Chapter 211

Chapter 294: The Auguries of Jha

Kushi frowned. She didn't know what had gotten into her husband but he had come late last night and insisted on redecorating the entire ballroom setting.

"We're going to stage a play," he had said quite insouciantly.

Kushi had gaped at him, "What? Refurnish the whole of the ballroom after all the work we put into it?"

Lord Arnav had shrugged, "You wouldn't need to change it entirely. Just make a wider space beside the orchestra to set a platform and pillars and curtains."

"This is preposterous!" Kushi had claimed, "We women toil away at the ballroom day and night and you men just come one fine day and fling your hand to indicate they be undone! This will not do!" She had even crossed her arms and pouted her lips in defiant protest.

Lord Arnav had leaned amicably closer to mumble, "Would you licence the modification if I told you it was our little gift to the Ceremony couple?"

This broadcast had brought a smile to Kushi's face which relieved Lord Arnav greatly until she implored he reveal the details.

"Well," he had tried to be roundabout, "I spent the evening at the Industry, auditioning the actors and acquainting them with the plot. They will be here, first thing tomorrow, to practice with the orchestra-"

"Describe me the plot," Kushi had insisted eagerly, "Was it you that wrote it?"

"Yes," Lord Arnav had admitted and then he had ventured into a vague narration of the plot which, subsequently rendered Kushi exasperated.

"What sort of story is that!" she had repudiated, "It's really stupid with nothing much about it. You could have used the opportunity for staging a Shakespeare or Marlowe-"

"They will play only the concept I give them," he had defended himself flatly.

Kushi rolled her eyes, "I can see this will turn into a disaster like all your lordly playwriting attempts do!" And then she had shot him a glare, "Do you remember the last time you had tried to stage a play of your making?"

Of course, he did! He had swallowed guiltily, feeling the weight of the tragic events that had followed his irrational decision that fateful night, dragging Kushi's helpless family to near destitution.

The delicious intimacy that had followed after that conversation, though the memory of it made Kushi blush, could not erase the annoyance from her mind of having to give her Jiji a lousy play for a gift.

But presently, the morning after that nightly conversation which was also the morning of the Ceremony, Kushi was helping the servants to make the required arrangements of the stage, setting the platform such that the orchestra and the props for the play would be aptly accommodated.

Meanwhile, in the living room, the General sat brooding.

What have I done? Had I lost my mind to persuade Kushi to give in? He fisted his hands, aggravated by the memory. I cannot force her to love me for that is not the way a spell works. She must want to love me. I could perhaps try and turn her against her husband, but I can NOT make her love me in the other's place.

He was thoughtful for a moment and then relaxed. Of course, it would work if my strategy does. Granted, it is not completely thought through, but it is my only choice. First, I must get away from this damned place. I have-

"Is something wrong, bitwa?" The Elder Lord's inquiry broke into the General's troubled thoughts.

Looking up, he regarded the Elder Lord, "Why do you ask that, Mamaji?"

"It's just that I've noticed, lately, your disturbed features and your frequent slips into contemplation," noted the wise Lord Manohar.

"How so?" the General sat up, "Do I look so now?"

"You often seem distracted while the family is gathered together," mentioned Lord Manohar, "You seem to have this lost look while we are all immersed in conversation and if a question is directed particularly to you, you emerge startled from your meditations."

"It is nothing solemn," explained the General, "My skills and time have been rusting unused and I have been thinking of returning to War now that Lightning is better."

"I see," Lord Manohar sat up, interested, "I suppose one cannot forget one's trade and, indeed, idle monotony can be really exhausting."

"Truly," affirmed the General, "In the battlefield, I had often looked forward to relaxing or retiring from service, but this sedentary uselessness is not accommodating at all."

"Then I suggest you do what you think is best for you," said Lord Manohar, "It is only sad, though, that our Princess would grow up without her father being there to watch her take her first steps."

The General shrugged, his face darkening at the mention of the child, "Lady Queen can take care of her in my absence."

"Yes, but would you not miss her?" asked the Elder Lord, "Considering how much a father relishes being with his child..."

The General waved his hand casually, in a matter-of-fact way, "I could always see her when the battalion breaks for the winter."

The Elder Lord nodded, his eyebrows frowning thoughtfully at the General who had refused to look him in the eye ever since the child was mentioned in their conversation.

Just then, Lord Akash strolled into the room and he paused on noticing the two men.

"Good morning, Father," he nodded at the Elder Lord, and then looked at the General, "Good morning, Brother-in-law."

The General replied with a deft nod and shifted in the lounge to make space for Lord Akash to sit.

