IPKKND-ARHI-FF - Gypsy- Chapter 42 - Page 84

Hello lovelies...sory 4 not posting on sunday...i actually fell on the bathroom tiles on friday and hurt my head...was sik 4 whole weekend...

anyways...we only 2 n half hrs away from the new year...so here's wishing u all a happy new year in advance...thnk u all 4 ur love n support...see u in the new year now!!!

Chapter 40

The music gathered momentum as the wedding party neared Devgarh Palace. They turned in to the well paved road leading straight to the palace gates which stood open in readiness. Inside the palanquin Khushi remained unaware of her surroundings, hence, missed the sight of the impressive residence of Devgarh's royal family.

With great ceremony, the palanquin was set right in front of the palace entrance. Ahead of the palanquin, Arnav dismounted from his horse while Anjali, Mamta and Devyani hurried inside the palace. All arrangements to receive the bride were complete including the pooja thali. Anjali took her place right at the entrance while Mamta came outside to receive the bride.

Lifting the flower's away, she held out her hand to Khushi who took it and slowly stepped out. The wedding party had gathered just behind them while Arnav stood on Khushi's other side. Once Khushi's clothes were straightened they proceeded towards the entrance. Anjali did the arti for her brother and his bride and then placed a rice-filled golden pot for Khushi to tilt over and walk inside. Well trained in these small rituals, Khushi did as expected and walked in with her husband in to her new home. Straight away Anjali guided them to the small mandir in the palace where they paid their respects to the gods followed by ashirwaad from the elders. After that they gathered in the formal receiving room for some small rituals and games. The bride and groom both suffered through them, Arnav since he hated these things anyway and Khushi on account of her ghoonghat!

Later on dinner was served. Arnav ate with the guests while Khushi sat with her attendants for dinner. She avoided eating because of her clothes although Charu made her drink some fruit juice. Straight after dinner, Anjali and the attendants escorted Khushi to the Maharaja's chambers. Holding up till now, Khushi could feel her strength ebbing away. Her heart was thudding in her chest and she feared Anjali could hear it while her hands went clammy. Her ghoonghat made it impossible to see anything which in a way was a blessing. At least she was spared intimidation of her opulent surroundings. She stepped on the bed while Anjali set her lehenga around her carefully.

The attendants were giggling all through. Charu did her best to hush them while Anjali only smiled. The bride, meanwhile, was a mess of nerves. Satisfied, Anjali patted Khushi's hands and dropped a kiss on her downbent head, whispering a soft good luck. Everyone went out, leaving a glass of almond laced milk for the bridegroom and a very nervous bride behind!

They encountered Arnav on the threshold of the room. The attendants giggled and slipped past but as per custom, Anjali blocked the door, smiling at her brother.

"Come on, Chhote, my gift please."

What gift Di?"

"Don't pretend and don't be a miser! Come on! Hurry up!"

Arnav smiled and removing a flat box from his pocket, handed it to his sister. Then he removed his wallet and removing all the notes in them, he moved it around Anjali's head three times and handed them to Charu for her and the other attendants. Anjali giggled at his generosity before she stepped out. Holding his arm as he walked past, she nodded towards the girl on the bed. Arnav nodded in understanding.

Almost dying of nerves and feeling too tired and uncomfortable with her clothes and jewelry, Khushi was impatient for Arnav to arrive. Not because she was looking forward to her suhaagraat but rather because he was the only one who could raise her ghoonghat and take off her jewelry. If he didn't come she would have to stay like that all night since it was considered bad luck for the bride to remove her own ghoonghat or jewelry. Faced with a lifetime of bad luck and the Maharaja himself, she chose the lesser of the two evils. She could and would get through the encounter with the Maharaja but she definitely did not want a lifetime of bad luck! She waited for her bridegroom!

And then she heard the soft click of the door shutting and gathered all her courage in her hands. So here is it, she thought. Time for those liberties!

