028

Vijay watches Mithilesh pacing in the office from the glass window talking on the phone looking tensed and angry.

It wasn't unusual as with their line of the work tension and agression walks hands in hands but what was actually unusual was the "Fucking Achintya" that came from his mouth as the phone of his crashes against the wall.

Suspicion arises in his mind, thinking just what really the golden child, the apple of the eye of the Chaudharys has done to make Mithilesh Bhaisahab's blood pressure to rise this much.

What could it be?

He has to know, Vijay thought. As Mithilesh opened and closed the door with a loud bang frightening the staff who looked towards him with fearful eyes. Mithilesh paying them no attention walked away hurriedly and to Vijay's joy with a gun in his hand.

He has to know now. Because if Mithilesh's anger is triggered by the Achintya then the situation is really the worst.

_

Achintya has lost his mind. And that would the only explaination Mithlesh will accept once he confronts his brother. He has the ball, to bring that girl to their ancestral temple.

When the tradition dictates that a member of the family can only bring their spouse,other half, or partner there. Other than that, no other woman or man are permitted.

What has gotten into that boy? Is he really that keen in destroying the legacy of their father and the forefathers. Especially when, Mithilesh is fighting the tooth and nail in securing the second position for the Achintya.

Why he don't understand that once the news about him and the Brahmin girl comes out and spread, he will loose all the favours from the others. But especially of their father's.

Phoolan Chaudhary's hands are already tied with the order he has received from his mother and the respect he has towards his brother. The added pressure from the Meena kaki will only intensifies once she will know just what a blasphemy Achintya has caused by being involved with a girl who not only belongs to their own caste but is a member of the priestly clan.

Mithilesh rubs his head taking a long drag. The whole Begusarai was visible before his eyes as he stood on the terrace of their factory's building.

He tried his best in keeping Achintya as busy as one can be. Deliberately shoving all the works, every responsibility on his shoulder so as to take his mind away from the girl and towards other things. And he manages to succeed to some extent from what he knows because in the last few days his brother didn't even had the time to even sneeze properly let alone going to that girl.

And then to his added pleasure, the proposal from the Tripathis arrives at their door making Mithilesh thought that this is it. If the both Tripathi sister' will enter in their home, then it will also mean that the Tripathis would be forced to never be able to take anyone's side when it will comes to that, -because it will-

But Achintya.. Achintya that fucker refused right on the Mr Tripathi's face. Mithilesh still cringes whenever remembering that scene of a furious Achintya entering from the door, seeing the Mr Tripathi with his wife and the youngest daughter, and without even hearing anything, taking notice of anyone, of propriety or manners-

Rejected the girl whose face turned as if she ate the sour lemon, tears of the humiliations running down her face.

Mr Tripathi on the other hand looked livid but remembering where he was standing choose to kept his mouth shut seeing the patches of the red spots on Achintya's white shirt and the crazed look of his eyes.

And Mithilesh know..know it very well that he isn't the only one who noticed that, his father's face too was focused on his other son and with the way both Achintya and Phoolan Chaudhary are connected to one another it wouldn't take long before the older man got the inkling of the secret his son is hiding.

With the way Achintya is acting it wouldn't come to the shock to him,if he enters the Durga bhavan with that girl behind him wearing the signs of being a Chaudhary now.

Throwing the stick and crushing it beneath his shiny shoes Mithilesh leaned against the cold wall. The December is passing and with the end of the January the election results will be out. If everything rules out in their favour, -and it will- Mithilesh can't have Achintya acting out impulsively, throwing every barriers, cautions and rules of the society out of the window.

With their father's dream of being the next chief minister of the Bihar on the stake, they can't afford any mistake. And what Achintya is thinking to do will be his as well as their family's biggest mistake.

_

Achintya has bought her to their ancestral temple with a motive in his mind.

The temple looked back at her as they ascends the thred hundred stairs leading to it, the courtyard of it has the large Yagnakund in the centre and leading to the other side of it was the temple ; simple and nothing of the show that denotes it being the temple belonging to the Chaudharys.

The inside of it was lit with warm earthen lights, natural flower garland adorning the stone wall on which murals of the Ramayana was drawn with detailed hands. On the left corner was a small temple addressed to the Lord Hanuman while in the right was where the holy Ramayana was kept in the similar style temple.

There was something warm in the air blowing, even though it was the early morning meaning the chilled air, but standing here inside this temple, in the warm cocoon of the earthen lamps and sweet smell of the Parijat, caphoor and the dhoop, Niyati felt as if..she was standing in the center of the heaven.

The warmth radiating here when enters inside her, turned the chaos running inside her mind calm and silent. As for now, everything was peaceful, tranquil and serene.

