Page 11

I breathed heavily, rubbing the Haldi off my skin harshly.

Even though I was able to scrub off the dried paste, the touch he implanted all over my body persisted.

I was reminded of what had just happened.

No, , don't think about him!

Focus.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath.

I needed to concentrate to think clearly.

Undressing, I stepped into the pool to cleanse myself.

I let the cool water glide over my body, washing away the heat of his scent from my skin.

Yet, my mind kept racing with thoughts of what had happened in the chamber earlier.

The way he kissed me, the way he smelled me like I was some drug, and the way he claimed me.

His touches were indelible, enchanting almost, something I had never felt before, something that would keep haunting me.

I always dreamt of something similar, but it was beyond my imagination when he did that for real.

Once I finished bathing, I changed into my nightgown and lay on the bed, hoping to get some sleep.

But thoughts kept lurking in my mind about everything that had happened with him.

Until now, I had been worried about the wedding and the King, but my true source of distress was Rudra.

Whatever he did to me was too intense and harmful; it lingered permanently in my mind.

His rough hands pressed against my back, his grip firm on my wrists, his commanding eyes peering down at me...

No.

Stop, , just sleep.

Don't let his actions haunt you.

I closed my eyes, and after a long time, I fell asleep.

I woke up to a blaring knock on my door.

“, open the door.”

Ruhani's voice reached my ears with a tinge of urgency and worry, prompting me to immediately step down from the bed and open the door.

She was panting and appeared anxious.

“What happened?”

I asked, and she closed the door.

“You did not tell me.

How dare you?”

she exclaimed, shooting me a deadly glare.

I frowned, not understanding what she meant.

“What?”

I asked, and as she walked closer, she said, “Your lover, Rudra.”

Something just dropped in my stomach hearing his name from her.

“There wasn't anything to tell,”

She raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms in front of her.

“Really? I want to know everything,”

she demanded, and I sighed tiringly.

“Wait, what?”

She brought her hand close to my chin and tilted my face to the side.

“Don't tell me he was here last night,”

she murmured in shock.

I sat on the couch, palming my face.

“Yes, he was here last night and gave me a warning about the wedding,”

I said, looking at her.

She sat beside me and spoke cautiously, “Do you even know what he is planning? And first of all, what actually happened between you two?”

“Ruhani, I was in love with this man, like, so much in love.

I was ready to do anything for him—anything! One night, I slept with him, and later that morning, he left with a letter that screamed, ‘an eye for an eye.’ Revenge,”

I answered, and she shrieked with wide eyes.

“What?? What did he do? I mean, what happened?”

she questioned.

I sighed in exhaustion.

“We decided to spend a night together, but he gave me something which caused me to fall unconscious, and I'm not sure if he did something.

He finally left with a letter which read ‘A scar your family gave to mine and a scar I give back to yours’, and now I hate him so much.

Like, he crossed all the limits for revenge,”

“What revenge?”

she asked.

“Well, my mother was promised to his father some twenty years ago,”

I started, “Back then, my mother didn't know that it was just his dirty game and that he was a man in his late forties.

My father ended up marrying her forcibly, and his father decided to take revenge, which my mother almost ended by killing him when he abducted her.

So, Rudra is avenging his father, who died because of my parents.

And in all of this, he has now involved me.

So I decided to marry….”

I braced myself and revealed the truth to her.

“...

his uncle, who is around eight years old, and Rudra is so furious about it.

He doesn't want me to get married to him,”

I finished, and an instant scream left her mouth.

“Why the heck are you marrying his uncle? That’s such an absurd decision, .

Stop this,”

I swallowed a heavy lump down my throat.

“No, I can't, Ruhani.

It's really complicated.

Rudra is a hot-headed and wicked man.

He knows nothing but his revenge.

If I didn’t stop him, he would win the throne of Suryagarh, a kingdom whose king is an old man, and after getting a kingdom that is practically stronger than us, he would attack us,”

She cut me off in the middle, “Then let him attack.

Maamujaan is strong, your brother is strong, they will take care of it.

You do not have to do this.”

“No, I cannot sacrifice a thousand soldiers and risk my brother's and father's lives for a mere revenge.

He must understand that what he is doing is wrong and that his thoughts of revenge are completely unfounded.

His realisation will be of no use after thousands die.

It will muddle everything up.

I simply chose a way that is easy to stop him,”

I stated.

She held her head in exasperation.

“Do you know what he is planning?”

she asked concernedly.

She was upset and angry, altogether. “What?”

I asked cluelessly.

“He is planning to kidnap you,”

She informed me, and I rose from the couch.

“What?????”

“Yes.

He met Aahil last night and talked about it,”

She explained.

“What??? When?? Why?”

I asked and she stood up.

“Because what you are doing is wrong, .

You cannot just put your life at stake.

