Unwanted

Chapter 7

Archit

It was now time for the final ritual sindurdan.

I felt nervous. My palms were sweaty, my heart was beating faster than a drum. I looked at the kunke in my hand which was filled with vermilion and reached for Priyodorshini's parting, I lifted her tikli and closed my eyes. My hand moved on it's own and the kunke touched Priyodorshini's parting. I opened my eyes to see Priyodorshini looking at me, her parting was filled with vermilion, even her nose was covered in vermilion. Her head was covered with the lojjabostro. I was now her husband. The thought alone made me blush. But then I remembered our situation. The circumstances which forced us to get married. I frowned upon remembering that she was forced into this. She didn't love me. She only married me out of obligation, just because my father requested her.
"Why are you frowning?" Priyodorshini asked whispering into my ear.
I didn't say anything.
"Oh look someone is getting impatient." Brishti teased from behind us.
"Di you can talk to jamai babu later." She added with a mischievous smile.
"Brishti listen." Priyodorshini said, signalling Brishti to crouch down. Brishti did as her cousin told her to.
"Ah di stop it's hurting." Brishti winced in pain while Priyodorshini pulled her ear.
"I'm not going to." Priyodorshini said with a smile.
That was the first time I saw her smile. Her smile was beautiful. It was as radiant as the sunlight. I smiled upon seeing the two sisters bickering with each other.

"Priyodorshini let her go." I said in a shy tone.
Priyodorshini left Brishti's ear.
"Thank you so much Jamai babu. You are the best." Brishti ran away after completing her sentence.
I just kept smiling.

●●●●●●●●

"If you want to go inside the room then you will have to pay us." Priyodorshini's cousins and friends demanded while standing infront of the doorway to the bashorghor. It was a custom for the bride's sisters,cousins and friends to demand money from the groom before letting the new couple enter the bashorghor.

"Jamai babu we want atleast eight thousand rupees." Brishti said while smiling.
"Eight thousand!" Sasuri ma said in a shocked tone.
"Lower the amount a little bit." Sasuri ma tried to bargain with them.
"No kakima. There are four of us here, we will need atleast two thousand rupees each." Priyodorshini's friend Arunima said from behind Brishti.
"Priyo, tell them something. They are not listening to me." Sasuri ma said, turning around. I smiled at the situation infront of me.
Priyodorshini stayed silent for a minute before sighing heavily.
"Don't disturb your jamai babu. Lower the amount a little bit." Priyodorshini said in a stern tone.

"Di, don't be such a party pooper. You let us prank Rahul da all the time. Why aren't you letting us have some fun with Archit da?" Priyodorshini's youngest cousin sister Mousumi said from behind Brishti. Upon hearing her words Priyodorshini looked down at the floor and stared at her feet, Sasuri ma had a shocked expression on her face, while Brishti, Deepanjan and Arunima stared at each other. Who is Rahul? Why is everybody acting weird after hearing his name? Who is he? I thought to myself.
"You even helped us prank him." Mousumi kept on rambling.
"Do you love Archit da more than Rahul da?" Mousumi asked making everybody visibly uncomfortable.
"Did you not love Rah-"
"Mousumi!" Priyodorshini said raising her voice a little bit while looking up.
"Mousumi." Her cousin said in a high pitched tone imitating her.
"Don't make me angry." Darshini said in a threatening way.
"No." Mousumi stuck her tounge out at her elder sister.
[Note:da=elder brother.]

That was when things got out of hand.
Priyodorshini went near Mousumi and slapped her.
Mousumi stood there shocked, she slowly placed her hand on her cheek while sobs started escaping her mouth. She started crying hysterically.
"Why did you do that?" I asked Priyodorshini in a concerned tone. But I got no answer. Priyodorshini just stood there, silent.

"Why did you slap the poor girl?" Sasuri ma asked Priyodorshini while trying to calm Mousumi down.
Priyodorshini just stood there like a statue not answering her question.
"Di, khub kharap." Mousumi said in between her sobs.
[Translation: Elder sister is really bad(mean).]
Upon hearing her words Priyodorshini walked away from the scene and went upstairs. I followed her to make sure that she was okay.

Priyodorshini walked upstairs and went to the balcony which was completely devoid of human presence. She stood there leaning on the railing and looked up at the night sky, she stared at the stars with great interest. I entered the balcony and stood right behind her, but she failed to notice me as she was busy admiring the stars which shined amidst the dark night sky.
"Are you okay?" I asked her while placing my hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.
"Who?" Priyodorshini said in a shocked tone.
"Relax." I said in a low tone.
"Why are you here?" She asked swaying my hand away.
"I just wanted to check on you."
"You didn't need to. Go away." She said turning her back towards me. I should give her space. She needs some time to herself right now.
"Look Priyodorshini what you did today was wrong. You shouldn't have slapped her infront of everyone. But what Mousumi did was also not right, she shouldn't have misbehaved with you." I turned around and walked away.
"Why did you have to leave me alone Rahul?" The last thing I heard before leaving was her whisper. I looked back one last time and saw her sobbing while admiring the stars. I walked away and towards the bashorghor.

Unlike what was shown in the movies and tv serials the bashorghor was filled with awkward silence. Nobody was talking, singing, dancing or joking. Everybody was sitting in complete silence. My shalis and shalas didn't even ask me for money after the slapping incident. Mousumi had already left with her parents. Sasuri ma was busy dealing with Priyodorshini's relatives who were going to stay back that night. Baba had already left, he was going to come back tommorrow morning. Most of the guests were gone. Brishti, Deepanjan, Arunima and I were sitting like a statue while Priyodorshini was still nowhere to be found. She must be in the balcony. I stared down at my feet. This is awkward. I thought to myself.
[Shala=wife's brother, Shali=wife's sisters.]

"Look di is here." Brishti said breaking the silence.
"Sorry for being late." I looked up and saw Priyodorshini entering the room. But to my suprise she wasn't alone. In her arms she held a small boy who looked about three to four years old. Who was this kid? The boy was staring at me with curiosity. I smiled at him which made him hide his face in Priyodorshini's neck. He must be shy.

"Di, why did you bring Priyangshu here?"