Chapter 171
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[MEMBERSONLY]
Chapter 249: The Late Letter
Ram's stay at the Castle had marvellously brought more cheer to the family. His presence at the dinner table won everyone's attention and, though Lord Arnav had wanted to transform the guest room into a room for Ram, the butler insisted that the boy shouldn't be let to sleep alone until he was past 13.
"He can sleep with me and the other servants in the kitchen quarters," said Rahim Chacha, much to the objection of Lady Anjali and Lord Arnav, "Once he's past 13, I will let him sleep wheresoever he wants and not insist on his nightly system of sleep."
"Very well, Chacha," said Lord Arnav, knowing that the butler's suggestion was made on his missing out on the boy because the little one spent all his daytime with the Ladies of the Castle than with the butler.
Among the ladies, Ram had grown more attached to Lady Anjali who was elated to have the cheerful boy for consistent company.
However, General Jha was distrustful of the boy's attachment and, alongwith his despise for the child in his wife's womb, he wished the addition to the Castle had been avoided.
For an entire week, Lord Arnav was too busy with work at the Industry, involved in "something of paramount importance" which was how Lord Akash explained it. Infact, it was so important that Lord Arnav preferred handling it himself, letting Lord Akash monitor the regular Industry work and then leave early for home while Lord Arnav remained in the Castle, planning and preparing his clandestine preoccupation.
Lord Arnav had also insisted, very particularly, that Kushi not stay up late for him and that he wanted her to dine and get her sleep despite his absence. Though Kushi was reluctant to adhere to his wish, she was forced to finally oblige.
A week had hence passed since they had spent time together, catching a glimpse of each other only every morning before Lord Arnav departed for the Industry.
On the evening of the last day of the week, when Lord Akash had come and told his brother would be late again, the family dined and Kushi was with them, her heart not into her appetite.
After dinner, she was making for the bed chamber upstairs when Rahim Chacha appeared with a tray upon which was an envelope, "This just arrived for you, my lady."
"What is it?" Kushi was curious, her fingers picking up the envelope and her eyes reading the script on its facade.
Suddenly she exclaimed in elation, "Goddess Mother! It's from Lady Lavanya!"
The joy that glowed on Kushi's face beamed upon the old man's heart and he watched her hurry up the stairs to read the letter in in the solitude of the library.
Poor bititiya, he sighed. If only her husband could spend some time with her...
Dearest Kushi,
The delight that your letter bestows upon my heart cannot be worded. Oh, all the things I am dying to tell you! Will I be able to remember all the rights words in the excitement of replying to you!
You must forgive me for my month-long delay in replying but I had not been at home to receive your letter at the time it had arrived.
On reaching home, after my painful parting from the Raizada Castle, I received news that my grand-aunt had fallen ill. Though I've never seen her in my entire life, I came to learn that Papa esteemed her a lot. Hence, I was indebted to accompany him to her place which is miles away from home. Her health seemed not to improve and I could see that Papa wanted to stay a while longer until good news found its way of assurance.
Well, truth be told, assurance did come but not with good news. My aunt passed away last week and, bitter irony it may be, but everyone is comforted by her passing for she was in a lot of pain and it was terrible to watch. How much more unbearable it must have been for her to survive!
But I am thankful to her for one thing: though I didn't know her, her illness was the reason why I could see the softer, humane side of Papa. I could be with Papa and, when we sat beside her bed, watching her struggle to breathe in her restless sleep, I held his hands, not aware that he was grateful for my silent support.
Papa began noticing me in a different way: instead of an heir to his business, he saw that his heir had a heart. He would be away for an entire day but he would come to ask me if I had dined or how I felt in staying a while longer at grand-aunt's place.
It surprised me at first but the joy I felt after he inquired into my health and heart, made me want to cry. Oh Kushi! I love my Papa, I realize.
I dont care if he has no time for me, or if he has no moment to spare to see to my affairs. He is my father and deep down he will always love me without acknowledging it openly.
Thank you, dear Kushi, for teaching me to see the heart behind the facade of detachment or cruelty like the way you see into others. Like the way you saw into my heart...
It's been only four days since I arrived home and found your letter waiting for me.
