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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Fairy Tales & Fantasy
- Subject: Fairy Tale / Folk Tale
- Published: 10/16/2016
The Goddess of All Things
Born 1948, M, from Ahmedabad / Gujarat, IndiaTHE GODDESS OF ALL THINGS
It was a moonless night and only few stars were twinkling. It looked as though the moon had gone along with most of her ministers to attend the meeting called by God. Light was faint. Clouds had also accompanied her. So none was seen. Below on earth, in this part of dependent India, the river Ladbi, a small river, was flowing silently. But it was seeing two naked ladies on its bank with interest. They were completely naked. Naked despite themselves.
Nakedness for each of them, was the impossibility of life. Each of them would die rather than being naked. It was, however, the blind faith, the total devotion that had prompted and pushed them to this nudity. Neither of them had, therefore, any hassle.
One of them was a little over forty, tall, fair complexioned, dark haired with few streaks of grey, a determined oval face, upper teeth a little longer than the lower ones but placed symmetrically. Her eyes glistened with devotion and faith. Her breasts were tighter compared to her age. She had a flat abdomen. Her long legs were white and her thighs were like Italian marble. Her private part was covered with dark brown hair.
She walked around with conviction and without fear. She was inspired by a firm belief. Belief in the Goddess Khodiyar, one of the thirty three crores of Hindu gods and godesses, who it is believed, moves around on a crocodile.
She was Jadi, Makto's foi - his father's - Bhalchand's sister.
The second lady was of medium height. A round face, the upper middle teeth protruding a little, giving her a distinct identity. She had big roundish eyes and a wheatish complexion. She was hardly eighteen and was a bit afraid. She was trying to be as humble as possible. She was also trying to concentrate on the rites, hiding her fear and hesitation.
She was Ganga, Makto's wife. She was shivering partly due to the cold and partly due to the unfamiliar situation.
They were on the river bank in the jungle outside Palanpur town and a little away from the Lake Mansarovar which was beyond the Hindu crematorium. Mansarovar had a periphery of about three miles and the jungle all around was not thick.
At the moment, there was complete silence. Their movements looked like the movements of shadows flying in the air, as though ghosts performing some rituals.
Jadi was chanting a prayer of the Goddess Khodiyar in Her Praise and was invoking Her. The prayer also consisted of the praise of a crocodile, the vehicle of the Goddess.
An occasional howling of a fox disturbed the silence. Owls, jackals and bats were after their preys.
The inducement for the ladies was strong. Jadi wanted to beget a son to Ganga. Not an ordinary son, but a son as powerful as the Memai Collector - the Collector of Mumbai who had ordered to beat all the bloody congressmen who at the instigation of Gandhi were making mockery of the British Government's laws. The contempt for Gandhi and Congress was the outcome of the family's unflinched loyalty towards their king, the Nawab who in turn, was loyal to the British.
Jadi was mentally perturbed when she heard the jealous women saying that Ganga was a witch and she had eaten up her own child - a daughter born but not survived even a day. After Ganga's marriage five years back, the financial condition and the social position of the family had deteriorated, so she was about to be labeled as a Chhapparpagi - a lady who always brings bad luck wherever she goes. In fact Ganga was shocked when she heard these sort of talks. She had wept and cried keeping her head in Jadi's lap. This had moved Jadi very much and since then she had decided to do something about this.
And then one early morning Ganga had a horrible dream.
Ganga dreamt herself as if she were a witch. A witch who would eat up every child she would see. She had very big and protruding eyes, which were very frightening. A sort of fire would come out of them. She had long thick streaks of dark black hair scattered on her head and around her face and the neck. She had long nail-like sharp teeth and a very long tongue which she would use to lick the blood of the children killed by her. She had large fat body and was naked except that she had an animal hide wrapped around her waist. She had big mighty legs which would trample everyone and anything under them with her large body weight. She was like a giant. She had grown horns also, and she had a kamandal, full of blood in her one hand and a big dagger in another.
When Ganga got up, she was having very high temperature. She was sick for a week. All these days Jadi was beside her bed in her service. It was during this time that Ganga told Jadi about the dream. She consoled her that everything would be alright soon. She had full faith in the Goddess Khodiyar. And Jadi was there to support her fully.
Jadi was a lady of stronger psyche. Though she was younger to Bhalchand, she used to take care of his brother when he got drunk and could not control himself. She would often get him carried to home by either a neighbour or an acquaintance if he lost his control away from home. She often scolded him. At times she had to make dealings on behalf of this brother. ‘This kind of exposure has made me a bit rough and tough.’ She used to tell. She had a good physique and this added to her confidence.