What option have you left him with? I’m with him in this.

You don't want war, but you're not listening to anyone, and you're being stubborn.

Why don't you understand that no one wants to see you getting married to that old man just because you want to teach him a so-called lesson? This is not done. Forget him, I will kidnap you and plan your escape from this wedding,”

she spewed, angrily, and suddenly, what he said last night made sense.

How could he kidnap me? How could he come up with such a plan? It was wrong.

Why wouldn't he just leave me be?

“But, how can he kidnap me?”

I asked, and she sighed.

“I do not know.

Aahil does,”

“And what did he say?”

I asked, referring to her husband, Sultan Aahil.

“He did not say anything.

However, upon examining the situation, I believe it is best to support him rather than you.

Because you clearly have decided to ruin your life.

At least someone is trying to make things right for you,”

my eyes widened as I listened to her.

“How can you say that? You are my cousin, my friend.

How can you take his side? This is so wrong,”

I stated, and she looked at me with determination.

“Either you are calling off this wedding with that old man, or when Rudra does something to stop the wedding, Aahil and I will be by his side.

Do you understand?”

She warned me, and I gave her an incredulous look.

“What do you mean?”

I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

“I mean, if we cannot do anything to stop the wedding, we surely wouldn't do anything if he tried to abduct you,”

She finished, and I gaped at her statement.

“Unbelievable!”

I huffed.

She turned on her heels and walked out of the chamber.

I plopped on the couch and pulled my hair in frustration.

Urgghhh, I hate you, Rudra.

You are turning my family against me.

I palmed my face.

How could he be so evil?

Suddenly, there was another knock at the door.

I went to open it, and my gaze fell upon a woman in her fifties, whom I didn't seem to recognize.

She stepped inside in haste, and I asked, “What? Who are you? You do not belong here.”

She immediately nodded and closed the door behind her.

I sensed something was wrong when she urgently said, “King Surgami Dev Singh has sent me here.”

My lips formed an ‘o’.

“Why? Why did he send you?”

I asked, and she muttered in a low tone.

“I’m a physician and I’m here to check on your virginity.

Please lie down on the bed, and pull up your skirt,”

she stated, and I pursed my lips.

“Ohh, the test,”

I gulped with fear, taking small, steady steps as I walked towards the bed.

As she said, I lay on the bed and pulled my skirt to my knees.

She stepped closer and parted my legs.

I prayed to God when I felt her touch my core with her fingers.

It felt so awkward, embarrassing, and frightening.

But it was vital as I had to prove my loyalty to him and make him trust me.

For a man like him, it mattered.

She pushed her fingers inside, without warning, making me cry in pain.

“Aauucchhh…”

Tears collected in my eyes, and she stood up, washing her hands in the bowl on the table.

I blinked nervously and asked, “Done?”

She nodded, and I tried to stand up but felt slightly uneasy.

I walked near her to ask, “So, what do you think? What are you going to tell him?”

She gulped, looking straight into my eyes.

“I cannot say…”

she stated, and I asked dumbfounded, “What??? But you just checked me,”

she sighed.

“Your entrance is a little loose, so I cannot decipher it right,”

she added, and my mouth hung open.

“There must be a reason for it.”

A lone tear escaped my eye when she responded, “Perhaps intercourse is the reason,”

and walked out of the chamber.

I sat on the couch, holding my face, trying to control my tears and anger.

How could he? How could he do it? How on earth did he manage to do it after making me unconscious?

I jerked the copper jug on the table nearby with all my force, releasing my anger.

HOW COULD YOU, RUDRA? HOW DARE YOU? I HATE YOU.

I HATE YOU SO MUCH!!! I screamed my heart out, bursting into tears, dropping to the floor.

It was my wedding the next day, and if the Physician told the King about it, I'd be done.

My plan would be ruined, and he would win.

I had to do something.

***

“Look at you,”

Ruhani's awestruck voice caught my attention, and I turned to the mirror.

The simple green lehenga complemented my fair complexion beautifully, and my braided hair fell elegantly down my back.

I left my hands empty for my Mehendi Ceremony.

“Shall we go?”

Ruhani asked, and I nodded.

My mind was engrossed in thoughts about what Rudra was planning and the physician’s words.

I hated him for doing that when I wasn't in my right mind.

Such a coward!

We reached the hall where the rituals were performed, and my mother sat me on a couch.

As soon as I stretched my hands towards the henna artists, they began designing.

It was almost evening when the artists were halfway through the mehendi.

I looked at people roaming from pillar to post, preparing for the wedding.

“Show me,”

Ruhani peeked at my hands, beside me, commenting on how beautiful the design looked.

“Why don't you start applying it too?”

I asked her, and with a smile, she answered.

“I’ve got to change before that, because once I get my mehendi applied, I’ll not be able to change and sleeping in these heavy dresses is a nightmare,”

I chuckled, leaning close to her.

