Sugandha was running in the fields with Raghu behind her like a tail. She always accompanies her father and helps him with his work. But mostly, she just loves nature and also roaming around being carefree.
She was tired after all the running, so she sat down and started chewing on the sugarcane.
"Chalo na, pita ji, humara intezar kar rahe honge. Hum bohut durr aagai hai humare khet se." Raghu said.
(Let's go, Father must be waiting for us. We've come far along, away from our field.)
"Kitna darpok hai tu, Raghu. Kuch nahi hoga. Yeh lee and chup chap se kha." Sugandha says and hands him a small stick of sugarcane.
(You're such a scaredy cat, Raghu. Nothing will happen. Take this and eat it quietly.)
As they were chewing and gulping down the juice of the sugarcane, Sugandha was looking around for anything fun to do. The sun was very bright, and she squinted her eyes to look.
Then her gaze falls to an abandoned area, filled with beautiful rocks. She was intrigued by it. She got up and started running to the destination area.
"Sister!! Next time, I'll not accompany you at all." Raghu yelled and ran behind her.
When she reached the spot, she touched the smooth surface of the rocks but hissed in pain as it burnt her skin. The rocks were burning like fire due to the hot sun exposure.
Sugandha then looked down, and she spotted a piece of coal. She immediately picks one of them. She licks her lips and starts writing something on the rock.
She smirks proudly when she finishes and steps back to take a good look.
तू चाँद और मैं सितारा होता,
आसमान में एक आशियाना हमारा होता,
लोग तुम्हे दूर से देखते,
नज़दीक़ से देखने का हक़ बस हमारा होता..
Raghu steps closer and reads it out loud, he puts on an annoyed face.
"Shayari?? You need to stop watching too many movies. It's not even good." Raghu says and earns a smack from Sugandha.
"I need to put my literature to some use. I didn't learn writing easily… I had to secretly listen to those personal teachers that taught those rich kids." Sugandha says.
Raghu sighed and dragged Sugandha away.
The next day, when Sugandha reached the same place, she was shocked to find someone else's shayari next to hers.
हस्ते दिलो में ग़म भी है,
मुस्कुराती आँखे कभी नम भी है,
दुआ करते है आपकी हंसी कभी न रुके,
क्यूंकि आपकी मुस्कराहट के दीवाने हम भी है…
She traced those words with her fingers and also with a big smile. She hurriedly grabbed another piece of coal and started scribbling down some more words on a different rock.
दुख में ख़ुशी की वजह बनती है मोहब्बत
दर्द में यादो की वजह बनती है मोहब्बत
जब कुछ बी अच्छा नहीं लगता हमें दुनिया में
तब हमारे जीने की वजह बनती है मोहब्बत
She smiled looking at it, she gulped and hoped that she would meet this unknown person tomorrow. Then Sugandha returned back home. The whole day, she could only think about this person who wrote that Shayari next to hers.
Just as she expected, there was another Shayari next to hers. But… she was sad that she couldn't meet that person.
हमसे ज्यादा कोई चिंतित क्या होगा
हमसे ज्यादा कोई बेताब क्या होगा,
यादों को बाहों में लेकर सोए रहे,
इससे ज्यादा उनके प्यार का जवाब क्या होगा
She blushed while tracing those lines and let out shy giggles. She was dreaming of a movie-style love story. She again wrote down a different shayari and returned home.
This continued for a month or so, and the rocks of that area were literally covered with these lovebird shayaris, that looked like some art glimmering under the bright sun.
Today, Sugandha really, really hoped to get a glimpse of her dreamy person. She couldn't sleep at night thinking about this man.
Then it started raining heavily, she started running. She was scared that the rain might erase their precious shayaris.
She ran and ran and tripped inside a mud pit and fell. Tears brimmed in her eyes, but… the fire inside her heart kept her going.
Finally, she reached and let out heavy pants. She gulped and looked around. When she spotted new words, she stepped closer to them.
It said, "Meet me at the Durga temple tomorrow morning, wearing a yellow sadi."
Sugandha's lips twitched, and a big grin appeared on them. She started chuckling with happiness, and the rain was still pouring down on her.
On the other side, Rudra was really excited to meet this "unknown" person. He couldn't wait till tomorrow; he just couldn't sleep a blink…
And just like that, the sun rose, and he made his way to the temple. He wore a new set of clothes and neatly combed his hair to look perfect.
He took the 'dharshan' of the Durga maata. Then he sat in a corner; he kept looking at everyone who entered the temple. It was mostly couples or elderly people. He became disappointed as time passed, and he didn't find any girl who wore yellow-colored clothes.
He waited and waited but to no avail. It was evening, and he hoped that he would at least find her at their love spot.
It was 6 pm when he reached their love spot. He sat down and waited for 2 more hours, but the 'unknown' person was nowhere to be seen.
Rudra was really upset, it was like his heart had been crushed. Maybe 'she doesn't have the same feelings or doesn't want to meet me' he thought.
He sighed heavily and got up. Before leaving, he placed his kerchief under a small rock and walked away.
Rudra's heart was aching, and he couldn't handle it. He made his way to the nearest bar and started drinking until he couldn't feel his senses.
He was emotional because he never thought he'd fall in love without even seeing the person, and it was his first love.
He stood up and tried to walk his way back home, but he was stumbling with his steps due to his drunk figure. And then… he trips hard and hits his head with a pole.
