Bhatak rahi hai aag yeh malang
Atak gayi hai saas uske sang
Kal kal behta tha, chal chal rehta tha
Jaan leke jaane kab gaya.

•

Devi Maa's Temple,
Outskirts of Jodhpur.

I STOOD before the idol of the Mother Goddess, with eyes shut. Wearing a cotton saree of orange and

"Devi Maa, I know I am your favourite child. Please do some miracles and make me get admission into the Gurukul Academy. Tomorrow is the audition. I know you are very awesome and you can do everything. Please please please..", I said my petition in the most convincing way possible.

I opened my eyes, drawing in a deep breath.
The idol of the Goddess was made of pure gold. With a subtle smile on her lips, and eyes full of motherly affection, she looked back at me through the crowd of people.

The clock struck seven thirty now. It was almost time for the veneration to start.
I could see my father, at a distance, before her idol, making sure everything was in place.

Suddenly there was chaos that started.
Loud voices boomed.

"Move away! Move away! Aviram Raghuvanshi is here!", The guards said, literally hitting people with their wooden sticks and clearing the way to the idol.

What a horrible man. He is getting people injured and hit for his own convenience.

Aviram Raghuvanshi, he was also called Ram by most people - which according to me was the greatest irony to ever exist.
Ram Chandra was the people's king and Aviram was the exact opposite. He was self centered and nothing else.

Guards came and stood before the crowd of people on both ends, pushing everyone back.

A guard stood right beside me, as I peered to look at the so called King of Jodhpur. He walked down towards the idol, wearing a dark blue kurta, his face clean shaven except the moustache that was supposed to be the pride of their family.

Huh! Look at that attitude on his face!

He stood before the idol and joined his hands. A poor woman, frail and dusty, slipped out from the crowd and fell to his feet.

"Raja ji..", She mumbled sobbing, holding his feet.
The man didn't bother his life to look down. His guards immediately caught hold of the woman and pulled her away.

She kept crying and sobbing but her Raja ji couldn't care less.

His cold gaze remained fixed on the idol before him.

My heart wrenched looking at the woman. She kept sobbing and calling for him.
But he, the man without a heart, didn't even glance at her. He simply took the veneration plate with the deepak and flowers.

"You can do whatever puja you want to! But Devi Maa will never listen to a man like you!"

I shouted louder than I had expected.
But I felt no regret.

He paused and turned back.

The guard beside me looked at me in shock. An eerie silence fell in the ever so noisy temple.

He placed the plate before the Goddess and turned towards me. His hands now in the pocket of his trousers.

The guard immediately caught hold of my wrist and pulled me.
"Leave!", I shouted but too late.
He yanked me out of the crowd and threw me before Aviram.
I hit my head on the marble stair right before the pedestal on which he stood.
I winced in pain.
I heard my father gasp.

Aviram stood unmoved.

I felt another hand hold me by my arm and made me stand with one sharp pull.

I stood before him.
The clock struck seven minutes to eight.

The moment of soulmates.

And we stood, before each other. His cold icy gaze fixed on my face, my firey fierce eyes looking him right in his eye.
His dark blue kurta, and my orange and red saree seemed to signify the same, like some celestial coincidence.

"Who are you?", He finally spoke. His voice held a cold rage.
"Leela.", I replied yanking my arm free from the grip of his guard, "Devika Leela Kanwar."

His lips curved into a thin devilish smile.
He glanced at my father, almost amused. My father looked down.

"Babuji, why are you looking down? Didn't you see? This man is so pathetic! He doesn't deserve any respect! That woman was calling him king, people here call this man Ram!", I shouted.

My father looked strictly down.
He simply refused to look up.

"Why does no one speak up here?!", I shouted, but no one said anything.

Aviram looked at me, his eyes twinkled with a sadistic pleasure.
He took a step towards me.
The guards immediately took three steps back.

"Because.", He said, his voice sent chills down my spine, "This is my kingdom. I am the ruler. Even if I am cruel, these people will never dare to go against me."

"And you are taking undue advantage of their innocence! I am not like them! I am an empowered woman. I will show you your place.", I said, looking him in the eye.

I had seen many such men. Chauvinists they were. And I had learnt, in my three years of graduation, to put them in their place.

"Your Highness, the holy time duration has started.", Babuji mumbled.

Aviram drew in a deep breath, as if surveying me from head to toe.
"Is your daughter married?", He asked simply.

The saw my father's face lose colour.

"No, your Highness.", He mumbled.

"Then she will be.", He stated,
"Now."

"How? What are you even saying?!", I asked.
Now, panic gripped me abruptly.

He simply raised his hand before me.
Looking me straight in the eye, he drew in a deep breath.

"I, Aviram Raghuvanshi, propose marriage to you."

And the breath left me.

•••