But her husband Lehro was a drunkard and an extravagant person. He would often beat Jadi. So she had deserted him and stayed with Bhalchand.
Thus, Jadi was an inseparable part of Bhalchand's house and nourished common aspirations of that family. She was more interested in having a Memai Collector than Bhalchand or Makto or Ganga.
Once when Jadi was reeling under the pain during a night, she could not sleep. This was because Lehro had beaten her that evening and had run away with her ornaments. In the early morning only she could have a semblance of sleep. That too after a long effort and chanting the name of her favourite Goddess Khodiyar for quite some time. Even in sleep she was praying to the Goddess. That was out of frustration. But then there was a miracle! Khodiyar told her in her reverie that she should forget about her husband and instead concentrate on her brother's household. Makto’s would-be son would bring prosperity and happiness to her and all.
Jadi had already been worshipping the Goddess Khodiyar intensely as an escape from her social tensions, which she tried to fight but lost. Since then her concentration was more on the prayers and bhajans and satsangs and all religious fasts and ceremonies. The priest in the temple of Goddess Khodiyar developed a respect for this lady, though she was from a lower caste. It was because of the awakening created by Gandhi in those days that lower caste persons were allowed inside the temple. Khodiyar was her family goddess since generations and she used to go to the temple daily morning.
For about a week Jadi kept the secret of her reverie to herself. But she started feeling uneasy and once more Khodiyar appeared in her dream telling her the same thing. She then disclosed this to the priest. The priest congratulated her saying that she was now a chosen devotee of the Goddess. He gave her the title of Bhagat (a devotee of a god or a goddess). He revealed a secret to her. The secret - how to please Khodiyar so that She would bestow a son to her devotee or to anyone so wished by a devotee.
Jadi was quick to grasp. She informed Bhalchand about the procedure. She also informed Makto and took Ganga also into confidence and there was the appointed day. They all seriously believed that the Goddess Khodiyar was pushing them, otherwise they were just the puppets.
That day Jadi woke up very early. She took a bath and prayed to Khodiyar and straight way went to Bhalchand's residence and woke up him and Makto and Ganga. They all had early baths and then with a deep devotion they had a prayer to the Goddess Khodiyar. Bhalchand was also very serious on that day because he visualised that his dream of Memai Collector might be fulfilled. He and Makto can achieve moksha after their respective deaths and their dynasty would be continued. Jadi kept a strict vigil on her brother so that he would not escape for a glass of liquor. They all had a fast throughout that day and had only fruits and milk and tea to eat. In the afternoon all of them started together from the house and went to Khodiyar's temple which was about two miles away. By the time they finished their prayers and the rituals prescribed by the priest, it was late evening. They left the temple. Makto went to collect the newly born he-goat (should be borne on that day only) and the other three came walking, past the crematorium, past the Mansarovar, past the meeting point of Ladbi and Mansarovar. Bhalchand left them when the town tower struck nine o'clock. The sound of the town tower-clock was heard clearly contrary to their inhibitions. The two ladies were then on their own.
It was ten when both finished their baths. Ladbi water was dripping from their long hair. The streaks of their hair was touching and passing past their open but shapy bottoms. Ganga’s bottom was less fleshy than Jadi’s. In fact there was a flatness. And there was a competition among the stars to stare at these beautiful ladies, open and innocent to the bottom of their bodies and to their hearts.
Jadi spread a piece of cloth on the ground. They sat on it and offered their prayers and bhajans in a low voice. There was no rhythm but surely there was sincerity and deep faith. Then they prayed silently, without falling into sleep. They were facing the river and had a silver plate in front of them. The plate had a small silver idol of the Goddess Khodiyar and a ghee lamp was lit. There was also a half of coconut, raw rice and red turmeric powder sprinkled on the deity.
It was then twelve o'clock.
They finished. Jadi got up and wrapped her wet white sari all around her body. Soon they heard Makto's steps and the goat's voice. Ganga was still naked. By now, her shyness and hesitation had gone away. She was feeling totally devoted to the Goddess Khodiyar.
Makto had come. He was carrying the little goat on his shoulders. He put it down. It started jumping.
Makto tried to see the nakedness of his wife but he could not succeed. He did not have a lust either in his eyes or mind. Rather there was devotion.
All the three sat together and said the prayers.
