Sootputra: The Unsung Hero

Padmavati

"what are you doing here?" locking the gate, I asked her. "and why only this?"

"what's the problem?" she slid her warm fingers on my arm. Her voice was coying, alluring.

She filled the room with her flowery scent. The sound of her Payal, mixed with the humming of night, seemed to compose a rhythmic beat.

"Vrushali, take me seriously. Why are you here? Does your family, your father, know?"

She was silent a moment. A silent I didn't like. Almost infuriating. "Let's not talk about that" A cool breeze felt on my skin with every touch of her. Then I saw that the breeze was coming from the extended balcony.

"Vrushaliii!....." she read my face and stopped. Her hands held both of her arms. Trembling. The open revealing clothes left only a little to the imagination. She was slightly taller than I remembered her to be. Her clothing did little to protect her from the winter. But she still wore them. She disgusted them, I could tell because almost at every chance she tried to cover her exposed navel, biting her lips, avoiding my eyes.

As the spiky cool winds struck her fair smooth skin, she started shivering. Her coal-black hair fluttered with the wind. They weren't tied in a braid-like usual. They were free and freely they flowed almost like rebelling against her when some covered her eyes and forehead but she was busy rubbing her side arms to notice.

"Thanks," she said covering herself with the warm blanket I picked from the bed.

"Now sit and talk......"

She sat there for a bit as if figuring out where to start.

"Well, this explains why both me and Shon did not see you, in so many times we came here.

You were purposely avoiding us." My hands scratched the chin as we both sat down.

"The question is why?" I stopped thinking about my words. Was she still angry? So much so, she wouldn't even ask for help?

"Its been almost a year since we last spoke," she said when tears formed up.

And then she cried "he is sick Karna, father is ill. We are barely getting by. I had to make a little more coins. For him, for us."

"What are you saying, Satyase----" but as I spoke his name a realization dawned on me. As if someone had slapped me awake.

It was Duryodhana driving his chariot himself when we came back, not Satyasen. There is nothing in this world that can scare you more than yourself, more than your mistakes, and it's guilt. I realized that then as spine shuddered by the mere thought.

"yes, him. I am ashamed to even call him a brother. It was long after I came from Anga. At first, he and his wife were quite welcoming. I even played with their children. Father also seemed happy.

" oh god, what have I done? ," I whispered.

" Father was sick, so the harvest wasn't good this year. In fact, almost none. The entire family was struggling to keep afloat with only Satyasen earning for us all. But it didn't last much longer. He threw us out a few months ago and sold the farming land.

Ever since then I have been going here and there, seeking shelter, doing many works, finally settling on this. " She covered herself more. The wet eyes weren't leaking. Not yet, at least." Not because I like it, but because it pays better."

" if not for me, father would've been dead. I am scared for him, Karna. I am scared for us. ,"

" you should have come to me, have come to Shon. " My voice raised, but not to the point of yelling. But I wanted to shout at her. And yet I didn't. Her emotions were stronger than mine. At least now she wasn't hiding anything, not like me who was still lying in her face.