Bride of the Sheesh Mahal - Season 3 - Part 3

(BANNER TO BE POSTED SOON) 

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Chapter 3


Khushi’s POV


I am about to reach Subhadra Raizada when someone calls my name.. In fact, he calls me by the nickname he has given me and I instantly know who he is. I turn around only to find the same stranger whom I helped today, only if he knew to say thank you.

“Miss Devotee..”

I glare at him. He is no longer in the jeans he was before but in a Sherwani.

“In a hurry?” He asks, stepping towards me and I quickly step back.

“What are you doing here? Only the Raizadas are allowed entry here, the ones who have organized the Maha Puja.”


He gives me a stern look.

“And you are a Raizada too?”

I know he is mocking. And because he uses that tone with me, I decide to play along.

“Yes, I am. I am a very important part of their family. Does that make you jealous?”


Instead of feeling offended, he grins.

“I didn’t know Devi Maiyaa’s closest devotee can lie standing in the temple.”

Oh No! Does he know the Raizadas? Is he one of them? I don’t think so. He is only pulling my leg. He’s a tourist and I am sure he has no idea of who the Raizada family is. But one way he is right. Lying in the temple is not something a devotee like me should follow. I see Haldi on his fingers which probably got glued when he was subconsciously drumming his fingers on the table which has wet haldi fallen on it. So, I decide to use it to divert the subject.


“What’s on your cheek?” I ask pretending to show something is stuck on his cheek.


As expected, his fingers caress his left cheek coloring it with the stains of haldi. I hold my smile.

“Not the left one, but the right cheek.”

He touches there too and in the process his face is covered with more stains of Haldi. Now I can’t hold my laugh. He is confused at first and then he turns to the left where a mirror hangs on the wall.

“What the..”

“Don’t” I shout to stop him from using that cuss word here in temple.

Gritting his teeth, he glares at me.

“Don’t my foot. You are such a tease, I didn’t know.”


I shrug showing no apology to his state.

“This is all your mistake to even cross my way.”

Anger surfaces on his face and the next instant, I know I shouldn’t have done that. I am responsible for whatever his present state is. I don’t even know this man, how can I play such silly games with him that too when my focus should be on revealing the issue about the locker key to the Raizadas?


I am still in this thought when he stretches his arm towards me. I step back in anger.

“Don’t touch me..”

“I wasn’t touching you Miss Devotee. But that doesn’t mean I would forgive you for spoiling my face.”

I am about to assimilate my thoughts when he grabs my Dupatta and rubs it on his cheeks to wipe the Haldi off his face.

His playfulness fuels my anger. How shameless is this man!! He has no courtesy to even ask my permission before doing so. I hadn’t pinned my dupatta but I cannot even let it go which is why I am still holding it while the other end is in his grip. He rubs off all the haldi from his face, staining my dupatta and then grins.

I am about to put up a fight when we both hear a strong voice from behind us.

“Arnav?”

Shocked, I turn around to find Subhadra Raizada staring at us, little confused.

“What are you doing here?”

That question wasn’t for him but me.

“I was..”

“She was helping me.” He lies.


He lied? Why? To save me? Who is he? And why is that name so familiar? Arnav? Subhadraji stride to us. He leaves my Dupatta which I quickly drape neatly around my neck, holding my nervousness.

“What happened to your face?” Subhardaji asks him.

I am sick worried if he would tell it all but instead, he continues the previous lie.


“Some kids turned naughty and applied it on my face. She was just helping me clean it off.”

His reply baffles me again.

“Hmm” Subhadraji’s eyes are back on me.

“You are Shashi Gupta’s daughter?” she asks.

“Jee” I smile. “And I have to tell you something.”

She nods as if probing me to continue. I know this one truth will break the Raizadas trust on me and my father but they deserved to know it.

“I don’t have the key to the locker anymore.. I… I..”


Subhadraji’s eyes widen in shock. She doesn’t even let me complete.

“What do you mean you don’t have the key?” she shouts.

I hadnt expected any less reaction from her but somehow words choke in my throat knowing what is at stake – both my father and my job.

“She doesn’t have the keys with her anymore,” Mr. Stranger repeats my words. “That’s because the key is with me now..”