Rudra groaned in pain, and his vision became blurry. He couldn't get up or do anything. He lay on the ground, a tear rolled down his cheek, and then his eyes shut close.
Sugandha's pov
I adorned myself with a yellow sadi, and kohl to meet my dream person. I kept looking in the mirror and giggled to myself. The mirror was broken, but I could still see myself and feel pretty for the first time.
"Sugandha, aaj bohot kaam hai, tu chal mere sath." Maa said.
(Sugandha, there's a lot of work today. You come with me.)
My smile dropped, and I turned to look at her. "B..but, Maa, i… i.. informed my friends that I would meet them now." I said.
My mother became visibly angrier. "Tere dost todhi paisa aur khana layenge ghar mai! Raghu ka eschool ka fees bhi bhar na hai. Aaj hath batayegi meri kaam mai, abh chal." my mother said.
(Will your friends bring home food and money then? We need money to pay for Raghu's school fees as well. You'll help me out today, now come.)
I became sadder hearing her words. Why today?? Ugh, it seems like Krishna ji is not listening to my prayers…
I nodded my head hesitantly and followed behind her. I thought we'd finish the work early, and I'd rush my way to the people after it's done.
~Time skip~
It was now 9 pm, we returned home totally exhausted.
That person must be waiting for me, I feel so disappointed in myself. I really wanted to visit the love spot. Hoping that the person must be still waiting for me there.
I gulped and glanced at my mother. "M..maa, I'll go and deliver this dinner box to my father." I said.
"It's too late, I'll go and deliver it myself." My mother said.
I became nervous. I can't let her ruin my plans again. "Maa, it's not far away. I'll be back as soon as possible." I said.
She seemed skeptical but nodded anyway. I wanted to take Raghu with me, but he refused to come since he had some schoolwork to do.
I decided that I'll just go alone and be back immediately. I grabbed the steel box and ran out.
It's already too late and… I don't think the person will be waiting for me at this time. But I still wanted to go and take a look…
I ran and ran, and I finally reached, but there was no one there. My face became one of sorrow.
I fell on my knees, and tears welled up in my eyes. 'What if the person was tired of waiting for me, and will probably never meet me again. Or… what if that person never came in the first place?' I thought.
As my orbs were blurred with tears, my gaze fell onto a whitish thing. I wiped my tears and looked again.
It was a cloth… the sight immediately made my heart lighter. I stumbled my way to it and picked it up.
I gently trailed my fingers on the cloth and also took a sniff of it. It had some perfume smell, and it was making my mind go bonkers.
'That means the person of dreams did come…' I thought with extreme happiness.
I clutched it against my chest and lay down on the rocky ground and stared at the night sky.
The stars were sparkling extra tonight… Is it a signal for my journey of love? Will the person judge me for my skin color? What if… He finds me ugly and leaves?
Maybe I shouldn't overthink… My heart tells me that the person is a very, very, very, very good human.
I should get going now, it's too late already. I got up and grabbed the box. Then I started making my way to our field, Father must be hungry.
As I walked while singing, I heard some rustling in the bushes. I immediately got alerted and glanced towards it.
I started walking back slowly, assuming that it must be an animal. But then… once the 'thing' stepped out of the bushes, I recognized him.
He was Vardhan ji, my mother also works at his house as a maid. I've been seeing him for years now, so he wasn't a threat, I thought.
He started stepping closer to me, and the air was suddenly reeking of alcohol. I gulped, sensing something was wrong.
"Eey ladki, idher aa…" he said.
(Heyy girl, come here.)
I shook my head as a no. I could feel that something was definitely wrong. My stomach started twisting with fear.
"T…tu uss Jyothi ki beti hai na? Pass nahi aayegi toh kal dakha marke nikalunga teri maa ko." He yelled while stumbling.
(You're Jyothi's daughter, right? If you don't come closer, I'll kick your mother out tomorrow.)
I flinched at his words. No… his mother pays us a lot compared to others. The money is really necessary, I can't let my mistake ruin my brother's education.
I hesitantly stepped closer, and his face now held a dangerous and scary smirk. It was making my skin irk with disgust.
And then… he rap*d me.
Rudra's pov
She stopped speaking and her eyes brimmed with tears. Her body started shaking and I immediately pulled her in my embrace.
"What happened, Sugandha?" I inquired.
She continued to sob on my naked chest and my grip got tighter on her. I started caressing her back gently, to calm her down.
"R... Rudra ji, t... that monster then r*ped me. I...I could never forget that day. He didn't even behave like an animal..." She said.
As soon as she finished her sentence, my blood started boiling. I hugged her tighter and buried my face in her hair.
How can humans be this cruel?? Even if I kill him a million more times, it still won't be enough. I wish he wasn't dead so that I could torture him for years to come... But luckily, he fucking escaped my wrath.
My body was shaking with pure rage, if only I waited for some more time that day... Even I have a hand behind her traumatizing past. I could've altered her life if I just made one good decision. I deserve to be punished...
I caressed her hair as she cried. I didn't stop her, I wanted her to open up and relieve her sadness.
I decided that I'd be her shield from everything, she endured only torture in her whole life.
From this moment, I'm just a plain body and my heart and soul belong to her... If something happens to her again, that means it was directed towards me.
Even if I die in the process of protecting her from this motherfucking world, I will gladly give it away.
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"The link is in my bio" i whispered lowly with a giggle.
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