This girl whom they had brought by spending a huge sum of money suddenly died due to some disease. She was made a fake goddess fool the innocent people. The girl was sold to the temple according to the dev dasi pratha i.e at a very young age she was married off with the deity of the god. As they grew up, these vicious people exploited the opportunity and made her the fake goddess. Due to improper care and malnutrition, the poor girl had to die.

"Humara Dhanda to chaupat ho jayga abh, kise banayenge hum abh Devi Sati?" said a worried Mukesh while all of them sat in front of the deity calculating all their riches and wealth.

"Jab tak logo ka bhagwan pe astha rahega tabhtak humara dhanda chale ga" said the man counting his religious mala. He wore a white dhoti, a white tilak on his forehead and really long hair.

"Par kaise?" Asked one.

"Ek aisi ladki ko dhundo jissey dekhte hi logo ko aisa lagey sakhshat devi Durga swarg se prakat huya hain. Aisa roop hona chahiye ki log asani se usey devi ki manushya avtaar manle, nain mein aisa prachand tej hona chahiye mano ki Devi Durga ho swayam" he said with closed eyes while counting the mala, "wahi hogi humari sone ki chidiya jissey sone k pinjre mein kaid karna hoga tabhi to bhagwan k bewakoof bhakt ayenge, ek ausi ladki jissey nakli Devi banake logo ko loot payenge hum".

"Par aisi ladki kaha milegi hummey?"

Just then they heard the sound of payel and a soft melodious voice interrupted them, "pandit ji!"

Bondita walked in along with gifts. She touched his feet. "Khush raho beti"

He examined her from tip to toe. She was draped in red saree and her long dark hair, round dark kajal eyes, alta in hands and feet, she exactly looked like a devi right from heaven.

"Pandit ji mein Bondita Anirudh Roy Chowdhury, apko niyota dene ayi hu, humare ghar mein apne pawan charno se padhariye ga".

"Avashya beti" said Triloknath.

He looked at her more and realized she had some sort of divinity in her voice and movement, perfect to be the fake goddess.

Bondita, after presenting the gifts. Triloknath gestured to his companion that this girl have the perfect physic of playing the role of a Devi.

After she went away Triloknath turned towards the deity, "apne bhej hi diya ek aisi ladki jo hummey chahiye tha".

Our house was decorated for that imposter. Bondita and Sampoorna were busy cooking food. Kaka had done a grand arrangement and asked all of us to be present.

Dada already warned kaka not to drag him into all these non-sense but kaka said, "agar tujhe tere roz ka chillam chilli karna hain to sham ko karna abhi nehi".

Bondita was running from here to there, busy with her work.

"Bondita tum bhi ye sab mante ho kya?" Asked Dada

"Mujhe kaam hain, ap dimaag maat khaiye mera" she said ignoring Dada.

Finally that Pandit entered with his 12 disciples. Kaka welcomed him with pomp and show. He sat on the crouch.

I noticed him and his disciples looking at Bondita, so did Dada noticed, not once but twice which he didn't like so stood in front of her.

Why were they looking at her? As if they had some plan to do...I don't know.

"Kya hain ye? Hatiye na" she said being irritated.

"Chup chap piche khari raho" Dada whispered to her but Bondita being ek number ki ziddi pushed him away.

She served them food on banana leaves.

"Trilochan bari acchi bahu hain" said the pandit.

"Ap ashirwaad kijiye prabhu meri Bondita bahu ko, bari acchi ladki hain" kaka said smiling at her, "waise prabhu suna hain apke pass Shivji ka damru hain".

"Faltu baatein shuru honge abh, dada chalo nikal lete hain" Som dada whispered in Anirudh dada's ears so three of us, Som Dada, Anirudh Dada and I left the spot...

I shouldn't have done that.....I regret

"Apko kaise pata wo damru shiv ji ka hain?" I questioned him.

"Sapne mein aye the aur deke gye" said Pandit ji.

"Par har murat mein to unke hath mein damru hain"

Panditji rubbed off the sweat from his face, "beti uphar swarup diya hain, mata sati ka manushya avatar humare sath hain na".

"Par apko kaise pata chala wo Sati hain?" I questioned him again.

"Basss!" He yelled at me, "murkh ladki, hum shrap...."

"Nehi prabhu!" Kaka suddenly joined his hands, "humari bahu ko shrap maat dijiye, wo prayaschit kar legi par shrap maat dijiye.

"Par..."I was about to speak but Sampoorna Didi scolded me, "tere karan Panditji krodhit ho gye abh kar prayaschit".

I looked at my kaka Sasurji. I cannot let him down no matter what "Thik hain".

"To jao ye boriya uthake yaha se upar tak le jao" he said pointing towards a pile of heavy sacks.

