#AtoZChallenge – Flash fiction based on life’s philosophy or mood or emotions, interpreted using colours.
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It was past midnight, the whole house was silent. Most of the guests had gone back to the hotel and people at home had retired for the night. She sat on veranda steps under the faint moonlight, taking off the henna from her hand. They said putting henna was auspicious. One was not supposed to put water on the design till the morning, so that color would seep-in deep in the skin with body warmth and would stay for longer duration. But she didn’t need the deep red color anymore. She wanted the design with his name hidden between the patterns, to vanish. A tear fell on her palm and merged with the water flowing from the tap.
Today was her Mehendi ceremony, she was going to be married tomorrow. Months of preparation, time and money spent for just one day. But she would not start a new life… not tomorrow… not with the love of her life… everything was a sham, his love… his support… she never mattered to him the way he did to her.
Today his parents had again added to their demands, she knew this one was beyond her father to fulfill. For the first time in their one year courtship she had asked for his support, and he had failed her. Failed the ultimate test of right and wrong—the test to understand that his parents were also human beings and could make mistake. How could she have agreed to a life partner who as an adult could not take the right decision? Wasn’t he an adult? He was eligible to marry, after all. The henna was washing off, the color was red. It was auspicious. It showed her the right path–of standing by her father, standing for her principles and to look beyond the deep-rooted unscrupulous customs.
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