1 : Tʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀʏ!!

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for choosing this book! As this is my first chapter, you might find some mistakes, as English isn't my first language. I hope you'll enjoy the story and embrace the journey with me.

Happy reading! 🌺✨

AT SHEKHAWAT'S MANSION :

"Dekhhiye, sab kaam thik se hona chahiye, saare masale acche se dalna, koi galti na ho, aur suno, kheer mein khud apne haathon se banaungi."

("Look, everything should be done properly, all the spices should be added well, no mistakes should happen, and listen, I will personally make the kheer with my own hands.")

A beautiful woman in her early 30s was giving instructions to the maids who were working in the kitchen, preparing many dishes.

As she was giving instructions to the maids, a graceful woman in her mid 50s, adorned with a variety of jewelry and wearing an elegant saree, entered the kitchen and said,

"Are, beta Sunaina, aap abhi tak yahi ho? Taiyaar nahi hue? Voh log aate hi honge, aur bacchon ko uthaya?"

(Hey, Sunaina, are you still here? Aren't you ready? They'll be here in some time, and have you picked up the kids?)

Mrs Sangeeta (mahika's grandma) said to Mrs Sunaina (mahika's mom)

"Maa, aap yahan?? Main bas taiyaar hone ja rahi hoon, lekin yahaan paas mein khadi hoon ki kahi inse koi galti na ho jaye. Bacchon ko bhi uthana hai, aur khud bhi taiyaar hona hai. Pata nahi, yeh sab kaise hoga?"

(Mom, you're here?? I'm just about to get ready, but I'm standing nearby to make sure they don't make any mistakes. I have to pick up the kids too, and I need to get ready myself. I don't know how all this will happen!)

She said, panicking, and after noticing her distress, Mrs. Sunaina placed her hand on her cheek and said,

"Beta, panic mat karo, aapki health ke liye accha nahi hai. Shuru se dekh rahi hoon, bohot tension leti ho aap. Sabka dhyan bhi rakhte ho. Main hoon na, tension lene ki koi zaroorat nahi. Main sab sambhal lungi..."

(Don't panic, dear; it's not good for your health. I've been watching you from the beginning; you take too much stress. You also look after everyone. I'm here, so there's no need to worry. I will handle everything...)

"Pata nahi, pichle janam mein kitne ache karam kiye hain, jo tumhare jaisi bahu mili,"

(I don't know how many good deeds I must have done in my past life to have gotten a daughter-in-law like you.)

She said while caressing her cheek, with teary eyes, which brought tears to her eyes as well.

She smiled, wiped her mother-in-law's tears, and held her face in her palms and said,

"Accha mumma aap rona band kijiye, inn sundar ankhon mein yeh aansu shobha nahi dete"

(Alright, Mom, please stop crying. These beautiful eyes don't suit tears.)

She said and hugged her.

"Chalo, ab bhaago yahan se aur jaake taiyaar ho jao, aur bachon ko bhi taiyaar kar dena. Aur chinta mat karo, main yahan inko dekhti hoon, ki koi galti na ho."

(Okay, now hurry up and get ready, and make sure to get the kids ready too. And don't worry, I'll keep an eye on them to make sure nothing goes wrong.)

She said after breaking the hug.

"Ok boss"

She said, saluting dramatically, and started heading towards Mahika's and Radhika's room, but she stopped in the middle, turned back again, and said,

"Mumma"

After hearing her call, her mother-in-law turned towards her.

"Haan bolo, beta"

(Yes, tell me, dear.")

She said nothing, just winked at her mother-in-law, blew her a flying kiss, and ran towards the room giggling.

"Yeh ladki, kasam se pagal hai"

(This girl is crazy, I swear!)

She chuckled and shook her head.

As she was heading towards Mahika and Radhika's room, someone suddenly pulled her into a room, pinned her against the wall, and began kissing her neck....

"Ahhhhh"

She shouted due to the sudden pull but felt relieved when she saw the person's face.

"What are you doing Mr Janak"

She said, pushing her husband backward to break the hug.

"Can't you see I'm hugging my wife?"

