Yuhn Hota Toh Kya Hota- Rikara FF

Chapter 22

The lunch hour at the workshop got delayed because some regular orders got added to the main order the workers were working on. The result was that by the time the workers got a break, it was almost five pm. So, they had an extended tea break instead. Gauri went to the main temple to do mattha tekka (bowing head, ritual while praying) before the goddess' idol. The panditji at the temple was doing preparation for the sandhya aarti (evening aarti, a sort of prayer). He was casually singing a bhajan (devotional song) while absorbed in his work. Gauri heard the song, it was one of her favorite bhajans, and she joined him in the song without thinking. 

After some minutes, Gauri realized that the temple had gone silent, in sharp contrast to the normal sound of hustle-bustle some time back. Every devotee in the temple, seemed to be listening in rapt attention to her voice. Once her song ended, they seemed to come out of a stupor. The panditji asked Gauri, "You have a lovely voice. I am sure you served in a temple before." he said, favorably disposed towards Gauri. 

"You are right, Panditji. My father was a pandit at the big temple, back in my home town Bareilly. Even after his passing away, I continued to serve in the temple and owned a small shop in the temple compound." said Gauri, smiling thinking back to her home and father.

"Ah! Bless you child! Are you just passing by here?" asked the Pandit

"No, pujari ji (pujari is another word for pandit). I was looking for work in this temple compound. Currently, I am working on a temporary basis at Majmudaar ji's workshop." explained Gauri.

"Oh, I see. Well, beti, I will see what I can do for you. I have considerable influence here. Don't worry, maatarani won't let you go empty-handed." said the Panditji, blessing Gauri and he left to get back to his work.

Gauri was hopeful after this conversation, and turned to exit the temple and return to work, when she saw an older lady, most probably in her fifties, silently shedding tears, half-hidden by one of the giant pillars of the temple building, leaning on it. 

Jahnvi was feeling suffocated. She could not stay in the house any longer. Shivaay had successfully exposed Tia today. Turned out, she was lying about her pregnancy, pressurized by her mother for some revenge against the Obeori family. She was already married and loved her husband. Once Shivaay and Annika saved him, she was indebted to them, and came out with the truth. Jahnvi was happy that Shivaay and Annika were not really separating, and it was their plan all along. She was also feeling a little vindictive over Pinky. Pinky had been gloating how Tia was going to produce Shivaay's heir and the first child in the current generation of the family. However, Pinky had the decency to be embarrassed to come in front of Jahnvi. After all, it was her doing, that Omkara had to leave the mansion. She was in total disgrace now. First her disdain towards Annika, then being the cause of Omkara leaving the mansion, and now her support of Tia, who seemed it was out to ruin the Oberoi family. Dadi was upset with her, and even Shivaay did not speak to her, apart from perfunctory nods and comments. Jahnvi was not a petty woman, but she was feeling some satisfaction that luck was not going easy on Pinky, she was facing the brunt of her actions. However, Jahnvi's spirit was not elevated by this. She needed to leave the house for some time.

Jahnvi didn't consciously plan to come to the temple, she never really prayed to God much, though she was a believer. What's the point? God hardly listened to her. But today for some reason she decided to enter the temple, and maybe ask God, that why her? Why should she and her children suffer? As she entered he temple, she heard a haunting voice singing a bhajan, it attracted her so much, that she sat down by a pillar to listen to the girl with long hair in a beige suit, singing. When the bhajan ended, Jahnvi realized that her face was wet.