My owner, My husband

Chapter 12:

Kesha and the other girls finishes taking shower. They all were adorned in a red simple saree and different jewelries. Most of them had gone overboard and put every gold they could but Kesha had kept it simple.

She had put a simple pearl necklace and left her ears free of anything.

"You look really pretty." Kesari said truthfully. Ashanti puts Kala Teeka on Kesha.

"May no bad eyes fall on you."

"Only 5 more moinutes before you are someone's wife." Ashanti emotionally said.

"I hope you get a husband that treats you nicely." Ashanti kisses Kesha's forehead.

"Don't get worried. If he is even bad then I will make him nice," Kesha smiles reassuringly.

"Its time. All the mothers, please get your daughters in front of the mandir." A women dressed in a orange saree came and told everyone.

All the women started walking towards the statue of the mandir and stood in front of it in

Kesari and Jamuna separated from the crowd and went to the side of the statue where Shekar was standing.

Just seconds after the girls arrived, the boys also came. They surrounded the whole area of the Mandir.

Kesari noticed Jawahar who was standing in a blue sherwani. He looked more richer than the boys that surrounded him.

Kesari scoffed. She knew that no matter how rich he was from the outside, from the inside he was just dirt, worth nothing.

She prayed to the idol so that Laxmi and Kesha won't be chosen by Jawahar.

Jawahar stood in front of the group of boys behind him. His eyes searched for only one person and that was Kesari but the only girls he could see where the moms and their daughters who were participating.

He saw two girls standing next to a man. One girl had her ghunghat on while the other didn't.

Is that Kesari? Jawahar asked himself.

"We are now going to start our age old rasam. From now onwards, these kids will have their own life, they will finally become adults. They will understand the role of a husband and wife." The priest says some other stuff which Jawahar didn't pay attention too. He looked around trying to see Kesari.

He was sure that Kesari would come today. Then where was she?

"The first boy to choose his wedded wife would be Chote thakur." The priest announced.

Everyone started clapping and cheering. Jawahar stopped looking around.

"No. I will go last." His words silenced the crowd.

It was always the Thakur family that went first.

"But..." The priest starts but doesn't finish when Jawahar gives him a death stare.

"Kesari, Do you think chote thakur would pick di?" Jamuna asked Kesari.

"I hope he doesn't," Kesari said. She adjusted her ghunghat a little because it was starting to slip.

"Why not? Jamuna asked.

"Aarey, you don't know him. He is really mean and torturous. He will make your sister cry forever." Kesari answered. She didn't know if she should have said that to her but it came out of her mouth already so she couldn't take it back.

Jamuna was about to say something but stopped.

"Then okay. All the other boys can start to choose their bride." The priest said, shivering.

All the boys start choosing their bride. They looked through each bride carefully. The first couple was a 16 year old boy and 10 year old girl. Then gradually everyone started choosing their partner.

Kesha was chosen by an kind-looking guy. He looked completely innocent and harmless but you can't just judge someone by their looks.

By like an hour or so every boy had chose their bride and were standing next to them. There were 5 more brides left.

Kesari was surprised to see 5 brides left. There was only 1 boy now, Jawahar, and that meant 4 girls would not be chosen by anyone, so basically rejected.

"Kaka, what will happen to the 4 girls who will not be chosen?" Kesari asks.

"They will have to wait till next year to be chosen again." Shekar gives a fake smile. Kesari's duppata slips of. She quickly puts the duppata back on again.

Jawahar smirks when he sees the purple kurta girl's duppata slip of. So that was Kesari.

The priest hands Jawahar the Maya's chunri.

"This chunri is only used by the Thakur's. Since the girl is going to be a thakurian after marring you, this will take our all her impurities out and make her worthy for the thakurian title." Priest have a long lecture and left.

Jawahar walks slowly towards the 5 girls. He stops in his tracks. His eyes was on Kesari who was standing next to the idol. 

Jawahar walked passed the girls.

Kesari looked down, bored. This was only fun for the people who are participating.  Suddenly, she feels weight in her head. She looks up to see Jawahar standing infront of her. 

The Mata's chunri was on her head. 

Before she could process all, she heard a loud smack.

Slap.