Chapter 2

unicornwriter

@unicornwriter

PART 1: THE PHOENIX

7 A.M , Banglore, India.

A huge verandah welcomed the bright sunlight early in the morning and so did the abode of Ganpati Bappa as the beautiful tunes of his aarti hummed inside household pulled the surrounding people towards it. Little by little the verandah was filled with people as they joined their hands praying along with a pure soul. Aunties admired the beauty looking for a baiko for their respective sons. An old lady smiled as she glanced at the commotion inside her house by the Humming Bird of her house and the way everyone prayed that she could be the pride of theirs.

A few minutes later the same melodious house turned intoa  buzz fare as huge plates of pakoda's and trays filled with tea cups was brought into the verandah where evryone enjoyed their morning with retro music playing in the background. The locality had never been like this, sometime back aybody would have looked at this old aged colony as a dead barren land but now it was the most active and colorful valley of Banglore. 

"Waise maan na padega Kaveri, tumhari laadli ne iss jagah ki raunak hi badal di hai." a lady giggled as she praised the old lady's acquaintance.

"Laadli se yaad aya. Hai kidhar hamari Mulagi." another one asked.

"Wahi jahan hamesha jaati hai Bappa aur hamari subah banane ke baad." the old lady giggled.

The teenage girls ran wearing their gunghroos as they realised that they were indeed late for their weekend classes. As they halted infront f the banyan tree out of their breaths, they looked arounf for their teacher and sighed as she wasn't in sight. That lecture queen was not what they wanted first thing in the morning.

"Chalo didi abhi tak aai nahin hai."

"han yaar bach gaye warna toh aaj pakka lecture milta."

"han aati aur bolti ki, yahan main competition ke liye itni pareshaan hoon aur tum log phirse late ho, huh"

The girls giggled as they made fun of their teacher unknown to the storm right behind them.

"Achcha aur kya bolti." came a voice behind them.

"Are yahi ki hum kitne irresponsible ho gay hai aur-" the girl in a purple churidar suit halted in her mimickery as she saw her teacher right infront of her face.

"Aaj toh pakka gaye." one of the other students murmured as they eyed the she- devil with the red angered eyes.

"Nahin maa yeh wala nahin dekha tha maine." a girl with red wedding bangles in her hand cried to her mother.

"Kaveri Taai yeh kya hai. Aapne jo bag hume dikhaya tha yeh toh woh hai hi nahin. Woh apki shop ki saree ka matching tha na ab dekhiye na meri beti kitni udaas hai." her mother demanded.

"Par Aunty Aaji aur maine bahut dhundha woh bag magar uski demand itni thi ki lagta hai sab bikk gaye." Shriya, the sales girl replied.

"Woh sab main kuch nahin jaanti. Apki itni reputation hai market main isliye hum idhar aaye aur aap hai ki hume aise mayyoos kar rahi hai." the lady taunted.

"Dekhiye aunty-" shriya tried to explain only to be stopped by the old lady.

"Nahin Shriya. Dekho Urvashi mana ki maine hi woh bag tumhe dikhaya tha par ab woh nahin hai toh main isme kuch nahin kar skti. Agar yeh saree leni hai toh lo warna main aur kuch nhin kahungi." Aaji , the old lady replied joining her hands.

"Huh itni akad achchi nahin hai Aaji. Aap bahut purani hai iss handmade business main lekin iska matlab yeh nahin hai ki humme isse achcha samaan aur kahin nahin mil sakta hai." Urwashi aunty taunted and pulled her daughter to leave.

"Aaji yeh aap kya." Shriya tried reasoning.

'Jaane de usse." Aaji replied.

The sky went clear as a calming fragrance of honey spreaded around the area, among the huge crowd of people came a melodious sound of ghunghroo as a girl ran clutching a packet in her hand. Her yellow suit matching perfectly with the blue sky as if a sunflower in a beautiful garden. She waved at the people of the market as she made her way sliding through people only to hault infront of an old traditional shop.

"Rukiye Urwashi kaku." the girl stopped the lady and her daughter.

"Taai" Shriya smiled.

"Yahi tha na woh bag. Sorry aaj subah hi order aaya isliye main shop main restock karna aur Aaji ko batana bhul gayi." the girl apologized.

