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Forsythia
Symbolic Meaning:
Expectation and Anticipation
Freda
Her Association with the Flower
That was all that was in her heart that day: Expectation and Anticipation
Nothing had prepared Freda Rosario for this happiness. The blush on her face had added to her radiant beauty. Though Mamma was a bit sad since she had her own dreams for Freda's wedding. The white veil was overridden by the red, sequenced duppatta.
The Mehendi on her palms looked so beautiful and intrinsic that even her Dad couldn’t help but comment on its traditional beauty. But Freda loved the mehendi more,for it had come from Ohm's house.
Ohm, a smile hovered at the corners of her lips as she thought of her soon to be husband. Her lover from last six months and her love for the last two years. They had met in their Biology Class. Initial teasing and secret glances had turned into love and proposal which had graduated into them being lovers and finally the parents accepting their love.
Ohm was a Bengali Brahmin and Freda a Catholic. Initially, both the sides had revolted at their love.But Freda and Ohm had withstood all, even threatening to elope if need be. But surprisingly, both the parents of these two, relented due to their love for their only child. Today on June 20th, their love was getting a name.
“So, what is the bride up to?” Rewa chirped from the doorway.
“Rewa!” Freda grinned widely on seeing her childhood friend. “You made it! And that to wearing a lehenga?” Laughing happily, she threw a garland of yellow forsythia on her friend, knowing how much Rewa hated flowers. She had a peculiar connection with flowers,which Freda never really understood.Everyone teased Rewa on her tomboyish nature and attire. Today it meant a lot to Freda that Rewa had chosen shed her usual jeans and tee for a traditional wear.
Rewa started helping her with the complicated ornaments that had come from the groom’s family. Freda had not looked so beautiful ever in her life and her mom could not blink her eyes enough to clear away the hazy vision of her daughter.
The wedding was grand. Both the Dads had not spared any expense. The Lights brightened up the night sky and music filled the air. The whole day, Freda had stayed hungry in anticipation and bridal jitters.
"Mamma, may I get some glass of water," she asked her mom softly.
"Of course,Sweetheart."
It took ten minutes for the ambulance to arrive. There was commotion everywhere. Freda's mom was wailing loudly as she tried to wake Freda up, who seemed to have suddenly embraced slumber. Ohm sat beside her, his face having a blank look of a man bewildered at the sudden turn of his well-planned life.
The paramedics quickly got to work and soon Freda was taken to the nearby Gangaram Hospital. The relatives of both the family thronged the hospital and had to be asked to leave. Ohm, looked at his father helplessly who was getting nervous by the minute.
"Ai je, listen," Ohm's mom told her husband quietly. "We should get a lawyer."
"Lawyer?" Both Ohm and his father said in unison.
"Then what?" His mom continued in a hushed tone. "They will put the blame on us."
"Mamma, please." Ohm lost his temper."This is not the moment for all these things." But he should have listened to his mom for soon the police came and took them for questioning.
The corridor stood silent now. A calmness just before a storm. Everyone had left earlier,at the doctor's insistence. Except Freda's parents. Her mom's sob could be heard at the far end of the corridor, tearing the hearts of even the stern matron.
Soon the body of Freda was wheeled out. Seeing her young daughter looking so peaceful in slumber, a fresh bout of cry resonated in the corridor. Rewa was standing far, silent in her own misery. Controlling herself, she started moving towards Freda's mom, knowing that she needed the support most at a time like this.
"Why, Darling, why?" Freda's mom kept on asking. "Why did you make me do this?"
Rewa stopped on her tracks. The whole dimly lit corridor of hospital suddenly seemed sinister and secretive. She strained to hear what Freda's mom was saying.
"Keep quiet now." Freda's dad admonished. "You should have thought of it before. Now, what is the use.?"
"I couldn't let her go through this, William. I just couldn't." Freda's mom had a wild look on her face, 'what would I say to my Lord?"
Freda’s Dad, wept softly.
“And her being pregnant on top of it. We could not refuse the proposal also…..” her mom lamented.
Ashen faced Rewa, turned from there and ran, panting and crying- running as far as possible from the evil side of fanatism.
That night there was an entry in Rewa's Diary.
21st June 2012
Dear Diary,
Religion. God. Faith. Who made them? Freda was sacrificed for marrying another man who worshipped another form of God?
A lone forsythia from the garland that Freda had worn that -got immortalized amongst the pages of Rewa's Diary.
The Mehendi on her palms looked so beautiful and intrinsic that even her Dad couldn’t help but comment on its traditional beauty. But Freda loved the mehendi more,for it had come from Ohm's house.
Ohm, a smile hovered at the corners of her lips as she thought of her soon to be husband. Her lover from last six months and her love for the last two years. They had met in their Biology Class. Initial teasing and secret glances had turned into love and proposal which had graduated into them being lovers and finally the parents accepting their love.
Ohm was a Bengali Brahmin and Freda a Catholic. Initially, both the sides had revolted at their love.But Freda and Ohm had withstood all, even threatening to elope if need be. But surprisingly, both the parents of these two, relented due to their love for their only child. Today on June 20th, their love was getting a name.
