THE IMPERISHABLE CURSE

CHAPTER 1-01 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. -------------------------- 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, s*x 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. CHAPTER 2-02 During lunch break, all three of us got settled in the tree shade. We love this place. From our school days, this was our spot. We all three opened our lunch boxes. After Aathu got job in school in administration office, she got shifted to Pradhu's house as paying guest. I also thought to join her but my uncle didn't allow me. He said that he is considering me as his daughter and I cannot leave him. I respect and love him a lot so couldn't go against his words. "WOW!", Pradhu exclaimed. I know sambar rice and potato fry is her favourite combination. She is going to snatch my lunch box from me now. "You said that you are going to say something important to me", Aathu said. So, she said the same thing to Aathu too. "I said to both of you", Pradhu said having food fully stuffed in her mouth. No one will say she is the strict teacher in our school, when she herself behaves worse than a kid sometimes. "So, Drama Queen, Could you please tell us what the important matter is?", I asked Pradhu. "I am not Drama Queen. Anyways, you know the three princes of the royal family are returning today.", Pradhu shouted. Is she saying the truth? Viku is really returning? I still remember all our childhood memories. He left me when he was 14. He won't remember me for sure. I looked at Aathu's face. She is blushing why not her crush is also returning. Raku always roams around her. But this is not good news to Pradhu. Her biggest enemy Dhruv is returning after all. "Guys, snap out of your thoughts. I am saying such a bad news and you both are lost in your own worlds", Pradhu shouted at us. "Why will it be bad news for us", Aathu asked her. "Oh sorry, yea I totally forgot, your one and only crush is returning. Don't have high hopes Aathu, he is returning from London. Who know how many girls he would have slept with?", Pradhu mocked her. Aathu got tears in her eyes. This Pradhu is too much sometimes. "I am sorry Aathu I just said it for fun. I am damn sure that Raku will never go behind anyone. After all you guys already had your first kiss.", Pradhu teased her. Aathu blushed. "Stop it Pradhu, we will see what happens when they come", I told her. "Your best friend is coming and your saying this?", Pradhu asked me. "Let's see whether he remember me first", I told her and we all left for our work. Our school got over and we left together. We have a habit of going to a pond which is nearby our school after our work gets over. We will spend an hour there. There only we all six used to play. I am missing those days a lot. When we were about to cross and go to the pond, a car came with full speed and stopped suddenly. Though it stopped Aathu got hit and she fell down. My books fell down from my hands. I was about to go near Aathu when I heard a voice that was apologizing to me. I turned towards the voice. "I am extremely sorry, my brother was not used to right hand driving. We already warned him but he never listens to us. I am so sorry", that guy said. He looks familiar. I have seen him somewhere. He looks handsome, more than six feet, with trimmed beard. He is looking like a Greek god. The blazers he wore shows his muscles well. Who is he? I looked at Aathu's side, a guy gave her hands and made her pulled her up and started apologizing for his brother's mistake. Another guy came from driver seat, Pradhu held his collar. "So you are the guy who was driving? Who the hell gave you driving license?", Pradhu shouted at him. "First, leave my collar, you silly village girl.", that guy said. He is totally dead today. "Yes I am silly village girl unlike you, who is a drunken monkey.", Pradhu shouted at him. AARVIK'S POV I am Aarvik Sahasrabani. I was born in a royal family. My grandmother Thenambal is the head of the family after my grandfather passed away. My father Sahasrabani and my mother Charumathi are the best parents one could ever have. I was in London so far. I am returning after 13 years to India. I am so happy that I am going to see her. I missed her so much. I was just 14, she was 11. But still we were best friends. I have to talk to my family about my love of life too whom I met in London. I am damn sure they will agree. They never care about anything like caste, community or status. Our village was the best with modern thoughts. We reached our village by car. After we entered our village, my brother Dhruv insisted that he will drive the car. Me and Rakshak both warned him that he is not used to right hand driving but he never listens to us. Actually they are my cousins, who are non-identical twins born to my Chitappa (uncle) Sarangbani and Chitti (aunty) Parvathi. Both my cousins are totally opposite to each other. Dhruv is a total play boy whereas Rakshak is still thinking about his childhood crush Aathu. Dhruv also got a person to think about, his biggest enemy Pradhu. They both also were in London with me so far. We are more like best friends than brothers. Dhruv had put a sudden break and stopped the car. I know this guy will end us in trouble. When I got down, I looked at a girl who was going to help the girl that has fell down. Her face looked some what familiar to me. I apologized to her immediately for hurting her friend. Rakshak went to the girl who fell down and pulled her up. I saw a spark in his eyes that I have seen only for Aathu. This Dhruv is fighting with another girl when it was totally his fault. The girl who is fighting with him is really something. She called him a drunken monkey. "If I am a drunken monkey then you are a chimpanzee", Dhruv argued with her.