The Contract of Hearts: A FF (Continued)
Part XXXIII: ARHI MARRIAGE
"What was that?" Arnav surprised at Khushi's blabbering.
"One of your 'Sahasranaam' of course!" Khushi replied.
"What are the others if I may ask?" Arnav asked.
"Raakshas, Teen Naam Wala Raakshas, Khadoos, Akdu, ---------I could go on and on!" said Khushi.
"Young lady I'm your future husband. If I get 'sanskaari' Hindu tradition right, you ought to respect me and worship me as your 'pati parameshwar' and not go about calling me names!" Arnav remarked.
"That's one thing I actually find problematic in our culture. But anyways, you're not my husband yet!" Khushi quipped.
In the meanwhile, Anjali was waiting at the Devi Maiyya Mandir to hear some good news about her Chotey and Khushi. Akaash who was with the inspector had not yet turned up. Payal called, "Di, did the police find them?"
Anjali crying, replied, "No! I feel bad that it is because of me both of them are in trouble."
Payal consoled, "Don't blame yourself, Di. You didn't know that Shyam was such a despicable creep! I truly believe that God protects those who are good and innocent. Please let me know if anything is found about Khushi and Arnavji. All of us have been praying since yesterday for their safe return. God will surely listen to our prayers."
Anjali requested Payal, "Take care of everyone at home. If I return, it will be with Arnav and Khushi."
Back in the forest, ASR and KKG were arguing which direction they should go to come out of the jungle. Suddenly, they heard a voice saying, "Found you at last!" It was Shyam who continued, "What did you think! If you light a campfire for all to see, I will not be able to trace you? Finish them off!" He said instructing his men.
Arnav and Khushi started running again. While running they came to the opening of a big cave. They ran in followed by Shyam and his men. At one place, some smoke was coming out of a crater. Khushi was curious, "What's all this smoke coming out of nowhere? Did anybody light a fire beneath?"
Arnav replied, "Must be some sort of volcanic activity. Such things exist at some places. Let's go from here soon before those ruffians start tailing us again."
When Shyam and his men reached the same place, the crater threw up live embers and some sort of boiling liquid. All of them were thrown back. Shyam went ahead in search of Arhi while one of the men pulled back the others saying, "We came this far for the money he paid us. If we further go down this cave we might lose our path. They say that one who goes into these caves never comes back alive. It's almost like a never-ending mage as we go deeper and deeper. And you saw that crater. They say it often erupts leaving destruction all around. We'll wait at the entrance. If those two come out we'll finish them off. If Shyam Sir comes, we'll tell him about this and block the entrance of this cave. If he doesn't come, then it means he too got lost in the caves and will never come back."
Arhi were hiding behind a ledge where they were screened by a small waterfall. There was a secret passage behind the waterfall, even deeper into the caves. They waited for some time to see if the men had gone, but to their dismay, the men were stationed at the entrance itself. Arnav said, "We have to find some other way. If we go the way we came, those men will kill us."
"Okay then" agreed Khushi.
Both of them spent the next several hours roaming within the caves, going even deeper and deeper, when at last Khushi said, "I can't go anymore! We'll go the way we came. Be a man and fight those men like ASR."
Arnav said, "I ought to tell you one thing. I was trying to do the same but could not find the way we came."
Khushi asked anxiously, "It means both of us are lost in this 'Bhool Bhulaiyya' with no means to get out and no means to sustain ourselves?"
Arnav said, "Yes! I regret to say the same."
Khushi started crying. Arnav did not stop her because he knew their condition was grave and critical. Both their cells were not receiving any signals. They had no means of informing anybody where they were. Khushi had worked herself up greatly.
What did she expect? And what did she get? Seventeen or sixteen days down the line, they would have been a married couple if they had not got themselves in this situation. Perhaps both of them would die unknown in these gloomy caves.
Both of them were utterly drained out of energy. They came to a ledge where they found a big statue of Devi Maiyya. Khushi was wondering, "What's Devi Maiyya's statue doing here in this wilderness?" Arnav remarked, "Must be a very old statue worshipped by the cave men in those days. But unlike us the cave men must have known the way out of these caves also!"
"How sad isn't it? We might not even live to see the day of our marriage", Khushi sadly brooded.
"We'll be together until our last breath and not even Devi Maiyya can change it. If we have to die, we'll face death together as man and wife! Give me your ghee, camphor, sindhur and other puja things. We'll marry here itself with Devi Maiyya as a witness. We'll be together both in life and in death, in this world and the next. And this is a promise made by Arnav Singh Raizada!"
Arnav lit the sacred fire with the help of camphor and ghee. Both of them went around the sacred fire seven times, taking the seven vows of marriage, in the presence of the five elements and the divine mother herself.
