Ace of Hearts

12 - The D-Day (Part 2)

The shrill notes of clarinets and two headed drums washed away the stunning silence that took over the large hall bedecked with multi-colored flowers and glass chandeliers. Thousands of pairs of eyes found themselves directed to the tall beauty that graced the hall, her jingling anklets announcing her presence. A thin translucent veil hid the anxious expression on her usually radiant face from view but her lithe figure embellished in the finest of gold had the onlookers thirsty for a glimpse of the bride.

The bride, Tusharika, took a deep breath tightening her grip on the veil crinkling the silk, her bangles jingling due to the movement. Her anklets paired with the tinkling heavy accessories sang to the hall songs of the kingdom's fortune as the bride delicately graced the cushioned stool beside the awaiting groom. Tusharika caught the royal blue silk of her groom's dhoti from the corner of her eyes, fighting the budding nervousness in her.

Her alta painted hands clasped around her knees, the chants of the priests sounding distant to her ears as her eyes stayed fixated on the outline of the swaying fire. The merry dance of the golden flames somehow was more comforting than the hushed murmurs all around her, transporting her through the numerous memories sitting around bonfires under starry nights during her internship days on excavation sites.

Boisterous laughs of familiar old voices rang out in her head over the melancholic yet melodious tunes of the clarinets inundating the gilded hall as her mind played out karaoke sessions with old friends and colleagues in fragments in her ears.  She had long since given up trying to focus better on her surroundings with the luxurious veil cascading down her face, letting her eyes instead dart from one tiny diamond to another woven on the translucent fabric, letting herself fall back to the comforting cocoon of memories.

Tusharika retraced her extended right hand to her knees massaging it with her left before forwarding it again to offer whatever is placed in her palm to the sacred fire all the while lost in her thoughts. Her red painted fingers bent mechanically towards the fire banking on the muscle memories from the numerous ceremonies in the last fortnight, the ceremonies that duly chipped away at her hope of escaping the wedding or returning home and spiraled her towards a reluctant acceptance. A gasp escaped her lips as she felt a set of calloused rough fingers gently folding hers inwards and holding her hand firmly instead of placing any offerings.

Her left fingers curled around the diamond studded veil tugging at it as her eyes peeked from under the raised cloth. She reeled back from her memories and tuned into the chants to find her father holding her betrothed in a stern glare as he handed her to him enunciating the consequences of not treating her right.

Kanyadaan  suggested her mind flooding her with her grandmother's detailed explanations of each ritual and it's significance. Her birth father had officially handed her over to the person beside her. The minimal interactions that she had with the king of Malva were cordial, she might even say endearing, yet she could not stop the creeping resentment due to him not inquiring her consent for this marriage.

A smug smile curled his lips upwards as Duryodhan felt his bride's eyes on him throughout the ritual. He struggled to reign it in not wanting to insult the seemingly ceaseless warnings of his father-in-law. Majority of the princesses in the vast stretch of the country were shy, obedient and reserved. He expected the same of the princess of Malva, the infamous strictness of the queen and the kingdom's profound inclination towards traditions only cementing his expectations. The princess' fierceness, hence, came as a welcomed surprise knocking the wind out of him. 

The spark in the princess' eyes as she spelled out her threat lit a fire in his heart which was only fueled by her enchanting beauty. Had it been any other person sneaking into his room, let alone threatening him, he would have either killed them on the spot or ordered a harsher punishment but he couldn't bring himself to do so in her case. She had insulted him, his kingdom and his uncle's decision yet for some reason it did not bother him. He was earlier intrigued by the sudden disappearance and appearance of the said princess, curious about it's cause and where she was but now he wanted to know the person she grew up to be in the meanwhile.