Brick by brick, Arumugham had seen the house take shape. It wasn’t a big house, nor was it in the hustle bustle of the city. It was in their village, far away from the annoying honks of the vehicles, and the pointed gossip of the neighbors. She hated that. He had thought otherwise, but now, he was beginning to hate that too.
Theirs was a love story that no one wanted to hear. Their families hadn’t wanted any part of their lives. She was an upper caste girl, and he but a construction worker. She did not belong to their family, they had said. Their hearts had not melted even when the couple had had a baby girl.
She was soft skinned like her mother, soft-hearted yet adamant like her father. She grew up far away from comfort, but to her, nothing was as comfortable as the room they had. Arumugham had named her Mridhula, for her softness.
“I want a house in our village. Not a big house with lots of rooms. Just a small one, with three rooms… one for me, one for appa and amma, and the last one, that’ll be for thaatha and paati when they come. They don’t now, but you wait and see. They’ll come. They’ll give me sevai and pongal, feed me with their hands. And they’ll tell me they love me,” she told anyone who would listen to her.
Today it was that dream of hers that had taken shape. Even the village head had been invited for the gruhapravesham. She stood outside, welcoming everyone who entered the compound with a smile. She was happiest to see her thaatha and paati come too, after every other guest had left. She had run behind the house, so no one would see her cry. She saw them put the sevai and pongal on a plate, and she wiped her tears and went back to the front.
“Kanna, vandhu sappidu da,” she heard her paati call, and saw her approach. But she couldn’t go. And neither could her paati find her.
A breeze had picked up suddenly, and she saw her amma and paati cry as they went inside the house. Arumugham’s eyes were wet too, but he walked across the compound to where she stood.
“Appa is sorry, Mridhu. Sorry he couldn’t keep his promise to keep you here till this day,” he whispered, as he picked up the last, unused bricks and sheltered the earthen lamp that was lit for her soul, making sure the breeze wouldn’t snuff out her light.
The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge was first held in 2010. The challenge is that we have to post every day of April, except on the four Sundays. April 1st is a theme with letter A, 2nd with letter B and so on till April 30th which will be Z themed. This year, I’m planning to do short pieces of fiction (not a series), or a poem based on a word with that letter.
To write 26 days in a month on a theme, a moral support is quite useful I feel. This year, I’m taking the challenge along with my friend Bhavya. We’re writing on the same themes each day, and giving each other the themes on alternate days. Day 2, the word chosen by me was BRICK, around which this story was written.
Sevai and pongal are Indian dishes. Thaatha and Paati are Tamil words meaning Grandfather and Grandmother respectively. Kanna means Dear, used to call someone fondly. Vandhu sappidu da means Come and eat.
(2nd April 2014)
Aww..very touching.
An attempt made in the last to save the earthen lamp’s light says that all so powerfully 🙂
Loved it!
Brick by brick you’ll soon make a palace of beautifully woven words for the world to live in and love!
🙂 You interpreted it differently, Sims. But nice. Glad you loved the story!
Ohh this was so so sad 🙁
Yes, a little sad for sure, Sfoo 🙁
That was sad….. yet beautiful ….
Thanks, Sheethal!
Emotions galore!
Thanks, Rajrupa!
This broke my heart. 🙁
Mine too, while writing it. Thanks, Poo 🙂
Vinay this is so touching. Loved it.
Thanks muchly, Janaki 🙂
Oh.. that’s a sad tale, but well written.
Thank you, Shail 🙂
Touching narrative, Leo. The idea of the brick protecting the little one’s soul, well, I guess that’s the whole idea behind the concept of lighting lamps everyday for the lost souls….. yet another one from you that’s sure to tug at the hearts !! 🙂
Yes, so their light stays with us even when they are not 🙂 Thank you, Sreeja!
Wow! Just as amazing as yesterday’s post. What’s the deal with souls? 🙂
No idea 😛 Just went with the flow. No souls in C though, Prathima 🙂 Glad you liked this one too.
Vinay the tale was so poignant! I read it twice. I could feel the pain of Arumugham, his wife, Thaatha, Paati and especially Mridhula. What can I say but, Bravo!
Thank you for the kind words, Gauri. And am glad you enjoyed the story! 🙂
Relatively shorter than the stories that you generally write, it left me in a mixed state – whether to appreciate the writer or whether to be sad because of the story. It was sweet, sad and it left an ache in the heart…. 🙁 But loved how you played with emotions here… Loved it!
Society, status and such trivial things should never be the reason families don’t accept their child’s choice of a spouse – that is what I firmly believe.
My next one is a bit more shorter, Ishi 😉 😀
Yes. I think so too da. Tears families apart, and some things are missed by the time they are joined back! 🙁
This one gave me the feels 🙁
Sorry about that, and thank you, Bawa!
Heart-warming and Beautiful..! How tender ties begin to matter 🙂
Thanks much, Niyati 🙂
Oh no 🙁 I didn’t expect that end! But beautiful nonetheless!
Thanks, Aditi 🙂
Ok, this one left a lump in my throat….saying anything beyond would be criminal.
Thank you, Blogwati G.
Wow….moving…I don’t have words..
Thank you, Naba 🙂
Thats cool – giving each other themes 🙂 Makes the challenge an interesting one and a great narration btw.
Thanks btw, Afshan 😀
Wow I like how you weave such awesome stories with such simple words 🙂
Thank you, Jaibala 🙂 Glad you liked the story.
Each one here is a gem. Touching story.
Thanks Usha ji 🙂 Glad you liked the story.
Very touching story, liked it quite a bit 🙂
Thank you, Jairam 🙂
Nice work Leo. Good luck for the challenge
Thanks, and wish you the same, Ghata 🙂
Aww! So sad. How cruel can people be?
They can be cruel, Sundari ji. No limits to that, sadly.
I wouldn’t mind if you drop the ‘ji’! Makes me feel ancient. 🙂
Erm… okay, Sundari 🙂
wooowww now that bought a lump tpo the throat…. beautifully crafted!
Thank you, Mins 🙂
That is such a touching story. Some dreams come true but the dreamer is no more.
Yes. But it is good that the dream did not die too, Beloo.
Rustic elements in the story make it a beautiful read!
Thanks, Rinzu 🙂
So beautiful and romantic. I was right there, watching the bricks, too. I want to just sit here for a while, in this moment, listening, thinking, trying not to cry.
Thank you.
Julie Jordan Scott
A to Z Challenge Participant/2011,12,13,14…..
The Bold Writer from A to Z
Thank you so very much, Julie, for the kind words! 🙂 I’m glad you liked the story.
I wasn’t expecting the sad ending. Wonderful story, though!
Thank you, Kate 🙂
How do you get such ideas fellow 🙂 you have woven it together very beautifully..
I don’t know 😉 I just do, felli 😛 Glad you liked it, and felt it was woven well, Pins 🙂 Thankies!
That was touching …..
Loved the narrative
Thank you, Sitara 🙂
Wow.. that was beautiful and very sad.. I wasn’t expecting such an end.. but awesome!!
To be frank, I didn’t know how to end it. Chose the sad one finally. Thanks Shrikant!
Okay that touched me and I felt a little sad…but a nice story, nevertheless
Yes. I went for the sad ending 🙂 Wasn’t sure till the end how to end it, but glad you liked the story, Kajal!
I found you through the A to Z Challenge and cannot wait to read more of your posts!
Thanks and welcome, Atomic Hostess 🙂
Very touching. Not a fan of sad endings, but I still loved it. Love the brick lead in and ending it. Whenever I hear the phrase brick by brick I always think of the Train song.
Neither am I, usually. This just went that way. Thank you, Heather 🙂