Rooh: his replaced bride

11.

                                              R O O H

I hid my anxiety behind a smile. No one will know anything about that note. No one should know about that note. I have to go home today for some rituals and I am not going to say no to Maa.

If my parents had a good relationship with me, I would talk to them about this but at this moment of my life-i don't trust anyone to share this issue.

My phone rang, and I looked at the screen. It was my Mother. Why is she calling me? With no option left I picked the call.

MAA: "Rooh, how are you?"
ROOH: "Good"
MAA: "Vansh is coming to pick up, you know that?" She sounds calm. Unlike her. This isn't her.

ROOH: "I know, I need to go for breakfast"
MAA: "You are coming Home. Are you?"
ROOH: "I am. I am hanging up..Bye"

We were having our breakfast when Maa spoke. "Rooh, you have to spend time with your family and in the evening, vidyut will pick you" spent time with family? Which family, Maa?

I simply nodded and continued eating my food.

"Di" I turned my gaze after a familiar voice came to my ear. It was Vansh. "Namaste" He greeted everyone and everyone responded.

"Di, Are you ready?" I nodded, pulling my chair and standing up.

"Vansh, come and join us for breakfast" Vidyut's Father said. "That's a pleasure Rajasa, but I am getting late for my college" He nodded.

"Di, let's go"

"Let me grab my bag" I could feel a cold gaze on me and as I turned towards Vidyut, he was no longer looking at me but was busy eating. I ignored him and quickly grabbed my handbag from my room. Glad I won't be able to see this angry bird today.

Anytime I will be receiving calls from the Hospital and this worries me a lot. They won't understand what mess I am into, the only thing they understand is that I need to report on time. Ugh! And that unknown danger.

"You aren't a kid, solve your problems on your own"
Maa's words echoed in my ear. Yes, I am not a kid so I will deal with that Danger alone.
....

I asked Vansh to drop me a little behind my house so I can go and he too can leave for his college. He did what he was asked to, he dropped me 100 m away from my home and I began to walk to my home. Wearing this saree and walking is not a tough task like I thought it would be.

I stopped at the door of my House but didn't feel like going inside so instead of going to my house, I went home, My Dadi's house. Just after I got married to Vidyut, Papa handed me the keys of the house and I carried it with me while coming.

My Dadi's house wasn't a big mansion or a bungalow. It was a small one but it was enough for us to live.

I opened the Door and was met with the dusty smell. I remember the day when I used to come back from the Hostel, I used to open the door and smell nothing but Coconut oil but now it doesn't smell like that. She isn't here

Keeping my handbag on the table, I decided to clean the place. Everything was the same as Dadi left behind. Her furniture, her utensils, her mirror covered with the old bedsheets with flower patterns. Everything was the same, only she was not here.

The house has a Kitchen, a hall and a two bedroom, bathroom outside the House. I walked to the closest shop to get a broom and mop and luckily I found them.

Dadi's bed was from the time she married Dada Ji, and her bed was a foldable one that's the reason it was folded. I opened it, wiped off the dirt and kept my handbag on it.