Patrani (The Chief Queen)

The Palanquin of Liberation

Aaryawati's POV

"Your Majesty!" I woke up with start, only to realize that my hands were pinned by his, on the giant new bed that was the center part of my new chamber. It was the first night of my wedding with His Majesty, Aaryaveer. While I waited for him in the chambers, like an eager, blushing bride, I could not suppress the amount of exhaustion I had post the wedding rituals. I didn't realize that I had dozed off to sleep until I felt someone gently mounting upon me.

"I..I apologize for falling into sleep." I couldn't speak more as his lips got dangerously close to me. Suddenly he got up, sat beside me and started laughing.

"Wh.. what happened? Your Majesty?" I woke up with a start as I was partially annoyed with our proximity having almost diminished and partly relieved because the butterflies in my stomach had stopped fluttering their dreamy wings and my heart had started beating normally again.

"My Aarya, you are such a beautiful sleepyhead." he smiled and I blushed with the new nickname.

"I am sorry I did not wake you up. In fact, I wanted you to have some rest. So I slept in my chambers and ensured that you sleep here without any disturbance. Now that its middle of the night, I felt like we could talk." He smiled as he held my hand. And then butterflies stared fluttering again.

"I understand that you are nervous. Because we are meeting for the first time. All alone. How about this? Before we consummate our marriage, lets talk for a while." He smiled.

I melted with his thoughtful words and considerate action. So while he helped me to remove my ornaments (his fingers would slightly brush my skin while doing so, making me yearn for his touch even more). He told me about how he fell in love with me when he secretly saw me for the first time, how he wanted to gift me a small garden, full of my favorite mogra plants, how he intended to make me feel home and how he would never look at any other woman in his entire life.)

I decide to show a little bit of daring side of mine and hug him. What is wrong in taking the first initiative? So I as hugged him and he pulled me away, furious. Suddenly his face turned into the face of a devil.

"How dare you to be so brave Aaryawati? Woman are supposed to accept whatever  their husbands provide to them. Be it lovemaking or life. Woman are not supposed to take any initiatives. They are supposed to raise their kids and provide famalies with an heir! They are not supposed to demand love!" Aaryaveer shouted at me and got up from the bed.

"No... Please do not leave me, Your Majesty!" I woke up with a start, panting as I looked around me. I was in my room, dull with his absence and loneliness. It was just a dream. But it largely provided me with the glimpse of my married life. Though Aaryaveer was compassionate and loving husband, I always feared to raise any idea in front of him. I gladly took whatever he provided me (as per what he thought would make me happy). Though he was love of my life, I secretly wished if he knew my truth. But then, I would also fear how he would retaliate against the sheer truth.

I was taught from the childhood at women are not allowed to raise their voice or demand from their husbands. And if they wanted to fight for anything, the struggle must be in dark. Maybe that was the reason why I wanted to fight for my husband, albeit without raising any eyebrows. It was already a momentous task to fight an enemy as strong as Sanketsingh. And now I had to fight in shadows.  I wondered how Aaryaveer would feel, seeing me face to face in an actual battlefield.

I looked outside the window and it was still dawn time. I looked at all the belongings lying next to my bed. Sejalbai had already packed everything that I needed. I opened the book that I had been reading for last few days. As there was no one in my chambers (all the servants were sleeping outside my chamber), I gently opened the bookmark and opened the map of the tunnel. I gently opened the secret door to the old library and went inside the tunnel that was connected to the library. I had almost memorized all the secret entrance points of the tunnel and was exploring for more.