ᴅɪʟ ᴋɪ ɴᴀʏɪ ᴅʜᴀᴅᴋᴀɴ

c h a p t e r 20

In the morning, Parwati was gently woken by Leela, her maidservant, who's voice was soft but urgent as she conveyed the message: "Rajkumari, Devi Ma has requested your presence on time for breakfast. You are to share a meal with the royal court."

After dressing in a splendid beige lehenga choli, a gift from Devi Ma. Parwati stood before her ornate dresser, the same place she had stood the previous night when her husband had stripped her of all her jewelry. Now, she found herself contemplating a decision she had hoped to avoid.

Her fingers delicately picked up the box of sindoor, the vermilion powder that symbolized her marital status. In her other hand, she held the broken mangalsutra, its once-strong chain now a fragile reminder of her fractured marriage. Her husband's hateful words echoed in her mind "We might be married now, but you will never be my wife or my queen."

Leela's voice broke through her reverie. "Do you need help putting those on, Rajkumari?"

Parwati took a deep breath, the weight of her decision pressing on her shoulders. She leaned down to place both the broken necklace and the small box of sindoor back on the dresser. "No, I don't think I will be putting these on" she replied, her voice steady but filled with unspoken sorrow.

"Are you—are you sure, Rajkumari?" Leela stammered, her eyes wide with uncertainty.

Parwati turned to her, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Leela, I've told you to call me by my name" she said, moving towards the door. With a determined nod, she added, "Come now, let's go. I cannot afford to be late." With that, Parwati led the way out of her chambers.

After Parwati made her way down to the grand dining hall, Devi Ma introduced her to the rest of the court members. Some faces were familiar from her wedding, a ceremony that still felt surreal to her. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice the absence of sindoor or her mangalsutra, or if they did, they refrained from questioning her about it. Perhaps being married to the king afforded her some privileges?

Parwati took her designated seat to the right of the Maharaj's, which remained conspicuously empty. Directly across from her sat Vaibhav, whose glaring eyes silently accused her. His intense stare seemed to suggest that the Maharaj's absence was her fault. Parwati averted her gaze, looking anywhere but at Vaibhav, as they all waited for Vikram to appear.

Time dragged on, and when the Maharaj still hadn't shown up, Devi Ma chuckled nervously. "I don't know what's keeping him so long. Excuse me" she said, hurrying away from the table.

Parwati swallowed nervously, her fingers fidgeting with the ring on her finger. With Devi Ma gone, the eyes of the court turned towards her, scrutinizing her every move. She felt a surge of anxiety, unsure of how to conduct herself under such intense observation.

"Shouldn't you be the one checking up on your husband, Rajkumari Parwati?" a woman from the court asked pointedly, breaking the silence.

Startled, Parwati jerked her head up, realizing she was being addressed. "I—um..."

"Don't, Parineeta" a man interjected, attempting to silence the woman by grabbing her hand. Parwati guessed he was probably her husband.

"Why should I?" Parineeta pulled her hand free, her voice laced with challenge. "I'm only voicing what we're all wondering, am I not, Rajkumari?" She batted her eyes with feigned innocence.

Parwati opened her mouth, then shut it again, at a loss for words. She turned helplessly to Vaibhav, unsure of how to respond.

Vaibhav, clearly unwilling to let the situation escalate, decided to intervene. "Of course you are" he said to Parineeta, his voice cool. Then, turning to Parwati, he added, "Rajkumari, please go get your husband and mother-in-law so we can all finally break our fast." His smile was polite but did not reach his eyes.