"Par prabhu Bahu nehi utha paygi" kaka tried to explain to him but he said that if I don't do prayaschit, god will be angry with my family. "Ye to usey humare pandit ji se tark karne se pehele soch na chahiye tha" said one.

This kind of person always does this. When they cannot answer a certain question or feel that they will be caught, they impose their power by scaring the people of bad omen and all.

Kaka Sasurji looked at me with teary eyes but I gestured to him not to worry. I will be able to do it. I will not let him down at any cost.

I started with my punishment while Sampoorna didi served them food. Kaka stood there worried for me.

I only wished for one thing, aise wakt mein bas pati babu na ajay warna khatam sab....

I picked up one sack and with a lot of struggle I kept it upstairs, then the second one. My feet strumbled, so heavy were the sacs. My hands and feet ached. My legs shivered and I tripped down.

It was too heavy for me to carry and so while accending I fell down. I struggled to pick it up upstairs unknown of the fact something huge was going on downstairs.

We three walked in into the haveli but the scenario was different. It was rather quiet. Pandit ji and his disciples were seated, and the rest stood silently.

"Sab kuch thik to hain?" I asked out of concern.

Bihari was about to speak but kaka gestured to him not to.

"Ka ka sab..."

We heard a noise from upstairs the Bondita's cry, "aaaah!"

"Bondita ki awaz" I murmured, "kaka kya ho raha hain?"

Batuk ran upstairs and after a while, he came back with Bondita who didn't look well...I mean not how I saw her before leaving. She was walking with Batuk's support and looked as if she did some kind of hard work.

"Kya ho kya raha hain?" I yelled at everyone.

"Wo Bahurani ji kutark kar rahi thi to unhe saza mili hain" said Koyli.

Kaka gazed at the floor.

My anger crossed its limit, "kaka ap is dhong mein fas gye?"

"Is ladki ne humare prabhu se zubaan ladaya" said one desciple.

"To galat kya kiya? Aise dhoongi logo ko daar lagta hain prashna se" I looked at them, "apki himmat kaise hui? Ap hotey kaun ho humare parivar k kisi bhi sadasya ko saza dene wale" I yelled at them.

"Trilochan tum humme apman karne k liye bulaya hain? Pehele bahu abh beta" said a raged Triloknath.

"Anirudh Maafi mang!" Kaka ordered me, "paer chu k maafi mang".

"Nehi kaka" I said boldly, "is dhoongi admi k paer mein nehi parunga aur maafi bhi nehi mangunga".

"Murkh manushya!" Panditji shouted, "Maafi mang le vaarna bhagwan ka prakop tu seh nehi payega".

I rolled my eyes in irritation and looked away.

I pointed my fingers at him, "mein maafi nehi mangunga, apka ye natak kahi aur jaake kariye."

"Pati babu kyu zidd kar rahe hain" Bondita cried.

"Nadan manushya, abh tu dekhna swayam bhagwan tujhe kaisi saza deta hain, ye shrap hain mera!"

Saying he stormed out of the haveli.

All because of me, because of my tark these all happened. Although I don't believe such things par jab baat mere pati babu pe ata haim to lagta hain daar.

"Milgyi kaleje ko thandak!" Kaka Sasurji yelled at him, "pata nehi kya hoga tere sath".

"Kaka mujhe kuch nehi hoga, ye sab bhram hain, shrap vrap kuch nehi hota" pati babu argued more and more and both of them continued to shout at each other unless I started crying.

Dada and kaka started fighting over the matter unless Bondita let out a cry.

They suddenly stopped and looked at her, weeping.

"Arrey Bahu kya huya?" Asked a concerned kaka.

"Sab meri galti hain, pati babu ko mere wajase sharp mila..." She said crying.

"Arrey nehi tum ne to koshish ki na bohot par ye nalayak bich mein a gaya" he said glaring at Dada who looked away.

"Bondita mujhe kuch nehi hoga" Dada scolded her.

"Aur agar kuch ho gaya?"

I can understand her concern. Even if you don't believe in all these, it is just a fear of losing a closed one that I saw in her eyes. Dada took a deep breath, calmed himself and went to her, "kuch nehi hoga mujhe, Shotti" he said pinching his throat.

But she was not yet convinced. As I said fear of losing. Her eyes were still teary and ignoring others she went to her room and locked the door.

"Anirudh" kaka said in a low voice and held his shoulder, "beta agar tujhe kuch ho gaya to?"

"Kaka ye sab dhong hain, mujhe kuch nehi hoga" he assured him.

I wish I had not done the mischief. I wept in my room, what if something happens to him.

I was roaming to and fro in my room and suddenly I got an Idea.

What if I expose him in front of everyone fir sharp ka daar kisiko nehi rahega.