He said, hugging her waist and nuzzling his face into her neck.

"Oh god, aap abhi taiyaar kyu nahi hue? voh log aate hi honge.."

(Oh God, why aren't you ready yet? they'll be here in some time...)

"Sorry, Naina, I got a call from the assistant and was discussing the project, which is why I got late."

He said to his wife.

"It's okay, baby, no need to apologize. I understand that work is important too. Now go and get ready; I have to get Mahika and Radhika ready, and then I will get ready myself."

She said and was about to go, but he held her wrist and said,

"What if we get our kids ready together, and then we can get ready ourselves? This way, it will take less time."

He said to her.

"Nice idea, Mr. Now let's go and get them ready."

With that, both of them left their room and started heading towards Mahika and Radhika's shared bedroom.

Soon they reached the room, pushed open the door, and entered, only to discover a peacefully sleeping 7-year-old girl. They quietly moved towards her and said,

"Kitni pyaari lag rahi hai, meri Mahi, kisi ki nazar na lag jaye."

(She looks so lovely, my Mahi; I hope no one gives her the evil eye.)

She said to her husband, and they both were admiring her until their eyes drifted to the other side of the bed and found it empty.

"Are, meri bacchi, Radhi kahan hai?"

(Where is my little girl, Radhika?)

She asked to her husband,

"Maine bhi apni bacchi, Radhika, ko nahi dekha. Aap chinta mat karo, main dhundta hun apni bacchi ko."

(I haven't seen my daughter, Radhika, either. Don't worry; I'll search for my daughter.)

"Rukiye, main bhi apke saath chalungi"

(Wait, I will also come with you)

She said to her husband.

"Ok, let's go"

He said to his wife, and they both exited the room together in search of their daughter.

As they were heading downstairs in search of Radhika, they heard a loud noise, as if someone was playing the Shiv Damru, coming from the pooja room.

Both of them felt relieved as they knew what was going on.

(Chalo, jaldi se click that like button at the bottom left corner... next chapter chahiye na, toh jaldi karo, beta ji! 🌚)

Both of them started heading towards the pooja room, and when they reached, they stepped into the room quietly, not wanting to disturb the person.

When they entered, they saw a 9-year-old girl seated in front of the Shiv Murti, holding a damru in her hand, moving it left and right to play the instrument, and playing "Shiv Stotram" on the speaker at full volume.

(Zaahir si baat hai, guys, itni chhoti si bacchi Shiv Stotram kaise yaad karegi ? It's difficult! 😭😭)

After some time, the Shiv Stotram stopped, indicating it had finished. Realizing this, she bent down on her knees, touching her forehead to the ground in front of the Shiv Murti. When she lifted her head, she chanted, "Har Har Mahadev" She then got up, placed the Shiv damru back in it's spot, and turned around, startled to see her parents quietly standing there, watching her.

"Mumma, Papa, aap log yahan? Aap logon ne mujhe dara diya. Aap log kab enter hue, pata hi nahi chala..."

(Mom, Dad, you're here? You scared me. I didn't even notice when you came in...)

Her dad came near her and bent down till her level and said...

"Sorry, mere bacche, hamara aapko darane ka koi intention nahi tha. Woh bas aap humein aapke room mein mile nahi, toh hum thoda tension mein aa gaye the. Lekin humein pata tha ki hamara baccha kahan ho sakta hai, toh hum yahan chale aaye..."

(Sorry, my child, we had no intention of scaring you. It's just that we didn't find you in your room, so we got a little worried. But I knew where our child could be, so we came here...)

Her dad said playfully, kissing her cheek and tickling her, making her laugh.

"Accha, ab mujhe batao apne bhagwan se kya manga?"

(Okay, now tell me what you prayed God for?)

Her dad asked her,

"Maine Mahadev se manga ki, dadi, dadu, aapko, mumma aur baaki sab ki health hamesha achi rakhein aur aap sab ki problems dur karein."

(I asked Mahadev to always keep you, Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, and everyone else in good health, and to remove all your problems.)