Saptpadi or seven rounds of the sacred nuptial fire is the most important part of a Hindu wedding. For the first four rounds, the bridegroom walks in front while the bride follows him. For the next three rounds, the bride walks in front of the bridegroom signifying that she will always shield him from every harm and danger. They make and take seven promises which form the very essence of a true and complete marriage.
1.
Arnav: My beloved, our love became firm by your walking one round with me. You will offer me food and be helpful in every way. I will cherish you and provide for the welfare and happiness of you and our children.
Khushi: This is my humble submission to you, that when you give me the responsibility of the home, food and taking care of the household activities, I promise you that I shall discharge all responsibilities for the welfare of all the family members and children.
2.
Arnav: My beloved, now you have walked the second round with me, filled my heart with strength and courage, and together we shall protect the household and children.
Khushi: My Beloved, in your grief, I shall fill your heart with courage and strength. In your happiness, I shall rejoice, and I promise you that I will please you always with sweet words and take care of the family and children. In return you shall love me alone as your wife.
3.
Arnav: My beloved, now you have walked three rounds with me. By virtue of this, our wealth and prosperity is going to grow. You shall be the only woman whom I shall love and respect as my wife. Together, we will educate our children and may they live long.
Khushi: My beloved, I will love you with single-minded devotion as my husband. I will treat all other men as secondary. My devotion to you shall be of a chaste wife and you shall be my joy. This is my commitment to you.
4.
Arnav: My beloved, it is a great blessing that you have walked four steps with me. You have brought auspiciousness and sacredness into my life. May we be blessed with obedient and noble children, may they live long.
Khushi: My beloved, I will decorate you from your head to foot with different flowers, garlands and ornaments and fragrance. I will please you in every way I can.
5.
Arnav: My beloved, now you have walked five rounds with me. I know wife is the best friend and well-wisher. You have enriched my life. May god bless you. May our loved ones live long and share in our prosperity.
Khushi: My beloved, I share both in your joys and sorrows. Your love will make me trust and honor you. I will carry out your wishes.
6.
Arnav: My Gruha-Lakshmi, you have filled my heart with happiness by walking six steps with me. May you be filled with joy and peace all the time.
Khushi: My Pati-Parameshwar in all acts of righteousness, in every form of enjoyment and divine acts, I promise you that I shall participate and I shall be with you always.
7.
Arnav: My beloved, as you have walked the seven rounds with me, our love and friendship became eternal. We experienced spiritual union in God. Now you have become completely mine therefore I offer my life to you. Our marriage shall be forever and ever.
Khushi: My beloved, as God and Holy Scriptures, I have become your spouse. Whatever promises we have, we have spoken in pure mind. We will be truthful to each other in all things. We will love and honor each other forever and ever.
"Mangalam Bhagavan Vishnum
Mangalam Garudadhwajah
Mangalam Pundareekaksham
Mangalayatano Harih
Sarva Mangala Mangalye
Shive Sarvartha Sadhike
Sharanye Tryambake Gauri
Narayani Namostute" both of them singing the sacred chants recited at the time of marriage in unison. There was neither a Pandit nor the pomp and show accompanying a Hindu marriage, but theirs was a marriage in the truest sense. Both of them experienced whatever they were doing with their whole heart and soul.
After this, Arnav filled Khushi's maang with sindhur, and both became man and wife. They had become ONE once for all. Mortal hands could not part what God saw fit to unite. Thus Arhi conquered even death with the love they bore for one another.
What had started as an accidental meeting and misunderstanding at the Lucknow fashion show had blossomed into a true and sincere relationship of soul mates. A deep silence prevailed, but nature itself rejoiced and sang the glory of two people who were made for each other coming together. Greatly tired and exhausted with the day's events, both of them fell asleep.
After this momentous night, Arnav and Khushi were woken up by the sound of someone blowing a conch. They found a person standing before the Devi Maiyya statue, performing puja. When they asked him how he came there, he informed them that he was a tribal of that region and came every fortnight to do Devi Maiyya's puja.
Arhi were overjoyed that their deliverance from the caves had come. The man informed Arhi, "This is a very sacred place. Only the pure at heart can come here and go back alive. The rest are swallowed by the sands of time. This is the spot where Maa Parvati performed penance to secure Lord Shiva as her husband."
Arnav asked, "We are so far off from the mouth of the cave, aren't we? Do we go that way?"
The man said, "There is another way nearby. You must not have been able to see it last night as it must have become dark by that time. Now it is daylight and I myself will take you out."
At last, Arnav and Khushi were out of the caves. His cell was showing some signals. He called up Anjali and told her where they were. They say he who digs graves for others falls into it himself. The same happened with Shyam also. The police arrested the men at the entrance of the cave while Shyam got lost in the caves never to come back.
(To be continued with the past makes its presence felt.)
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