He shows us both the key of the locker which I had lost. Hey Devi Maiyaa, he found the key? Where? I am about to ask when Subhadraji takes a sigh of relief.

“You two scared me. I thought she lost the key and all our precious items were at stake now..”


Mr. Stranger turns to me with the same tension in his eyes, a mix of anger and amusement.

“I am changing the locker and making it digitalized” he declares.

“Excuse me?” I pounce back, not caring that Subhadraji was still here. “Who are you to make such decisions?”

“He’s my grandson..” she interrupts me. “He is Arnav Singh Raizada, my eldest grandson. Whatever he says, goes.”


My jaw drops as she introduces him and for a minute, I lose track of my own thoughts. This man here belongs to the Raizada family? How come I didn’t recognize him? How would I? He never came before to this town with his family to attend this Maha Puja. This is first.


“But Chotte, why do you want to change the locker now?”


I want to know that too.

“I checked the present locker daadi. It’s unsafe to keep such important piece of items only trusting a small key like this. We own this temple so the security of all these items is our responsibility. I didn’t know why you or Chachu never thought of it before? Anyway, I have already asked my team to change the lockers and get everything digitalized. The staff will be told here how to operate those stuff and only one person or two will be given access to those. I don’t mind if you choose those people but make sure they are really trustworthy.”


I am speechless as he keeps explaining his grandmother.

“And also, with such expensive items in this vicinity also forces me to hire a security team who will not just guard these lockers but also the temple day and night. This place is very far from the town so we need full time watchmen to keep an eye and make sure deities feel safe and comfortable to visit the temple any time of the day or night.”


Whatever he says, I am impressed and happy that he didn’t just raised out all these concerns but is practically doing something to change it.

“Good idea, Chotte. I agree to you.”


He nods at his grandmother who then turns to me.

“Your father and you looked so far at all these responsibilities, I am glad that you didn’t disappoint us. All I want to say is, going forward it will be always you and him who would get access to these digital lockers. I don’t trust anyone else here.”


Her decision makes me cringe. She is again giving us a huge responsibility again while all I did was hide my mistakes? Not happening.

“I can’t take this responsibility anymore,” I mutter.

A crease of worry marred on her face.

“That’s because I missed fulfilling it with full dedication a while ago. I didn’t give the key to your grandson; I had lost it and he found it. I was going to tell you everything before but didn’t want to delay the Puja. I am sorry. I know what it would have costed us if someone else had found this key instead of him. But please believe me I didn’t do anything on purpose. If you wish to take away my job, I will accept it. But please don’t involve my father in this. He has always been loyal and hardworking towards his role towards this temple.”


Both Grandmother and grandson stare at me in disbelief. I don’t know what to infer from their expressions.

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

Arnav’s POV


I can’t believe someone can be this loyal and sincere. Here I was trying to protect this woman from Daadi’s wrath and instead, she told her the truth without fearing of the consequences? What should I conclude from it? She’s really silly for playing with her job which Daadi can snatch from her anytime.


“I can’t believe this” Daadi finally speaks turning to me. “You were protecting her?”

I glance at Khushi once before turning back to Daadi.

“She lost the key while helping me out, actually. My car broke down in the deserted road and some horrible looking woman tried to scare me off. Khushi helped me to get rid of that woman and even arranged for my ride to the temple. How could I not help her? This key I found where she parked her scooter in the temple vicinity. I saw it falling down from her sling bag and before I could give her, she had left.”


Daadi patiently listens.

“Then I heard her telling her father that she would tell you everything and this is when I decided to give her the key. But before that, you came here and … I had to protect her from your wrath..”


Daadi stares at me coldly and then sighs.

“If she hadnt told me the truth, I would never know my grandson could lie to me.”

“Daadi please.”

“No” she gestures her palm towards me to stop speaking. “You have said enough.”


She turns to Khushi again who’s all cold and silent.

“Tell your father, I am coming to see him tomorrow at your place. Sharp at 03:00 pm. Whatever my decision is, I will tell him personally there.”


Saying that Daadi walks out. I am disappointed. As far as I know Daadi, she will not let this incident pass without a proper judgement from her end. I wonder what it will be. When I turn back to Khushi, she is already gone from the room, using the other exit. What the hell!!


