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Nandani POV
The priest kept chanting the mantras and then asked both of us to stand up.
He still had not looked at me for once and his face was telling me how mad he was right now. Even I was feeling scared to talk to him now. His whole army was scattered around holding naked swords.
I stood up too and the priest asked us to take the holy rounds around the fire.
He started chanting the promises that we had to make to each other and we recited them after him one by one.
The first thing he promised was to take care of me always, our children and the family. And, in return of which I promised to look after his home and food.
In the second one, he promised to take care of me in all circumstances and I promised to stand by his stand always.
In the third one, he promised to work hard for the wealth of the family and in return, I promised to manage the best of it.
In the fourth one, he promised to entrust the responsibilities of his household to me and in return, I promised to fulfil my duties to the best of my abilities for a good living.
The fifth one, he promised to consult me in all the matters and in return I promised to support him in all his endeavours.
In the sixth one, he promised to stay loyal to me and in return, I promised to stay faithful in return.
And, just then I finished he suddenly chuckled.
"Faithful,"
He laughed lightly without looking at me and the priest recited the last one.
He promised to live his entire life with him and in return, I promised to spend my whole life with him till the end of it.
"You both can sit down now,"
The priest said and we did.
"Now, you can apply the vermillion in the partition of her hair,"
He said and I looked at my parents who just their eyes off of us.
I gulped and blinked nervously when he collected the vermillion between his fingers and applied it to my head.
Once, twice and thrice.
My body was literally shivering in this moment.
In just a snap of finger you belong to someone. How easy yet difficult it was.
And, a little of it fell on my nose.
"Now, the wedding is complete. I announce you both husband and wife. And, now you both can take the blessings of the elders,"
The priest said and he stood up from his place.
Stepping down he walked towards the down to wear his footwear and said in a low voice.
"You have time till early morning,"
And, left leaving me there.
My mother walked towards me.
She helped me to stand up and took me inside. Ruhani and her mother followed too with Suman and my grandmother along.
She made me sit on the couch and passed me a glass of water.
With trembling fingers, I took it and drank a sip.
And, my mother kneeled down asking me in a slow voice.
"Forward your feet,"
I gulped and tears collected in my eyes realising that I was married to him now.
I slowly forwarded my feet and my mother slid the toe rings inside my middle two toes of both the feet.
She pressed them lightly and looked at me.
Her eyes were also filled with tears and she asked me in a slow voice.
"Why did not you let your father interfere in between?"
Tears fell from my eyes and lowered my gaze saying.
"I have everyone besides me to hold me up when I fall but he has no one. And, if I will also go against him then he will never give the life another chance of being good,"
My grandmother sat beside me and held my hand.
Kissing them softly, she smiled looking at me.
"He is not even that bad. I just see another Raj in him,"
I smiled hearing her and muttered in a slow voice.
"Me too,"
My mother sat on the other side of the couch and hugged me tightly.
"Keep writing to us about everything. You will have so many things to hold into the new Kingdom. Being the Queen it would not be easy,"
I smiled weakly and closed my eyes.
"Of course, I will,"
Ruhani sat in front of me and held my hands. She was smiling weakly and muttered in a slow voice.
"I hope everything will go right,"
I nodded.
Outside, I was giving everyone hope and smiling to make them worry less about me but inside I was feeling scared and frightened.
Because he was not even looking at me and the way he chuckled muttering 'faithful', it just made me feel strange. For a moment, I felt like I was witnessing a different Rudra.
"Nandani,"
Suddenly my father's voice caught my attention and I looked at him holding the plate of food in his hands.
My mother moved to let him sit beside me as he slowly muttered.
"Time for dinner,"
I nodded and I did not know but suddenly looking at him, I just burst into cries.
He immediately hugged me back and for the first time, I saw him shedding tears too.
He patted my head and kissed my forehead.
"Mahabaleshgarh was your home and it will always be your home. You can come here anytime you want. I will never even ask you the reason for your arrival. Always remember that. In the bad or the good times, we will always support you,"
I nodded and burst into even more cries.
"Shhh....shhhh, stop crying otherwise people will think I am scolding my daughter. You can consider this your vacation, hnn,"
I chuckled suddenly hearing him and he smiled looking at me.
"You will need the energy to cry,"
I laughed even more and he brought the plate forward.
He started feeding me and everyone also fed me after me, my mother, my grandmother, Ruhani, and my Bua but Suman did not.
Because she was coming with me.
My father left after meeting me and my mother asked me to take some rest before departure.
My grandmother also left along with Ruhani and my Bua leaving me alone with my mother.
"Nandani, you are big enough now, and even married...,"
She started to say and I listened to her carefully.
But, she seems shy about talking to me suddenly.
"What is it?"