She said making her parent's hearts melt, and her words made them think: is she really a 9-year-old? She feels too mature to be thought of like other kids her age.

Then her mom came near her, bent down to her level, held her right cheek in her palm and asked,

"Bacche, Aapne mahadev se apne liye kuch nahi manga?"

(Child, did you not ask anything from Mahadev for yourself ?)

"Arre, Mumma, bhala mujhe kuch maange ki kya zaroorat hai? Woh mere Mahadev hain, sab samajh jaate hain ki unke bacche ko kab, kaise aur kya dena hai. Mujhe bolne ki koi zaroorat nahi, hamari baat ho jaati hai, heart-to-heart..."

(Mom, do I really need to ask for anything? He is my Mahadev; he understands when, how, and what to give his child. I don't need to say anything; our conversation happens heart-to-heart..)

She made a heart shape with her small, cute hands, making her parents chuckle as they thought about how innocent and lovable she is—and how lucky they are to have her as their daughter.

"Accha chalo, bohot baatein ho gai, abb chalo Naha ke ready ho jao, guest aate hi honge"

(Alright, enough talking, let's get ready; the guests will be arriving soon after we finish bathing)

Her mom said to her,

"Mumma Maine toh kab ka Naha liya, main toh nahae bina pooja kab nahi karti"

(Mom, I already took a bath a long time ago; I never do puja without bathing.)

"Aree wah, mera baccha toh bohot samajdar hai..."

(Oh wow, my child is so understanding...)

Her mom said while kissing her cheeks,

"Papa ji, Kya main ready hone ke baad apke liye aaj outfit choose kar sakti hun"

(Papa, can I choose an outfit for you after I get ready?)

She asked showing her puppy eyes,

"Baccha yeh bhi koi punchier ki baat hai? Aap mere aaj toh kya...fox hi select kar diya karo..."

(Child, is this really something to worry about? You can just choose a an outfit for me today...)

He said while picking her up in his arms and kissing her cheeks, making her giggle...

"Toh papa, main fata fat se jaake, ready hoke, paka outfit choose karne jaun??

(So, Dad, should I quickly go get ready and choose an outfit?)

She asked happily, getting excited...

"Hana bikul, aap jao aur ready ho jao, fir mera outfit ready kar dena, Okay?"

(Yes, absolutely! You go and get ready, and then get my outfit ready, okay?)

He asked, gently placing her on the ground...

"Okiieee"

She said happily and ran excitedly to her bedroom...

"Sunaina, aren't we so lucky, to have Radhika as our daughter?"

He asked his wife holding her hands...

"We are...we really are"

She said hugging him..

"Radhika choti si hai aur itni mature hai.....kabhi kabhi toh uski baatein sunke mujhe hehrani hoot, ki itni choti si bacchi ki itni lambi, mature aur positive soch kaise ho sakti hai"

(Radhu is so young, yet so mature. Sometimes, when I listen to her, I'm amazed at how such a little girl can have such a deep, mature, and positive mindset.)

He said hugging her back...

"Vaise, mujhe ek baat batao radhika, mahadev ki Bhakti kyu karti hai? Itne sare dev hai...Bhagwan Vishnu, Shree krishn, Shree Ram aur bhi bohot devi devta hai.....fir Shiv ji hi kyu?"

(By the way, tell me one thing, Radhika: why do you worship Mahadev? There are so many gods—Bhagwan Vishnu, Shri Krishna, Shri Ram, and many more. So why Shiv ji?)

He asked confusingly, breaking the hug.

"Oh no, Kya maine apko voh baat a bhi tak nahi batai?"

(Oh no, did I not tell you about that yet?)

"Konsi baat? Kis bare main?

(What thing? About what?)

"Baat Radhika se related hai, aur jo apne mujse abhi question pucha tha ki, Radhika Shiv ji ki hi pooja kyu karti hai....Uska jawab apko yeh baat sunne ke baad miljayega....

(It's related to Radhika, and to the question you just asked me about why Radhika worships Shiv ji. You'll find the answer after you hear this.)

She said to him...

