•His Widow Bride•
The Wedding!
It is a small remote area village situated in Uttarpradesh. Right now a 18 years old girl Naintara getting married to a 81 year old man Narayan Singh.
As the afternoon slowly wore on, the sun began to dip lower in the sky. The warmth of the day started to fade, and a gentle coolness crept in.
Naintara sat still, draped in a heavy red bridal saree, her bangles jingling softly with each involuntary tremble of her hands. She was only eighteen , her eyes too young, too innocent to carry the burden of the vermillion that now adorned her forehead.
Beside her stood her groom , a man old enough to be her great-grandfather. Narayan singh the village’s wealthiest landlord and a respected Brahmin, leaned heavily on his cane. His white dhoti clung loosely to his frail legs, and his eyes, though clouded by age, gleamed with satisfaction. He was marrying again , for the third time not for love, but for power to show and lu$t he felt towards our innocent naintara. And Naintara’s parents had agreed without hesitation. In fact, they saw it as an honor, a blessing from the gods. The amount narayan singh offered them was enough for them to make decision.
But now, something felt uneasy inside her chest as the sacred fire crackled before them. The priest chanted loudly, instructing the couple to rise for the saat pheras , seven rounds around the fire, symbolizing seven vows of a lifetime. Narayan grunted, pushing himself up with the help of his sons from his previous marriages. Naiantara followed quietly.
Naintara
💭*****Something doesn't feel right, why I'm feeling so uneasy? Why my hands are getting sweaty ? Something is going to happen really bad*****💭
And suddenly ..... he collapsed.
Naintara's eyes widened. A loud gasp from the guests as Narayan’s body crumbled to the ground, the flames flickering violently in response. Naintara turned with horror, seeing the old man lying still, his eyes open but lifeless. His head hit the stone floor with a dull thud.
The priest stopped chanting. The music stopped. Women screamed. The men rushed forward. A few slapped his face, poured water into his mouth, called his name.
But it was too late. Narayan Singh, the mighty landlord of Devgarh, had died mid-phera ... mid-vow.
Naintara
💭What is happening?💭
Villagers
“Shaadi ke beech mein mrityu!”
Villagers
“ Apashagun hai yeh ladki!
And just like that, the whispers turned into loud noises
Naintara's mother radha went towards her daughter and hugged her . Naintara was very scared , her eyes is getting watery because of whole situation. Radha was also shocked with this. She didn't know now what will happen to her daughter.
Naintara
"Ma...ma what is happening? I'm scared"
Radha Das( FL mother)
"Shhh....."
Villagers
“Badnaseeb hai yeh!”
Villagers
Ab toh iska pati mar gaya, ab kya karein?”
Villagers
Abhi poore vachan bhi nahi huye... paap lag gaya hoga isse!”
Naintara stood frozen, her limbs trembling. She looked at her mother, her father but their expressions were shock and scared. And then the word was spoken ..... the word she had only heard in old stories and hushed gossips........
The older women of the village gathered in a circle, their faces painted with stern tradition and religious frenzy. Her mother half heartedly joined them leaving naintara alone because this village still follows their ancestors parathas , rules and regulations, nodding tearfully. Her father stood silently, as if weighing the honor of the family over the life of his daughter.
Villagers
She must go with him. The bond has been made. She is his wife”
Villagers
“But the wedding wasn’t complete"
Villagers
Still, she is suhagan now. She must die a sati.”
The decision was made before Naintara even realized what it meant. She was dragged by the arms into the angan (A small area where they take bath, wash clothes, utensils, etc). Her wedding saree was stripped off. A plain white cloth was wrapped around her . the symbol of widowhood. Someone yanked the bangles off her wrists, she screamed in pain but they were too dead to hear her pain, breaking a few in the process, leaving fine red lines behind. Another smeared the sindoor from her hairline, replacing it with ashes. Her long black hair was pulled back .
Naintara
"Ma...maa please no .... please stop this maa"
But her mother avoided her eyes.
