Chapter 160

Thank you to all my darling readers and Comrades for your love! I am a little too occupied with college and things, so cannot detail on my pre-note like I could in the last few chapters. But I assure you, I read every one of your comments and I love each one of you, especially those who fearlessly step forward to express what they felt on reading the chapters. Every comment is a resonance of your heart's affection for me and my tale. I am thankful to the Almighty for giving you all as my readers.

The following chapter alongwith many others had been conceived in my mind when characters began to be mercilessly butchered in the script of the show. In response to the many tracks that killed the hopes of the viewers, the potential of the characters and the perfection of a promising script, here is Chapter 239.

Chapter 239: The Dent in the Elite Deportment

While Lord Arnav was treating his wife and Ram to some "iced cream," Lady Manorama and Payal were at one of the elite lady parties in another part of the town. (And no, the two groups are not going to accidently meet in the middle of the town.)

Payal was happy for a single reason: Lady Manorama was wearing the violet gown that Payal had personally embroidered and gifted to her mother-in-law when she had been staying the week in the Village. Except for that single highlight, everything else was very much the same.

While the mother sat gossiping with other women of her age, Payal found herself seated at the end of a circle of pompously dressed young ladies of her age. The girls knew Payal was Lord Akash's wife but they also knew which family she hailed from. The knowledge of the latter diluted the significance of her matrimonial privilege.

The ladies were being handed little snacks, sweets and drinks, and everyone was enjoying the party in the flurry of giggles, gossips and glamorous glee.

A certain group of well-dressed young ladies invited Payal to their circle and Payal graciously accepted the offer. She shared in their casual conversations and even added a thought or two of her own which amused her peers a lot.

One of them, a proud-looking sort, surprisingly liked Payal's ideas, finding them to be calculated and wisely stated. She struck on a dialogue with Payal and gradually the rich girl was certain Payal was a simpleton at heart and would confirm to anything that was true.

But the girl traversed one step too far when she openly expressed her views about Lady Manorama.

"Her dresses are loud and her opinions baseless. I cannot imagine what she has that gives justice to her position."

Payal was shocked on hearing this debacle.

"Truly," another lady put in, "Empty vessels do make a loud voice."

The circle of ladies laughed on this quip, turning Payal's shock to hurt and then to disgust.

"I cannot believe you are talking this way about one who always speaks highly of your circles," Payal looked at them and they stared at her in astonishment for they had hoped she would be joining their side of the parley.

One of the girls, sensing they had upset Payal with their opinion of Lady Manorama, had begun to correct the moment, when Payal interrupted her with her firm but kind voice, "There is a side of Lady Manorama that only few have seen. It is because of her good heart that she let me be wed to her son. She could have easily asserted that her only son should find a wife hailing from a family of prestige and power. But she didn't. Because, as a mother, she valued her son's wishes above her own desires."

The girls were speechless as they listened to Payal, her voice unusually forceful.

"Forgive me if I have hurt any of your feelings," Payal asserted, "But she is my mother by marriage and I will defend her the way I would the mother of my birth."

With that, Payal sweetly excused herself and left for the garden outside to catch a breath of fresh air, away from the dizzying aura of perfumes and the stench of bitter backstabbing.

Seating herself on a wooden bench, the only one in the garden, Payal sighed sadly. It was certain now: she would never be able to feel a sense of belonging with the women her husband's position expected her to be acquainted with.

After spending a few minutes more to her dismayed thoughts, she turned back and headed to the festive hall again. The last thing she wanted her husband worrying over were rumours that his wife always stayed away from parties.

It should be interesting for you to learn that the table of refreshments was located adjacently close to where Payal and the company of young ladies had stood. It cannot be coincidence that Lady Manorama noticed her wineglass was empty and decided to get a refill at the very moment that Payal was with the girls.

Lady Manorama had obtained a refill and was about to return back to her friends when she heard a young lady praise Payal's wise views on a topic.

Snorting in derision, Lady Manorama decided to lag a moment to hear what stupidity of Payal's the blind girls had thought to be wise.

Only she stayed a minute longer, resulting in her overhearing the entire discourse, including the part where she herself was the subject. After Payal had spoken in defence of her mother-in-law, it was a dazed looking Lady Manorama who returned to her friends.

"What happened, Lady Manorama?" asked one of her friends, casually, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Lady Manorama was still disabled of speech and stood blinking at the air.

Another friend offered to reply for Lady Manorama to the comment made earlier, "Of course! No doubt she's seen a ghost. Or should I say, THE ghost that married her dear son."

A round of laughter erupted post this remark.

All of a sudden, speech returned to her tongue and Lady Manorama looked at the previous speakers icily, "Hello, Hi! A ghost to you, is she? Pray, let me remind you who she really is!"

It was at this precise moment that Payal walked back into the chamber and found her husband's mother in a fury.

"Payal belongs to the Raizada family now and when you refer to her as anything absurd, you tag the whole partakers in the Raizada name by that absurdity."

Open-mouthed, Payal stared in shock as Lady Manorama continued, "This dress you were all in praise of, it is not exported from Paris. I lied. The truth you will not believe either. This gown was worked upon by the hands of none other than Payal herself."

Payal's heart had stopped beating and she pressed her fingers to her forehead, hoping that she not faint.

It was at this point that Lady Manorama looked up and noticed Payal at the doorway.

For a moment, they only stared awkwardly at each other as the crowd of women around them watched in hushed silence.

Lady Manorama was not one who would sell her pride so she addressed Payal thus, "Hello Hi! Just in time, Bruised Beauty. I was reminding our friends here that I am the only one who has legal rights to call you names." Lady Manorama looked around, "For all you lot, she is the wife of the Second Lord and, therewith, the Second Lady of Arhasia. It would be a crime to not bow to her."

Payal paled at the words of Lady Manorama.

Lady Manorama scowled at her, "What are you doing, girl? Is this what I've taught you!" Lady Manorama put her hands on her hips and lifted her head proudly as she told Payal, "Stand erect with your head lifted proud, like so. Can't you see that these women are waiting to respect your presence with a bow?"

Payal didn't need to mirror the poise of her heated mother-in-law. No sooner had the latter's last words been uttered than the entire assembly of gowned women curtseyed in urgent respect, some mumbling curses under their breath for having to bow before a village-bred.

"That's more like it!" mumbled Lady Manorama, sneering at the curtseying assembly, and then she stepped towards Payal who was blocking the doorway in her staggered state, "Don't just stand there, Bruised Beauty. We have wasted enough time here and better speed for the Castle."

Payal had already turned on her heels and obediently sped in the direction of the carriage.

Lady Manorama looked over her shoulder one last time, "You can stop bowing now before you break your backs and curse it on me! Hello Hi, Bye Bye!"

And then, with a lift of her proud head, she strutted off royally for the carriage.