Check out the theme here: A Retelling of Valli and Karttikeya’s Love Story
This post is a part of BlogchatterA2Z Challenge 2026.
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Valli and her family returned home that night feeling energized and satisfied. Her parents breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Valli laughing and teasing her brothers as before. She was no longer depressed or lost in thought. The fasting made her hungry, and she ate everything served on her plate.
The priest called by the old woman blessed her by giving her a small bowl of kumkum and a peacock’s feather. He had collected the fallen feathers from the forest, purified and used them in worshipping Skanda for forty-one days. He kept them safely and would distribute them to people who needed an extra touch of blessings.
Mangai hugged Valli and smiled. “Murugan has removed the evil spirit from you. The ceremony was a success.”
Valli looked confused. “What evil spirit, Amma?”
“Nothing for you to worry about. Now rest.” Mangai shooed her daughter into the little room that was hers alone.
Valli removed her beads and the flowers from her hair, smiling to herself. She forgot everything else except the words spoken from the murti. Karttikeya had whispered that he would come to meet her at night, as he missed her too much. She sat near the open window fitted with sturdy sticks as bars to prevent animals and people from entering. Since he was a deva, Valli wasn’t worried about how he would come into her room.
“Valli, my devi!” he said, appearing outside the window at random. She jumped and squeaked a little before clamping her mouth shut with her hand.
“Oh, Skanda! Murugan! You scared me! I missed you so much!” She said, stretching her arms through the bars to touch him. “Come inside.”
“You come outside,” he said.
She nodded. In an instant, she was standing outside the window with his arms around her. Valli let out a soft laugh. “I still haven’t gotten used to your maya!”
“You will when you use yours,” he promised and carried her into the forest.
“Why didn’t you come to me earlier? You could have woken me up,” Valli said.
They settled in the forest clearing under a large banyan tree. The night sky, with a multitude of stars and a pearly white moon, shone overhead, illuminating the trees and turning them into ethereal beings.
“I am the protector of your village, and that makes me a guardian. I cannot step inside until I am invited.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this? I would have invited you!”
Skanda shook his head. “It had to be done with a ritual, like the one that happened in the evening. The invitation has to come from the village elders. That’s why I had first asked Nila to help me meet you, but you were so tired that I told her not to set it up the next day.”
Valli looked up at him with a soft smile. “The harvest is almost over.”
“I know. I’ve been watching all of you. What have you thought about us?” Skanda hoped they could marry soon. He wanted to take her home to Tanikai. Since Ganesa had stepped in to help, he had received a summons from his parents, asking him to bring his bride at the earliest. Devasena, too, sent a message saying she was eager to meet her sister.
“What do you suggest, Skanda?” Valli asked instead of answering his question. A part of her wanted to marry him right away, while another part wanted to wait until after her brothers’ weddings. She was torn and more than happy for someone else to decide on her behalf.
Karttikeya kissed her nose and shook his head. “You decide. I won’t do it for you.”
She let out a frustrated sigh. He laughed and held her close, humming a song often sung by the gandharvas when wooing someone they liked.
Valli felt peaceful as sleep took over. She didn’t even realize when she dozed off in his arms until he whispered and gave her a little shake. “The villagers are coming. I’ll drop you home and leave.”
“No!” She held him tight, and even as he transported them to her room. “No. I’ll come with you.”
“You will?”
Valli nodded. “Yes, take me with you.”