At one, Makto got up. He took the goat in his arms and started walking along the bank of the river. Jadi and Ganga followed them, Ganga still being naked.
The river had a turn and Makto stopped holding the goat in his hands. He looked around and soon found a small tree to tie the goat to. Then he hid himself a little away and both the ladies were behind him. All the three were staring at the river. They wanted the crocodile, the holy crocodile, the vehicle of the Goddess to come out of the river and take the offering, the goat. The goat was made sacred by the priest of the temple, as he had performed the pooja and had completed the rites.
Nothing seemed to happen for about half an hour or so. The night, the river and the time seemed still and frozen. In-between Makto would give a sound like a goat to prompt the crocodile to come out. Still nothing happened.
All of a sudden the goat cried. A jackal from nowhere had jumped on the goat, but the goat out of fear moved aside and gave a cry. Makto ran after the jackal to drive it away. And soon the goat cried again. It was the crocodile. The holy crocodile, the Goddess's crocodile which had come to accept the goat. Ganga could see very clearly that the small goat was caught between the very big jaws of the crocodile. The goat was struggling to get out of its clutches. One pull and the string which tied the goat to the tree was broken and before Jadi could realise anything the crocodile was into the water with its prey. Makto returned and found that the rite was over.
Jadi realized that the ceremony was over.
‘Jai Khodiyar Mata!’ She said loudly, in a spirited voice.
‘Jai Khodiyar Mata!’ Both echoed. They were all joyous.
Makto searched around in the darkness making inferences, and found a little hot blood of the goat. He collected it in his palm and brought it near the women. ‘Just taste the prasad.’
Jadi took a little, making a scoop of her right hand's fingers. She sipped it.
Makto likewise sipped a little.
Ganga was hesitating.
‘Take it.’ Makto was irritated.
Ganga dipped her forefinger of right hand and put it in her mouth.
‘Ub......ooooob......’ She felt vomiting.
But it subsided.
‘Okay, take once more.’ Makto almost ordered.
And Ganga obliged. This time controlling herself.
‘That is good.’ Makto was satisfied. He finished the rest.
They slowly and watchfully advanced towards the water. They washed their hands and mouths.
Again coming to the cloth, Jadi said, ‘I am going a little way away. You finish your things.’ And she moved away.
They made love to each other with an aim, with a purpose to conceive. No lust, no passion but faith and devotion. No foreplay, no kissing, no caressing. Sacred thoughts prevailed. Holy sex performed like a sincere prayer to the Almighty Goddess Khodiyar. They felt most humble and devoted. Each moment, they thought of Khodiyar and her benevolence. They also thought of a son as brilliant and powerful as the Memai Collector.
The crocodile was watching them from inside the water. Its eyes were shining over the water level.
Ganga put on her sari. She just wrapped it around.
‘Foi.’ Makto called Jadi.
‘So soon?!’ Jadi exclaimed with an interrogation.
And they started walking towards the town. Bhalchand met them near the crematorium. The remains of the umbilical cord were buried. Ganga had seized the cord when the corpse of her daughter, who after being born had soon died, was being taken away for cremation rather forcibly as she would not give it up. She had hidden that piece of cord and would take it out occasionally for kissing and feeling and caressing her daughter in her fantasies, thus giving rise to rumours of her being a witch. Nobody except Ganga felt anything. She wept without tears, without sobs. She got over the sadness as they walked further and in between talked of Khodiyar's grace and Memai Collector, their would be son.
It was past five when they reached Delhi gate, the nearest entry point into the town. They had to wait for sometime for ‘Who is there?’ and ‘Ryot.’
The gate opened at six. As they entered inside, the sun-rays were falling on the inside wall of the gate.
‘It is all golden, see.’ Jadi drew their attention. Her enthusiasm was spilling over.
‘Yes.’ Said everybody and hoped that it should be so inside Ganga's womb also.
‘Jai Khodiyar Mata.’ They all chanted in one voice.
‘Your acts are enormous.’ Everybody murmured individually with deep faith and devotion.
As they reached nearer home, Bhalchand and Makto diverted towards the liquor shop-cum-shopkeeper's house. Jadi and Ganga did not object. They did not want the joy of their successful mission to be soured.
‘Let them.’ Jadi said to Ganga.
Ganga nodded while walking. She was dreaming that her dream of having a son would now be fulfilled. Her birth as a woman and her role as a wife would be meaningful and complete. She was feeling deeply obliged to the Goddess Khodiyar and Jadi too.
