The Cinderella Of Rewa

27. Vedika

Vedika's head ached. The unpleasant odours in the musty attic was making her sick.

Daju Ma was muttering to herself like a mad woman.

"I gave her enough opportunities. The brainless girl! Should've known her place! She dared to come to Mittal Mansion yesterday and I know what she did there! Her chances are over. I'm going to kill her today!"

They had tied Vedika up in the topmost attic of Thakur Mansion. Her hands and legs were bound to a pole that stood at it's centre. Only Daju Ma, Sonakshi and Madhuri stood in the attic.

Daju Ma had decided that none of the servants should find out about the murder she was going to commit. Vedika had nothing to say.  Even if she wanted to, she wouldn't be able to. They had gagged her mouth.

"Sonakshi! Fetch the kerosene can from downstairs. Hurry up!", Daju Ma snapped.

Sonakshi ran out of the attic as Daju Ma turned to Vedika, "Today, darling, you will join your parents", she said in a voice that sent a chill down Vedika's spine.

Vedika closed her eyes. She didn't want to see fire on herself. Never had she dreamt that she would be murdered in her own house that too by the woman who had married her father.

But she didn't. She didn't see how anybody was going to come and save her. Nobody even knew that, right now, she stood at the threshold of being slaughtered. If only her father had been alive!

The ultimate truth finally came upon Vedika. There was really and truly nothing she could do. She would just have to stand and wait as Daju Ma would go on to perform her last heinous act of killing the daughter of the man who had given her a new life.

A few seconds later Vedika felt the warm splash on her body and realised she was completely drenched in kerosene. But she did not open her eyes even as she heard Daju Ma yell, "Sona, you stupid girl, couldn't you bring a matchbox as well? Now I'll have to send Madhuri to get it".

How should she spend these last few moments that she had left, Vedika wondered.

Unintentionally, thoughts came to Vedika. Here was a memory, when she was six and running through the courtyard, refusing to drink milk as their maid back then chased her. Another one of Anjali Thakur taking Vedika's small hands in hers and putting bangles through them. Yet another one, of her doing her first dance performance infront of all her parents' friends. How proud both Anjali and Yash Thakur looked at that moment!

And then the later ones came. Ganga teaching Vedika to draw a Rangoli, in vain. They then smeared the coloured powder on each other and played till midnight. And then the most special one. Vedika meeting Nakul. How his jaw stretched when he smiled, how his beautiful hair fell down his shoulders like a lion's mane, how his lips had felt on her.

Not too bad a life, Vedika concluded.

She finally made a choice. She decided she would take this. She would take this, like she had taken everything else that her short yet adventurous life had offered her.

Vedika decided that she would not open her eyes. She would not scream either. She would pass in silence. Without an ounce of fear.

Besides, how bad could it be? Just a few minutes of pain and she would go back to her parents. She was ready to embrace this. But there was only one thought that tormented her.

She would never see Nakul again.

That part was unfair wasn't it?

Or maybe that's how destiny wanted it. Vedika knew that's what her father would've said.

But it was still unfair.

She tried to recall the flawless face of the young Mittal, his eyes that always sparkled with fervour to see the goodness in everyone, the magical feel of his lips on hers. It had been bliss. It had been love. It still was. Vedika tried not to think of what Nakul would do when he found out she was dead.

Vedika's flurry of thoughts was disrupted by Daju ma's cold high pitched voice, "Madhuri bring the matchbox, quick!"

Vedika still didn't open my eyes. She wasn't going to.

Her last peaceful minute on this planet was passing. After that, she would undergo enormous physical pain for some time. Then, she would be ashes. Inside this very room.

Vedika heard Madhuri coming back to the attic and pictured her handing the matchbox to her mother.

Another half a minute.

Her step mother had caused two murders in a year and was now going to do the third, without an inch of regret. Vedika would never know what had induced her to do all that she did in her life. Did she ever get any happiness out of any of it?

But Vedika was glad about one thing. She had respected even this merciless woman till the end. She had called her Daju 'Ma' till the last second. She had neither seeked vengeance nor demeaned Daju Ma in any way. Just like her father would've wanted.

Vedika felt Daju ma approach her.

Another twenty seconds, if she was lucky.

Vedika hurriedly tried to think of her mother, father, Nakul, Ganga, Omisha, the loyal servants and animals in the house, all at the same time.

Daju ma was just a foot away from her.

"Convey my regards to your father when you meet him", she whispered in a menacing tone. Goosebumps showed up on Vedika's skin when she heard it.

But she said nothing. She was certainly not going to open my eyes now, either. Her stepmother was not the last thing she wanted to see in her lifetime.

Vedika counted the moments before her stepmother lit the match. Probably another ten seconds.

She heard the gash of the matchstick and almost instantly, the smell of smoke filled the room. 

Vedika counted the last five peaceful seconds of her life...four, now...three...two...

BANG!

The main door downstairs had opened.

Inspite of herself, Vedika opened her eyes too. Daju Ma was standing an inch away from her, with a burnt out matchstick in her fingers.

And then they heard a familiar, pompous voice that carried all the way up to the attic from the hall downstairs. 

"The young ladies in this house, please come down right away!"