The Sheriffs Mail-Order Bride
It was the old West. The rules of decent society did not necessarily apply to this place. The hand with the fastest gun was the king here. Coz if you could shoot faster it meant you could live longer.
He was lonely. He needed a warm body and an even warmer heart to come home to. He hungered to love someone of his own and wanted to be loved in return. Decent women were scarce in the part of the world Maan lived in and so he decided to put an ad for a bride in the big city newspaper.
He hoped to find a simple enough girl. He hoped she was pretty to look at, as he would have to look at that face for a lifetime, but he did not really care as long as she had a loving heart. He put his heart in that ad and hoped for the best.
*******************
Geet was lonely. Nobody to call her own and she'd been swindled out of her small inheritance by her own uncle, after her parent's demise. She stitched clothes to make ends meet. Men did not look at a lonely woman respectfully, she had learnt. There was nobody to protect or love her. Then one day a client of hers brought some material to be stitched, wrapped up in a newspaper. Geet who could not afford to buy a newspaper, but always hungered to read, usually collected these scraps of spapers to read at leisure. No matter how old the news, reading it felt wonderful. As she was pouring over the newspaper that evening, she saw the ad for the wanted cowgirl and was intrigued. She gave it a lot of thought and finally decided that the chances of finding a decent man in the city, whom she could marry and start a family with was nil She decided this would be the biggest gamble of her life. It would either be the greatest adventure, or the worst disaster; but she had nothing to lose and so she answered the ad, letting the other party know her willingness to marry.
She packed her meager belonging and arrived three days earlier than scheduled in town and she was wondering how she was going to find her husband in this town full of strangers. The train was approaching her final destination and she was getting ready to get off when suddenly she found herself in the middle of an armed train robbery. She was being held at gun point by one of the robbers when out of nowhere she saw a man riding on a horse towards them at full speed. The sun was behind him and a cowboy hat was drawn low on his forehead, so she couldn't see his face properly. He was holding the reins in one hand while a gun in the other, took a precise aim at the hand that was holding Geet hostage. Suddenly the robber behind her fell down with a loud yell and the blood from his wounded arm splattered all over Geet's face. A scream formed in her throat, however before she could let it out, she was swept off her feet and onto a horse by the armed cowboy. Geet was hysterical by then and started beating her arms wildly and hitting the man who was holding her. After a long while she was exhausted and finally dropped her arms. She was trembling all over and tears were constantly streaming down her eyes. She heard a low rumbling beneath the ear that was pressed against the man's chest. It felt comforting just like the hand that was gently stroking down her back in a soothing gesture. It was his voice she realized and when she finally focused on it she heard the same words over and over again.
"Hush now. It's over. You are safe. I won't let anybody hurt you.
It was the gentle tone and the reassuring words that finally calmed Geet down completely. She suddenly realized the precarious position she was in, plastered against a strange man and that too when she was on the verge of being married. She suddenly struggled to get down. The man jumped off the horse and then held her by her waist and gently pulled her off the horse. His fingers held onto her waist for just a moment longer and then let go.
It was while getting off the horse that Geet's eyes fell on the perfection of the masculine beauty before her. She gaped at him in awe.
"Do I have something on my face ma'am?"
"Uhh..no..no it's nothing." she stammered.
"Just a moment please."
He drew a water canteen from the horse's back and pulled a large square handkerchief along with it. He wet the cloth and carried it towards her.
"I beg your pardon ma'am, but would you close your eyes for a moment?"
Geet eyed him warily, until he smiled at her reassuringly and drew his palm over her eyes fleetingly to perform the action himself. She suddenly felt the touch of a cold cloth on her face and realized that he was wiping the blood off her face.
"Please keep your eyes close until I tell you, I'm done" he instructed.
And until I'm done gazing at the beauty of the Lord's creation that is before me. He added silently. He could not move his gaze away, as each delicate feature was revealed as he wiped off the blood. Just as he was wondering about the color her eyes, they popped open,
"Sir, are you done yet?"
They were the color of the sweet confection called chocolate that he had once eaten once when he was a boy. He had never forgotten the rich brown of that sweet, neither had he forgotten how it had melted on his tongue, or how the taste had lingered long after the sweet vanished from his mouth.
