MEERA'S POV...
He dropped that head and kicked it with his foot, which made it fall near me. I got scared and moved back.
He started coming towards me with big steps with the blood filled sword in one of his hand.
Some soldiers were about to go towards him but they stopped when he said in his harsh voice - "If someone does not love his life then only he should come in front of me, otherwise I swear in the name of Goddess Bhavani that I will cut him into so many pieces that even his family members will not be able to recognise him."
Then my father was seen behind him, his neck was down, perhaps he was not able to make eye contact with me.
My mother tried to stop Abhimanyu but father stopped her because right now only blood was visible in Abhimanyu's eyes and it is true that he does not think even once before killing anyone.
Now he was standing right in front of me and he bent a little and whispered in my ear - "I told you that I will make you mine, if not today then tomorrow."
Then he stood up straight and looking at Pandit ji said - Pandit ji, start the wedding rituals, I don't have much time."
The poor Pandit was so scared that he couldn't say anything and took his place. He held my hand tightly and almost dragged me to the mandap and made me sit there.
"Pandit ji start the chanting." The priest then starts chanting the mantras.
Slowly one by one all the rituals like varmala, 7 vows of 7 phera / rounds which neither he nor I are going to accept were completed and now it was the turn of applying sindoor. He took sindoor between his thumb and the finger next to it and moved his hand towards my forehead and while slowly applying sindoor said - "MEERA ABHIMANYU SINGH SHEKHAWAT"
I looked at him in confusion.
Then the Pandit ji diverted our attention and said, you have tied the knot of seven lives with each other with all the rituals considering this holy fire as witness. From today you both are husband and wife. Take the blessings of the elders and move forward towards your bright future.
Abhimanyu picked me up in one go and started going out.
My family members called out from behind on which he stopped and turned back and said - "I am taking my wife with me, for this I do not need anyone's permission today nor tomorrow."
My mother said softly - "We don't expect you to ask for permission. Just let us hug our little one once."
To which Abhimanyu said laughingly - " Over the years, the number of hugs that you guys have gotten is more than enough."
My father said - "You people take some rest for a while while we arrange for some gifts to send with our daughter."
"We will rest only after reaching Mewar and as far as the gifts are concerned, even the water of the house of the murderers of my parents is like poison for me, I am feeling suffocated even in the air here. I am taking my better half with me."
He turned back and when I looked at my parents, saw tears flowing from their eyes, words stuck in their throat, my soul trembled.
As our steps were moving outside, it seemed as if a part of me was left behind here. Every game played in childhood, fruits plucked from the garden, sitting on the bank of the pond and laughing, was floating in front of my eyes.
Oblivious to all this, King Abhimanyu was dragging me along as if a policeman was dragging a thief.
As I reached outside the main door of the palace, I saw a palanquin, many horses, elephants and soldiers. As soon as they saw me and Abhimanyu, they bowed their heads and saluted us.
Abhimanyu took me to the palanquin and told two soldiers - "Take her comfortably, she should not face any problem. She must have been brought up with a lot of care, as she is the only daughter of the King of Marwar." To which the soldiers nodded.
Bending a little, Rana Abhimanyu wiped my tears and mocked me - "Take rest, you have to suffer a lot, and look you are already tired."
Saying this, he sat on his horse and I sat in the palanquin. There were about 500 horsemen in front of my palanquin and the same number behind along with thousands of elephants. Rana Abhimanyu's horse was very close to the palanquin. I stretched my legs because the journey was very long and I don't know when I fell asleep.
ABHIMANYU'S POV..
After a journey of the whole night, we finally entered the Mewar kingdom. The sun was just rising and the palace appeared to be made of gold in its light.
We reached a day before the scheduled time, so no one was informed about our arrival, otherwise drums would have been played to welcome us.
The horses went to the stable and the soldiers headed towards their homes. The main door of the palace opened. Now only my horse and palanquin entered inside.