Arnav glanced at the beautifully decorated room, at the flowers that made a curtain around the bed, the petals strewn on the pristine white coverlet, at the soft candles lit around the bedchamber. He looked at Khushi on the bed, shaking his head slightly at the ghoonghat. Under normal circumstances, he would have removed it but things were far from normal so he maintained his distance. Instead he removed his turban and unbuttoned his sherwani. He tried the door of his dressing room and went in to change, thus providing her with some privacy as well. Struggling with his sherwani, he managed to remove it and rifling through his clothes, found a soft cotton pajama and shirt to change in. He went in the bathroom and freshening up, put on the sleeping suit and came back, debating his next action.

The main chamber Khushi was occupying was his. He couldn't very well sleep in the bed in her chamber tonight and neither could he use the dressing rooms. The servants would notice and comment. He didn't have a choice, really. The main chamber had a sofa, he recalled. Thankfully he went in there. Surely she would have changed by now he thought.

But when he walked back in it was to see her sitting in the same position as earlier. He frowned slightly. Maybe he should ask her, he thought. He opened his mouth but she beat him to it.

Khushi had been waiting for him to remove her ghoonghat but she became aware of a door opening and him walking through it and away. Her heart sank. Did that mean she would sit like this all night? Devi Maiya, please send him back, she prayed. After long moments her prayer was answered but once again, he came in but made no attempt to come near the bed. Oh no, she thought, not like this. What if he left her like this and walked out again? Maybe this was his way of punishing her, torturing her like this in small ways. But she was dying of the heavy ghoonghat and clothes in the meantime. Taking all her courage in her hands she called out.

"Maharaja Saheb?" Arnav froze. Did she call him, he wondered?

When he didn't say anything, she called again,

"Maharaja Saheb?" Yes, she definitely called him, he realized.

"Khushi?" Sab ... Sab theek hai?"

"Maharaja Saheb, hamari madat kijiye."

"Kya baat hai Khushi?"

"Wo... hamari ghoonghat. Use uthaiye na!"

Arnav froze. Hell did I hear that right? He wondered incredulously. Was she expecting him to claim his marital rights? This was bad, he realized. Poor girl! What all she was going through and all because of him!"

"K-khushi, it's ok. There's no need for all that. You just relax. I'll sleep on the sofa."

He refused! Khushi sat in stunned silence. He meant to punish her like that indeed! Devi Maiya, ab hum kya kare! She was nearly in tears. Her head and neck ached like the devil itself and no hope of any relief. She gulped hard and decided to try again.

"Maharaja Saheb, please ... aap hamari madat kijiye na!" Ye ghoonghat ..."

"Nahi Khushi, it's not like that. Just go to sleep."

"Hamara sar dukh raha hai. Hamara ghoonghat, ye gehne, hum sach me ..."

Her voice trailed off in despair. It was then her words penetrated Arnav's brain. Oh damn, so that's what she meant! How stupid of him!!!.

He cleared his throat nervously, saying,

"Um... Sorry Khushi. Of course. Just a moment."

He hurried to the bed and gingerly lifted her ghoonghat, placing it back on her head, exposing her face. He finished and looked down at her and just looked!

She had raised her face, breathing deeply and freely for the first time in hours. The soft candlelight fell on her dainty features, outlining their beauty enhanced with the soft jewels. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut while her hands were clenched on her knees. She truly was just too beautiful, Arnav thought. Seeing her like this, as a bride, Arnav became conscious of a tightening in his throat. She was lovely indeed! It was a moment later that he became aware of another tightening in his trousers. Cursing inwardly, he quickly stepped back.

Khushi looked up at her husband who had retreated to the middle of the room and was looking around wildly. She looked down, wondering if he meant to abandon the job halfway through. She waited for him to come back. When he didn't she called him again,

"Maharaja Saheb, wo hamara gehne..."

"Kya?"

"My jewelry. You have to remove them. as well."

"I have to ...what?"

"Remove my jewelry," Khushi replied softly.

Closing his eyes for a few seconds, Arnav wondered how much more of the torture he was going to face. Breathing hard, he asked her very precisely,

"Why?"

"Wo... Maa said it would be bad luck if I removed it myself. She said you have to ..."