That's what they looked like, her eyes. Like pools of melted chocolate that he just wanted to drown in. Suddenly he saw those eyes widen in concern and that pink luscious mouth opened into a small gasp and she grabbed his hand in her own soft ones.
"You are hurt."
"It's nothing, just a nick from the bullet."
She pulled a small perfumed handkerchief from the sleeve of her gown, grabbed the water canteen and poured some water on it and gently wiped the crusted blood around the wound.
"Does it hurt sir? I am sorry, I will be as gentle as possible."
She took another dry handkerchief and tied it around the palm.
Maan had been hurt far worse than this, too many times to count, but nobody had ministered such gentle care to him. He stared in awe at the down-bent head and the curls that were floating on her cheeks. Just as he reached out to push the curls away he heard a voice from behind him,
"Hey Sherriff is that your bride. She is a beauty alright, you lucky dog."
HIS BRIDE. Reality slammed into Maan in that moment and the thick perfumed fog the lady before him had woven around him, cleared immediately.
He was to be married to another lady in a four day's time and here he was literally falling for another woman within 15 minutes of meeting her. He took a step back and looked at her, only to see her looking at him in dazed shock. She swayed and he caught her around the waist, but she immediately pushed his hands away.
"I am quiet alright sir." According to the man who had shouted out, he was to be married and for that matter so was she. She had made a promise to another man and was honor bound to marry him, no matter which way her emotions swayed.
She had been completely shaken up by the gentle care of the stranger before her. It was as if he'd cast a spell on her.
It's nothing Geet. It's just the excitement of the moment that is making your emotions run so close to the surface. For heaven's sake, your life was in danger and he saved you. What you are feeling is nothing but overwhelming gratitude. And if I keep repeating this to myself I might actually believe it.
She decided to focus on the other half of the statement that man had shouted out.
"So you are the sheriff of this town, sir?"
"Yes ma'am. So saving you from those robbers was my duty." He wondered if it was her he was reminding of his duty or himself.
"Yes I understand that very well. I also understand that you would have shown the same care you have given me to any other woman in my place" She knew she shouldn't be but, she was slightly irritated at that duty remark from the sheriff.
He just nodded once and tipped his hat at her.
"I hope you have a pleasant stay in our town ma'am. I don't think I'll be seeing you again. Good bye then."
With that he walked away. His hands clenched into hard fists and felt the cloth that she had tied around his palm. He raised it to his nose and sniffed it. It smelt just like her...of lilacs and vanilla, but it lacked her warmth. Still he was keeping it...memento of an impossible dream.
He wanted to turn around and look at her just once, but he knew that once would never be enough. So he got on his horse and rode off without turning even once. His men had tied up the robbers and they were going to spend a night in the town's jail, before being taken into the city for trial.
******************************
An old lady from town called Savitri guided her to the ranch of her fianc which was quite a ways away from the main town.
She chattered all along the way and told Geet how wonderful the young cowboy she was getting married to was.
"My Maan is a dear boy and handsome to boot. I am so very glad to see that he is getting such a beautiful bride. I can't wait to see the beautiful babies you two make."
She chortled in glee when she saw the flush on Geet's cheeks.
"Well no need to be shy girlie, that's the way things should be. I hope you will come to love him with all your heart, coz I am sure he will make the most wonderful husband if you give him a chance to love you."
They arrived at the ranch and Savitri guided her to the room that she was going to share with her husband. It was beautifully appointed with a dressing table at one corner inlaid with mother of pearl, combs of different kinds in each drawer, along with hundred other things a lady could possibly need or want. The bed was large and covered with pure white cotton sheets. She avoided looking at the bed and let her gaze linger on the small feminine touches in the room.
"That boy has been making arrangements and getting things from the city, since the day you said yes to his proposal. He asked me once and he's asked me a million times the same thing over and over again.
Savitri, do you think she will like this table? How about this perfume? Savitri where should I put this chair? Do you think she'll like sitting by the window and stitching during winter?
He's also asked the wife of his dearest friend, who is closer in age to you, to come in and give her opinion about the arrangements in the whole house.
