BlogchatterA2Z(V) ~ Love On A Sunday Morning

Smoke rose in black plumes from the incense sticks, twisting and turning until they dispersed into the air. Their aroma mingled with the aroma of jasmine and marigold, creating a concoction that made Madhuri nauseous. She tamped down the sensation. Just as she had tamped down her tears. She needed to be strong. Her eyes glanced towards the walk clock, ticking in the silence punctuated by sniffles of Varsha next to her. Madhuri ignored Varsha, just as she ignored the whole neighbourhood gathered in the courtyard. Just like she ignored the two garlanded photos in front of her. Her focus was firmly on the clock. Waiting.

The clang of the iron handle of the gate roused her. She dashed out as Jagjit entered, a suitcase in his hands. Her eyes looked behind him, searching. 

“Didi?” she whispered.

Jagjit shook his head, his eyes gentle. Madhuri’s lip quivered. How could Juhi betray her like this? She had been holding it together, waiting for Juhi to return home. 

She wanted to be the younger sister again, protected by Juhi. She couldn’t deal with the emotions, the grief, the feeling of helplessness. She wanted Juhi to come and fix everything. But Juhi hadn’t come. Madhuri sagged, sinking into the ground, letting the tears she had dammed flow, howling against the destiny that had made her an orphan.

****

“Feeling better?” Jagjit said, handing Madhuri a glass of water. Varsha stood behind him, her eyes swollen. The neighbours had been asked to go home by Jagjit in a firm voice.

Madhuri gave a hesitant nod. 

“Why didn’t Juhi come?” she asked, her voice hoarse. The betrayal of her sister had replaced the grief of her parents’ death.

“Juhi wanted to come. But the doctor has said strictly no travelling for the first trimester. If it had been closer, I would have brought her, but a sixteen-hour flight in her condition was just not safe. I had to physically restrain her.”

Madhuri’s eyes widened. “Juhi is pregnant?”

Jagjit gave a small smile. “Yes, we had just received the test reports when we got the news about the accident of your parents. We have not even told my mother about it.”

“Ma would have been so happy,” Varsha said in a small voice. “Ma had been repeatedly asking Didi when she would make her a grandmother.” Her voice broke into a sob.

Jagjit sighed, lines of stress and tiredness hardening on his face. “Birth and death are the only two truths of life,” he said, leaving the two sisters alone to mourn their loss. 

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I am participating in #BlogchatterA2Z, and this is the post for the alphabet V.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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