sun rays filtering through her window. She joined her hands in prayer, and said, "Jai Bholenath" (Hail Bholenath, a name for Shiva). She smiled as she said so, and felt fatigue being replaced with energy, with strength. Her swargiye father (dead father in heaven) had ingrained this belief in her mind, that with faith anything could be achieved, any vipda (difficulty) could be defeated. 

"Beta hamesha yaad rakhna, vishvaas se sab theek ho jaata. Kabhi bhi Shankarji pe tumhaare Vishvaas na chhoote, unse saath na chhoote. Unhone hamesha tumhaari raksha ki hai, aage bhi karenge." (Beta, always remember, faith can solve anything. Your faith on Shankarji should never dwindle, your connection with Shankarji should never break. He has always protected you, and he will always protect you.) Gauri believed in the words of her father wholeheartedly. Her Shankarji had saved her from a worse fate when she was just a child, took care of her and her mother when her father passed away when she was only ten, and has taken care of her since. Her Shankarji and Gauri shared a special relationship. 

Gauri looked at her mother who was sleeping peacefully next to her. Her poor, ill mother. Her mother who always tried to take care of her, but was either ill or easily subdued by her chaacha-chaachi (paternal uncle and aunt). Speaking of which, her chaacha-chaachi had been very quiet as of late. Since the last one week, they hadn't taunted her as much as they usually did. Something was very strange about this. 

But Gauri didn't have time to ponder on this mystery for long. She already wasted some time thinking of her past. So, she got up swiftly and made her way to the gusalkhana (washroom) to clean up and bathe for the day. On the way, she could hear her chaacha-chaachi snoring away loudly in their room. She shook her head at those annoying two, and went about her business. 

After taking a bath and getting ready, Gauri took the water-filled kalash (a sort of metallic jar) and poured the water on the tulsi plant, right outside their main house, in the courtyard, while singing the Gayatri mantra (a sort of prayer sang daily in the morning to worship the plant and creator). Just as she finished singing, she could feel her mother. 

She turned and saw her mother, and bent to take her blessings. "Jug, jug jiyo beta." (Have a long life!). 

"Lo, subah subah shuru ho gaya maa beti ka naatak. Uff! Yahaan koi chain se sone bhi nahi deta" (Early morning the mother-daughter drama has started. Uff! Nobody lets us even sleep peacefully), shouted her chaachi from their room.

"Aur kitna soyegi chaachi? Subah ke aath baj raha hai, surya dev aasmaan roshan kar rahe hai. Ab toh uth jaaiye!" (How much more will you sleep chaachi? Its 8 in the morning now. Sun God is brightening the sky. Get up now!).

Chaachi didn't reply back. She thought to herself, "Just a few days more Gauri, then you will not strut around the house like this. Once we sell you to Kali Thakur, you will rot there for eternity." 

"Looks like she fell asleep again." Gauri remarked. "Maa, I'm leaving now. I've no time for breakfast, I'll have chai-bataashe (kind of Indian sweet) at the stall near the temple. You take care, and don't bother with those two." 

"Okay, Gauri beta, you have a good day!" wished her mother. Gauri was off to work. 

Gauri reached her workstation behind her small shop in the temple, and started to set up her work for the day. She got down to work, cutting up the cloth, sewing away sleeves, doing pretty embroidery. All the while she hummed the tune of  the latest Salman khan hit song, with the hint of a smile on her face.