Savitri paused for a moment and then continued in a gravelly voice, "The boy was found abandoned on the church footsteps one night. It is assumed that somebody from out of town must have gotten off the train and left him there. If there is one thing that boy's hungered for, then it's a family to call his own. I hope you can give that to him Geet."
Savitri headed back to town after Geet had reassured her that she would be fine on her own till Maan came back.
Geet closed her eyes and the image of the sheriff wiping her face ever so gently popped before her eyes. She looked around the bedroom and felt extremely guilty for thinking about another man in this room that had been so carefully designed with her in mind.
She decided to freshen up and get acquainted with the house.
********************
It was very late when Maan entered the house. There was a distinct lingering smell of delicious food in the air. He sniffed the air like a hound and headed in the direction the smell was coming from. A complete elaborate meal along with his favorite apple pie was sitting on the table. Beside it, was a white piece of folded paper. He opened it.
Dear Sir,
I have arrived in town much earlier than previously arranged and hope you do not mind. Please enjoy the meal. I am quiet exhausted after the perils of my long journey and have retired for the night in one of the bedrooms off the hallway and hope you do not mind.
Your's truly,
Geet.
Maan looked at the note in one hand and the handkerchief from the afternoon in the other. He took a deep breath, unwound the piece of cloth from around his palm and threw it away into the waste basket. He was a man of honor and he was going to do the right thing. He was going to try his level best to love the woman who was sleeping in one his bedrooms and who was going to be his wife in four days.
He suddenly remembered that the beds in any of the rooms other than his own were not made, nor was the fire in the fireplace lit.
He strode down the hallway and opened each of the rooms. Finally he entered the last bedroom and found a small shape on the bed, huddled to ward off the cold.
Geet was extremely cold and her toes and fingertips were freezing. She was feeling numb all over, and wondered if she as going to die before the night was over. Suddenly the bedroom door opened and she stiffened first in surprise and then in terror as a large figure moved towards her. She had no idea what kind of a man her fianc was and had only Savitri's character reference for this man. Oh why had she not thought of this when she had agreed to rush into marriage with a stranger? What if he was a murder? There was nobody to even cry for her if she was killed this very night. As all these wild thoughts were running through her mind, she held herself very still to see what the man would do. He had something large in his hands she realized and before she could wonder what it was, she felt a soft quilt cover her from head to toe. He then walked over to the fireplace and within moments a soft glow spread around the room and warmth started permeating Geet's body. Geet peeked through the mess of curls that was covering her face and saw that he was bent over poking at the fire. She only got a glimpse of the backs of muscular legs enclosed in canvas pants and a firm looking behind. He straightened up and Geet closed her eyes immediately. She was not yet ready to face the man with whom she was supposed to spend an eternity. She still had four days before she had to look upon his face willingly.
Maan looked at the tiny body under the quilt. All he could see was a mop of curls. The rest of her was buried under the covering. He looked at her for another moment and saw a slight shivering movement. He realized that she was so cold that she was shivering in her sleep.
He slowly drew the quilt above her ankles and took one of her feet in his hand. It was very tiny and covered in stocking. He held it between his large palms and rubbed it vigorously till it felt warm to his touch. He then did the same thing to the other foot, then put both her feet back under the covers, bid her a soft good night and walked out.
Geet felt a tear slide down her cheek as he left the room. He was a good man and she was going to do her best to love him and give him the family he wanted and so richly deserved. She cared not if he was as handsome as the Sheriff, or as dashing and brave as him. She decided that she was going to be a good wife to him.
The next morning she found a note welcoming her.
Dear Miss Geet,
Welcome to your new home. I hope it is to your liking. I took the help of a few friends to arrange all the things. If anything is not to your liking, please feel free to change it. Also please move into the main bedroom. I have moved my stuff into another room and will remain there, till we are bound together into holy matrimony.
P.S I have never had such wonderful and amazing food in my life. However, please don't tell Old Savitri that. She likes to believe herself the best cook in these parts. I want her to continue harboring that illusion while I stuff myself on the wonders of your hand.
Your's truly,
Maan
Geet giggled softly at the note and pocketed it.
This routine continued for three days. He came in late and left early. She was always asleep by then.
They communicated through notes.
The one note that intrigued him was the one where his to- be- bride asked him what kind of a person the sheriff of that town is?
