PARAJAY
(Defeat)
Tarini stared with wide eyes towards Arnav, was his mindset really so narrow? Did he not respect the pious relation between them? Was it so that only he had all rights on her and not she on him?
“Yes, you are right. You have all rights on your wife.”
Her heart clenched hearing those words.
“But those rights were provided to you in return of certain responsibilities that you needed to fulfil as her husband.” a
Arnav stood up in his royal aura and spoke with confidence.
“The responsibility to take care of her and your children, if not that, then at least fulfil their basic needs of food and cloth and be responsible for their safety and protect them. Isn't that what the man who is the head of a family supposed to do? You seemed to have failed to do so.
Then by what right are you exercising your so called rights on your wife ?
I would request the court to let charges of adultery and harassment be charged on this man!”
The man stared dumbfounded at Arnav. The crowd cheered for him yet Tarini sat indifferent to the situation. She suddenly was feeling very uncomfortable, irrespective of how logical his justification was.
“I agree with the Yuvraj. Lady, if you wish to leave this man you can do so. The court and the priest shall not object your decision.”said Guru Devikrupa. “You may tell the court your decision later.” The couple left the court.
The sage turned to Arnav, “ I would like to ask you something. By what you said before did you mean to say that if the man would have fulfilled all his responsibilities as that woman’s husband he would have had the right to enforce his ego on her, making her helpless?”
“Sir, she could never have been helpless, she was Shakti (the main female goddess in Indian mythology) incarnate like all the other women here. Moreover, how ever good or responsible anyone might be, no one has the right to exercise his will on somebody, may that be a lady or a man.”
The court cheered again while Shyam frowned and Tarini remained stuck to her seat.
“About adultery, Yuvraj Shyam, your father married two women. Can that also be considered a case of adultery?” The sage turned towards Shyam.
Mayuri sat uncomfortable on hearing that. All her life she had blamed her husband for marrying another woman. In fact she had killed him as a culmination of the hatred she had piled up in her mind and today, when he was blamed of adultery, she was feeling uncomfortable? Had she been wrong to have thought that Aryaman never treated her well?
“We are kings. We belong to the highest caste and by this attribute we are allowed to do whatever we wish. It is wrong of you to blame my father. The common man has no right to do anything like this because he is common.”
Mayuri frowned even more at this. Was this what her son thought?
That moment was when she realised that she had failed as a parent while trying to justify her vengeance. The thought process of a child is affected more by the parents than other factors. It was that moment when she realised that may whoever win in this competition, it shall only be her defeat. If Shyam loses, it shall be her defeat as a mother - she failed to make him worthy enough. If Arnav loses, it shall be her defeat as an Empress- she failed to provide the throne what it deserved. Mayuri saw her life flashing in front of her and sobbed.
The saint sighed and turned towards Arnav.
“Sir, I too don't think my father was wrong in any way. Firstly, adultery means cheating on your spouse. My father was legally and religiously married to both his queens i.e both my mothers. He hadn't cheated on any of them with a woman who was not his wife.
Kings are inflicted in both political and personal matters. Marriages in the royal households signify friendship between two states ensuring that peace prevails in this world. My father’s motives weren’t wrong; he was a young victim of politics just like most of us princes are. So, I don't think it was his fault he fell in love with my mother even though he was already married.”
Tarini covered her face with her veil to hide the tears flowing down her cheeks. So does Arnav consider them also as a victim of politics? Does she mean nothing to him but a token of friendship between Padmadurg and Aaranya?
Impressed with the answers, the sage left to announce the last round of the competition which was going to test physical strength. The crowd dispersed towards the ground where the fight was going to be held. Tarini wiped her tears and ran away to her room. The moment demanded solace!
*********************
Swordsfight, armourship, wrestling, archery and other games continued in the royal grounds between opponents Arnav and Shyam.
But the actual fight was going on in Tarini’s mind, between opponents herself and herself. Her life had diminished to a mere political issue and nothing else.
Her father was killed for the throne by Shashi just a few hours befor her birth. She was adopted by Shashi because of the prophecy.
Her whole childhood she had been ignored by everyone as they were jealous of her being the rightful heir to the throne. Here again, politics!
All her life her dreams had been driven by her lust for power. How she longed to be represented, to be acknowledged and to have a say! Politics had affected her mental health.
She was married to the younger prince of Aaranya as a compensation for all the loss suffered in a ghastly war...a politically arranged alliance.
And now love... forget the thought of it!
Whatever happened was just all dirty politics for a damned throne!
She cried her heart aloud, why couldn’t her life be simple and not just a political mess? Why couldn’t she have been Arnav’s love and not the compensation offered to him?
“Isn't that our life, Tarini?” Sayantani came and put her hand on Tarini’s head.
“ People think that the life of a princess is a bed of roses. They think that we are always treated royally with love and care. This is not the complete truth. We, princesses are the same rose petals which get trampled under the king’s marriage processions.” Sayantani sobbed thinking about the ugly truth of her life. She never wanted to get married to Shyam. It was only for the love she wanted from her parents that she had let herself get married to him.
“Didi, what is my fault in all this that this is my fate... that my husband said that it won't be wrong to find a second wife for love purpose? Don't I have a right on that love?”
“Men are selfish, Tarini. I don't think they can give up their whole family for a new person in their life like we women can. We can't change this society.
Now, come to the ground. I wish that your husband wins. You surely deseve a better fate.” saying this Sayantani left for the ground.
Tarini heard loud cheers for her husband from the grounds. He must have won. She wiped her tears, put on a smile on her face and proceeded to fulfil her duties as his wife.
************
Aman and Aakash carried Arnav on their shoulders while the crowd followed them enthusiastically. Everybody except Shyam and Mayuri seemed more than happy. Everyone was praising him but his eyes were only searching for one person Khushi, his empress ...he smirked at his thought.
He noticed her coming with a puja ki thaal in her hands, her head covered in her saree pallu. He felt happy on seeing her until he noticed that her eyes were glistened with tears, an unknown sadness peeped through her face although it showed a decent smile. What happened to her? Did Mayuri again say something to her?
He descended from Aman and Akash’s shoulders and took steps towards his Khushi. She raised her head to face him and started circling the diya in front of him. She applied sandalwood and kumkum on his forehead and sprinkled rose water on him. She then touched his feet. He kept his hand on her head and then lifted her by her shoulders. With his eyes he questioned her about her sadness. She smiled slightly to him.
*******************
Everyone reached the court and waited for the saint to announce the results, although everybody knew the result already.
Arnav stood beside Tarinii, held her hand softly and smiled towards her. Little did he know how humongous the words he said had felt over her small heart Little did he know how much his ignorant yet truthful words had hurt her.
The saint came forward to make the announcement.
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