Daughters of Kalika

১৩. roses and letters

Take little steps of divinity.

****

Maya never knew that vanilla would become such an important aspect of her life and probably a missing piece of the puzzling mystery she was stuck in. But yes, the dress she wore yesterday smelled much like the perfume Hrishav used.

Was this just a coincidence or did it mean something more?

She had to figure it out. "It should mean something. His reaction on seeing me wearing that frock wasn't very comfortable and pleasant. But wait, Aadi Babu is very fond of Hrishav, isn't it? Probably he had tried matching his daughter and Hrishav and it failed miserably. Guess what? That was a bad move."

Yet it wasn't sinking in. Something wasn't quite right...

"I cannot exhaust myself over a perfume. I need to visit her."

Since her heart had desired to give Sahiba some sweets and meet the girl who just lost her mother to the hands of a cold-blooded murderer, she decided to act on it.

The old lady who had shown her the way to Lalita's house during her last visit smiled on seeing her. Maya returned the gesture.

"How are you?"

"It is a miracle that someone asks us slum dwellers how we are. But by the grace of Kalika, I am still fit enough to walk." The lady nodded her head. "Anyways, where are you heading today? To Lalita? She talks about you a lot."

Maya felt an uncanny sadness upon hearing it. She knew she wasn't in a position to rescue Lalita or give the prostitutes hope about a better future. Dreaming was risky, a challenge indeed. All she could trust on was her pen, if that would help her do something for Lalita and the ones alike.

"I will meet her some other day. I wish to see Sahiba."

The lady heaved a sigh. "Oh, that poor girl! She lost her mother to the devil! She has no one to look after... I just don't know how she is going to manage her life now."

"I hope you all will try to help her out. She seems like a sweet girl."

"We will try our best, but we cannot do much. Go, meet her and see if she opens up to you."

Maya bid her goodbye and tried to recall the way to Sahiba's home. She passed by Lalita's house, remembering how she had then led her around the slums and they reached Radha's home.

And how she found her crush, Hrishav, outside her house.

What if Hrishav knew about Radha being in love with him? Would that hurt him even further, make him feel guilty? He was selflessly supporting her family, as a kind man, but why? Maya still didn't know what connection he had with Radha, if he owed her that help, and if his bad luck had ever hampered her.

While lost in thought, she didn't hear the sloshy sound of shoes, but when she did, she immediately connected it to her thoughts.

Has Hrishav returned again?

She quickly hid in the spot where she had previously ducked behind with Lalita the last day. But this time, it wasn't Hrishav who came, but an ugly face she felt an intense abhorrence towards.

Rahul.

He carried a bouquet of roses and what looked like an envelope in his hand. He knocked on Sahiba's door and looked around to ensure no one saw him. When the door didn't open, he began banging on it incessantly.

It boiled Maya's blood. This rascal is trying to woo that teen! He has no shame!

Maya was going to jump out of her hiding spot when the door opened and Sahiba came out. And oh, wasn't she as beautiful as her mother? Who knew such divine women, pretty in-and-out, deserved to be in slums serving lecherous beasts!