The bath came next cold water, poured over her trembling body from metal vessels as women chanted hymns. They scrubbed her skin with turmeric and mud as if cleansing her soul for the fire. Naintara shivered, teeth chattering, lips pale.
Naintara
“I don’t want to die"
Naintara was crying badly but everybody simply ignored her tears.
Naintara
"Pl... please don't do this to me please"
The entire village had gathered near the ghat, where Narayan’s body had been laid on a pyre made of sandalwood and dried cow dung. His chest was adorned with garlands, and his face covered in saffron cloth. A thick silence hung in the air as Nainthara was brought forth barefoot, in her white saree, lips trembling.
The priest chanted louder this time, almost like a spell to numb their conscience.
Someone in the crowd murmured.
Villagers
“Yeh toh Devi banegi… kitna punya milega is pariwar ko.”
As Naintara was made to walk around the pyre, her eyes searched desperately for a savior, for someone who would say this was wrong, for someone who remembered she was just a girl.
Her feet stumbled. She fell. A bruise bloomed on her knee. No one offered a hand. They only urged her to get up and fulfill her kartavya.
At the final moment, the priest raised his voice.....
🗣️🗣️🗣️:- “Agni ke saamne antimsanskar! Tumhara pavitra samarpan!”
｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡
IMPORTANT NOTE THAT I DO NOT SUPPORT ALL THIS ACT IN REAL LIFE PLEASE UNDERSTAND THIS IS JUST A FICTIONAL STORY AND THERE ARE STILL FEW VILLAGES WHO FOLLOW SATI PRATHA! I'M NOT TRYING TO PROMOTE ANY VIOLENCE 😭!
I HOPE I'M CLEAR!
THANK YOU FOR READING!
I'M JUST TRYING TO WRITE SOMETHING NEW AND DIFFERENT THAT'S ALL.
Running away!
Two women grabbed Naintara’s arms, guiding her toward the wooden pyre. Her heart thudded so loud she couldn’t hear the chanting anymore. Only her own shallow breaths. Her cries were dry now. Her lips moved.
Naintara
"Please.... please don't do this to me.... please I...I...want to live please don't kill me...."
Naintara was protesting but they ignored her voice.
They forced her to sit beside the cørpse, tying her pallu to his fingers. The firewood creaked beneath her. The smell of ghee made her gag.
Suddenly she pushed them and removed her pallu from his finger forcefully and shouted
She screamed , a raw, desperate sound tearing from her throat.
Naintara
"You can't do this to me"
She cried, her voice trembling but loud enough to slice through the murmuring crowd. Her eyes, wide and frantic, darted from face to face searching for sympathy, for understanding but finding only cold, unblinking stares.
Villagers
"Ayeee ladki .... don't commit sin by doing this, follow the pratha quietly "
Radha Das( FL mother)
"Don't do this naina meri bacchi , We are following this pratha since decades , you can't stop it , our ancestors did and we are also bound to do it"
Chaos erupted around her. The priest stumbled back in shock. Women screamed curses. Men shouted for her to be caught. But Naintara didn’t wait.
The ground beneath her bare feet was rough, studded with stones and broken twigs, but she didn't feel the pain. The heavy white saree tangled around her ankles, slowing her down, but she gritted her teeth and pulled it up as she sprinted.
Naintara
**You can't stop now tara ..... it's now or never..... you can't stop now**
It was already getting darker and darker. I weather was not good either. The thunderstorm and raining heavily, everything was making difficult for her to run for her life.
She didn't know where she was going , only that she had to get away.
Away from the pyrè.
Away from the death they had planned for her. Away from everything she had once called home.
Shyam Das (FL father)
"I said stop naintara.....stop"
Her father shouted from behind.
Other villagers joined the chase, shouting, cursing her name, calling her wicked, possessed, a curse upon their land.
But she didn’t stop.
