5. Vedika

It was a melancholic evening when all the inmates of the Thakur mansion gathered on the banks of the river Bischya. The river plummeted down Rewa with passion, like it always did, not aware that the city which it flowed through had just lost a precious son.

A young servant boy of twenty-one stood infront of Yashvant Thakur's body, with tears in his eyes, ready to perform his son-less master's funeral rites.

All the men stood in the front while Vedika stood behind with the other women. From where she was, she could not even see her father's body properly.

The crowd was huge. Hundreds had come to pay their last respects to the great man who had gone too early. With bloodshot eyes and resentment in her mind, Vedika looked at the boy standing infront of her father's pyre.

Ranga, who worked in the stables had been Yashvant's favourite servant boy. He had brought him home from the streets and had always treated him like a son. It had always been his wish to be cremated by Ranga after his death.

Still, Vedika couldn't help feeling wronged. Her father didn't have sons but there was she. Why didn't society allow daughters to perform the funeral rites of their parents? She had loved her father more than any child loved their parent and all she got was a spectator's seat at his funeral.

Even as Ranga lit the pyre and Yashvant's body went up in embers, Vedika's mind could not encompass the fact that her father was gone. A childish hope that when she walked home her father would be waiting in the courtyard for her, thronged in Vedika's mind.

She looked sideways at the three women who were her only remaining family. Devoleena was squeezing out tears. Sonakshi and Madhuri bustled around her seeming more concerned about her dramatic bawls than the death of the man who had given them a new home.

Vedika's lips formed a straight angry line. She knew very well that her father had treated her step sisters nothing like how Daju Ma had treated her.

He had bought them several gifts, attempted so many conversations with them and made endless efforts to spend time with them. But the ungrateful bitches couldn't display an ounce of genuine grief on his death.

Vedika looked around. There had been hundreds of people who had walked upto her since morning and offered their sincerest condolences to her. But Vedika knew they had no idea what she was feeling.

Her father's business rivals and acquaintances stood around with solemn faces but Vedika knew they were only too glad to be rid of Yash. Their eyes would now automatically dart upon his ample wealth which did not have a male heir. The responsibility of the family trade too would be given to Daju Ma now. If she didn't play her cards well enough, the male-dominated trade world would easily exploit the Thakurs' business.

Vedika knew her stepmother wouldn't find it too difficult as other women to protect both the business and the large household. The woman was evil enough for anything. Daju Ma wouldn't let her father's hard earned trade empire go down the drain.

In her heart of hearts, Vedika wished she could ask her stepmother and stepsisters to leave the house and take charge of the house and her father's trade. But she knew that was simply not possible. Everything was already in Daju Ma's name.

Vedika felt the only ones who were genuinely grieved about her father's death were a few of the servants and perhaps the animals in the house.  Yash had been unwaveringly generous to all of his employees - both humans and animals. Nobody would've treated their horses with the love that he had. He always spoke to them like they were his children. From the morning, Vedika hadn't heard a single sound from the stables or the cowshed or the backyard where the dogs were kept. The animals could tell something was wrong.

Ganga was inconsolable. She had broken down when they had found out that Yash was no more. Ganga's son Sahil was too young to understand the ultimateness of death but he stood next to his mother holiday the edge of her saree, looking miserable.

A little ahead of Ganga was the butler Rudra with his little daughter Rumki. He had enjoyed a deep friendship with Yashvant too and looked like a shattered man now. It pained Vedika to see grown up men crying. She had never seen her father cry. She herself had not cried since the morning. Her mind still hadn't processed the fact that everyone else had accepted. In her head, her father was still alive. The servants of the house had begged her to cry it out at least once but she hadn't done it so far.

The sun set early that day as if unable to tolerate the painful sight of Yashvant's death.

•••

After the funeral, Yashvant's ashes were collected and brought to the mansion which looked lifeless without the man who had built it.

