The Royal Fling - Part 6

PREVIOUS PART

Chapter 6


Shantivan 


“Daadi Saheb… Daadi Saheb”

The rough voice of Shyam Singh Raizada makes Subhadra Raizada sigh in frustration. He is back? No wonder he and his delicate wife must have got the news of the Royal wedding. That’s why they came back early from Mussourie. As the voice keeps nearing, she quickly picks a holy book and pretends engrossed in reading. Shyam Singh Raizada (SSR) enters her room.

“Daadi Saheb..”
“Shyam” she keeps the book away smiling at him. “You were supposed to come day after tomorrow. I hope you liked Mussourie’s weather”

He comes ahead and sits next to her rocking chair.



“Mussourie’s weather is fine Daadi Saheb. But what happened to the weather of Jodhpur? I heard you are getting your elder Grandson married” he questions. “That too without even informing us. Is that how a joint family works? I don’t think so”

Daadi clenches her jaw.
“I heard tomorrow is the Ring ceremony? I hope we are invited” he continues poking into the matter.

Daadi smiles.
“You are family, SSR. Why would you need invitation?”
“Family?” he scoffs. “If you treated me and my wife your family, then you wouldn’t fix things without letting us know”
“Never speak to me like that again” Daadi groans, getting up from the chair. “I have never treated you different. You want to know why I hurried? Then listen. Your wife Anjali was pushing too hard to bring her cousin sister as Arnav’s wife. You know I don’t like that girl.”
“Aah” he acknowledges. “Is that the only reason?”

Anjali knocks the door, interrupting their talks.

“Daadi, my Anjum would have got a heap of gold in this house if she had been married to Arnav. I don’t understand why you declined choosing her?” she mocks.

Daadi gets a headache by her constant nagging about her cousin.

“Look both of you. He decision is taken and the Governor’s daughter Khushi is going to be Arnav’s bride. Now if you both accept this, you can attend the ring ceremony followed by all the other pre-wedding rituals. If you don’t, then you are welcome to stay indoors and not disturb others”

Her warning is enough to seal the couple’s lips temporarily. Daadi heads out of her room.

“I am telling you Shyam, she is onto something big” Anjali mutters.
“We will find that out. Anyways, I am leaving for the meeting at the parliament. Now that I have come back, let me finish some official work”

He kisses her once and heads out. Shyam Singh Raizada is the face of his political party. He is going to stand for the upcoming elections of the state at the end of this year and is rigorously working on it. The Royals have given him complete freedom to do whatever he likes. He didn’t continue the family heritage hotel business with Arnav Singh Raizada and chose politics instead. His witty brain and manipulative skills have helped him be the face of his Party. And he also has Anjali’s father hand on his back to support him financially for all the elections. But his greed for the Royal’s treasure will never end.

******************

Gupta House 

Garima admires her daughter who is dressed in a Greenish blue lehnga, all set for the engagement tonight. She spreads the Kohl (eyeliner) from her eye and applies it behind Khushi’s ear.

“Mumma?” Khushi interrupts her but Garima does what she wants to.
“I don’t want anybody’s bad eye to fall on you tonight, you are looking extremely beautiful tonight”

Khushi rolls her eyes.
“I am getting me married to a man who is totally bad in my eyes, what about that?” she asks.
Garima sighs in disappointment.
“I gave you an option to run away”
“So did he” Khushi replies.
“What? What do you mean by He? Who else did you share this thought with?”
“Arnav Singh Raizada” she answers wearing the bangles.
“You.. you told him you wish to elope?” Garima gets nervous. “How did he react?”
“He said find me a replacement bride and run away. But I know he didn’t mean it. He wants me.. only me” she groans.
“Khushi” Garima clutches her arms. “Don’t do this mistake of challenging him. You don’t know what they capable to do. They are like…”
“Devils of this place” Khushi completes her mother’s sentence. “I know”
“No, that’s not true. But they have power in their hands. Your father has fought all these years with them to win the royal tag, lead this place but nothing happened. He was always defeated. That madness in him is still there but I don’t know why he suddenly agreed to forget everything and accept their proposal?”
“I know why he is doing this”
Garima looks keenly at her.
“It’s a vague idea. He is going to benefit politically if he gets me married to the Royals. What he couldn’t gain directly from them, he is snatching it indirectly”

Garima is unsure but there are possibilities.

