Always Yours: The End Pg. 50 - Page 16

Chapter 6

Marriage preparations began the next day, sending the entire village into a frenzy. Dadima ran Bittuji ragged, determined to make the wedding the most magnificent the village had ever seen. While usually the rushed nature of the nuptials, along with the rumors of what had almost happened at the haveli would have sent tongues wagging, this did not happen for two main reasons- one was the fact that Dadima's threat had rendered mute most of the spectators. The second reason related to the couple themselves. Madhu was much loved in the village, and shockingly, the villagers love for her outweighed their love for gossip. Furthermore, the man she was getting married to was seen as a very powerful person who was also known around the village for being eccentric. So the fact that he wanted to rush the marriage was chocked up to the fact that he was from the city, and everyone knew that city dwellers were strange people. Some people even felt pity for their princess, that she would be shackled to such a strange man who would take her far away from everything and everyone she knew. Had they been privy to Madhu's thoughts all their pity would have vanished, as she was the happiest she had ever been. RK and she met several times a day, supervised of course, and talked about what their lives would be like after the wedding. Madhu had been surprised when RK mentioned his family was not invited, but not shocked. She remembered what he had said about love, and deduced that it was his family members who had hurt him so much. In the days leading up to the wedding, both of them opened up to the other, baring their souls in a way they had never done with anyone else. They shared laughter, jokes, and when they could sneak away from the watchful eye of Daima and Ram Singh, passionate kisses that were often cut short, for fear that they would become more.

The only blight to Madhu's happiness were her strained relations with her brother and sister, and as the days of the marriage grew closer, she was no closer to repairing them.

XXX

Two days before her wedding, Madhu managed to corner her brother as he was talking to the decorators.

"You can't avoid me forever." She told him flatly. Yuvraj looked at her in silence, then gestured for the decorators to leave them alone. As they stood regarding each other, Madhu's heart ached for her brother who was unable to meet her gaze. He had not been sleeping well, and it showed. The usually polished Yuvraj Chaudhary looked disheveled, guilt-ridden, and forlorn. Mahdu took a deep breath and spoke.

"I forgive you."

Yuvraj's head snapped up from where he had been looking at the floor. The shocked gaze made Madhu want to giggle, but she held it in, knowing Yuvraj would take it the wrong way.

"How?" He whispered hoarsely. "How can you forgive me Madhu? I tried to kill you!"

"No." Madhu said back, holding her brother's hands in her own. "You shot and missed me deliberately, Yuvraj. And the second time you couldn't even hold the gun properly! You didn't try!"

"The fact that I raised a gun to you- that doesn't bother you at all?" Yuvraj asked in disbelief.

"I always knew what you were." Madhu's voice was matter of fact, but her words sent daggers into her brothers heart. Had he always disappointed his sister with his behavior? And now she was going too far away- banished in all but name. How would he make amends?

"Madhu…"

Madhu shook her head, placing a finger near Yuvraj's lips, gesturing him to be quiet.

"Our father was not a good man…and he was your idol. For years I saw how you behaved with the villagers, how you emulated him in everything you did. And I knew that you put me on a pedestal. I guess…I was always worried about what you would do if I fell off it." She admitted.

"I tried to shoot you." Yuvraj replied weakly.

"You missed." Was Madhu's gentle reminder. "Deliberately. You showed me that you were your own man, and not just our father's clone…I don't know if we can ever be what we were, but I know that you are my brother, and I love you. I don't want to leave estranged."

Yuvraj let out a dry sob, gathering his sister in his arms, clutching her tightly. Tears escaped Madhu's eyes as she hugged him back, happy that her brother still wanted a relationship with her, melancholy because part of their relationship would never be repaired. His words about how she was tainted would never be forgotten, but she could forgive. In the end, that was in her power.

Now, all that was left was to talk to Trishna.

XXX

Sadly, Trishna was far more adept at disappearing than Yuvraj was, a consequence of bearing the brunt of Balraj's and Yuvraj's anger throughout the years. Madhu was unable to find her sister throughout the rest of the marriage preparations, though her mother assured her that Trishna was happy for her, and ashamed of her part in the farce. But Madhu held no grudges. Trishna's act had helped bring her and RK together. Should she not see the silver lining? Madhu was getting married to RK, the man she would lose herself in…she owed Trishna for that. All debts between them were forgiven.