All the inmates watched as Yash was brought into his house for the last time in a shining bronze vessel. A red cloth was tied around it and the vessel was closed with a lid.

"Sahiba, the ashes should be immersed in river Bischya before the tenth day after death", the young priest who had conducted the funeral told Daju Ma.

"It will done as soon as possible panditji", Daju Ma nodded. She stood in the centre of the hall with her head held high. All the bystanders skulked around looking intimidated. Daju Ma was already taking her place as leader.

Vedika who was standing behind her couldn't take it anymore.

"Papa always wanted his ashes to be immersed in Kasi", she blurted out.

Everyone looked at her.

"Kasi?", Daju Ma looked outraged "That is not possible at all Vedika."

"Why not?", Vedika asked simply. The hall fell into stunned silence. Devoleena was now officially the head of the house and nobody dared to question her. Vedika knew this too and the angry knot in her stomach intensified. For she knew that if Devoleena had not been there, then she would've been the new mistress of the mansion. As much as she was not a materialist, the house belonged to her father and Vedika felt it didn't have to be polluted by this woman's influence.

"Children need not given suggestions in this house", Daju Ma said curtly "And anyway, Kasi is too expensive".

"What? Expensive? Expensive, for the poor people, perhaps. But surely we can afford it?", Vedika said.

Daju Ma narrowed her eyes, "See how you talk! Poor and rich and what not. Just because your father had money doesn't mean you can talk like a brat. I knew right from the beginning that Yash was too soft, a parent. He should've treated you with an iron hand. Otherwise you wouldn't have become an arrogant girl like this", she scolded.

"My father was an amazing parent", Vedika protested.

"Shh..keep quiet now", Daju Ma snapped and then she turned to the priest, "Panditji, let me see you to the door", she said and walked off with the priest.

As the others dispersed, Vedika saw the money pouch concealed in Daju Ma's saree. At the entrance, she saw her pick it out and hand it over to the young priest who smiled greedily and took it. Daju Ma whispered something to him and he nodded vigorously before leaving.

Vedika looked at the priest leaving with detestment. She remembered the older priest who had been the chief priest of Rewa when she was a kid. She vaguely recalled how pious he had been. He had never accepted gold even from her rich father who offered him money many times. He would talk to her kindly and answer all her questions and never chided her even when she called him uncle and not guruji. And here was this asshole living a life of duplicity in saffron clothes.

It was at that moment that Vedika decided she was going to Kasi.

She would save up money somehow before her father's first death anniversary and go there to pay homage to him, no matter what obstacles came in her way.

•••

Vedika woke up the next morning feeling exhausted and aching all over. She suddenly had a feeling that the previous day could've been a dream. Her father couldn't possibly have left her and gone.

No, that was atrocious. What was Vedika thinking? There was still a possibility that her father was around.

She got up and walked to the kitchen hoping to get something to eat from Rudra.

But the moment she walked into the large and spacious kitchen, she knew something was amiss.

None of the servants were in there. Rudra was missing too and he never left the kitchen. Only Daju Ma was standing there. And there was a triumphant look in her menacing eyes.

"What happened Daju Ma?", Vedika asked, "Where is everyone?".

Daju Ma smiled widely, "Vedika",  she said in a voice that Vedika did not recognise. It was not the crisp, formal tone she always used on her. This tone was vindictive, venomous. It stung. "Prepare breakfast".

Vedika then knew that her father was truly gone.

A/N : And the real game begins now!

Guys, as I had already said I have no experience writing stories like these which are set in a different era. I have no idea how I'm doing so do let me know what you think of the story so far ❤️

Coming Next : In Cinderella's tale, the most pivotal character is the fairy godmother. She is the woman who brings the magic to the story. Without her, Cinderella would never have met the prince.

The Cinderella of Rewa will have a fairy godmother too. She will be both enigmatic and endearing. She will bring Nakul and Vedika together. Meet her in the next chapter!❤️