"Apko yaad hai, thode din pehle Maha Shivratri pe humne Shiv pooja rakhi thi..."

(Do you remember a few days ago we had a Shiv puja for Maha Shivratri)

She asked her husband..

"Haan, yaad hai mujhe"

(Yes, I remember.)

He said to her...

"Toh basically hua yeh tha..."

(So basically, what happened was...)

"Jab pooja samapan ho gai thi, main mumma ke pass unse kuch puchne jaa rahi thi, tab maine dekha"....

(When the puja was over, I was going to ask Mom something when I saw...)

The pooja was finished, and the Pandit ji who conducted it was packing his things to leave. Meanwhile, Radhika came downstairs from her bedroom, noticed Pandit ji packing, and walked over to him.

At that moment, Radhika's mom arrived but paused in her tracks to see what Radhika would do as she approached Pandit ji.

"Namaste, Pandit ji.."

She wished him joining her hands...

"Namaste putri, kaise ho aap?

(Namaste, dear! How are you?)

"Main toh bilkul thik hun Pandit ji...aap kaise hain?

(I'm doing absolutely fine, Pandit ji... how are you?)

"Main bhi bilkul thik hun beti, kuch kaam hai apko mujh se?

(I'm also doing well, dear. Do you need something from me?)

"Ji Pandit ji...Mujhe apse kuch punchna tha.."

(Yes, Pandit ji... I wanted to ask you something.)

She said, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Putri, prashna karne mein hichkichao mat, nishchint hokar puchho."

(Daughter, don't hesitate to ask your question; ask it without worry.)

He said, patting her head with fatherly affection, making her smile widely.

"Pandit ji, Humne aaj yeh yagya kyu kiya? Aur kiske liye kiya"

(Pandit ji, why did we perform this yagya today? And for whom did we do it?)

She asked him curiously, making him smile at her words.

"Putri, aaj Maha Shivratri hai, yeh bahut shubh din hota hai. Isliye aaj aapke ghar mein yajna tha, aapke ghar ki sukh-shanti ke liye, taaki aapke ghar mein koi samasya na aaye, aur aap par Mahadev ki kripa sadaiv bani rahe."

(Daughter, today is Maha Shivratri, which is a very auspicious day. That's why a yajna was performed in your home today, for the peace and prosperity of your household, so that no problems arise, and may Mahadev's blessings always be with you.)

He said to her, making her even more confused and curious to learn more about it.

"Pandit ji, Hum Maha Shivratri kyu manate hai? Iss din kya hua tha"

(Pandit ji, why do we celebrate Maha Shivratri? What happened on this day?)

"Maha Shivratri duniya ka sable pavitra din hai, iss din Mahadev aur Mata Parvati ka vivah hua tha"

(Maha Shivratri is the most sacred day in the world; on this day, Mahadev and Mata Parvati got married.)

He said making her more curious to know about Mahadev.

"Pandit ji, Mahadev kaun hai?"

(Pandit ji, who is Mahadev?)

She asked him curiously while staring at the 9-feet tall Mahadev's murat, making him smile and feel a bit shocked, as she was just a small kid so interested in these topics, unlike many children in today's generation.

Pandit ji turned towards the Mahadev's Murat and said,

"Nirakar hain voh...

Nirgun hain voh...

Prithvi voh hain...

Aakash voh hain...

Bandhan hain voh...Aur mukti bhi vahi hain...

Gyaan bhi hain...aur aagyan bhi...

Prakash hai...aandhkaar hai...

Duvidhaa hain voh...aur nirnay bhi vahi hain...

Shanti bhi voh hain...aur samastha ashanti bhi voh hain...

Vahi Brahma hai...aur vahi Narayan...

Vahi hai....Devon ke dev...Mahadev..."

(He is formless...

He is without qualities...

He is the earth... He is the sky...

He is both bondage and liberation...

He is both knowledge and ignorance...

He is light... and darkness...

He is duality... and also the decision...

He is peace... and all unrest...

He is both Brahma and Narayan...

He is the god of gods... Mahadev...)