She ran harder, faster, even as the mud sucked at her feet, even as sharp branches scratched her arms and legs. The rain intensified, turning the narrow dirt paths into slippery trails. The wind howled, carrying with it the scent of wet earth and fear. Lightning lit up the twisted trees around her, making monstrous shadows. But even nature’s wrath felt kinder than the hands that had tried to burn her alive. Her chest heaved painfully. Her lungs begged for air. But she pushed on.
Naintara
💭Run tara, don't stop , they are cruel.💭
Ahead, through the curtain of rain, she spotted a small jhopdi ,an abandoned hut on the outskirts of the village, half hidden behind a clump of wild bushes. She stumbled toward it, praying it would offer some shelter, some hiding place. Throwing herself inside, she collapsed onto the damp, cracked floor.
The jhopdi smelled of mold and old straw. Rain dripped steadily through holes in the thatched roof, soaking her further. Rats scurrieds, but she didn’t care. She huddled into a corner, wrapping her trembling arms around her knees, trying to make herself invisible.
Naintara
"I... hope...they...d ... don't find me here"
Her body shook violently from the cold, from exhaustion, from terror. She could hear them outside. Voices shouting her name. Footsteps sloshing through the wet ground. Torches bobbing like fiery eyes in the darkness.
She pressed a hand over her mouth to silence her sobs, every muscle in her body aching with fear.
She prayed for har safety
Naintara
💭 Please bhagwan ji ... please don't let them find me please💭
She was just a girl.
A girl who had been dressed up like a bride and handed to a corpse. A girl who had never been asked what she wanted. A girl who refused to die for a tradition she never chose.
The minutes dragged by like hours.
Lightning flashed again, and for a moment, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in a puddle on the floor , a soaked, shivering ghost wrapped in white saree.
Was this what they wanted? A martyr?
She was a girl who wanted to live.
Outside, the voices grew fainter , some cursing her, others arguing.
Villagers
“She ran toward the forest!”
Villagers
“No, toward the river!”
Shyam Das (FL father)
“She’s hiding! Find her!”
The thought of being dragged back to that pyre, tied again to that cold, lifeless body, made bile rise in her throat.
She curled tighter into herself, closing her eyes, trying to block out the images: the flames, the faces, the betrayal in her parents’ eyes.
Silent tears streamed down her cheeks, mixing with the rain on her skin.
Naintara
What will happen to me now?
Even if she survived the night, where would she go?
She had no money. No allies. No voice.
But somewhere deep inside her, a tiny spark flickered.
She had something they didn’t expect. Something they couldn’t extinguish.
For the first time in her short life, Naintara understood that she was truly alone. And yet, there was a fierce, painful freedom in that loneliness.
No gods, no parents, no village would decide her fate anymore.
She would find a way , somehow , to survive.
｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡
How's it? Did you guys like it or its too senseless? Please share your opinion.
Thank you for reading!!! ｡◕‿◕｡🎀
OK bye mai chali ～>`)～～～～>`)～～～～>`)～～～
Stuck in forest!
Veeransh Raichand tightened his grip on the steering wheel. His car’s headlights barely cut through the darkness ahead. The village road was narrow, broken, and seemed to vanish completely in some patches.
Veeransh Raichand
"Kaha fhas gaya yaar ughhh!! Damn it ?!"
He cursed under his breath.
He shouldn’t have come here.
Everyone had warned him.
Veeransh Raichand
"I should have listened to them "
He remembered his PA's words
Veeransh's PA
"Don’t go to that side alone, Sir. It’s a remote village , no good roads, no network. Anything can happen."
Veeransh's PA
"Ma'am is really worried for you"
Veeransh's PA
"We can send anyone else instead of you ."
But Veeransh couldn’t trust anyone else with this deal. It was too important , the success of this business project would set the foundation for his future, for his and Aditi’s new life after marriage.
Aditi is his fiance and tomorrow they are getting married. she is the love of his life. Both love each other madly.
He was supposed to be in Lucknow tomorrow ,standing next to Aditi, promising her a lifetime together. Instead, here he was, stuck in a place that looked like the end of the world.
