Bairi Sanam: The hate of a lover

Chapter XXX: Fikr

Ketaki

His touch was so mesmerising that I forget about my whereabouts. The way he adorned me with his own hands today just for me to get married to someone else shattered my heart. I shouldn't be feeling this way about someone else when I am to have my soon to be husband's name carved on my palms today.

I went out the room when Subhadra called me. I was left in an awe looking at the walls decorated with flower garlands. The house looked beautiful. Chacha ji came towards me and pecked my forehead.

"You are looking so precious bachi," he said with tears in his eyes. Dadi was sitting at some distance watching us and did not look happy at all. My eyes moved back to chacha ji and the love in his eyes made me forget about her hatred.

"Ketaki sit here," Reva came rushing towards me and holding my arms, she made me sit on a mattress that was covered with a white sheet and flower petals were spread on top. I carefully sat on it trying not to ruin the decoration. A lady came and sat next to me with a platter that contained several henna cones. She began taking my bangles off one by one and I felt a pang in my chest watching her separate the bangles from my arms that he had put on himself. Taking my hand, she began making patterns on it with henna. I watched Subhadra, Reva, and Tulsi stand up from their place along with few other ladies and they began dancing while singing mehndi songs.

Ho, ye mehendi ke boote,

Inke rang anoothe.

Ek baar ye rang lag jaaye saari umar na chhoote.

They sang out the lyrics together while the older ladies enjoyed watching them. They formed a circle joining their hands and moved in sync with the song. I smiled as they were enjoying this wholeheartedly.

Mehendi lagau kis naam ki?

Radha to bani hai bas Shyam ki.

"What is the name of the groom?" The lady who was applying mehndi asked me and I looked at the empty space in the middle of my hand that was waiting to be filled with my husband's name. I felt his presence and looked up from my hand only to find him standing in a corner of the room just watching me. For a moment I forgot about my surroundings and closing my eyes, I mumbled his name under my breath without even realising.

"Tejasvin"

Tejasvin

Shyam ki bansi jab bhi baji hai,

Radha ke mann mein preet jagi hai.

I was watching her enjoy the show put on by her friends and she was smiling softly here and there. When she spotted me standing there, she closed her eyes being unable to bear my presence. It felt as if she called my name but that seemed next to impossible because she doesn't call me anything but sahib.

Ghoonghat mein Radha sharmaaye dekho,

Hoga milan ye aas lagi hai.

The ladies sang out joyfully teasing Ketaki and she blushed feeling shy. I watched Smriti join the group and she danced along with them. She moved towards Ketaki and began pulling her arm that didn't have any henna on it yet.

"Jiji come," I heard her say and she shook her head in a no refusing to go. "Come on jiji," she insisted pulling her arm again and she gave up eventually at her request. She got up keeping the hand that was adorned with mehndi in the air. Her friends pulled her in the middle and formed a circle around her.

Aati jaati har ik dhadkan tum se yahi kahegi,

Khushiyan hain saari tere naam ki,

Radha to bani hai bas Shyam ki.