He closed his eyes and joined his hands in front of Shiv Murat , softly uttering the last words, 'Mahadev".

As he completed the words, he noticed her gazing at Shiv Murat with wide eyes. But there was something in her eyes; it was adoration, love, and deep affection for Mahadev.

From his P.O.V, he just explained her who is Mahadev....but he didn't knew that his words has made an igniting desire in her mind to pray to Mahadev. She felt a serene connection, as if the essence of his teachings had awakened something profound within her. In that moment, she understood the beauty of devotion, and the importance of Mahadev in her life.

He got shocked...after he saw her going towards the Shiv Murat and placing her head on feet of Mahadev's Murat and chanting "Har har Mahadev"...

She moved back and turned toward Pandit ji, walking toward him and said,

"Namaste Pandit ji, Aagya dijiye..."

(Namaste, Pandit ji. Please give me your permission...)

She said to Pandit ji, joining her hands...

"Kyu nahi putri, Aayushmaan bhava"

(Why not, daughter? Aayushmaan bhava.)

He said placing his hand on her head, giving her blessings.

She smiled and glanced at Mahadev's Murat last time, and ran upstairs, inside her room.

Her mom, who was observing everything from a distance, was taken aback by her daughter's behavior. She couldn't help but think about how different she is, from other kids.

She thought all this as she turned to leave, feeling a mix of pride and amazement at her daughter's newfound curiosity.

Pandit ji's P.O.V :

"Aajkal ke bacche aksar asabhya aur udaasheen lagte hain, apne hi sansar mein khoe hue. Lekin....yeh bacchi bohot alag hai. Maine iski ankhon mein samarpan dekha hai....Mahadev ke liye...atoot samarpaan, aur iski aankein kuch vichitrata darshati hai jo sabki samaj se pare hai, aur yeh vichitrata maine kisi ki aankhon mein nahi dekhi...."

(Nowadays, children often come across as rude and indifferent, lost in their own worlds. But this girl is very different. I have seen a sense of dedication in her eyes... a profound dedication to Mahadev. Her eyes reflect a uniqueness that is beyond everyone's understanding, and I have never seen such a uniqueness in anyone else's eyes...)

"Yeh kanya bahut khaas hai, yeh parivaar bahut bhagyashaali hai ki yeh in logon ki beti hai."

(This girl is very special; this family is very lucky to have her as their daughter.)

He thought all this, smiled, and took a final darshan of Mahadev's Murat before exiting their home.

"Toh yeh sab hua tha, Abb samaj aaya ki Radhika Mahadev ki pooja kyu karti hai"

(So this was what had happened; now I understand why Radhika worships Mahadev.)

Sunaina asked her husband who was shocked hearing the whole story.

"Haan, samaj gaya madam, bilkul samaj gaya."

(Yes, I understand, madam, I completely understand.)

He said still in shock.

(Mujhe pata hai like nahi kiya, main sab dekhti hun....chalo fata fat se kar do 😁).

Suddenly, Sunaina's eyes landed on the clock hanging on the wall, making her eyes widen in shock.

"Oh god babe, look at the time, there will be here soon, lets go and get Mahika and Radhika ready fast and then let's get ready ourself "

She held his arm and started walking toward the door, But then she felt herself lifted into the air as he picked her up in his arms.

"Let's go together, Naina"

He said and winked towards her making her blush.

They exited the pooja room and made their way upstairs to their kids room to get them ready and then went to their bedroom to get themselves ready, after leaving kids to their grandparents ...

(Samjha karo guys, thoda romance bhi zaroori hai 🌚.)

**************************************************************

Time Skipped :

Everyone was ready, and doing last arrangements ...

Mahika was playing with her grandfather while Radhika sat in her father's lap. Meanwhile, both ladies were in the kitchen, busy with their little tasks.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, signaling that the guests had arrived.

Everyone gathered in the living room and Janak said...

"Aap sab yahi ruko, main darvaza kholta hun."

(You guys wait here, i will open the door.)

He went and opened the door...

"Swagat hai aap sabhi ka, aaiye sab andar."

(Welcome everyone, come inside.)

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