"Good morning, bitwa," Lord Manohar's eyes lit on seeing his son and watched as the latter ambled towards the lounger and sat upon it, "Have all the preparations been done for tonight's Ceremony?"

"Yes, Father," said Lord Akash, an excited gleam in his eyes, "The ballroom is set and the orchestra will play all through the night. Did you know Brother has invited the actors to do a play tonight?"

"Good, good!" appreciated the Elder Lord, "What is it about?"

Lord Akash chuckled, "Kushiji was really annoyed with the story so I am certain it is not a Romeo and Juliet. From what I heard, it seems to be something from Aesop's Fables, except there are no animals in this."

The Elder Lord smiled, "It will be a treat, nevertheless, for the guests. The people of Arhasia always appreciate a performance. And I suppose we have less labours to involve in, this being not a masquerade like last time."

"Not a masquerade?" The General repeated, disconcerted by the news.

The Elder Lord and Second Lord looked at him, surprised by the extent of his emotion.

"No, it is isn't a masquerade," affirmed the Second Lord, "Is something the matter, Brother-in-law?"

"I was-," the General began and then hastily corrected with a sudden smile, "It's just that I had already given a purchase order for a fine looking mask and I hope I am not too late to cancel the order."

"Worry not, you can easily cancel any order you make, especially because we are the Raizadas," chuckled Lord Akash.

"Yes, but I am a Jha," reminded the General, "It is my wife who is a Raizada."

Lord Akash smiled genially, "I like to see it differently. If, by marriage, my wife becomes a Raizada, then I must be a Gupta too. Just as you should be a Raizada. Is not marriage a union of families?"

Just then Lady Anjali appeared in the room, carrying a tray of tall glasses filled with wine.

She spotted the men in the living room and crossed the length of the room, nearing them with a smile, "What luck! I was looking for someone to choose the wine for the occasion..."

She offered each men a glass of different wine, and then stepping aside, watched keenly as they took a sacred whiff of the drink before tilting the crystal rim to their expectant lips in a studious sip.

"The white wine is good," mumbled Lord Manohar, lifting his glass towards the tray to replace it back, "But I can't identify it by its taste. Which one is it? Riesling or Chardonnay."

"It's the Riesling," acknowledged Lady Anjali, offering him a tall glass of Rose Wine.

"Father, try the Cabernet Sauvignon," offered Lord Akash, holding a glass of red wine, "It is an exquisite selection."

The General interrupted, holding the glass of rose wine for his wife to take and then taking a glass of red wine in its place, "The Rose Wine is dry. Too common to be taken for this occasion. We ought to choose either the Riesling or the Cabernet."

"The Cabernet it is," assured the Elder Lord, adding to his vote of choosing the red wine.

Lady Anjali was standing before her husband, "What do you think of the Red Wine?"

"I must confess it's divine!" The General proclaimed, "How long have we had this stored in the wine cellar?" He was gazing at the wineglass admiringly, as he was returning it to the tray his wife held, when an unexpected hiccup that rose in him startled his being and the wineglass slipped from his hand.

Lady Anjali gasped as red wine splashed on the pure whiteness of husband's shirt and the wineglass slid to the rug, unbroken, but the remaining wine in it, staining the rug.

"Oh dear!" Lord Akash stood up, sighting the huge violet stain on his Brother-in-law's shirt, "We better get that washed immediately."

Lady Anjali had turned strangely immobile consequential to the incident. Lord Manohar retrieved the fallen glass and then took the tray of wineglasses from Lady Anjali's trembling hands, just as the General arose, "If you'll excuse me..."

As he walked away in the direction of the kitchen to get his shirt restored, Lord Akash offered to take the tray of wineglasses to the kitchen while Lord Manohar stayed with Lady Anjali, who still seemed curiously shocked by the incident.

The Elder Lord made his niece settle on the lounger beside him and comfortingly took her trembling hand in his, "'Bitiya, it was just an accident. And only a shirt was damaged in the process, nothing else. We can easily wash-"

"It's not that," Lady Anjali began, her fearful eyes brimming with tears, "Two nights ago, or was it three, I cannot remember." She swallowed and then continued in a whisper, "I saw a dream. Just like this. He was placing his wineglass on the tray and it slipped and stained his shirt."

Lord Manohar was concerned, but he tried to sound unruffled, "You needn't worry about that. Probably because you mind was too flustered and perpetually planning even in your sleep, about the things needed to be done before the Ceremony, you happened to see a dream where you saw yourself offering the wine to your husband so he could taste it."

"What caught me unawares was exactly that part of the dream," she was convinced, her alarmed eyes looking at her kind uncle, "You see, in my dream, it wasn't me that held the tray... it was Kushiji."