When her round eyes went to the idol of the Lord Rama standing in the middle with Mata Seeta and lord Laxmana on his either side, somehow Niyati felt a tear slipping from her eyes. She has seen that idol, she has seen this exact one idol that is sitting in the store room of her house waiting to be sent to her sister's house. It made sense, why Niyati felt such strong emotions towards the idol when she had saw the gift sent by the Chaudharys.

Achintya was the one who selected it. She remembered being told that it was man standing behind her who purchases that idol and thought of gifting it to them.

He was this sure of her and their relationship even at that time when she had turned her back toward him knowing the sepration was only temporary and that one day she will come back to him. Sending that idol meant sending a part of his family to hers, Achintya knew very well just what exactly the tradition of this temple was.

That it is only the married couple of the family that can perform the Pooja or come near the idol or can enter the inner sanctum. For him, Niyati was that person. They might not be married but he already knew that if it is not her and then their will be no one else after her.

And so, bringing her here meant a lot to him .

Because bringing Niyati to this temple meant accepting what everyone feared around him. Proving Mithilesh bhaisahab and Nupur bhabhi's horror true.

The huge bronze bell rang, it sound echoing in the air as the old priest enters behind the couple holding the Pooja thali in his hand raising his hand as Achintya touches his feet "may the Raja Ram gives you the courage to fight against your destiny."

Peculiar as it was Achintya has long accepted that. The old priest was serving the temple since he was the small boy and even now when he has turned old and frail with fragile bones and loosen shrunken skin with no family to look out after he still lives in the temple serving the lord Rama.

When he was young, Achintya used to make fun of the priest's pecuilar words with Mithilesh and sometimes with the Vijay each time earning the glare from his mother who would then say "he knows more than us but choose to not tell. People like them, they are the true messanger of the God and thus, we must respect them and their words."

Through out the years, Achintya understood just how true the old priest's words could be.

"You are going to the lord yourself, it should be your feet that I should touch." He has said when the last time his mother have came to the temple on Mithilesh Bhaisahab's birthday, seven months after that she really left the world.

When Niyati touches his feet the old priest smiled looking at her offering the Parijat in her extended hand "trust and love walks hand in hand, if one of them flew away the other one dies naturally."

With the flower clutched in her hand her widen eyes turned from the priest's face to Achintya's, the scarlet blush covering her cheeks as she reverted her eyes the moment his found hers.

"Come forward..it is time to perform the Pooja."

_

What Achintya is thinking? Niyati thought looking at the side profile of his, the light stubble again finding their way to his cheeks obscuring his sharp jawline. His eyes were hooded too for he has kept them closed once the old priest start chanting the mantra.

"Bring your right hand forward.." the old man pointed out holding the coconut in his hand, his words directed towards him.

"Put the Shrifal in her hand pandit ji.." declared Achintya making her eyes goes round as she stares at him in the surprise. "She will be the one performing the Pooja today."

This is not right. Niyati shouldn't be the one doing that, performing the Pooja in her name is one thing, letting her be the one doing the Pooja is another. Even if she isn't that Informed of the customs of theirs, she atleast know this much.

It must be not a common thing because if it was, then here should be other devotees waiting in the line which she can't help but not observes has not happened since they have came here.

"This..this isn't right. " Niyati tried. "This is your family temple and I'm not part of the family to perform -"

"Not yet. " He avowed making her stop in her sentence and turn towards him.

"What- What you mean?"

"I'll tell you later. Do what pandit ji is saying first,"

"I won't. I won't untill you tell me- "

"Niyati. " He snarled with enough force to shut her mouth, blinking multiple times "we are standing in a temple right now, first let's do what is needed first. And then we both can quiz ourselves."

And so..even with hundred of questions burning on the tip of her tongue, Niyati accepted the coconut from the priest as he while chanting the 'Ram Stuti' sprinkle the water on them with the help of the mango leave from the small round vessel he kept in the thali.

Once he dictates her to put the Shrifal in the feet of the Lord Rama, he directs Achintya towards the huge bronze bell hanging in the middle and then extended the 'Aarti Thali' towards the flabbergasted girl "I assume you know the hymns required now, please sing that.."

_

Since the temple was situated at the top of the hill, it was scheduled as well as quiet and void of any life other than the three who were present there. As Niyati came out of the temple, her eyes went to the small hut situated in the far corner of the temple probably where the old priest sleep or rest.

Clutching the 'Revdi' they got as the Prasad, Niyati made her way towards the stairs when his voice stopped her. "We are not living yet.."

"You can stay here. I'm not stopping you."

"But I am. Come here, we need to talk-"

"I don't." She snarled turning towards him. All the tenderness she was feeling before gone in the face of the ire. Achintya dictating and manipulating her to do his bide and bend according to his will- it really is not acceptable. "I'm sorry to inform you Mr Chaudhary but I don't wish to spend even a second here with you..so please spare me."

