ᴅɪʟ ᴋɪ ɴᴀʏɪ ᴅʜᴀᴅᴋᴀɴ

c h a p t e r 27

As sunlight streamed through the window, bathing Parwati's face in a warm glow, she scrunched her eyes and slowly blinked them open. The sensation of a hard, warm surface beneath her registered, and she realized with a start that she had slept on Vikram's chest throughout the night. Alarmed, she sprang up, inadvertently waking him in the process.

"Paro?" Vikram groaned, rubbing his eyes as he propped himself up. His voice, thick with sleep, held a comforting gruffness.

Parwati looked at him, momentarily captivated by his ruffled morning appearance. Sunlight danced in his eyes, and his tousled hair gave him a surprisingly youthful look. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you" she murmured, her cheeks flushing slightly.

"It's okay" Vikram replied, glancing out the window to gauge the time. "We're supposed to leave for the village in a few hours anyway." He turned back to her, his eyes softening as he took in her disheveled state. "You should get ready. I'll send some maidservants to help you."

Parwati nodded, quickly tucking the stray strands of her hair behind her ears. She waited until Vikram left the room before she slipped out of bed, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and relief.

From her bag, she pulled out a simple brown lehenga choli and laid it carefully on the bed. Soon, two maidservants entered the room. One of them began drawing a bath in a wooden tub, while the other arranged matching jewelry on the dresser.

Parwati stepped into the warm, soothing water of the wooden tub, letting it wash away the remnants of sleep. She closed her eyes, feeling the gentle hands of the maidservant as she washed her hair and scrubbed her back. The scent of fresh jasmine filled the air, mingling with the steam rising from the tub.

After her bath, she stepped out, wrapping herself in a white cloth before donning the lehenga choli. The fabric felt cool against her skin, the earthy brown hue complementing her complexion. The maidservants helped her fasten the intricate ties and hooks, their practiced hands working swiftly and efficiently.

Parwati moved to the dresser, where the maidservants began adorning her with jewelry. They placed a delicate necklace around her neck, the cool metal contrasting with her warm skin. They slipped bangles onto her wrists, each one clinking softly as they settled into place.

As Parwati stood in front of the dresser with her hands extended for the bangles, she caught sight of Vikram in the mirror. He appeared at the door, all dressed up, quietly watching her.

Confused by Parwati's sudden stillness, one of the maidservants followed her gaze in the mirror and nudged the other, alerting her to Vikram's presence. They hurried their ministrations, securing the last of the bangles and adjusting her earrings before giving Parwati a final nod and leaving the room.

Parwati turned around just as Vikram began walking toward her. His footsteps faltered as he stopped abruptly, his expression darkening with a frown. "Where's your mangalsutra and sindoor?" he asked, his tone accusatory.

"I—you broke it" Parwati replied, shocked at his audacity. "And you told me that you would never accept—" Her voice thickened with emotion, but she stopped speaking when Vikram raised his hand, revealing the chain dangling from his fingers. It was her mangalsutra.

"You fixed it, but how... Leela?" Parwati murmured, surprise evident in her voice.

Vikram only hummed in response as he closed the distance between them. "But that doesn't explain why you've not applied sindoor" he said.

Parwati frowned, her hackles rising. "Why should I? When you won't—" she began.

Vikram pressed his lips together, trying to suppress a smile as he looked down and opened the delicate chain.