Miraadhya :The Royal Mistress

40-7 pheras

I bite my lips to prevent myself from getting sentimental as she wipes her own tears.

"These bangles are very important to a married woman Miraadhya, it represents the longevity and existential state of the husband. Shakha (White bangle) is brittle as it is made of conch shell, so it signifies the care that the bride has to take to build the new relationship coupled with the warmth of the red colour of the coral which is the Pola( Red bangle)" she explains and pulls my hand to make me wear the pair in each hand.

"The red color symbolizes energy, power, and the fertility of married life, while the white color represents purity and peace," she further adds and I stare at the bangles which I have seen in so many married women hands including my mother's . I always thought of the day I would be wearing this, how excited I had felt that it had made me blush like a tomato- that I would be married to someone whom I would love and care for the rest of my life.

And now it all seems like a facade, like I am wearing chains around me which would imprison me from my life.

"Maa what if I am not able to nurture this relationship" I ask nervously as the face of my would be husband flashes in my mind, I don't even respect him- there is no way I could ever nurture anything.

"Then so be it, I want to see you being a Queen- to have power. I understand you may not able to love that man but make sure you have the power." Maa looks at me with her stern eyes but I could see the years of pain she had felt- to be in a loveless marriage has made her bitter and to not have any power must have made her so helpless.

"Remember- at all cost do not let that man bully you. You are much stronger than that" she says and I look at her in shock not expecting her to say that out of all the things a mother says to her daughter.

"I am much stronger than that" I repeat and smile softly as she gives me a forehead kiss.

"Come -it's time. I won't be able to see your marriage as it's customary but Abhijeet would be there and he would be doing your Kanya Daan " she says and I nod, my own father never deserved to do that ritual anyways.

I take a deep breadth to calm my shaking breath and follow her out.
The sound of drums increases as I could hear the hush voices of few people. Maa goes to her room and I see Sukanya wearing a beautiful pink dress approaching me.

"You look beautiful " she says but her smile doesn't reach her eyes.

"Are you okay?" I ask as she holds my hand to take me to the main hall.

"Don't think about me now. I am fine. Today is a huge day for you. Everything is going to change." She says and I glance towards her in worry, was that supposed to console me or scare me.

She gives me two betel leaves to cover my face and makes me sit on the wooden seat.

"We may not have any brothers but some of our cousins has come who will lift you okay?" She whispers and I nod.

I saw three men approaching me whom I had never seen before. "Pranam Mesdi (Middle Sister), Pranam Bourdi" they say and I nod haphazardly. I feel embarrassed not knowing about them.

"Ready?" Sukanya asks.

No..

"Yes" I say slowly and take the betal leaves to cover my face as my cousins lifts me up in one stride. The height making me jolt in nervousness as I put my hand on one of their shoulder.

I then notice the man in front of me on whose shoulder I had kept my grip for support, he had just joined and I had no opportunity to look at him and now there were four men lifting me up.

There pace were fast- way too fast for my liking, from the peripheral vision I could see the prince standing and my hands starts shaking.

"Now the bride would take 7 pheras around the groom" Pandit ji says and I feel like crying.
They circle me around him once and the sound of women Uludhwani (Ullu) rings in my ear.

I clench the leaves as I see here and there in desperation, I see all unknown faces, neither Uncle Abhijeet nor Sukanya is here and I grow more nervous. I can see some royal family sitting which must be the prince's family but they themselves were scowling and kept glaring at their son.

By the second phera my head starts ringing- this is wrong. The women around the mandap gives Ullu more energetically and I feel like shutting them up, there is nothing auspicious in this ceremony.

The third and fourth phera I felt like fainting, maybe I should faint - but Pandit ji mantras were too loud and terrifying.

The fifth phera my grip on that man tightens and he glances a bit sideways, his face seemed familiar but I am too stressed to think about it.

"We will stop if you say so" he says suddenly and I stare at him in shock. "We will stop Boudi" he again says after the sixth phera and that's when I realise it's none other than Raghavendra holding one end of the wooden stool.

He looks at me patiently and the pent up feelings come crushing down, like a light in a pitch dark room- a hope.

"Stop!" I scream with all strength when the seventh phera was about to get complete and the entire hall becomes silent.

Raghav signals the other men who looked confused but they put me down and I immediately stand in hurry.

"What the hell is going on!!" Prince Vijayy screams and I am ready to fight this man even if it means I will die today.
But I will kill him first and then die happily.

Raghav comes in between as he stares at him with challenging eyes. "Who the hell are you? Is he your lover.? For how many man did you spread your legs?" He spits and I see red.

I don't see what happens next when I approach him to slap on his face tightly, my Shakha and Pola breaking in the process, the slap leaves a red mark on his face and I smile in satisfaction, I don't realise who holds me back as I again try to attack him, I don't know who holds the prince back from attacking me either but then I calm down, my heart jumping twice its speed when I hear the voice. A lone tear escapes my eyes in relief.

"Shaant meri sherni, mai aa gaya hu"

"Calm down my tigress, I have come"

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A/N

In Bengali culture the brothers of the bride usually picks the bride up who sits on a wooden stool( Peedhi in Bengali) , the seven phera as or Saat Pakh signifies the arrival of bride.

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