The cost of astrology

So, it had started few months back. I was low on life, low on luck, low on everything.I am a firm believer of destiny. But somehow, during that time, I packed that belief in the closet of my mind. I didn't like what was happening to my life. So, I asked my mom to seek some astrological advice from an expert. When life takes a negative turn, rationality and open mindedness ceases to exist. I wanted to be told that yes, my stars were not in the right positions, and that it was not my fault that nothing in my life was going right. And the 'astrologer' did just that. He told me that malai brihaspati ko dasha lageko cha (I had something wrong with my brihaspati). He asked me to do the following things:

1. Kera ko bot ko puja every Thursday. (Pahelo luga lagayera)

2. Thursday ko barta (by barta I mean a real kind of fasting. I eat only yellowish fruits--count oranges only)

3. Wear a gold ring with yellow sapphire on it

So, the first two options were not too difficult for me. I have done them in the past. The difficult part was finding kera ko bot in Kathmandu, and yes, I dont have any yellow color ko luga. But, somehow, I solved both the problems. Fasting is not a big deal for me. I used to fast a lot just a couple of years back. I used to fast every Tuesdays, then after I was told that girls don't fast on Tuesdays, I started fasting every Monday. I used to fast during the nine days of Durga Puja (Navaratri), I fasted for 21 Fridays and used to eat only at night after taking a bath (regardless of the cold) and doing puja. I still fast during Shivaratris, on Mondays during Shrawan, and few other days. Don't judge me, please. Many people laugh at me for fasting, making me feel embarrassed. But I think fasting once a week is very healthy. Anyway, I have already fasted for 5 Thursdays, and it has not been very difficult.

So, the most difficult part was the third option. I have never shopped for gold on my own. I don't know which shops sell original yellow sapphire and which sell the fake ones while claiming them to be real. I was in a state of fix for the last one month. I visited a lot of shops in the meantime, but I couldn't decide who to trust. So, I turned up to my aunt and today, I visited a shop in New Road to order for my ring. The shopkeeper gave us a lot of options so as to help us decide. I decided on a medium size sapphire some 7.5 carat (which he claimed to be the perfect choice), on 22 carat gold to be weighed 4 gram approx. He diligently made his calculations. When he turned the calculator towards me, I wished I hadn't come to the shop, I wished I hadn't complained about my bad luck, I wished my mom had not consulted the astrologer, I wished the astrologer had not recommended the third option to me, and I wished so many other wishes.

But it was too late. I had no choice. So, I agreed to pay to the shopkeeper what he had quoted (BTW, it was a discounted price, thanks to my aunt). I am supposed to pick the ring on Tuesday and wear it for the first time on Thursday. I hope that the golden ring with the yellow sapphire brings me enough luck so that I can at least get back the value of the money I have splurged on it!