“Why bother?”

I whispered, “Apply the henna and let your husband do the rest,”

I teased, and she blushed at my remark.

“Ruhani, come here,”

my aunt suddenly called, and Ruhani ran to her joyously, spotting her in the middle of the hall, all set to dance.

The women present started playing the instruments, including the tabla and dholak28, and I laughed, looking at the mother-daughter duo, dancing with other ladies to folk music, twirling and twisting their hands in the air.

The sweet tinkling of their anklets and the voice of women singing and giggling echoed in the room, creating a festive atmosphere.

“Ohhh my goddd!”

Ruhani's father and other men stepped into the hall, complaining playfully, “No one invited us for such an exclusive show.”

He joined the women and began swaying his hips with them.

My stomach ached from all the laughter as I looked at them having fun.

Surprisingly, I noticed Haider joining them as well.

“Woahhh,”

People cheered for them, and my aunt pulled my mother into the group.

She adjusted her dupatta, and Ruhani's father let the ladies take the dance floor.

My mother started dancing with grace, tuning her steps to the music, and I finally saw her happy face after so long.

Ruhani held my arms, dragging me into the middle of the hall.

“Let's dance,”

she insisted.

“No, Ruhani, I am good,”

I said.

She held my shoulders and mouthed, “Come on, for once, loosen up, please.

You deserve all the happiness.”

I gave her a weak smile and agreed to her wish.

“Alright,”

I said, joining her but being careful with my sticky, half-done henna hands so as not to smudge them on anyone.

I matched everyone's steps, and my lips curved into the broadest smile as I started to enjoy the dance.

My heavy lehenga flared out as I spun around.

My grandmother walked towards me, and taking a tinge of kohl from the corner of her eyes, she fondly applied it behind my ears.

A sudden prickle ran down my spine as I sensed someone's gaze upon me.

Looking around, my eyes fell on a shadow, standing behind a pillar, which made me halt my moves.

I craned my neck further to see if it was who I thought it was.

And yes, there he was, in the far corner, standing away from everyone's sight, leaning against the wall, staring at me.

His intense gaze paralysed me for a good few seconds.

But the words of the physician crossed my mind, and shooting a death glare his way, I got back to dancing.

Taking a couple of spins, I again looked in his direction, but I didn't find him there anymore.

“Come here,”

Ruhani's call brought me out of my reverie.

She walked me to the couch, where the artists resumed the design to finish my henna.

My mind was once again in a haze.

The wedding, the betrayal, the hate, the decisions I made, whatever I was going through, really hit my nerves.

But I had to think of a way to win the king's trust.

“....

husband's name to be designed?”

The henna artist looked at me questioningly.

“What?”

I couldn't pay attention to what she said.

“The groom's name.

Do you want it designed?”

she repeated, and I didn't know what to say.

“No,”

I said, and she blinked at me, clueless, but eventually got back to her work.

The ceremony continued until late in the evening.

By the end of the day, the king of Suryagarh and his convoy arrived.

My heart filled with anxiousness, hearing the news.

The King was here, and the physician would tell him everything.

I wasn't fretting about my virginity; it was just the perception of people, but I did not want the King to bring up such an issue.

Moreover, I did not wish for my plan to fail.

“,”

As I stepped inside my chamber, Suman followed suit.

“The King has settled in the guest chamber,”

she informed me, and I nodded, looking at her.

“Stop the physician from reaching the King before I see him,”

I said.

She frowned at me.

“What are you suggesting?”

She asked and I cautiously said, “Aiming two targets with one arrow.

A night with the king, so he wouldn't question my dignity and stop Rudra from making any further plans,”

“What???”

she looked at me, horrified, and I glared at her, reminding her about the volume of her voice.

“What???”

she asked again, but in a low tone, and I nodded.

“But, , it's dangerous and wrong and … you cannot do this…you should not do this,”

her words dripped with dismay as she spoke breathlessly, and I smiled at her.

“Everything is fair in love and war.

And, ironically, we have had both.

It was love between us, but now it’s war.

So everything is fair for me,”

I said bitterly, and she restlessly shifted her weight from one foot to another.

“, please reconsider your decision.

This is too dangerous—”

“No, it is not,”

I said, cutting her off.

She frowned at my reply.

“What do you mean?”

“You just have to get me an herb that will make the king lose consciousness because, obviously, I'm not going to sleep with him for real; I'll just pretend I did.”

Taking her hands in mine, I instructed my plan.

“And, you will go and bring Rudra.

So, when he catches me sneaking out of the king’s chamber in the middle of the night, he can reconsider his decision of kidnapping me.”

She was panic-stricken by the time I finished.

“No, you will not do this.

If you want to be with him, talk to him, fight with him.