The torture continued. Arnav walked back to his bride who was struggling with the pins holding her ghoonghat.

When he came beside her, she lowered her hands, linking them on her raised knees. Arnav gingerly looked for the pins and removed them one by one. When he took out the last one, the dupatta slithered down on the bed. Khushi hastily grabbed it to hold around her shoulders whilst her eyes were squeezed shut. Arnav hurriedly went for the haar, jhumkas and maang tika, leaving her mangalsutra behind. He took a moment to study it and the red vermillion on her parting, the visible signs of her married status and indicators of his life. As he removed the jewelry, he placed them all on a soft red cloth placed in readiness on the bedside table. He was about to step away when Khushi held up her hands. Arnav cast his eyes heavenward but obliged, removing her kangans and bangles slowly, leaving one kangan each behind on each wrist since it was unseemly for a married female to have bare hands.

"All done Khushi."

"Nahi."

"Nahi? What's left now?"

"The kamar bandh." Khushi gestured somewhere in the vicinity of her waist. Arnav groaned inwardly, convinced that some cheeky angel was having a good laugh at his predicament up in heaven.

"Up you come." Arnav held out a hand. After eyeing it for a few seconds, Khushi placed hers in it. Immediately his hand enclosed hers and pulled, helping her off the bed. She slid to her feet and stood, still grabbing the dupatta with one hand. Arnav deftly unclasped the waist belt, removing and placing it on the cloth along with the other jewelry. Just to be sure, he asked her,

"All done now Khushi or something left out?"

She quickly nodded her head in a yes. He stepped away in relief, leaving her standing by the bed.

"Khushi, your dressing room is that way. You can change if you want to. I'm sure your clothes are uncomfortable. The servants must have placed your bags in there." Arnav indicated her dressing room, turning his back.

Khushi thought for a moment. His suggestion was a good one, she realized. Her clothes were heavy indeed. She hurried off in the direction he indicated. But her trunks and bags were not there, she realized in disappointment. She looked around, wondering what to do. Her eyes fell on the huge wardrobes lining the walls and hesitantly she opened them. Voila! There were her clothes, all hanging neatly. She clapped her hands excitedly, running her hands through them, finally selecting a soft white silk nightgown trimmed in lace with a matching wrapper, mentally thanking her instructors for lecturing her about clothing. She looked here and there, finally spying the bathroom door and went inside to freshen up.

While she took a quick shower, after all she couldn't resist water, she wondered about the little scene back in the bedchamber. She was surprised at herself, Khushi decided. She had not been so frightened of the Maharaja at close quarters. Why was that? Just a week or so back, she had been practically quaking in her shoes in his presence! That could be because she had been expecting him to remove her ghoonghat and jewelry. But when he did not, she was stunned enough to ask him herself. When he obliged, there was no surprise element there at all. Plus she had also kept her eyes tightly shut, thereby, avoiding looking at him. Maybe that also helped. There! She was satisfied with her reasoning. It was only when she was dressing that she recalled the liberties! She had to ask him. Better to ask now, she decided. He seemed in an agreeable mood. After all, she reasoned, it was better to know about these liberties so she could be prepared! She brushed her short curls carefully and patted the fresh bandage she had just put on her thigh before slipping on her nightgown and lace trimmed wrap.

She tiptoed back in the bedchamber only to see the Maharaja lying on the sofa, a pillow under his head and a soft coverlet lying across his legs and one arm covering his eyes. Khushi's eyes rounded in surprise. He was not on the bed! Hey Devi Maiya, what now? She studied him carefully. After a long moment, she was certain he was asleep. Maybe it was for the best, she decided reluctantly. The reluctance was on behalf of asking about those so-called liberties.

She slowly went to the bed, shed her wrap and got in, pulling the covers up to her chin. She just had to ask him about those liberties, she thought sleepily. She was formulating her approach when sleep claimed her. Even the unfamiliar bed did not bother her; she was so tired. On the sofa, Arnav, who had been pretending slumber to spare his bride any embarrassment lay awake for much longer, thinking of many things, eventually falling asleep well after midnight while his bride slept peacefully...