Aman writes to me frequently, at least every week. He has bought himself a ship and do you know what he has named it? "La Vanya." Though he prefers to keep the source of the name a secret, to the people who ask him about it, he has a ready reply about "Vanya" being a diminutive of the Russian name Ivan meaning "God is Gracious" and "La" being the French determiner added before it. I tell you, Kushi, that man has his way with words! No wonder he was a cherished servant of the Raizada Lords. All wicked intellectuals wielding words like they were swords!
I haven't seen his ship, though, but he promised he would send me a painting of it once he gets a really good painter. "Someone as skilled as Master Hari in Arhasia," he said in his letter.
I think, if I am not wrong in my memory, he is referring to that painter who painted you in the red robe. Oh how I used to envy you those days! I laugh when I think of them now!
Aman has made a business proposition with a merchant he met from Persia. The man has the resources and Aman has the marketing skills, so they have come into some sort of three-year deal to sell Persian carpets and perfumes to foreign countries. Once the three-year deal will be done, Aman promises me that he will come down to my town and meet with Papa.
But let me keep the tales of my life aside for now and come to yours.
When I read of your marriage to ASR, I thought I would be shocked but I wasn't. I admit I was hurt somewhere, but more than the hurt, it was the feeling of a pride that prevailed. Pride because I had always known this would happen.
I used to think you two were fools to not have seen it yourself, how much drawn you were to each other. It felt strange at first and I denied the possibility the first time. He used to hate your very name, and you simply abhorred even a glimpse of his shadow. But then the signs kept coming and every time you were together, I saw that the fire was not of anger alone.
I wanted to hate you for taking him away from me but when I saw that you were clueless about his attentions and was stupidly struggling to get him to marry me, I couldn't bring myself to hate you. And then I felt sad for you because the man clearly loved you and you couldn't see it. Neither could he!
He was the biggest fool, blind to his true feelings, always finding cause to stir up his ire and yours, and then end up hurting himself for hurting you. Oh, with terror I remember the night he locked you in the dungeon! I cried the entire night because I was the reason why you had to endure the persecution. How will I ever be able to reconcile myself for all that I let you go through for my sake.
Do you remember the day at the Market when we had our little escape? It was the most scariest moment but also the most adventurous that I've ever had!
I am not certain I understand what you mean when you talk about ASR not being human. I only hope the animal in the night you talk of is his husband side and nothing else. It would be absurd to think it is anything else but the husband thing. Yes, he has always been secretive in many matters which is why he keeps to himself but I hope that is merely a mind's matter than an animalistic reason.
However, I am appeased to hear that you feel for him even when he forced you to marriage. That is what I am talking about, Kushi. You love him, you just can't hate him even when he does hateful things. But you know what brings tears to my eyes now: that he knows he can't live without you. Frankly, I have never seen such a beautiful thing in my life! He married you because he knew he would lose you. Lose you to what I am not certain, but I know ASR. In matters of business, he makes hasty decisions and sudden change of plans when he realizes something is awry or he is about to lose some deal.
I am certain that is exactly what triggered him to marrying you. Just think of it: a man who does not believe in rituals and hates the idea of having a village girl be part of his family, goes and gets married to a girl from the village he always professed to hate.
Kushi, maybe if you can unearth the reason why he was forced to suddenly decide on marriage, you will be able to forgive him. But I like to think of it this way: whatever be the sudden reason for his marrying you, deep down he had already decided he would. Because he had always been hopelessly in love with you. And because, Kushi, even if a ten Lavanyas came into his life, if there was anyone ASR was to set his heart to marry for life, it would only be you.
Always and ever in love, your dear friend Lavanya.
P. S. Congrats to you and to your sister for your marriages. And don't think that because you didn't invite me to yours, I would decline from inviting you to mine.
It was only when the letter had ended that Kushi realized her cheeks were wet with tears that had streamed down in the course of her reading of the entire letter.
Kushi closed her eyes and clutched the letter to her heart. Oh Lady Lavanya...how well you knew!!!
The candlelight on the library table flickered upon her face as her friend's voice spoke to her from the memory of the ball night: "One day he will realize that he is not the man he thinks he is. That he cannot be strong and unaffected always. That he can also be a slave to his emotions and desires..."
Even as tears filled her eyes, Kushi found herself giggling. She leaned back in her husband's armchair, still clutching the letter to her heart, "How funny our love is, Arnavji. The whole world knew but us."
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