The Rituals

"Saroj! Fetch me a glass of water". There rose a painful voice of the ailing husband.

"Just bringing" She brought forward a waterful tumbler before him, "Please take it."

She was feeling a sense of relaxation at heart but felt nervousness also. As a matter of fact, Saroj had never accepted this fifty year old man as her husband. But she had to give her silent acceptance to the marriage as her father was reeling under heavy pressure of loan and debt. The situation was so terrible and unbearable. All the golden dreams about her future were sacrificed at the altar of duty. Lost in her own floating thoughts, she did not know when she fell asleep.

At dawn, a woman from the neighbors entered. She saw her husband dead. She awakened* Saroj out of deep sleep and wiped out her vermillion put in the parting of her hair. Then, another woman came. She tore Saroj's silky sari to pieces and removed her ornaments. An old woman broke the green coloured bangles which Saroj had put in her fair-complexioned hands. In no time, there was an atmosphere of great wilderness and uproars in the house full of grief and sorrow.

But Saroj just behaved normally. Her tears were dried up "Husband has died and look at this shameless lady. Customs are there after all ---" -The women were murmuring. She heard them and fell down unconscious.

* A red-coloured powder put in the parting of the hair symbolises that the women is married one.

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