It was late night and of course, I was not sleeping so I decided to go to the temple to expose them.

I was tip-toeing outside but suddenly someone switched on the lights.

My eyes widened. It was Batuk.

"Kaha jaa rahi ho itni raat ko?"

"Wo...." I pulled him aside, "kisi ko batana maat, mandir jaa rahi hu"

"What?" He yelled and I immediately covered his mouth, "shant...sab jag jayenge"

"Kyu jaa rahi ho?" He asked me.

"Batuk mein bhagwan ko manti hu, bhagwan ko lekar vyapar karne wale logo ko nehi, mujhe bhagwan pe vishwas hain andhvishwas nehi, isiliye mein jaake usey expose karungi par tum ye baat pati babu ko maat batana vaarna wo mujhe jaane nehi denge ".

"I will not let you go alone too" urged Batuk, "kuch ho gaya to?"

"Nehi mujhe jaane do tumhe meri kasam"

He stopped immediately.

"Kuch nehi hoga mujhe, dekhna mein jab unhe expose karungi to Pati babu mujhe shabash Bondita kahenge".

"Tum ye sab dada ki attention paane k liye kar rahi ho?" He asked me, "tarif paane k liye?"

I gazed at the floor. This was another reason actually. I always love when he praises me. I want to impress him maybe that's how he will fall for me.

"Mujhe der ho rahi hain" saying I left.

I couldn't sleep that night in tension. It was almost morning and she had not yet returned.

"Bahu kaha hain?"

Everybody already started to understand her absence.

Dada woke up and came out of the study. I was scared to face him but more about her wellbeing.

Baba came too.

"Dekhiye ma Bondita nehi mil rahi" said Sampoorna maa to baba hearing which Dada's eyes widened.

"Nehi mil rahi matlab?"

"Humne puri haveli dhund li, choti malkin kahi nehi hain" Koyli said.

Baba looked at me suspiciously, "tujhe pata hain Bondita kaha hain?"

"Mujhe kaise..." I said softly.

"Tujhe nehi to kisey pata hoga?" Shouted Kaka at me.

I bore everyone's scolding still didn't break her kasam unless dada came. I couldn't refuse him to answer after what he did.

He joined his hand in front of meal almost cried, "Batuk tumhe agar pata hain please bolo please"

"Dada ap hath maat joro, mein batata hu" I said and narrated everything.

"Batuk tumhara dimag to thik hain" Baba glared at me, "tumhe kya laga, wo 19 saal ki bacchi akele 20 logo ko pakregi".

"Arrey ye sab kya hain, prabhu divya hain, unhe pakregi kyu bahu".

"Waise bhi urte teer ko saar pe lena to Bondita ka kaam hain"taunted Sampoorna maa.

Dada didn't wait for any more mouth shackling and ran out of the house

Oh god Bondita why do you have to do this that too all alone.

Who asked her to play that smart. What if she is in some trouble. My soul shivered in fear. I know those people are imposters and can do anything to her.

Ye ladki ek baat kyu nehi samajhti, har chiz hum akele solve nehi kar sakte. Thora soch leti, mujhse baat kar leti. Bina kusi k help k, kisi weapon k wo akele chali gyi...I am fed up with her such immature behaviour.. agar kuch ho gaya to?

Itni impulsive kabh se ho gyi, aur ye Batuk, these two... Just praying right now.

The temple was crowded. I tried to enter but the villagers stopped me, "abhi prabhu dhyan kar rahe hain, ap baad mein ana".

"Mujhe jana hain andar, bohot zaroori hain mera jana" I insisted.

They were not letting me enter. I tried to break through the crowd but they all held me to stop me.

"Bondita!" I yelled her name.

"Bondita" I cried.

I pushed a few aside and again tried to enter but the crowd stood in front of me, blocking my way.

"Bondita kya tum andar ho?" I cried

Making my way forcefully I entered into the temple

"Bondi...."

The view horrified me...

The temple was absolutely empty. No deity, no pandits no disciples.

"Bondita!" I cried and searched for her.

The daan peti was vacant, all the money was taken.

"Bondita!" I called her name and searched every corner.

The andh bhakts were singing bhajans outside. "Bondita!" Now my voice cracked due to shouting.

I went to the other side of the temple and saw a back door wide open. There were footprints of horses on the wet soil.

My fear was becoming true.

I even searched the backyard minutely, "B...Bondita kaha ho tum?" Tears brimmed my eyes unless I saw something shining in the ground.

I picked it up and cleaned the clay away to find Bondita's bangle.

"Mein tum logo ka sach samne laungi!" I yelled and was about to leave but a firm hand held my mouth from behind.

I struggled to free myself but it was chloroform that started to intoxicate me as it reached my respiratory tract.

Everything started to blackout in front of my eyes

And then.....