He thought that perhaps she has heard of the skirmish in town with the armed robbers and was scared for her own safety.
So he left her a note to reassure her.
"I like to think that the sheriff is a good man. He is quite like me I must say; but Sheriff or no Sheriff, I will protect my own bride. I hope you can trust me in that."
She had seemed satisfied with that answer and thanked him in her next note.
***************************************
The fourth day arrived and it was their wedding day.
Maan's best friend Adi and his wife Pinky arrived, along with the priest who was to get them married. The town's people who loved their handsome and brave Sheriff gathered at the meadow where the wedding was to take place. They were extremely curiously to take a look at the bride their favorite Sheriff had chosen.
Pinky warned Maan that he was not to see his bride before the wedding. Maan who was not really intrigued about his wife's looks, agreed readily.
He thought fleetingly of the beautiful stranger and wondered if she was still in town. Then he gave his head a brief shake and decided it was time to let go of that unattainable dream forever and focus on the future with his own bride.
Maan was waiting at the end of the meadow, along with the priest and a few close friends with the town's people standing on the periphery when the wedding march suddenly started. The bride had arrived.
Old Miss. Savitri was playing it on her piano for her favorite Maan's, bride.
Maan turned to look and saw his bride in a white gown, with a bouquet of wild flowers in her hand. A lace veil covered her face completely; however her head underneath it was tilted downwards.
He felt a strange excitement in the pit of his stomach. It was just like the roiling sensation he'd had when he had put himself in a barrel and rolled down the hill when he was a kid. His heart started beating a little louder, a little wilder. The more she drew closer, more the sense of anticipation grew.
He suddenly felt as if something momentous was going to happen. Just then his gaze was drawn to her slightly unsteady feet and he realized that she was nervous. She was alone with no father to guide her to her husband.
Maan immediately felt an overwhelming protectiveness for his bride. He marched across the meadow in ground eating strides and was beside her in a moment. He shifted her bouquet to one of her palms and held the other one in his own. Lilacs and Vanilla. The scent wafted to his nose. Maan stop thinking about her. He scolded himself mentally; but he was genuinely puzzled. His whole attention had been focused on his bride; he had not been thinking about the beautiful stranger at all. Yet, it was clearly her scent that was overwhelming his senses right now. His attention then fell on the purple flower bouquet in her hand. Lilacs. That explained it, but he still could not figure out where the vanilla scent was coming from. Maybe it was his bride, who was wearing vanilla water, he decided. He suddenly realized that her small hand was curled up in his trustingly. He tightened his hold around it, bent over and whispered in her ear.
"Do not worry Miss. Geet. I will never let you walk alone anywhere from now on. I will be with you always. Come on." He guided her back to the priest waiting for them."
He held on to her hand tightly, as the priest asked them to repeat their vows after him.
And finally came the moment of revelation as the priest announced,
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
With a pounding heart he slowly lifted the veil off his bride's face. Geet finally raised her head and looked up at the man who was her husband, for the first tiime. Tears of relief and happiness sprung in two pairs of eyes.
"Thank you Dear Lord."
They both whispered simultaneously and grinned.
The town looked on as the Sheriff suddenly lifted his bride in his arms, whirled her around in joy and kissed her thoroughly.
-THE BEGINNING-
...he pretends it is just his duty as Sheriff to save her ...she is sad because he said it was his duty and nothing else 
...they wave each other a sad goodbye ...the elderly lady Savitri guides her home and shows her around...she gives her all the info about Maan...Geet cooks him a nice meal ...by the time he comes home she leaves him a note and goes to bed ...awww what a sweetheart he is ...he searched for her and covered her with a quilt ...lit the fireplace and rubbed her feet till they were warm ...Geet was so touched by his care she shed happy tears ...his note and the compliments he paid her cooking had her giggling ...the next 4 day passed in exchanging notes and not seeing each other ...both of them resigned to make the best of their upcoming marriage...finally the wedding day arrived ...the bride and groom were ready...the marriage ceremony happens...finally the moment of truth when he lifts her veil to kiss his wife...the happy couple kissing each other...cheers to the wonderful couple ...the rest of the story is left to your imagination ,...but one thing happened for sure they lived happily together forever 
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