The Elite Bride ( I was enchanted to meet you, princess )

《 35. The Honeymoon Prep 》

                                                                                         J A N A K I

I pulled Chandani aside from the family and holding her hand I led her towards an empty room, and locking it I faced her. Her face was solemnly smiling but little did she know that I could right through her, how her smile didn't reach her eyes, how she forced her face muscles to fake it and how she was holding it all in. She too knew it that I knew it. There is something strange going on with her, like she is marrying the love of her life, her first love and her first kiss but she isn't happy, she is forcing and faking her happiness in front of me.

I looked straight into her eyes, she too stared back blankly at me, I started,"What is it, Chandani? Why aren't you happy? You finally get to marry Aditya, your long lost love is your future husband, what is it that's bothering you?"

She doesn't say anything and I am still intently waiting for an answer from her when she heads towards a rocking chair and sitting on it she starts rocking herself along with the chair while looking up at the ceiling. After a while she responds," You are a female rights' activist right? So to become that you have read piles and piles of books and cases of atrocity towards women, haven't you?"

I furrowed my eyebrows at the sudden off-topic question but I still replied,"Yeah, I did and I still have to do the research work."

"Hmm, so what did you learn as a woman from the stories you have heard of and fought for?" she asked me.

I looked at her and inhaling, I simply answered,"Charu, I am not getting you, why are you asking such twisted questions? Say what you want to."

"What I mean is that I, Chandanidevi Chitranjan Sisodia am going to make the life of Aditya Singh Rathod an unhappy one, I am not going to let him live in peace after he marries me. He will have to pay for all the sins he has committed, all the pain he has put me through is going to be inflicted back to him with interest." she said and I saw her clutching her hands.

"When you hurt the person you love, you hurt yourself more than you hurt them." I declared.

In a fraction of second, she stood in front of me and begrudgingly said in her clipped tone,"I-am-not-in-love-with-him." 

I sighed and replied,"As long as you have the need and the urge to hurt and maim him, to hate him, you will end up hurting and hating yourself more."

"No one hates me more than me. And after your honeymoon I am getting married the wedding invitation cards have been printed." Saying this she left the room.

 I looked at her retreating form and decided that I need to talk to Aditya to stop this marriage. If Chandani is not happy then she may end up ruining her and Aditya's life but before that I need to talk to Raghav.

I start heading towards the kitchen first as I have to make the pehli rasoi ( first cooking of  a bride) what should I make that impresses everyone in one go? Hm, I think gatte ki sabzi with mawa kachori, Rajasthani kadhi and some rice would do.

At 11:30 I started with the basic ingredients, the chopping of vegetables, kneading the dough, making the gravy and I was done with everything around 1 p.m.

"So my wife was here all along making delicious food for everyone?" His voice sent shivers down my spine as he almost spoke near my ears.

"Whoa! You scared me." I replied.

"Really, did I?" He whispered in my ear while tracing my waist chain with his thumb.

"Ra-Raghav, let me cook peacefully." I said getting distracted by his hand movements.

"Well, I can't resist your hardworking self so I might as well spend some time with my wife, whom I had been searching in the whole palace for a good twenty minutes." He finished.

I turned to look at him and checking him out I replied,"Now I am not just your wife Raghav, I am the daughter-in-law of this household it's my duty to make sure everyone's needs here get fulfilled."

"To érma mou, you know sometimes I think you just live to impress me, cause you never fail to do so. But remember to always put yourself first." He chimed.

I didn't know what to say as his flirting skills were laudable, not only was he but even I was impressed of his cockiness.

I switched the topic,"Did you know about Aditya and Chandani's marriage getting fixed?"

He doesn't answer for a few seconds and I already know what he is about to say. 

I looked him dead in the eyes as at this moment I was not his wife but the sister of Chandani and probably the only responsible guardian in her life who actually cared about her.

"Um, yeah, I mean I knew it but I also got to know not too long ago. A-and I didn't mean to hide it from you-" 

"Nonetheless you hide it from me, so it might have as well been unsaid and unintended to inform me." I said instead of him.

Saying this I tried leaving the kitchen area but his grasp on my wrist stopped me.

"Janaki, shit, I knew it that you wouldn't be happy with their marriage and I even told and warned Aditya about the same, but that man is so into his head right now that he doesn't even listen to me." He urged.

His furrowed eyebrows, pinched forehead and the softness of his voice were sufficient enough to tell me that he was not lying. 

I inhaled a deep breath and keeping my hand over his left one that was still holding my wrist I confessed,"It's not that I am not happy for their marriage, in fact no one could be more happier than me, but in the circumstances in which they are getting married where one is forcing the other and the other is not even trying to fight for her right is dangerous, because its like applying too much force on the knife who has its blade on your wrist, trying to make it bleed just so you can see if you have any blood left but what about the repercussions of such a force, it would be insurmountably painful, both for the hand holding the knife and the wrist too."

He gulped at my evident metaphors. We both kept looking at each other till he let go of my hand and rubbing it down his face he replied,"It's not that I haven't tried to convince Aditya, I have vaguely shown him what his reality would be if he forces this wedding but seems like he isn't willing to listen to anyone and being his elder brother I can only say that if he is being stubborn then he really has got it bad, either the need to avenge or the greed of love, maybe he has both a bit of both."

I sighed and headed towards the pot, filling a glass of water, I handed it over to him to calm down the tense atmosphere. He looks satisfied after that glass of water, as if I silenced the tornadoes whirling in his brain.

"By the way, why were you really here?" I asked him.

"Oh, I completely forgot about it by taking a look at my hard-working wife." He smirked and fished out a white coloured envelope with the Royal Emblem on it.

"What is it?" I asked.

"See it for yourself." He said and handed it over to me.

Opening it, I found a catalogue of the itinerary of our trip to Greece.

I jumped into his arms and hugging him tightly, I said,"Thank you, thank you so much for this gift, I love you to the moon and the Saturn."

"One single thread of gold tied me to you." He replied.

"Let's go we have to prepare so many things for the trip, the shopping and all, come on husband, aye, don't eat the sweet now, first let everyone have it."

"I am your husband, biwi, I come first, don't I?" He asked.

I chuckled at his childishness.

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Heya! We are too close to IT!!

Now the plot is going to get steamier and hot babies! Get ready.

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