After some time, I stopped my horse and got down from it. The palanquin was also kept down. Those two soldiers also left on my orders.
I bent down a little and said - "Meera baisa, come out, we have reached the palace." I waited for some time but neither did any answer come from inside nor did she come out.
I called out again - "Meera" this time also there was no response.
Even after calling two-three times, when there was no response, I sat down and removed the curtain of her palanquin and found that she was sleeping inside.
I sat next to her inside the palanquin and tried to wake her up by shaking her a little but it did not have much effect on her.
This time I shook her a little harder and shouted - "Meera!" to which she pulled me towards her and kept her head on my chest and said - "Maa Saa, just let me sleep for a little more time please" I pushed her away from me and her eyes opened.
She looked at me and then at the palanquin as if she was remembering the events of the previous night.
After a few moments she said in a low voice - "Forgive me, I fell asleep."
"We have reached the palace, come out quickly." Saying this, I started waiting for her outside the palanquin.
In a short while she came out after adjusting her clothes. Both of us started going inside the palace.
MEERA'S POV...
When I opened my eyes in the morning, I found myself in a palanquin and Rana Abhimanyu was sitting in front of me.
At first, I thought I was seeing a dream but after some time, I faced the reality.
I remembered all the incidents that happened last night.
First, I apologized to King Abhimanyu because I know that I make so many mistakes while awake, God knows what I would do while sleeping. He informed me that we have reached the palace.
I corrected my clothes and started walking with him with my veil on.
His palace was ten times bigger than ours. As we were going inside, I realized that it was a hundred times more beautiful. Although I was not able to see anything clearly due to the veil, but I could definitely see many rooms. We had crossed so many corridors one after the other. I also saw many verandahs and windows through which orange shade of sunlight was peeking inside. It seemed as if it was a maze in which I was trapped for life.
I don't know how much more I will have to walk. I won't be this tired even after the entire journey.
Every wall of the palace had amazing artwork. Dressed with countless paintings and deadly weapons, this palace had hidden many secrets inside itself.
And by crossing many small corridors and galleries, we finally reached the bedrooms of the royal family which was more spacious and guarded.
In no time, we had a door in front of us which seemed bigger and different from the rest. As soon as the gatekeepers standing outside that, saw Rana Abhimanyu, they bowed their head and saluted him.
I was walking slowly behind him as if a little girl was following her parents in a fair who was being attracted to every thing in the fair but was unable to go anywhere due to the fear of separation or some untoward incident.
We both entered the room which was much bigger than mine but also dull.
Where my room had bright coloured curtains, flowers and many decorative things, here the curtains were dark maroon in colour. There were only old fashioned things in the room. A big bed with curtains hanging around it, a big sofa, a table on which there were wine and glasses. There was a table in the distance with many chairs around and chess on it. Looks like he is fond of playing. There was a big balcony in one corner from which the light of the moon was coming in softly. The whole room was smelling heavenly because of scented candles. There was a dressing table in the middle of the room on which there was a big mirror too. I was looking at my own reflection.
Just then a maid came in from behind and looking at Rana sa said - "Maharaj, should I serve your food?"
To which Abhimanyu shook his head in no and the maid went away from there.
Abhimanyu was sitting on the same sofa I was talking about with his head leaning back and eyes closed. Then my attention went towards the wound on his hand.
I sat near his knees and started examining it, then said in a low voice - "Hukum, the wound is deep, there is a risk of infection, you ask someone for ointment, I will apply it."
Abhimanyu opened his eyes and leaned towards me and said - " Don't try to be my wife. You know why I married you."
Before he could say anything else, a doorman announced, "Maasi Maa is coming." Hearing this, he got up from his place.
The door opened and a beautiful woman came in, who must have been in her early fifties.
She was wearing very less jewellery and pink colour dress but still the royalty was visible on her face. She had a dagger on her waist which was giving the impression of a true Kshatrani .
