Bride of Sheesh Mahal - Season 3 - Part 1A

(BANNER WILL COME SOON) 


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Chapter 1A



Arnav’s POV


December is the coldest month in Delhi I have heard and it’s proved today. Despite wearing a leather jacket, the cold breeze prickles my skin and then this effing car. This had to get punctured now? In the middle of this crazy deserted road where I hardly find any vehicle to take lift from? This is all my fault. Had I not woken up late, my family wouldn’t have left me alone behind. Just yesterday we all landed in India and me along with my cousins decided to booze. We really had spent time discussing about each other’s lives and what all we missed knowing about each other since we last met. Obviously, none of us slept on time and me despite being the eldest to all, forgot to keep the morning alarm. When I woke up, it was quarter to 8:00 and my grandmother just left a note in my room stating she hadn’t expected this from me. Fine!! I accept my fault. So, despite such a bad hangover, I got showered and dressed up in one hour and left the hotel to reach the temple on time where this Maha Puja is organized. I don’t remember much of it as I was hardly available here when they did it in the last decade. But this time I simply couldn’t skip it. They knew I had loads of meetings to attend yet they pressurized me to be here because of one more reason. They want me to marry!! And that woman has to be a traditional Indian woman. No wonder my twin sister Anjali, asked me if I had any girlfriend already whom I wanted to make my life partner and when I denied having any woman like that, she told the same to everyone in the family who later decided to pick my bride. Wow!! Just WOW!! I so hate this trip already.

 

Kicking the flat tyre of the vehicle, I turn around only to be scared to death seeing a woman in a black dress, with hair messy and covering her face, holding a lantern even in daylight and a lemon in her other fist, circling it before me.


“What the..” I scowl, taking a step behind. “Shooo” I shout further. This is not how I like to treat women but this one here is surely scaring me. I have never seen a woman as scary as her.

“Don’t look in her eyes”


An unknown soft voice of another woman stills me. I can’t see her as she’s behind me but I can say that voice is damn charming. She chants some mantras which I can only hear because she’s still not beside me neither I turn. The moment these mantras hit this other woman’s ears she cries aloud and runs far away from us. Thank God but what the hell was that? I finally turn to thank the person who became my savior from this incident. With deep dove eyes, highlighting cheekbones, soft milky skin and a charm which can bring even a dead man to life, she was breathtakingly beautiful.


“Aap theek ho?” (You alright?)


She keeps something back in her sling bag and then dusts her palms. With my tongue freeze and mouth hanging open, I can hardly communicate my normalcy but I nod. I nod at her while she sweeps her gaze on my punctured car.


“So, this is why you are out here? I can give you a ride. Where do you want to go?”


She can give me a ride? Not that I mind. But I don’t see she having a car. I scan the surrounding and see a tiny scooter parked behind my car. Is that her ride?


“I know it’s not your comfort type but it will help you reach your destination.”


She gets back to her scooter and kicks it. Once, twice, thrice and it finally starts.


“Are you sure?” My voice is back and so is my grin. “I mean, this thing can carry the two of us?”


She rolls her eyes, and knots the ends of her red dupatta to the side.

“I can take a triple seat too on this scooter. Asking you for the last time. Do you want a ride or not?”

“F*** yes.. I do”


I quickly grab my wallet, phone and car keys and reach her scooter.

“Wait” she stops me. “First say sorry Devi Maiyaa.”

“What?”

“You used a cuss word. That too before a Devi Maiyaa devotee. Not allowed. Say Sorry devi Maiyaa and then I can ride you from here.”


Is she serious? I gauge her expressions and she seems to be very confident about her demand.


“You are a devotee of Devi Maiyaa?” I ask.

“Arent you? We are all her children but I am special”


She gives me the brightest smile stealing my heart. wait!! I am still not going to say Sorry.


“Okay look. I don’t say sorry unnecessarily. And I didn’t use cuss word for Devi Maiyaa. That’s the way I speak.. No harsh feelings.”

“Then you need to cleanse your speech a bit. Devi Maiyaa likes people who speak clean unlike you.”

“Excuse me?”


I am losing my mind hard and fast.


“Say it or else I am leaving you alone here and I am sure that other woman wouldn’t have gone very far. She can return and..”

“Fine” I shout. I don’t want that scary woman around me again so I take up her option. “I am sorry.. Happy?”

“Say Sorry to Devi Maiyaa not me..”

“Sorry Devi Maiya..” I add again. “Whereever you are.. I am sorry can you please ask your devotee to drop me to the Maha Puja at the Oldest temple of this town?”

“Maha Puja?” Her eyes beam with joy. “You want me to drop you there? Even I am going there..”

“Lovely. Can we start now?”

“Sure.”


She moves a bit ahead to give me enough space to sit behind and I do. She accelerates the scooter and I finally begin the rest of my ride.


To be Continued


NEXT PART 

Note: Couldn’t draft more. Will post Part B tomorrow.

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