Now if only she could find Trishna to tell her that!

XXX

The day of the marriage dawned bright and clear. The sun was shining and there was nary a cloud to be seen. It was as if the weather had gotten wind of Madhu and RK's happiness and have decided to go along with their moods. Unfortunately, the bride's mood soured quickly as she found out about the commotion happening on her front lawn.

"We don't know who told them." Ranji Mami, an old servant, said helplessly. Madhu wordlessly looked at the horde of reporters that had camped on their frontal property and resisted the urge to bang her head against the wall. First, it would disrupt her bridal attire and she did not want that after all the trouble she had gone through putting it on. Second, her-soon-to-be husband would see her flustered and Madhu did not want that at any cost. Going into the marriage she knew she needed to keep all her wits about her to keep up with her husband. Madhu would not be put at a disadvantage before the wedding even began.

"Call the police and tell them these people are trespassing on our property. We can't do much about them but I won't allow them to disrupt my wedding." Madhu said firmly. Ranji Mami nodded, leaving to make the phone call.

Padmini entered the room, bearing all the ornaments she would be putting on her daughter.

"Where is Trishna?" Madhu asked. "She should be here, Ma."

"She does feel as if she deserves to be here." Padmini replied quietly.

"And she does not." Dadima harrumphed, sailing into the room. She adjusted Madhu's clothes around her, ensuring that they were draped properly. Madhu promptly ruined her work by twisting around to glare at her grandmother.

"She is my sister." Madhu emphasized. "I want her here. Ranji Mami!" She called out. The old servant came into the room. "Please find Trishna. Now." Madhu commanded.

"Trishna almost got you killed." Dadima reminded Madhu quietly, hand on her shoulders. Madhu meet her grandmother's gaze in the mirror.
"She gave me my Rishab. Believe me, Dadi…the cost was far too little for the prize."

XXX

Trishna was so quiet coming into the room that Madhu almost missed her. But she caught a glimpse in the mirror of her shamefaced sister and turned around, facing her.

Quiet reined in the room. Padmini and Dadima had gone out to get the last of the jewels, and the sisters were alone. Madhu regarded Trishna thoughtfully. So much destruction lay between them- years of anger, hopelessness, and despair. Though none of the fault was Madhu's, she could not blame Trishna for her envy, her scorn. Her existence had made Trishna's life difficult. And Trishna's existence had taken away some of the love Padmini bore Madhu, as she had sought to alleviate Balraj's hate. For Madhu, it was all the bitterness was in the past- she was starting a new chapter of her life, and wanted to end the old chapter on a good note.

In the end, no words were needed. Both sister's eyes did all the talking. Trishna knew Madhu had forgiven her for her part in the mess, and Madhu knew that while her relationship with Trishna would never be easy…there was no hate between them anymore.

In the end, Madhu opened her arms, and Trishna rushed into them sobbing lightly. And that is how Padmini and Dadima found them- both sisters tightly clutching each other, eminity forgotten at last.

XXX

Though the reporters could only cover the event from a distance (the police having driven them out of Madhu's instructions), everyone present agreed that RK and Madhu's wedding was the most magnificent they had ever seen. The groom was exceedingly handsome, the bride was astonishingly beautiful, and the two of them made such a stunning couple that everyone was praying that there would be no evil eye to curse their good fortune.

For both Madhu and RK, the entire event passed in a daze. The pheras, the sindoor, the mangalsutra- if you had asked them what had transpired they would be unable to tell you. For both, being so close to finally having each other had presented itself as a sort of hyperawareness of the other…where there focus was only on their soon to be spouse, and not what was actually going on during the ceremony.

As the rituals concluded, and the priest presenting them to the crowd as man and wife, RK could not help but lift his bride in his arms, taking her lips in a passionate kiss that scandalized the audience. Among the crowd Yuvraj face palmed as Trishna turned red and Dadima sputtered in horror. For her part, Padmini only smiled gently, glad her child was with such a fierce protector.

"Now the best part." RK whispered in Madhu's ear as he lowered her to the ground. He delighted in the blush that spread across her face at his next words.

"The suhaag raat."