She gulped.
"I mean, after the wedding, as your mother I should tell you... I mean make sure that apart from love, the marriage is also about something,"
I furrowed my eyebrows and asked in a slow voice.
"What?"
I was literally confused not knowing what was she talking about.
"I mean, you love Rudra and what he did also makes us believe that he loves you too but you see the marriage is not just about love. It has some more things, there are some physical things included too... since you talk too much with Ruhani. I hope you understand me,"
Now, my cheeks heated up with the blush and I immediately nodded.
"Yes, yes, I mean, yes, I kind of have an idea,"
Hearing me, she seems like relaxed and leaned forward to hug me.
"May god bless you with my happiness too,"
The night grew darker in the talks with everyone. I did not sleep but rather decided to meet everyone before leaving. My all helpers, the people who helped me growing up. My teachers, my kitchen companions, my friends and the little children whom I loved meeting.
And, as time passed the early morning rays arrived.
The birds started chirruping and now it was time for departure.
My father, mother and others walked with me towards the main entrance. I looked at him waiting outside for us but his face was in opposite direction.
"Nandani,"
My grandmother said and pulled me into a warm and tight hug.
We both burst into cries and I said in my trembling voice.
"Please take care of yourself, and your medicines. I have told everything to your attendees and write to me if they do not behave well,"
She patted my head and kissed my forehead.
"You take care of yourself too. I have others too,"
I hiccuped.
"I do not trust anyone for you,"
She smiled weakly and kissed my fingers.
"May god bless you with all the happiness,"
I hugged her again and then I met my mother. She pulled me into a tight hug and I hugged her back.
"Please take care of yourself, write to us if you need anything. Never ever think twice before telling us about anything or everything, Nandani. May god bless you, my little child,"
She muttered with a trembling voice and I nodded.
"Please take care of yourself too, Maa-sa,"
She nodded and then I met my father.
I hugged him too and he hugged me back.
"You are my strongest weapon, always remember that,"
I nodded and he kissed my forehead.
"Please take care of yourself,"
I muttered in a slow voice and then I met Ruhani.
We hugged each other and burst into cries. She hugged me tightly and muttered in a slow voice.
"Please visit me whenever the time allows,"
I nodded and held her hands.
"Even if you search with the candle in the hand, around the whole world. You will never find a man so loyal and loving as your husband is. Just be like this always, happy and joyful,"
She smiled weakly and hugged me again.
After meeting her, I met my Bua, Ruhani's mother and she also burst into cries hugging me back.
"You are such a brave child, Nandani,"
She kissed my forehead and cupped my cheeks adoringly.
"Always remember, the future is what you make. Never allow him to overpower you, a relationship is about being equal halves. You love him so much but trust me when he will fall, he will fall harder... speaking of experience,"
She muttered the last words with a gentle smile and I nodded.
"Take care of yourself Bua ji,"
I looked at Ruhani's father standing beside her. He placed his hand on my head and said with a smile.
"God bless you, give it a try, if it will not work, we will just kill him, together,"
And, I burst into laughter. He spoke like my father.
He also laughed a little.
"Nandani,"
I looked at Haider.
He smiled looking at me and I smiled back.
"This is for you,"
He handed me a box and I smiled wondering what was inside.
"No, open it when you reach your new home,"
I nodded and smiled.
"What happened to you last night?"
Suddenly, his face turned pale and he muttered.
"Nothing, I was okay, I was perfectly fine,"
I furrowed my eyebrows and nodded.
Suddenly, I felt my mother's hand on my shoulder as she helped me walk towards the palanquin.
Tears were not stopping and I looked at my father standing beside him, talking to him.
He did not say anything or even looked at him.
She helped me to sit in the palanquin and the lifters lifted it up.
We started moving and I sneaked out of the window of the carriage to see my family leaving behind. My father hugged my mother and I smiled weakly looking at everyone.
Soon, the visuals started fading before me as we moved away and away from my Empire.
The noise of the footsteps of the soldiers and the horses turned into a soothing sound and I did not realise when I fell asleep.
"Nandani,"
I lifted my eyelids when Suman called me in a slow voice.
"We have reached,"
I inhaled a sharp breath and took her hand to step down the palanquin.
My anklet bells suddenly felt noisy as I straightened myself standing up.
My veil was low till my breast covering up my face and through the slightly transparent fabric, I could see the giant red walls of Suryagarh. It was huge, even bigger than my Empire.
It was old, strong and made of thick walls.
I stepped forward and looked at the door of the big castle opening.
I walked to stand beside him as he was waiting for me standing in front of the door.
And, as soon as the door opened, my heartbeats raced with fear and terror. My fingers suddenly turned cold and I immediately shut my eyes turning back from the view.
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