But please, not this,”

“Ssshhh,”

I shushed her.

Holding her shoulders, I said, “This is between him and me, Suman.

He started this dirty game, so let me end it his way.

" She tried to oppose, but I stopped her.

“Just do as I say. For now, help me get this henna off and bring me a dress to change into.”

She looked at me, confused, but eventually did what I said.

She returned with a bowl of oil, and we rubbed the henna off my hands.

Later, when I returned to my chamber after changing my clothes, I heard a knock on my door.

I opened the door and found my parents standing with a big platter in their hands.

They stepped inside, and my father said, “We thought maybe we could have dinner together.”

My lips wobbled, and I stuttered with a heavy voice, “You should have called me.”

My mother placed the plate on the table and lovingly patted my head.

“It's alright.

Come, sit,”

I said, nodding as I settled between them on the couch.

As my father fed me the first morsel so affectionately, I couldn't tame my tears anymore.

“I don't know why our ancestors created such a ritual, but it is a tragic reality that daughters are meant to leave their parents and families behind.

Tomorrow is your last day in the Kingdom.

And since it is the demand of the tradition, we too have to bid farewell,”

my mother’s voice turned hoarse, as if she was restraining herself from crying.

“, it's not late yet,”

my father interrupted.

I would be the happiest to hear that you have changed your mind about marrying that old man.

We will find you a better suitor—someone your age, someone brave, someone you truly deserve.

And don't worry about the consequences—we can handle them,” he said.

“Baapusa, I have grown up spending a lot of time with normal people, the wives of the soldiers, their kids, their mothers.

We royals live in our palaces happily with our family, assured that the soldiers who serve us day and night will take care of our safety,”

I softly pressed on the seriousness of the matter.

“But these soldiers have a family too, who long for them.

So, how can I break their hope by risking the lives of their loved ones when I can simply establish a peace treaty between the two kingdoms? I’m sorry, but I cannot let that happen, especially when I'm the root cause,”

I illustrated the whole scenario, and he sighed sharply.

“So you will stand by your decision?”

“Very much,”

I confirmed, and we again got back to feeding each other, living the last few blissful moments as a daughter.

None of us mentioned my brother throughout our conversation, but I knew they were hurt. So much.

We called it a night, and I locked the door once they left.

I had to get back to work.

At midnight, I covered my head with the veil and tiptoed out of my chamber, being on alert to avoid getting caught.

Once I reached the king's chamber, I noticed that Rudra was not present.

The soldiers who were guarding looked at me, and I respectfully asked them to inform the king of my arrival.

Suman stood behind me holding a tray.

Once the king permitted, the soldiers let us in.

As we stepped inside, I saw the king preparing for the night.

“! What are you doing here at this time of night?”

He looked at me, surprised.

Cold sweats drenched my forehead and palms as I contemplated the possible consequences this plan could cause.

“I do not mean to cause you any inconvenience, your majesty, but I am here to have a word with you,”

I clarified politely.

“What is it?” he asked.

“The vaidya earlier today had me examined.

But for some reason, she could not quite establish whether I was chaste or not,”

I said, and he tried interpreting.

“But I am,”

I immediately clarified and continued, “I've never been touched before.

I don't know what confused her, but now that I’m here, why don't you find it yourself?”

I justified myself.

He looked at me, perplexed, and I added, “You are an experienced man, Your Majesty.

I believe you know better, and since we are getting married tomorrow, I don't see a problem with it,” I stated.

By then, Suman had served the juice in a glass she had brought with her.

Placing it on the tray, she walked toward the king.

“If you accept this glass of juice, I’ll take it, you accept my proposal,”

I offered.

He seemed uncertain initially, but picked up the glass anyway, giving a lewd smirk.

“Sure,”

He agreed, sipping the juice, and ordered me, Suman, to leave us alone.

My heart shuddered at the thought of being alone in the same room as him.

“Come, join me in the bed,”

a painful shiver crawled up my spine, when he softly beckoned me.

I could see him lying on the bed through my veil.

Hoping he'll lose consciousness soon, I steadily stepped towards the bed.

By the time I reached closer to the edge, I looked at him, blinking rapidly, shaking his head, and soon he passed out.

“Phew….”

I heaved a sigh of relief and immediately strode towards the exit, but stopped midway.

I couldn't leave until Rudra returned to guard the chamber and see me sneaking out.

That was the whole reason for the plan.

I waited past midnight when the sound of a cuckoo caught my ears in the distance.

It was perhaps Suman, because I asked her to let me know as soon as Rudra got back on duty.

I ruffled my hair a little, letting a few strands fall free, removed some of my bangles, and pinched my cheeks to make them red, hoping it would look like I was blushing.

Bracing myself, I opened the door, and Rudra turned to look at me.

His usually guarded face was struck with absolute shock, and he scrutinized me from head to toe.