Memai Collector was conceived. At least everybody thought so.
The Goddess of All Things(Ambalal Chauhan)
THE GODDESS OF ALL THINGS
It was a moonless night and only few stars were twinkling. It looked as though the moon had gone along with most of her ministers to attend the meeting called by God. Light was faint. Clouds had also accompanied her. So none was seen. Below on earth, in this part of dependent India, the river Ladbi, a small river, was flowing silently. But it was seeing two naked ladies on its bank with interest. They were completely naked. Naked despite themselves.
Nakedness for each of them, was the impossibility of life. Each of them would die rather than being naked. It was, however, the blind faith, the total devotion that had prompted and pushed them to this nudity. Neither of them had, therefore, any hassle.
One of them was a little over forty, tall, fair complexioned, dark haired with few streaks of grey, a determined oval face, upper teeth a little longer than the lower ones but placed symmetrically. Her eyes glistened with devotion and faith. Her breasts were tighter compared to her age. She had a flat abdomen. Her long legs were white and her thighs were like Italian marble. Her private part was covered with dark brown hair.
She walked around with conviction and without fear. She was inspired by a firm belief. Belief in the Goddess Khodiyar, one of the thirty three crores of Hindu gods and godesses, who it is believed, moves around on a crocodile.
She was Jadi, Makto's foi - his father's - Bhalchand's sister.
The second lady was of medium height. A round face, the upper middle teeth protruding a little, giving her a distinct identity. She had big roundish eyes and a wheatish complexion. She was hardly eighteen and was a bit afraid. She was trying to be as humble as possible. She was also trying to concentrate on the rites, hiding her fear and hesitation.
She was Ganga, Makto's wife. She was shivering partly due to the cold and partly due to the unfamiliar situation.
They were on the river bank in the jungle outside Palanpur town and a little away from the Lake Mansarovar which was beyond the Hindu crematorium. Mansarovar had a periphery of about three miles and the jungle all around was not thick.
At the moment, there was complete silence. Their movements looked like the movements of shadows flying in the air, as though ghosts performing some rituals.
Jadi was chanting a prayer of the Goddess Khodiyar in Her Praise and was invoking Her. The prayer also consisted of the praise of a crocodile, the vehicle of the Goddess.
An occasional howling of a fox disturbed the silence. Owls, jackals and bats were after their preys.
The inducement for the ladies was strong. Jadi wanted to beget a son to Ganga. Not an ordinary son, but a son as powerful as the Memai Collector - the Collector of Mumbai who had ordered to beat all the bloody congressmen who at the instigation of Gandhi were making mockery of the British Government's laws. The contempt for Gandhi and Congress was the outcome of the family's unflinched loyalty towards their king, the Nawab who in turn, was loyal to the British.
Jadi was mentally perturbed when she heard the jealous women saying that Ganga was a witch and she had eaten up her own child - a daughter born but not survived even a day. After Ganga's marriage five years back, the financial condition and the social position of the family had deteriorated, so she was about to be labeled as a Chhapparpagi - a lady who always brings bad luck wherever she goes. In fact Ganga was shocked when she heard these sort of talks. She had wept and cried keeping her head in Jadi's lap. This had moved Jadi very much and since then she had decided to do something about this.
And then one early morning Ganga had a horrible dream.
Ganga dreamt herself as if she were a witch. A witch who would eat up every child she would see. She had very big and protruding eyes, which were very frightening. A sort of fire would come out of them. She had long thick streaks of dark black hair scattered on her head and around her face and the neck. She had long nail-like sharp teeth and a very long tongue which she would use to lick the blood of the children killed by her. She had large fat body and was naked except that she had an animal hide wrapped around her waist. She had big mighty legs which would trample everyone and anything under them with her large body weight. She was like a giant. She had grown horns also, and she had a kamandal, full of blood in her one hand and a big dagger in another.
When Ganga got up, she was having very high temperature. She was sick for a week. All these days Jadi was beside her bed in her service. It was during this time that Ganga told Jadi about the dream. She consoled her that everything would be alright soon. She had full faith in the Goddess Khodiyar. And Jadi was there to support her fully.
Jadi was a lady of stronger psyche. Though she was younger to Bhalchand, she used to take care of his brother when he got drunk and could not control himself. She would often get him carried to home by either a neighbour or an acquaintance if he lost his control away from home. She often scolded him. At times she had to make dealings on behalf of this brother. ‘This kind of exposure has made me a bit rough and tough.’ She used to tell. She had a good physique and this added to her confidence.