Veeransh Raichand
"I need to do something to get out of here and reach city side to take plane."
Suddenly, the car jolted and stopped with a loud clunk.
Veeransh Raichand
"What The Fuçk"
Veeransh tried to restart it.
The engine sputtered but refused to come back to life.
Veeransh Raichand
"Damn it!!!"
He slammed his palm against the steering wheel.
He grabbed his phone, desperate to call someone , Aditi, his father, anyone , but there was no network.
Just a mocking 'No Service' flashing on the screen.
Veeransh Raichand
"Ughhhh!!! How the hell I ended up here!!"
The rain kept pouring, heavier now, the wind howling through the trees like a pack of wolves.
He couldn't just sit here. If he stayed, he'd freeze in the car. Maybe he could find shelter, ask for help , anything to wait out the storm and figure out how to leave before morning.
Grabbing his jacket, he shoved open the car door and stepped out into the freezing rain.
The village seemed deserted. No lights. No sounds except the angry sky and the relentless rain.
Veeransh Raichand
"In which century these people are living? 18's?
Veeransh trudged forward, each step heavy, his shoes sinking into the muddy ground. He squinted into the dark, searching for anything , a house, a person, a sign of life.
Finally, through the heavy rain, he spotted something , a small, ramshackle jhopdi, half-hidden by wild overgrown bushes.
It looked abandoned, but it was the only option.
He hesitated for a second.
Then he pushed through the rain and reached the door. It wasn’t locked.
Veeransh Raichand
"Hello? Is anyone there?"
He called out, knocking on the wood.
The wind pushed the door open a little wider.
Veeransh peeked inside. It was pitch black, except for occasional flashes of lightning that briefly lit up the space.
The hut was small, crammed with broken furniture, bundles of cloth, and old farming tools tossed into corners.
It smelled damp and musty, like rain and rotting wood.
Veeransh Raichand
"I guess no one lives here"
Still, it was better than sitting outside, soaked to the bone.
He stepped inside, shivering slightly as water dripped from his jacket and hair.
Veeransh Raichand
"Is anyone really not here?"
He sighed, running a frustrated hand through his wet hair. Maybe whoever lived here had left. Maybe it truly was abandoned.
His boots crunched against the uneven floor as he moved toward a half-broken chair near the single tiny window. He pulled it closer to the door so he could hear or see if anyone approached.
He sat down heavily, elbows on his knees, staring out at the storm.
The rain was relentless.
The night seemed endless. And tomorrow... tomorrow was supposed to be the happiest day of his life.
Veeransh leaned back and closed his eyes briefly, exhaustion catching up with him.
He could already imagine Aditi pacing back and forth in her room, worried sick because he hadn’t called. Her family must be panicking too. They were childhood sweethearts , neighbors who had grown up sharing secrets, dreams, and promises. Aditi had been his anchor, his safe place, his everything.
And now he was stuck here , cold, alone, with no idea how he would get back in time.
Thunder rolled again, shaking the small hut.
Veeransh Raichand
"I sorry aditi for not listening to you"
Veeransh pulled his jacket tighter around himself.
As he sat there, staring out at the bleak night, he didn’t notice the faint sound of breathing from the far corner of the hut, hidden behind a pile of old sacks and broken farming tools. Nor did he see the faint movement , the slightest twitch of a soaked white saree.
Naintara lay crumpled on the floor, unconscious, hidden in the darkness.
If he had looked closely, he might have seen her , the pale outline of a girl huddled into herself, her skin bluish from the cold, her hair matted with rainwater and mud, her delicate frame trembling slightly even in unconsciousness.
But Veeransh was too wrapped up in his own storm to notice the other one hiding in the corner
Little did he know , his fate has another plan.
And nothing , not his wedding, not his dreams, not even his carefully planned life , would ever be the same again.
｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡｡◕‿◕｡
Download MangaToon APP on App Store and Google Play