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

Next Day

Khushi’s POV


I am doomed and probably I have ruined my father’s reputation as well by losing that key. I should have been more careful in handling it. Now after yesterday’s Maha Puja, even though the key is found and that eldest grandson of Raizadas even decided to change the entire security system of the temple, I am not at ease because Subhadra Raizada is coming to meet my father any moment now.


Ever since I told my father this, he has been equally nervous though he doesn’t show it on his face. He has already told me he will accept whatever decision she makes, even if it means losing his job with mine. I am not prepared for that. Why should my Babuji suffer because of my carelessness. So, I have decided if Subhadraji does something like that, I will plead her to leave my father out of this. Payal and her father, Gopalji have come home to support us. We don’t have a big house to welcome such a huge personality, but we are not leaving anything left out to welcome Subhadraji. The Maha Puja went well yesterday and though everything happened as per the schedule, I didn’t get to speak to anyone from the Raizada family again. They were busy and I was lost thinking about today.


“Khushi, you have already made a heap of Jalebis. How many more will you make?”


Payal’s words bring me out of my reverie. She is right. I have cooked too many jalebis which can be fed to twenty people at least. I crunch one turning to her.

“You think she will snatch Babuji’s job?”

“She won’t” Payal’s reply is instant but not confident. “They are good people. Everyone here has good things to say about them. They will not harm you or your Babuji. Plus, you know she is already in some other headache.”

“What headache?” I ask, curious to know.

“Everyone in this town knows she is here to look for a bride for her grandson.”


Oh!! Grandson? Which one?

“For Arnav Singh Raizada I mean..” Payal clears my confusion.

We are about to discuss this further when suddenly we hear a car horn. I think she is here!!

“God, I am so afraid” Payal swallows. “I will go tell our fathers while you wind this up and keep some tea for her.”

Yes, that goes without saying. I quickly keep tea for everyone. Doesnt matter if she is here for snatching our jobs, it is our responsibility to greet her well.


When I bring the tea out for everyone, I see my father standing, bowing his head before Subhadraji. But that’s due to respect and not because he is pleading to save his job. Though I also hear Subhadraji telling my father to take a seat but he is reluctant to even sit before her and prefers to stand. Gopalji and Payal are standing next to him. I serve her the tea and then offer the tea to Babuji, Payal and her father.


“Shashiji, if you all don’t sit, I don’t think I will start this conversation. So please, Sit.”

Gaping at each other, they all take the seat away from her. I chose to stand behind the sofa which Babuji occupies. Subhadraji has come alone but she looks very normal and comfortable around us. Glancing once at me, she finally speaks.

“Yesterday, the way Khushi said the truth, I am appalled.” She begins. “But more than that the way my eldest grandson protected her, though they had hardly met, surprised me more. I am a very orthodox person as people know me already, Shashiji. I believe in signs and I believe in destiny. Whatever happened yesterday showed me enough signs and made me believe I am thinking right.”


She is speaking in codes, which none of us understand so far.


“Subhadraji, I didn’t get you.” Babuji interrupts. “What signs are you talking about?”

“The signs which tell me my grandson and your daughter can have a lot more common between them in future. Signs which tell me he can protect her and she can be in turn honest to him and his family. Signs that he will never let her dignity ruin and she will always be there to support him and our family in ways only a family member could.”


What is she talking about? I am still clueless. With a smile on her face, Subhadraji gets up from the sofa and reaches me. She grabs my arms and looks right in my eyes.


“I had come to India this time in the hope to look for a bride for my eldest grandson and I have found one. I want you to marry Arnav.”


Her command makes my jaw drop whereas my father and others are still in haze!!!


To be Continued.

NEXT PART

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Have you read FORBIDDEN? 

Standalone Enemies to Lovers Romance Novel

Jhanvi Sikand
I was supposed to marry my childhood friend, Mohit Raichand. Call it fate or destiny, I tied the knot with the Forbidden Heir of the Raichand family – Aarav Raichand, instead. I knew nothing about him except that he used me as a pawn to start a war to snatch from the Raichands what was legally his.

Aarav Raichand
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A Fight for dominance altered to War for Love. One war, Three Lives, Only Two could survive.

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