“Oh my god” Lavanya enters the room. “Ma’am, you are still not ready? The Royals have left the Palace, they will be here any time”

Khushi is already frustrated by her wedding planner. From past 24 hours anything she wants to do, Lavanya has a different say in it. She wished to eat some Pizza last evening but Lavanya cancelled the order because she was afraid that the would-be bride will gain weight. Then today morning when Khushi took extra time in the shower, Lavanya was worried that her skin might over hydrate and that will not get the desired effect of the makeup. And the latest of all, Khushi wasn’t allowed to go out of the house, even in the garden if not far, because Lavanya worried her skin will get tanned.

“Ma’am, what have you applied here?” she asks looking at the Kohl which her mother applied Khushi behind her ear. “This wont look nice if captured in the pictures. Let me wipe it off”

She was about to wipe it but Khushi holds her hand.

“Leave it”
“But Ma’am”
“Lavanya, I don’t want to disregard my mother’s sentiments”

Lavanya sighs, keeping the tissue paper aside.
“Ma’am, I must say. You are really looking like a Royal Bride today. Can I click a Selfie with you? Just if you don’t mind? Please”

Khushi hated to say yes but her mother insisted her to agree. She took a selfie with Lavanya and then made Lavanya click one picture of Garima and her too. It’s been long since she took a selfie with her mother and who knows what the future is going to be? If she happens to find all the secrets of the Royals related to her sister Payal, she might elope from the wedding and never come back to Jodhpur again. But if that doesn’t happen, she will have to marry that Royal Singh Raizada and spend her next few days / months / years finding proofs against them.

“Ma’am they are here” Lavanya peeps from the window and informs. “I will check if the girls are ready to shower the rose petals on each of the Royals at the entrance. Excuse me”

She runs out.

“Mumma. I am very hungry” she complains. “I don’t understand why I cannot have lunch?”
Garima exhales.
“The Royals traditions Khushi. The would-be bride has to fast on the day of her engagement and marriage. Subhadra Raizada had strictly called me to ensure this is followed. And you know I would have still let you eat something, but Lavanya’s eyes are always on us”
“I know” she sighs. “But I can eat fruits, can’t I?”
“Yea, fruits should be fine in fast”
“Great. I will bite an apple then”

Garima smiles at her daughter’s understanding nature and then heads out. While all the guests are busy in welcoming the Royals at the entrance, Khushi sneaks out of her room and strides to the kitchen. Luckily there is no one here to stop her.

She finds an apple in the refrigerator and decides to cut it into pieces. She cannot just bite an apple as a whole. She takes a knife and starts cutting the apple into pieces. Suddenly, she feels warm fingers brushing her back. It’s like someone is trying to touch her inappropriately. Who would do that to her at her own house that too during her engagement? She grips the knife and turns around speedily to push the person away from her.

“Get away from me” she roars in anger. He stumbles one step behind and glares at her angrily.
“What the hell have you done” he shouts looking at her and then his finger which has started to bleed.

Khushi drops the knife from her hand. It was Arnav Singh Raizada? Why was he touching her back like that?

He makes his way to the tap and holds his finger under the cold running water. When Khusi had tried to push him away, the knife she was holding in her hand bruised his finger badly.
“This is what happens if you touch a woman without her will” she shouts at him.
He removes a handkerchief from his pocket and ties it on his bleeding finger.
“Will, my foot” he snaps. “I wasn’t touching you dammit. I was tying the knots of your dress”

She instantly touches her back and realizes her top’s knots are hanging loose behind.

“Royals are epitome of perfection” he continues to teach her. “We are always under the scrutiny of people and I was ensuring this one silly mistake of yours doesn’t get the headlines of tomorrow’s social media posts - The Would-be Royal bride was flaunting her backless Royal outfit or that she doesn’t have sense to wear traditional clothes”

Khushi’s jaw hardens.

“Arnav?” Daadi comes inside, following her grandson. She had seen him making his way towards the kitchen. There was a lot of disturbance outside and he wanted some silent zone to make a call. “What happened to your finger?”