But her husband Lehro was a drunkard and an extravagant person. He would often beat Jadi. So she had deserted him and stayed with Bhalchand.
Thus, Jadi was an inseparable part of Bhalchand's house and nourished common aspirations of that family. She was more interested in having a Memai Collector than Bhalchand or Makto or Ganga.
Once when Jadi was reeling under the pain during a night, she could not sleep. This was because Lehro had beaten her that evening and had run away with her ornaments. In the early morning only she could have a semblance of sleep. That too after a long effort and chanting the name of her favourite Goddess Khodiyar for quite some time. Even in sleep she was praying to the Goddess. That was out of frustration. But then there was a miracle! Khodiyar told her in her reverie that she should forget about her husband and instead concentrate on her brother's household. Makto’s would-be son would bring prosperity and happiness to her and all.
Jadi had already been worshipping the Goddess Khodiyar intensely as an escape from her social tensions, which she tried to fight but lost. Since then her concentration was more on the prayers and bhajans and satsangs and all religious fasts and ceremonies. The priest in the temple of Goddess Khodiyar developed a respect for this lady, though she was from a lower caste. It was because of the awakening created by Gandhi in those days that lower caste persons were allowed inside the temple. Khodiyar was her family goddess since generations and she used to go to the temple daily morning.
For about a week Jadi kept the secret of her reverie to herself. But she started feeling uneasy and once more Khodiyar appeared in her dream telling her the same thing. She then disclosed this to the priest. The priest congratulated her saying that she was now a chosen devotee of the Goddess. He gave her the title of Bhagat (a devotee of a god or a goddess). He revealed a secret to her. The secret - how to please Khodiyar so that She would bestow a son to her devotee or to anyone so wished by a devotee.
Jadi was quick to grasp. She informed Bhalchand about the procedure. She also informed Makto and took Ganga also into confidence and there was the appointed day. They all seriously believed that the Goddess Khodiyar was pushing them, otherwise they were just the puppets.
That day Jadi woke up very early. She took a bath and prayed to Khodiyar and straight way went to Bhalchand's residence and woke up him and Makto and Ganga. They all had early baths and then with a deep devotion they had a prayer to the Goddess Khodiyar. Bhalchand was also very serious on that day because he visualised that his dream of Memai Collector might be fulfilled. He and Makto can achieve moksha after their respective deaths and their dynasty would be continued. Jadi kept a strict vigil on her brother so that he would not escape for a glass of liquor. They all had a fast throughout that day and had only fruits and milk and tea to eat. In the afternoon all of them started together from the house and went to Khodiyar's temple which was about two miles away. By the time they finished their prayers and the rituals prescribed by the priest, it was late evening. They left the temple. Makto went to collect the newly born he-goat (should be borne on that day only) and the other three came walking, past the crematorium, past the Mansarovar, past the meeting point of Ladbi and Mansarovar. Bhalchand left them when the town tower struck nine o'clock. The sound of the town tower-clock was heard clearly contrary to their inhibitions. The two ladies were then on their own.
It was ten when both finished their baths. Ladbi water was dripping from their long hair. The streaks of their hair was touching and passing past their open but shapy bottoms. Ganga’s bottom was less fleshy than Jadi’s. In fact there was a flatness. And there was a competition among the stars to stare at these beautiful ladies, open and innocent to the bottom of their bodies and to their hearts.
Jadi spread a piece of cloth on the ground. They sat on it and offered their prayers and bhajans in a low voice. There was no rhythm but surely there was sincerity and deep faith. Then they prayed silently, without falling into sleep. They were facing the river and had a silver plate in front of them. The plate had a small silver idol of the Goddess Khodiyar and a ghee lamp was lit. There was also a half of coconut, raw rice and red turmeric powder sprinkled on the deity.
It was then twelve o'clock.
They finished. Jadi got up and wrapped her wet white sari all around her body. Soon they heard Makto's steps and the goat's voice. Ganga was still naked. By now, her shyness and hesitation had gone away. She was feeling totally devoted to the Goddess Khodiyar.
Makto had come. He was carrying the little goat on his shoulders. He put it down. It started jumping.
Makto tried to see the nakedness of his wife but he could not succeed. He did not have a lust either in his eyes or mind. Rather there was devotion.
All the three sat together and said the prayers.
At one, Makto got up. He took the goat in his arms and started walking along the bank of the river. Jadi and Ganga followed them, Ganga still being naked.
