The next few days passed in a hurry . As we are the next door neighbours so subodh 's wedding is also a family function for us. On the wedding night we went to shephali's home as a groom's party . It was a small one storied house which had nothing much to offer, but panditji has a good reputation in the area it was very close to the temple , it was genuinely a light preparation . I reached the bride's room to greet her, I still can't believe what I saw was exactly the same subodh described to me . She really resembles her name. Her face was like a soft white Shephali flower wrapped around the red anchal of Banarasi saree. Her big eyes looked upon me , staring like a baby. I don't know what that was but genuine care was developed in me for this innocent face. I really have to protect this flower from perish j you.
The wedding ceremony ended up without any disturbance.
After that their house was full of guests for the next few days. In the mean time I have met Shephali a few times. One afternoon she came to the roof top to dry the clothes , she smiled at me while I couldn't avoid her gaze and smiled back. From that day we became close friends. She comes to our house more often, sometimes with the excuse of exchanging food with us or for some evening chitchat. My mother in law really liked her so much , of course who would not like such a cute girl with sweet behaviour. She ended up becoming a little sister as well as a child of mine. I used to oil her hair, making braids in it . In one afternoon she stole some guavas from Mukharjee house . She was almost caught while returning to our old lady when I said that I bought those from the market and gave her to make achar . We actually made achar of them and shared the joy of thrill .
It was almost one year since the puja is coming. A part of life is booming in our flower . It was a critical time, so I was going to check to her in every now and then . Subodh also took great care of her , which is a matter of concern for his mother. I was always alert about the fact that no one can bully her while I am with her. After some months she gave birth to a son ( the only reason she was getting a good care from her mother in law) . The strange thing is someone bary came from her father's house in all this time.
In next two weeks I have to my matarnal house for some reason , when I came back my mother in law opened the door with a gloomy mood. I wish I had never left the house in that time . I found Shephali in the drawing room she was still crying and shivering in fear .
So the summary of what my old lady told was Subodh's sisters came to their place with some guests when they introduced shephali as their care taker if their son. Because a priest's daughter is too small to be their sister in law. When he heard that subodh made a scene and about to leave the house. Today when sephali is boiling the milk a fire caught in the achanl of her saree . According to her one of her sisters came to the kitchen to drink water, when she told her about the fire. So as a common assumption it is them who did fuss. Now our residence is more comfortable for her until tomorrow.It was a good thing that Subodh was in the office that time or there will be a life to death problem.
I took her inside my room changed her clothes and whipped her hands, toes and forehead with a wet garment . I fed her and slept next to her that day.
She started to tell me her story how she was adopted by priest when she was only 2 months old. She studied until 10th but never missed a day of serving to the goddess in the temple whome she thought of as her own mother. How a servant of the Mandir committee harassed her here and there . When subodh came to her life and became the one who trusts her feelings. One day while returning from such a n
