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Thanks for giving this story a try. I hope you enjoy.

Happy Reading!!

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The wind was lightly blowing, this light wind was chilling. Normally, in this autumn weather the air used to be cool, but today it had a different heart chilling coldness in it. It was as if the dark clouds were saying something. Pointing to a event that was about to occur and the cold wind was helping it.

Though not many flowers bloom in this season, the few countable one's that grow had also wilted. The whole weather was preparing for some big show. Some thing harsh was bound to happen today.
If you paid attention you could see two owls on top of one house, both sitting at the corners of the roof. And a black cat was prowling in front of the same house.

Now, when an owl is sitting on the roof of your house, it is said that something in- auspicious was going to happen. And if a cat prowls in front of your house, that to black, it is considered as a double bad omen.
There was something, today. Something that was not correct. And that would lead to something bad happening. It was all in the air, all around the area.

The day, it is the tenth day of Ashwin Shukla Paksha. The last day of Durga Puja, also known as Durgotsava, or Sharodotsava.

Ideally, a very auspicious day, in India. But the omens, all were pointing in the other direction of normal circumstances.

People were gathered in the amphitheater, where the idol of Goddess Durga was placed. The event was a big one. Actually this was the only place where the Durga Puja was being held in fifteen km radius.
They were to celebrate the last day of Durga Puja today, Vijaya Dashami. Sindoor Khela was the ritual to be celebrated today. It is a ceremony where in the married ladies apply lady Durga with vermillion and also smear it amongst themselves, playing with it.

Most of the ladies were dressed in the auspicious cream or white colored saree with red border. In their hands, a plate that had Sindoor (Vermillion) and Mithati (Sweets). They were excited to take part in the happenings.
While Men and unmarried girls stood in a side, eagerly waiting to see the wonderful ceremony of Sindoor Khela. Watching this ritual is also considered as a blessing, thus, the excitement.

"I would like your attention, please." A sweet is heard from the speakers.

The chatters all around drowned and the people tuned to look at young adult standing there, on the stage. All set in beautiful pink hue lengha (Indian outfit) and jewelry adding to the looks.

"Thank you. I know you all are very excited for the Sindoor Khela. Are you?" She smiles and asks.

"YES!" A loud cheer was heard all over.

"Ok then we will began, I would like to request all the married ladies to form a line and patiently wait for their chance to come." The lady says.

The people were about to start when a series of gasp left from mouth of the lady on the stage, the one with mike. And the people turned to look at the shocked girl and then tried to locate what shocked the girl.

It was then that the people heard the sound of Ghungroo or Payal (anklets). It was that eerie sound, the ones they put in the horror movies.
The heart beats of the people steadily started to increase as they craned their neck to look at who ever was coming in the function.

Must be a famous person, that is why the young girl was surprised. People thought.

With a harsh wind the first glimpse of the lady came to the people present in the amphitheater.

Plain foot. The lady was not wearing shoes, or any type of sandal. But at the same time, it wasn't that bare it was painted red using Alta dye. And also, she was wearing the crinkling anklets. Every step she took was slow and accurate, nothing seemed faulty in it.

As the eyes of the people moved above, they were astonished to see that she was wearing a pure white saree.

You must ask what is the surprise? Well a white saree, is worn by the lady who is a widow. It is considered in- auspicious for a married lady to wear white color, especially in a Puja (Worship Ritual.). And this young lady was wearing a pure white saree in the propitious event of Sindoor Khela? What was the lady even thinking?

The further she walked in the more clearly was she visible. Intriguingly, all the eyes could only move slowly from her feet to her head above.
Thus, the eyes' of people zeroed on to the Kumar bandh (waist chain) of the lady. It was a bold one, made of gold. It looked like one worn on wedding.

Now, this took the breath away of the people, because a widow should not wear jewelry. Hence, the frown on the face of the people in front of her.

As they gaze moved ahead, they came across various kinds of necklaces. Heavy and thin, bold and plain, light and dark, broad and narrow. Also, she was wearing a Mangal Sutra (Nuptial Chain). It was as if the jewelry was for a newly wedded bride.

Her hands just like her feet were painted but just not red here Mehndi (Henna) was adorning her palms, the rest of the mehndi was downed under the bangles that covered at least half of her lower fore arm. Lac bangles, gold bangles both were decorating her arms. It looked very beautiful. The look, till now, made her looked like an angel in those white cloths and jewelries.

But the look above it was maybe not so good. Her lips were full and looked like pomegranate but her lips were painted red, blood red. It looked like she had just drunk blood and the mark had been left behind, giving it a bloody look.

A Nath (Nose pin), was covering some parts of her lips too. The Nath was a big one, round in shape and was connected to her hair in one side.

Large Jhumka shaped Ear rings, hung from her ears. They were quite big and looked heavy but surprisingly her ears' did not at all seemed affected.

Her long curvy hair was open and blowing backward as she walked ahead. While some curls blew onto her face too. Many times covering her beautiful face.

Her eyes were rimmed with Kajal (Kohl), that made her big eyes stand out. Her big black eyes with Kajal, made the people un- easy. It held a fire in them. A kind, they had read about in books and never seen before.

A large, dark red circular Bindi almost covered her forehead. She looked like a married lady but there was something that was contradicting the point.

She wasn't wearing Sindoor.

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How was it?

(1215 words.)

--Sxxxxx