PROLOGUE
"Listen to us. If you want her to live with you happily, then you have to marry another girl", my grandmother said firmly.
"Just because I want to live happily with the person I love I cannot destroy another person's life", I said firmly.
"But you are the one who said that you don't believe in these stupid curses. Then marry the girl we show you.", my mother said.
"Yes, I still don't believe that stupid curse. But what will happen to the life of the girl after six months. Where will she go after I divorce her?",I asked them.
"First let her survive those six months.", my grandmother said.
"How are you so sure she will not survive? I feel like you all itself will kill her if she survives after six months", I shouted at them.
"Don't you want to live with your love of life. If she survives then we will see.", my mother this time.
"Dad, why don't you say something.", I pulled my dad into this conversation. I am sure he can convince my mother and grandmother.
"Son, listen to them. They are saying for your benefit only. I lost my love because I also spoke the same words what you have said now. But I lost her. I love your mom but still she died because of me.", my dad said with tears in his eyes. I know he is still feeling guilty of the death of his first wife. But that was total coincidence. She had cancer which they found out in the last stage.
"Dad, you all know why she passed away. If you all would have found that before itself maybe you would have saved her or that time you didn't had any kind of facilities due to that she died. I went to store room after you all said about this stupid curse. Your first wife was diagnosed with cancer at that time. And you know it every well. So, there is no point in saying that it is due to a curse", I kept my point.
"Enough. You are going to marry the other girl no matter what. If you want to see your love alive then do it otherwise get ready to see her dead", my grandmother shouted literally at me.
My grandmother left after saying this.
I was sitting alone in the garden. My father came and sat next to me.
"Dad, how can I spoil a girl's life?", I asked him.
"You are not spoiling her life.", my dad said
"Dad I am literally making her life hell for the six months", I told him worriedly.
"She will die within six months", my dad said.
"Dad, please not you again. Don't give me the same story what they said to me", I told him.
"It is true son. Don't repeat the same mistake what I did. Maybe if you don't believe my case, you can ask your uncle. He also lost his love and the worst part is she was three months pregnant when she died", my dad said and left.
Are they saying the truth? Is there really any curse, that actually exist? Or someone is behind this? If someone is behind this then the same events cannot be happening for the past 150 years. I don't know what to believe now.
If there exists a curse, then I will surely perish the imperishable curse and make this family free from it.
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AITRI'S POV
I woke up at 5 am as I heard the sounds of cuckoos and crows. I am Aitri Raghunathan. My friends and closed ones call me Aiyu. The meaning of my name is joyful. But I never felt that in my entire life. My father Raghunathan, was a police inspector and mother Gayathri was a home maker. Both died in an accident when I was five years old. My maternal uncle is the one who brought me up. My aunt is always cold towards me and their son Jagan is the playboy of the village. I am working as English teacher in our village's government school. My best friends are Pradhi and Aathika. Pradhi is the daughter of our ex-principal. We will call her as Pradhu. Aathika is an orphan. We all will call her as Aathu. I used to share all my problems with them. They used to tell me that one day my Prince charming will come and give me lots of joy as my name says which only god knows.
Our village is one of the beautiful villages we have in Tamilnadu. Though it is not known to everyone still it is the best. Our village Azhvaralvarpuram. "Azhvars" were the ones who were devoted to Lord Vishnu, "Alvar" means the one who rules, "Puram means place, together our village name means "The placed which are ruled by Azhvars". But our village doesn't support any caste, community, sex or religion. Everyone is treated equally here. On a surprise note, our village supports inter caste, inter religion and love marriages too. This is all due to our village royal family.
Our village's royal family is still the head of the village. Whatever the decision made for our village will be taken by them. They are cool too. They never show off. They are the reason why our village is so prosperous.
Today it is going to be as usual. I have to get ready for my school. Go to school, teach my students, come back to home, do all the household chores etc. I hope one day I may get happiness or it will be only my dream?
Clearing all these thoughts from my mind I started to do my morning chores. I should do the cooking, cleaning everything. At first it was difficult, now I got used to it. I entered the kitchen. I am planning to make Venpongal
south Indian dish
with coconut chutney for breakfast and Sambar rice with potato fry for lunch. They are my favorite. I used to get some extra food for my friends and some children in school. I prepared everything and cleaned the house. I left for my school after that.
After reaching my school, my normal day begins. The only place that gives me peace and happiness is my school. I love all my students. Some will be good, some will be naughty. I love them equally. My period got over and I was about to leave, when my friend Pradhu came and said that she has something important to say and she will tell that during lunch. Then why she should she give me a cliffhanger now? This girl, she is the naughtiest among the three of us. When we all three were studying in this school, her dad was the principal. She is the one who used to get a lot of punishments. Her dad used to tell us that they definitely gave a wrong child to him.