Chapter 53

In the morning

Rudra was sleeping. Birju comes and wake him up.

Birju: wake up king. You are late. Everyone is waiting for you.

Rudra murmers in sleep.

Birju: go away let me sleep. I was awake till midnight.

Birju: your wife is waiting for you.

Rudra quickly gets up from bed and panics.

Rudra: I am late why you didn't awake me?

Birju: huh!! This was the 5^th time I came to awake you nd you are blaming me.

Rudra: whatever.i am late..dai maa is gonna kill me.

Rudra goes to take bath. Everyone was waiting for him in pooja room. Dai maa was sternly looking at the door. Rudra and birju comes running. Dai maa gives him a stern look. Shambhavi was standing behind dai maa so he wasn't able to see her. He goes near dai maa.

Dai maa: you are late..learn something from your wife. She got up early morning.

Dai maa moves aside. Rudra steps forward and looks at shambhavi who was looking heavenly beautiful. He looks at her lovingly and she blushes. They perform the pooja together. After the pooja they were in the courtroom. Baldev and birju were checking the preperations for their journey. Vajramitra asks

Vajramitra: all the preperations are done.

Baldev: yes all the preperations are done.

Gopal and radha maa goes to vajramitra and asks.

Gopal: gopal..as you know rudra and shambhavi are coming to kalpi. So we want them to stay with us for a day if it is ok with you.

Rudra and shambhavi becomes happy hearing this. Vajramitra says

Vajramitra: of course gopal. They are your children too. No need to ask for my permission.

Gopal and radha maa becomes elated hearing this. Dai maa says

Dai maa: we should leave now. It's a very long journey. First we have to go our kuldevta's mandir.

Except vajramitra and baldev all left with rudra and shambhavi for their kuldevi and kuldevta's pooja. All the ladies were in the carriage and men on horses. Gopal looks at rudra who was a bit sad.

Gopal: what happened rudra? You look sad.

Rudra sighs but doesn't say anything. Birju pulls his leg.

Birju: he is upset coz he had to spend last night alone.

Gopal: oh I see!! But you can't do anything rituals are rituals

Rudra pouts nods in yes. After few hours they reach rudra's kuldevta's mandir. It was a beautiful mandir of lord shiva.shambhavi comes outside the carriage and becomes mesmerized seeing the beauty of temple.rudra and shambhavi goes inside the inside the mandir. After the pooja shambhavi put her kum kum filled hand impression on the wall of the temple. They pray for each other's happiness. Everyone goes outside the mandir. Shambhavi also turned to leave but rudra holds her hand. Shambhavi looks at him surprisingly

Shambhavi: rudra not here.. we are in temple.

Rudra: this wait is killing me.i can't wait.

Shambhavi was about to say something but dai maa called them to hurry up. She pouts and left from there leaving an annoyed rudra.

In the afternoon.

While they were going to kalpi Sameeksha says

sameeksha: shambhavi I know what you are thinking..let him crave a bit more for you..the more he'll stay away from you the more he'll love you.

Sameeksha:let me and birju tease him a bit more. What say maa and radha maa?

Dai maa and radha maa nods in yes.Shambhavi lowers her eyes blushingly.

It was almost night when they reach the village. They were welcomed by everyone in the village. Village's head himself comes to welcome them.the village people were elated with their arrival. Everyone becomes humbled with such a warm welcome.Gopal says.

Gopal: the temple is not far from here. Come let me show you the place to stay.its not upto your standards but we'll try our best to make you comfortable.

Rudra: baba you call us our children and still saying like that. We don't want any special treatment. We'll stay like everyone else in the village.

Everyone nods in yes.the boys goes with gopal and girls with radha maa Radha maa takes shambhavi in the same cottage where she and rudra stayed.shambhavi reminisces all the moments when she entered in the cottage. She sits on the bed and softly stirs her hand on it. She closes her eyes and reminisces when she and rudra came closer for the first time. When She was lost in those memories someone opened the door and comes inside.it was rudra. She opens her eyes and gets up..he goes near. He knew what she was thinking. He lovingly cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead. He hugs him and he hugs her back.

Shambhavi: here we came closer for the first time. At that time I didn't knew that you'll became my life.

Rudra: even I didn't know that I'll become my life's life.

When they were lost in each other's arms. Birju clears his throat from outside the cottage forcing them to break their hug. Rudra gets irritated and says.

Rudra: what now? Why can't I just spend a few moments with my wife? Have I done anything wrong?

Rudra becomes super annoyed and left from there in anger. Shambhavi sadly watches him going.

In the morning

Rudra and shambhavi goes to her kuldevi's mandir. Rudra sarcastically said.

Shambhavi: atlast we have reached your kuldevi's mandir.

Shambhavi glares at him. Together they perform pooja and she puts kumkum filled handprints on the wall. Rudra was relieved that finally all the rituals are over.they came back to village. They all were sitting together chatting and laughing happily. rudra whispers in shambhavi's ear.

rudra: rituals are over.you know what that means..you will be punished for teasing me.

Shambhavi: what would you do? I think I saw a glimpse of your teasing two months ago.

Rudra: trust me.. you didn't see the half of my teasing..

Sameeksha signals dai maa dn she understands what to do.

Dai maa: umm rudra.. there are few more rituals left

Rudra: what? But you said that only kuldevta's pooja is left.

Dai maa: yes I forgot to tell you there are some more..

Rudra couldn't believe what he heard. He was just looking at dai maa in disbelief. Everyone looked at him and tried hard to control their laughter. After a while everyone starts laughing even shambhavi. Rudra looks at everyone strangely.

Sameeksha: we were just teasing you..no more rituals are left.

Rudra gets angry and say.

Rudra: is something written on my face like come and tease me?

He left from there in anger. Everyone cursed themselves for getting away with their teasing.shambhavi looks at dai maa worried and she smiles and nods in yes. Hours passed but he didn't return. Shambhavi was getting extremely worried. She cursed herself for teasing him. she was amazed to see no one bothered about his disappearance. She sends birju to find rudra. Birju goes to find him.

At night.

Shambhavi was alone in her cottage and was crying. Neither birju nor rudra has returned. She was about to go outside to tell everyone but suddenly birju enters. He was panicked and was breathing heavily. He says.

Rudra: queen..come with me..rudra rudra..

Shambhavi: what happened to him? And why are you so panicked?

Birju: I don't have time to tell plz come with me. He is not well..something has happened to him..

Birju goes outside the palace. Shambhavi couldn't understand what to do. she become devastated and cries even more.she goes behind birju.