She first looked at me and then looked at Rana sa and said - "You should have informed us before coming, we could have at least made arrangements to welcome the new bride and now we are getting the information about your marriage from your commander. This is a very good thing isn't it. I am angry with you and I don't even want to talk to you"
"But maasi maa" Rana sa interrupted.
"Now you keep quiet. First let me see my daughter-in-law." She turned towards me and slowly lifted my veil and looking at Abhimanyu said - "I am forgiving you only because you have brought such a lovely daughter-in-law. Now go and take a bath, then after getting the doctor checked come back to me, there is a gift for you."
Hearing this, Rana sa went towards a small door behind which would be the bathroom. Now I was standing alone with maasi ma.
She sat on the sofa and made me sit beside her and started saying - "I know you must have many questions in your mind. Don't worry, I will answer some of them but you will have to find some yourself. About ten years ago, a fierce war took place between your father Udaybhan and the King of Mewar Rajveer ,which changed many lives and especially Abhimanyu's, he lost his father at such a young age, after his mother's death, he was completely broken. Yuvraj Banna was young at that time, so all the responsibility fell on Abhimanyu. I have not married till date only so that I can take care of both of them. This is the last memento of my elder sister Karnavati . No matter how much I try, I will never be able to fill the void of a mother. I want you to give him so much love that all the wounds of the past are healed." Saying this, she started crying.
I wiped her tears and said, "Don't worry, I promise that I will give my all in this relationship."
Hearing this, she hugged me and said, "Come, you also take a bath, Abhimanyu will take time, get ready in my room." I started walking towards the room with her.
After taking a bath in her room, I tied my hair in a soft towel and wore the light blue dress she had given me.
Then I went to my I mean Rana Abhimanyu's room and stood in front of the mirror and started drying my hair.
I saw through the mirror that king Abhimanyu was sitting on a chair and inspecting some documents.
The tinkling of my bangles distracted his attention towards me and I turned my gaze away.
After drying my hair, I covered my head with my dupatta and started walking towards maasi's room as she had ordered earlier.
Maasi looked at Abhimanyu and said smilingly - "You gave me a gift today" Then she looked at me and said - "I will give you one."
Suddenly a voice came from behind - "Bhai saa (brother), did you not miss me?" A young, strong boy roughly of my age came from behind and on seeing him, Rana saa hugged him tightly.
Ohh brother! He must be his younger brother Yuvraj singh shekhawat
"Stupid, every time I breathed I used to remember you. But tell me how did you come here, I mean when and why didn't you tell me before coming?"
"Hey hey calm down. if you can bring such a beautiful wife home without informing me then why can't I come home without informing you."
He looked at me and touched my feet to seek blessings. I also put my hand on my head with love and respect.
He stood up and said - "Bhabhi saa, never consider me as your brother-in-law, but always consider me as a friend."
I smiled and said - "Yes Yuvraj ji."
"No no, my friends and family call me Yuvi banna, so you also call me the same."
"Okay Yuvi banna."
"By the way Bhabhi, can I ask you a question?"
When I nodded yes, he said - "Do you have a sister?"
"No , but why?"
"No no, if you had one, I would have married her."
Everyone laughed at this except one.
Any guesses?
Grumpy Abhimanyu.
Abhimanyu said - "Come on Yuvi banna, you have had enough fun, now go and do your work and take care of your responsibilities. Aunty, we are leaving."
"Okay son, but come on time, today is the pehli rasoi (first time cooking at in-law's house) of my lovely daughter-in-law."
♡
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TODAY'S STORY...
SO IN 7 CLASS THERE WAS A GUY IN MY CLASS WHOSE NAME WAS WRITTEN ALL OVER IN GIRL'S WASHROOM..
THEN TEACHERS CHECKED THE HANDWRITING OF ALL THE GIRLS FINALLY THE CULPRIT WAS FOUND WHICH IS STILL A MYSTERY.