The river had a turn and Makto stopped holding the goat in his hands. He looked around and soon found a small tree to tie the goat to. Then he hid himself a little away and both the ladies were behind him. All the three were staring at the river. They wanted the crocodile, the holy crocodile, the vehicle of the Goddess to come out of the river and take the offering, the goat. The goat was made sacred by the priest of the temple, as he had performed the pooja and had completed the rites.
Nothing seemed to happen for about half an hour or so. The night, the river and the time seemed still and frozen. In-between Makto would give a sound like a goat to prompt the crocodile to come out. Still nothing happened.
All of a sudden the goat cried. A jackal from nowhere had jumped on the goat, but the goat out of fear moved aside and gave a cry. Makto ran after the jackal to drive it away. And soon the goat cried again. It was the crocodile. The holy crocodile, the Goddess's crocodile which had come to accept the goat. Ganga could see very clearly that the small goat was caught between the very big jaws of the crocodile. The goat was struggling to get out of its clutches. One pull and the string which tied the goat to the tree was broken and before Jadi could realise anything the crocodile was into the water with its prey. Makto returned and found that the rite was over.
Jadi realized that the ceremony was over.
‘Jai Khodiyar Mata!’ She said loudly, in a spirited voice.
‘Jai Khodiyar Mata!’ Both echoed. They were all joyous.
Makto searched around in the darkness making inferences, and found a little hot blood of the goat. He collected it in his palm and brought it near the women. ‘Just taste the prasad.’
Jadi took a little, making a scoop of her right hand's fingers. She sipped it.
Makto likewise sipped a little.
Ganga was hesitating.
‘Take it.’ Makto was irritated.
Ganga dipped her forefinger of right hand and put it in her mouth.
‘Ub......ooooob......’ She felt vomiting.
But it subsided.
‘Okay, take once more.’ Makto almost ordered.
And Ganga obliged. This time controlling herself.
‘That is good.’ Makto was satisfied. He finished the rest.
They slowly and watchfully advanced towards the water. They washed their hands and mouths.
Again coming to the cloth, Jadi said, ‘I am going a little way away. You finish your things.’ And she moved away.
They made love to each other with an aim, with a purpose to conceive. No lust, no passion but faith and devotion. No foreplay, no kissing, no caressing. Sacred thoughts prevailed. Holy sex performed like a sincere prayer to the Almighty Goddess Khodiyar. They felt most humble and devoted. Each moment, they thought of Khodiyar and her benevolence. They also thought of a son as brilliant and powerful as the Memai Collector.
The crocodile was watching them from inside the water. Its eyes were shining over the water level.
Ganga put on her sari. She just wrapped it around.
‘Foi.’ Makto called Jadi.
‘So soon?!’ Jadi exclaimed with an interrogation.
And they started walking towards the town. Bhalchand met them near the crematorium. The remains of the umbilical cord were buried. Ganga had seized the cord when the corpse of her daughter, who after being born had soon died, was being taken away for cremation rather forcibly as she would not give it up. She had hidden that piece of cord and would take it out occasionally for kissing and feeling and caressing her daughter in her fantasies, thus giving rise to rumours of her being a witch. Nobody except Ganga felt anything. She wept without tears, without sobs. She got over the sadness as they walked further and in between talked of Khodiyar's grace and Memai Collector, their would be son.
It was past five when they reached Delhi gate, the nearest entry point into the town. They had to wait for sometime for ‘Who is there?’ and ‘Ryot.’
The gate opened at six. As they entered inside, the sun-rays were falling on the inside wall of the gate.
‘It is all golden, see.’ Jadi drew their attention. Her enthusiasm was spilling over.
‘Yes.’ Said everybody and hoped that it should be so inside Ganga's womb also.
‘Jai Khodiyar Mata.’ They all chanted in one voice.
‘Your acts are enormous.’ Everybody murmured individually with deep faith and devotion.
As they reached nearer home, Bhalchand and Makto diverted towards the liquor shop-cum-shopkeeper's house. Jadi and Ganga did not object. They did not want the joy of their successful mission to be soured.
‘Let them.’ Jadi said to Ganga.
Ganga nodded while walking. She was dreaming that her dream of having a son would now be fulfilled. Her birth as a woman and her role as a wife would be meaningful and complete. She was feeling deeply obliged to the Goddess Khodiyar and Jadi too.
Memai Collector was conceived. At least everybody thought so.
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