"Taai yahi toh chahiye tha." the married girl, Vaidehi replied hugging Pallavi.

"Tujhe apni Mother in law ko dena tha toh tera surpirse kaise kharaab hone deti." Pallavi hugged her back.

"Pallavi beta ek tu hi toh hai iss colony ki khushi." Urwashi aunty stroked her hair.

"Kya kaku aap bhi na. Shriya yeh pack krdena." Pallavi instructed the worker as she made her way to the old lady sitting in a chair.

"Aaji?" she called out to her.

"tu phir apni classes chhodh kar aa gayi." Aaji looked away making sure the bills looked more important than her beloved daughter.

"Offo bass 10 minute ke liye hi toh chhoda abhi chali jaungi waise bhi woh sab practice kar rahi hai." Pallavi hugged her Aaji.

"Lekin tu jaanti hai na ki mujhe nahin pasand ki tu apni dance classes chhodhkar meri shop sambhale. Yeh shop mera kaam hai tera nahin, tera kaam-" Aaji stroked her hair as she spoke.

"Janti hoon mera kaam hai apne kathak ke khwaab ko nayi uchaiyon par lekar jana." Pallavi smiled, "Par yeh shop bhi toh meri hi hai na, kyunki yeh aapka aazoba (grandfather) ke liye khwaab hai." 

"Ho maajhi maa." Aaji laughed, "Par tujhe yeh bag kidhar mila, iska toh stock khatam ho gaya tha na."

"Han lekin rozki tarah maine kal shaam hi check krliya tha aur Manoher kaka se subah delivery manga li thi." Pallavi explained as she signed on the bills.

"Taai sarava kela ahe." A girl called out to her. (Didi practice is done.)

"Aati hoon. Aaji aaj bahut der ho jayegi ghar aane main kal function." Pallavi kissed her a goodbye.

"Bappa he kaya aahe (yeh kya hai) , 3 mahine pehle, ek hi din main aapne mujhse mere jeene ki wajah chheen li lekin ussi din mujhe ek aur wajah lauta di. Bass yahi manti hoon ki meri Pallavi ki zindagi sawaar de. Uske har dukh mita de." Aaji prayed in the small mandir of her shop.

At Night.

"Chalo aajka ho gaya ab kal sabko fresh aur active rehna hai." Pallavi smiled at they finished practices.

"Taai kab hum jitenge na." a girl asked.

"Bilkul jeetenge ab chalo warna sabko ghar par daant padegi." Pallavi grabbed her bag as she walked along with the girls toward their home.

They giggled and laughed on the most teenage and cringy topic when a whistle stopped them. pallavi held their hands as she told them to ignore the gropu of jocks eyeing them. the boys looked like they had just walked out of the door of puberty and it had hit them hard but in their mind as they whistled again.

"Par taai." Maya spoke in anger.

"Maya chalo bss." Pallavi shushed her.

'Kya hua teacher ji yeh mela akele lekar kidhar chali." a guy teased.

"Hum chhodh dete hai." another one came infront of them blocking the view.

'Dekho hato saamne se warna achcha nahin hoga." Pallavi warned them as she looked around.

"ab kya apne lecture se marogi." they laughed high fighing each other.

"are hum bass thori aankhein hi toh sekna chahte hai." the tallest one winked at her.

"aankhein sekne ka bahut shauq hai na." pallavi stopped her gaze at him as she moved her fingers behind her back, "Toh theek hai jaisi tumhari marzi." she smiled as she back down a bit and the guy's welcomed a fury of chilly powder and pepper spray to their oh so adorable eyes.

Pallavi grabbed the bunch of sticks that she eyed before in between the teasings and handled one to each girl as they started beating the guy's black and blue. The loud cries of mercy could be heard as the guys dropped down on their knees begging for them to stop.

"ab kabhi himmat mat karna." Maya laughed as she smacked one of them between his thighs.

"Hume chedega tu." another girl smacked the taller one.

"Taai ne hume sab sikhaya hai ki tum jaiso se kaise nipatte hai." the girls circled around the now beaten up boys with a rpoud Pallavi by their side.

"The Great Warrior Pallavi."  came a voice from behind and Pallavi turned only to come face to face with the bane of her life.

So the first chapter is out. Would love to know your thoughts on it.