A moment passed as he stares at her for the first time with something akin to the anger in his brown eyes. "I thought you wanted the answers. Or have you changed your mind?"

"Are you willing now? Does it suits your timing? You are not -" before the anger of her can overtake all over herself, she heard him say,

"I rejected the proposal. I rejected the proposal the moment I heard about it. I did that because I already have you who will become my wife one day. I don't think this news has reached the gossip mill yet or otherwise you would have heard about it. Or believe it. As you always do, because for you..words of others holds more meaning than your trust in me. "

"As for your other allegations..I was swamped with works after that day. Mithilesh bhaisahab made sure of that because he thinks if he manages to keep me away from you I will forget you not knowing every moment I didn't get to see you is the moment I spent thinking about you. "

"I might have not be able to see you but you never left from my mind for even a second. So much so, that when at night I fell on the bed being bone tired the only thought that would cross my mind was about you. Or when I get too irritated with everything around me, I would imagine your smile or your laugh. "

"You can think whatever you want Jaan..but please..don't ever blame me or my love."

She stood as still as the idol standing in the temple, the only way one could tell that she is still breathing was from the continuous tears flowing from her eyes and the trembling of her lips. But that stupor of her break hearing the last of his confession and soon Achintya was holding the sobbing Niyati against him, stroking her hair and clutching her to himself.

"Say something Jaan.." he muttered against her neck burying his face there inhaling the sweet coconut from her skin calming his raging mind.

But really..what she can say? He has bared his whole heart out against her accusations that now seems only feeble. The words of his working as the balm on her scorching heart, this is what she wanted..didn't she?

The confirmation. The confirmation that Achintya's feeling towards her matches the same intensity as hers towards him. And he has gave her that, multiple times. Once infront of his family, then infront of the God and now infront of her.

Achintya's grip tighten at once hearing her mubled words as he jerks her away abruptly from himself staring at her intensely at her tear ridden face. The coarse hand of his reaches for her smooth cheeks and stay there as her face was tilted upward and Niyati was forced to look in his eyes.

"Repeat." Came the order from him and clutching his hand with her shivering one she take a step towards him,

"I said..I love you. I love you, I love you..I- I love you -" the words of her abruptly cut from being repeated again as his hot mouth descended on her stealing her breathe sealing the rest of her sentence in between themselves.

The hand he has on her cheeks travels to the back of her head as his other gripped her waist tightly and in one swift motion her body was up in the air as he made her sit on the wall facing the cliff stitching her chest to his as her hands coiled around his neck finding their way in his hair.

He took and took and took from her, licking and sucking marks in her neck, slipping the collar of her suit down and biting the collarbone lightly making the sweet noise escape from her lips.

Panting for breathe and her eyes closed Niyati felt the sensation of his hand pulling her legs apart and adjusting it around his own thighs "I only have got you..can't afford to lose you now" that hand left as soon as they have came but the sensation of it that was left behind turned her scarlet to her root, the loud thumping of their hearts now accompaning one another as they hugged one another tightly.

"I love you Jaan.  Not gonna add the 'too because then it will be equivalent to repeating after yours. Because when I say..I love you, it means I love you with my whole being."

She only has manages to subsidies the tears but hearing his words they again come back as Niyati hides her face in his soft cashmere sweater.

So much has happened in the span of the last night and today's morning. Where Niyati was worried of having her heart being broken by him she got to hear the sweetest confirmation from his lips. With her heart finally settled, Niyati hide the small smile thanking the lord for his blessing.

"The idol..you gifted the same idol to Shivangi dii.."

"Hm..I sent the order on the same day you came to the home. I knew..that for your family..it'll the perfect gift. "

Too overwhelmed Niyati could only nods her head "but I still think Achintya..you shouldn't have let me perform the Pooja-"

"Do you know the tradition behind this temple? Or why there is no other devotees here?"

With the gentle grip Achintya put her down from the wall pressing her to it instead, "this temple is our ancestral temple. Where only the members of my family can offer the prayer. With you offering the prayer today, I have elevated your status from my girlfriend to my would-be wife. Once you complete your college..I'll come to your family to ask for your hand in the marriage."

"This, today, marks my promise I made to you."

_

And so they confessed. Phew.

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Parijat :- night flying Jasmine or coral Jasmine is the flower said to be favourite of the Lord Rama and hence is widely offered to him.

Revdi :- it is a sweet made up of sesame seeds and jaggery and is offered as the Prasad in the many temples.

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Begusarai has crossed the 5k mark and I couldn't be more happier. Thanks to everyone who read the story, you guys are the best. (⁠っ⁠.⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠)⁠っhere's the virtual hug send to all.

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