“So, what is the bride up to?” Rewa chirped from the doorway.
“Rewa!” Freda grinned widely on seeing her childhood friend. “You made it! And that to wearing a lehenga?” Laughing happily, she threw a garland of yellow forsythia on her friend, knowing how much Rewa hated flowers. She had a peculiar connection with flowers,which Freda never really understood.Everyone teased Rewa on her tomboyish nature and attire. Today it meant a lot to Freda that Rewa had chosen shed her usual jeans and tee for a traditional wear.
Rewa started helping her with the complicated ornaments that had come from the groom’s family. Freda had not looked so beautiful ever in her life and her mom could not blink her eyes enough to clear away the hazy vision of her daughter.
The wedding was grand. Both the Dads had not spared any expense. The Lights brightened up the night sky and music filled the air. The whole day, Freda had stayed hungry in anticipation and bridal jitters.
"Mamma, may I get some glass of water," she asked her mom softly.
"Of course,Sweetheart."
It took ten minutes for the ambulance to arrive. There was commotion everywhere. Freda's mom was wailing loudly as she tried to wake Freda up, who seemed to have suddenly embraced slumber. Ohm sat beside her, his face having a blank look of a man bewildered at the sudden turn of his well-planned life.
The paramedics quickly got to work and soon Freda was taken to the nearby Gangaram Hospital. The relatives of both the family thronged the hospital and had to be asked to leave. Ohm, looked at his father helplessly who was getting nervous by the minute.
"Ai je, listen," Ohm's mom told her husband quietly. "We should get a lawyer."
"Lawyer?" Both Ohm and his father said in unison.
"Then what?" His mom continued in a hushed tone. "They will put the blame on us."
"Mamma, please." Ohm lost his temper."This is not the moment for all these things." But he should have listened to his mom for soon the police came and took them for questioning.
The corridor stood silent now. A calmness just before a storm. Everyone had left earlier,at the doctor's insistence. Except Freda's parents. Her mom's sob could be heard at the far end of the corridor, tearing the hearts of even the stern matron.
Soon the body of Freda was wheeled out. Seeing her young daughter looking so peaceful in slumber, a fresh bout of cry resonated in the corridor. Rewa was standing far, silent in her own misery. Controlling herself, she started moving towards Freda's mom, knowing that she needed the support most at a time like this.
"Why, Darling, why?" Freda's mom kept on asking. "Why did you make me do this?"
Rewa stopped on her tracks. The whole dimly lit corridor of hospital suddenly seemed sinister and secretive. She strained to hear what Freda's mom was saying.
"Keep quiet now." Freda's dad admonished. "You should have thought of it before. Now, what is the use.?"
"I couldn't let her go through this, William. I just couldn't." Freda's mom had a wild look on her face, 'what would I say to my Lord?"
Freda’s Dad, wept softly.
“And her being pregnant on top of it. We could not refuse the proposal also…..” her mom lamented.
Ashen faced Rewa, turned from there and ran, panting and crying- running as far as possible from the evil side of fanatism.
That night there was an entry in Rewa's Diary.
21st June 2012
Dear Diary,
Religion. God. Faith. Who made them? Freda was sacrificed for marrying another man who worshipped another form of God?
A lone forsythia from the garland that Freda had worn that -got immortalized amongst the pages of Rewa's Diary.
This post is for The A-Z Challenge . A special thank you to Arlee Bird for bringing this to us. :)
Check the Letter A for Anamika story here ....
Check the Letter B for Bela story here ....
Check the Letter C for Chandni story here ....
Check the Letter D for Deepa story here ....
Check the Letter B for Bela story here ....
Check the Letter C for Chandni story here ....
Check the Letter D for Deepa story here ....
Check the Letter E for Esha story here ....
Bravo Rubina. What is the use of a faith that instigates evil?
ReplyDeleteThis is such a gut wrenching story. Awesome!
ReplyDeleteWow, dark and gripping! Well done!
ReplyDeleteWhat a cruel thing to do. People don't mind cruelty when it comes to appeasing their Gods. A sad end.
ReplyDeleteI had a heart attack! Yeah, I have heard of these things. But reading it here brought the evil to the surface. What did Freda's parents gain? *refraining from using bad language with great difficulty*
ReplyDeleteSuperb Rubina! This series is getting better and better.
It's sad and cruel. Sad how religious bigotry gains precedence over pure love. Very well written and successful coz the message has been spread.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written story that brings out how destructive religion can be.
ReplyDeleteWhoa..chilling...what a twist.. i like you are speaking on relevant subject!
ReplyDeleteHey Rubina, LOVELY captivating story. With a brill twist in the end. Small language problems, but I guess between blog tours, writing your bestseller and taking part in this challenge, a few things are going to go. It works for me. Thanks for putting it up :)
ReplyDeleteStopping by on the 8th day of the #atozchallenge. Love the posts using the theme of flowers. If you have time or interest, I am writing about gardens and related topics this month. Stop by and see me.
ReplyDelete