She rushes to Arnav who shrugs his arm when Daadi tries to check.
“Nothing”
“Khushi.. What happened?” Garima steps in.
“You are bleeding” Daadi continues to worry.
“I will get the first aid box” Garima hurries out of the kitchen whereas Khushi manages to tie her dress’s knot, while keeping his gaze fixed on his.
“Who did this to you?” Daadi asks him but he doesn’t reply. But she notices the knife fallen under Khushi’s feet. “You? You did this? To your fiancée?”
“Daadi” Arnav interrupts.
“No.. wait Arnav” she snarls and comes to Khushi. “I don’t know what your intentions are but next time I find you offending any of the Royals, you will have to bear its consequences” she threatens Khushi.
“I am already bearing the consequences even though I did nothing to your family so far”

Daadi clenches her jaw. Garima comes inside with the first aid box.

“Khushi will do this” Daadi stops Garima from tending Arnav’s wound. Khushi rolls her eyes and looks at her mother. Snatching the box from Garima, Daadi forces Khushi to hold it and then takes Garima out with her, leaving the couple alone inside.

It is her fault, though unintentional. She can be human at least and tend his wound. With that good thoughts in her mind, she starts bandaging his finger. Arnav leans back on the kitchen slab, watching his fiancée arrogantly.

“Oh my God” Khushi fakes a surprise in her look. “Even the Royal’s blood is red?”

Arnav rolls his eyes.
“We are not vampires like you” he teases back. Her gaze narrows at him as he mouths that.
“Don’t marry a Vampire then. She knows to suck blood” she argues.

She finishes bandaging his finger.
“Let’s see who sucks whose blood after the marriage. For now, eat that apple and satiate your hunger” he winks at her and makes his way out. Khushi’s nose flares at his casual behavior.
But he is right. She is damn hungry and if she doesn’t eat that apple, she cannot withstand the ring ceremony today.

*****************

All the guests have eyes on the Royal couple as they stand next to each other for exchanging the rings. As the rings are placed before them, Khushi gives a winning smile. Though it wasn’t planned, his ring finger got bruised by the knife she was holding a while ago and now its bandaged.

“Poor Royal Raizada!!” she mocks but, in a whisper, only to his ears. “Now you will have to compromise wearing the ring on your other hand” she laughs. “I don’t think that will bring any significance to this engagement. So, technically, even if we exchange the rings, you won’t be my fiancée”

Arnav’s jaw hardens.

“Oh.. but please don’t think I did it on purpose. I can never hurt anyone physically. But as I see it, the destiny seems to be working in my favor, isn’t it?” she holds her laughter this time because his expressions are worth watching.

“Arnav..” Daadi voices out. The entire crowd is waiting for them to exchange the rings. “Extend your other arm. It’s okay if she puts the ring on your other finger”

Khushi grins. She is loving this state of the Royal, Arnav Singh Raizada. It’s not a huge win for her.. but such small victory is going to help her turn this marriage fiasco in her favor.

Arnav starts removing the bandage tied to his injured finger.
“Arnav… what are you doing?” Daadi shouts but he doesn’t stop. His eyes blaze at Khushi’s as he removes the bandage completely. Blood oozes out from his finger which he sucks in one breath and forwards that arm for Khushi to insert the ring. She breathes hard to calm herself from his display of stubbornness. Unwillingly, she inserts the ring on that same finger, their bond sealed with his blood over the ring she just made him wear.

Everyone starts clapping for them. Arnav picks the ring for her and inserts in her finger. The sound of the clap’s echoes in the room. He raises her arm and then kisses the back of her palm, surprising her. There is an instant mist of perspiration on her skin. Despite all that pain in his finger, he still maintained his stubbornness and did exactly what she didn’t want him to. People continue to take their pictures. Arnav slides his arm around her waist and pulls her closer for photos.

“We are two headstrong people, Khushi Gupta. We will keep clashing occasionally. So, stop being shocked and smile for the cameras” he gives a gentle squeeze to her shoulder and continues smirking at the photographers. Khushi gives him a wary glance and does as told.


To be Continued.


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