Riddhima pov
It's been a month since I was married. I don't even know who I was married to. I didn't get to see his face. I didn't know anything about him, not even his name.
A month ago....
I was sitting in my room and reading my favorite book. I wanted to study, to explore this world. I wanted to become something, may be a pilot because I loved to travel, or maybe a dancer because I wanted to learn dance or maybe...
Anyways I couldn't become anything because I was not allowed to study. I never saw my parents without any specific occasion. It was just me and my room, no maa, no papa, no brothers, no siblings no friends, nothing. Why? Because I am simply a mistake or maybe a sin for my parents. I was not supposed to be born, it was supposed to be quadruplet elder brothers only. Why? Because I am a girl.
I saw my maa only a handful times, that too after peeking behind from the pillar. Maa, simply thinks I was not worthy of her, only her sons were.
My thoughts were cut off by the knock on my door. I was surprised, shocked and most importantly scared. Everyone was forbidden to see my face, let alone meet me in my room. I cautiously and slowly walked towards the door, clutching my white lehenga skirt. Slowly I twisted the knob of the door and peeked outside. I was shocked...it was my mother. I immediately looked down at my feet and whispered slowly "Maa..."
My mother entered my room pushing me aside roughly and sat on my bed. She looked at me from head to toe and said " You have grown up and still you are not covering your face. Are you trying to show your face to every man outside?"
This rule of wearing a veil was applicable to me only. No woman in our home wore veils, everyone was modern and allowed to wear whatever they want. But this rule of wearing a veil was compulsory for me. Why? Because I am the bad omen for this home. Anyone who would see my face would face bad luck. I looked around for my dupatta but I couldn't find it.
Suddenly she spoke again "go and wear this. Get ready in fifteen minutes." I looked down at the box she gave me. It consisted of a red lehenga choli and some jewelry. The lehenga was very heavy than the ones I usually wear. I felt weird and I wanted to ask why. But then again I didn't had the courage to disobey my mother or question her back.
It took me more than half an hour to wear the lehenga because of its weight. It may be its usu weight but for me it was very heavy because I was small and thin.
I embraced myself for another scolding but my mother just dragged me somewhere. I was very scared because I never left the west wing of the haveli. I couldn't see anything due to the long veil till my chin. Somehow I controlled myself from tripping , my mother was dragging me like some rag
Soon we reached to a hall, it was decorated with flowers and filled with a very few people. I tried to look around in confusion but I was abruptly sat beside a man. I felt a knot got twisted in my stomach. I was confused what was happening with me.
I tried to gather my courage and open my mouth but nothing came of my mouth. I was not a shy or introvert girl, it was just that no one really talked to me usually so I always talked with my teddy bear. I wanted to looked around to see my father or my grandparents or may be my brothers. I know anyone would laugh hearing that in this situation instead of asking someone what was happening, I wanted to search my family. Because? I never saw my grandparents, I never saw my papa from near, I never saw my elder brothers, not even my own quadruplet brothers who share my mother's womb with me.
Finally I gathered my courage to say something but again before I could say anything, I felt someone tying a pendant like thing around my neck. It was the huge human beside me. I felt him filling my hairline with some red powder. Now my confusion was turned into fear, what the hell was happening with me. I heard the priest said "Aajse aap dono pati patni huye"
My eyes widened as I finally understood, I got married to someone recently. I felt everyone leaving the place, even the huge man beside me, while I was still trying to make sense of everything.
In just a few minutes I was escorted to a vehicle, which I only heard of ever. It was a car, I liked it. I saw a car for the first time and I instantly forgot about the situation in hand. Suddenly I felt my mother turning me around. She said sternly "No matter what, never come back here. He is your husband now. Obey him always and please him if you want to stay alive. I highly doubt if he would keep you even as his mistress, let alone his wife"
Throughout the journey I sat in the corner like a scared kitten. There were no tears, no sadness, only confusion in my eyes. I didn't heard anything after the word 'your husband'. I didn't bother to focus anything else. I just loved the feeling, finally someone was mine. He is mine, mine forever. I get possessive of my things very rarely. Usually I would like to share but I love the word 'my husband'.
I drifted off to sleep smiling like a psychopath. It was the best sleep ever. When I opened my eyes, a maid was standing in front of me and I was in front of a huge mansion. I looked around to see if my husband was there. The maid escorted me to a bedroom, it was luxurious and beautiful. Before she could leave I asked softly "Woh kaha hai?"
The maid smiled at me sympathetically and said "sorry, master left for the airport as soon as he reached here. I don't know when he will come back. He never says about the time span of his business trips"
I nodded and closed the door behind me. My lips curled into a smile and jumped around happily. I changed the heavy elephant like lehenga into my usual pastel lehenga choli. I had seen my mother wear that red powder and pendant like thing always so I didn't remove them. Then I set the bed properly to sleep. I took a deep breathe and jumped on the bed. It was a usual habit. I was so tired that I just slept within a few seconds without even covering myself with the dupatta. Who cared now? I was alone, all alone in my room. Soon I drifted into a dreameless slumber.
Sunrays peeked through the curtain and fell on my eyes making me groan loudly. I hate mornings, I wasn't an early riser and the thought of leaving my first love, my beautiful sleep, always makes me sad. I opened my eyes gingerly and got scared seeing the unfamiliar surroundings. This was not my room, where was I? Then I remembered everything.
I got very excited and jumped off my bed. I quickly did my morning business and went to have breakfast. He hadn't come home yet, I felt bad. Bit wait the maid said that he usually had long business trips. Maybe I should just wait for him at home.
After breakfast I went on my adventure to explore the huge mansion. It was not like the haveli in which I used to live. This was modern and looked lavish. Honestly, this was first time I was in a modern surrounding. In our ancestral haveli, everything was themed in ancient Indian style. It looked more like a historical palace.
But my new home was different. It was not brown and red like my previous home, this was more white, yellow etc. This looked very soothing to my eyes. I was always a curious cat since my childhood. I explored the mansion till my legs gave up. I laid on my bed with a thud and wondered
"only one person lives in this mansion. Oh god how much time does it take to clean this mansion everyday."
I shivered thinking everything. I was scared from inside that my husband would also treat me like an untouchable just like my family did. So I just counted the passing days and waited for him to come.
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