DhruvTara: The Imperfectly Perfect Marriage

Chapter 6: The Marriage Offer

Dhruv sits on the chair, with hands tied up to his back, in the closed room, he tries to untie the scarf but his father have covered his fingers in such a way that he couldn't reach the knot. Dhruv's head started to burn, his father must be a dacoit in past life, he thought while trying to untie himself. He looked at the door many a times but no one came to his rescue. God knows what his father might be doing, for which he captivated him like this!!
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At Masterji's place.
"Tara.... tera hua... yeh larki bhi na..." Dadi shouted at Tara
"Ji Dadi ho geya... mujhe der ho rahi..." Tara came rubbing her hand on her pallu
"Der ho rahi... naukrani hai to sethani nehi...." mocked Dadi. Masterji sighed feeling bad for Tara and ashamed of himself.
"Ha dadi... pata hai na... naukrani hu... isliye to samai se jana parega... sethani hoti to apne samai pe chalti..." replied Tara.
Dadi moved her face. Masterji gave a faint smile.

Tara was running towards the door when there was a knock. Tara looked back at her father. He got up.
"Ruk beti... mai kholta hu...."
Masterji opened the door and was shocked. It was Giriraj Seth and Rajrani ji. Tara was moved as well.
"Kaun hai re Hari....." called Dadi.

"Sethji aap!! Aap is garib ke ghar... ayiye ayiye..." Masterji invited them in. With them came their two royal chairs.
Chadra slowly went to Tara and whispered in her ear.
"Oye Tara yeh chakkar keya hai?"
"Mujhe nehi pata..." Tara whispered back.

As all got sitted Masterji asked Sethji,
"Ji... aap... yaha kaise ana...."
"Masterji..." Sethji took a pause, "Hum humare chote bete... Dhruv... ke liye... apki beti... ka haath mangne aye hai.."
All were astounded. Tara was confused as hell. She knows it's her, Dhruv was behind her for a long time, now this?! But why?! What does he want from her?!
"Humara to bohat bara saubhagya hai ki apne humari poti Chandra ko pasand kiya..." Dadi smiled at Chandra. Chandra gave a wierd look, she couldn't understand head or tail of this.

"Nehi nehi... Chandra nehi.. Tara... Dhruv ke liye Tara ka hath mangna chahate hai hum" corrected Rajrani ji. Dadi's smile vanished. Is their son blind? She thought.

Tara was on the verge of fainting. Masterji couldn't understand if this is reality or truth. An offer for Tara to become sethani?!

"Ji... ji... yeh to saubhagya hai humara..... Chandra beta... Tara ko jara bhitar le ja..." instructed Masterji. Chandra nodded her head and took Tara inside.

"Taraaaa Taraaaa.... maine kaha tha na... woh tujse payar karte hai...." Chandra jumped around Tara.
"Chup kar tu... koi payar fayar nehi karte woh mujhe... mujhe miss chit chit kehke pukarte... pareshan karte... maine unko bhav nehi diya iska badla lena chahate hai woh...."
"Mai ek sach baat bolu Tara.... mujhe nehi lagta yeh... agar yeh hota to shadi ka prastab na ata... woh tere sath jabardasti bhi kar sakte the... mardo ke pas to yeh gunah karne ka subidha hai na?"
"Sayed gunah nehi karna chahate isliye..... mere jaise se koi keu payar karega.... keya hai mujhmai???"
"Keya nehi hai tujhmai?? Dadi tere upar jitna hi kala rang thope... teri sundarta nehi chupa payengi... tere yeh akhain, jispe Dhruv ji mar mite hai... use chupa na payengi... tera bebhar, teri adatain, tera gun, sab tera hai Tara..." Chandra hold her shoulders, "Yehsab koi tujhse chin na payega..."
"Shadi ke baad sach pata chale to?? Dhoka kaise du... agar payar karte hai to woh isi rup se karte hai... mere asli rup se nehi..."
"Tujhe to aisa hi koi chahiye tha na jo tujhe aise hi payar kare?"
"Payar karte bhi hai na mujhe? Gulam nehi banna mujhe...."

Dadi came in,
"O larki keya kala jadu chalaya tune sethji ke bete par" Dadi pushed Tara.
"Dadi.. maine kuch nehi kiya..."
"To tere jaise kale thappe ko kaise pasand karliya usne??? Apna asli rup dikhake rijhaya keya???"
"Dadi... biswas kijiye dadi... kuch nehi kiya maine..." Tara's voice started to shake.
"Dadi.. aap aise keu bol rahi ho... Tara ke kitne gun hai... sayed usi se pasand kiya..." Said Chandra
"Tu chup reh.... ja jake woh laal churni lekar ay... rhista pakka karke ise haveli ki pakki naukrani bana...."
"Dadi aap... yehsab keya..." objected Chandra
"To tereko keya lagta? Tara ko apna ardhangini banane ko biha raha woh?? Bhog karne ko biha raha... sareef gharka lakra hai isliye biha raha... fer koi Rajkumari mil jaye use to pari rahegi yeh ek kone mai... yahi to kismat hai iski mai itna keu bak rahi.... le ay ise... aur sun larki.." Dadi pushed Tara again, "galti se bhi apna asli rang dhikake humara nak na katna... samjhi.... chal..."

Dadi left the room.
"Tara... tu dadi ki baat na sun... Haveli ke log itne bhi bure nehi...."
"Dikhte to nehi... par jo dikhta hai wahi sach hota hai keya?" Tara spoke straight, expressionless
"Babuji raji hai....."
"Tu soch mat... babuji ka maan mai rakhungi... agar haveli pe meri shadi hone se Babuji ka maan badhta hai to mai wahi karungi... mera biha ho raha yahi bari baat hai... nehi to mere kismat mai kaha hi... tu la churni...."

Chandra put the red veil over Tara's head and took her outside. Rajrani ji removed the veil. Tara couldn't look at her, her heart and mind were too heavy to. Rajrani ji took a box and made Tara wear the red glass bangles. Tara touched her feet.
"Suniye ji.. aap ashirvad kar dijiye..." Rajrani told Sethji. Sethji came to bless her, Tara touched his feet. Sethji noticed Tara's neck is empty, like it was always.
"Rajrani ji..." Sethi took out his gold chain from his neck, "Yeh meri taraf se... Tara.... bahu ko... shagun...."
Rajrani took the gold chain and made Tara wear it. As Rajrani was putting on the hook of the gold chain a surge emerged in her heart. She recalled how she was staring at similar chain Dhruv was wearing. It's exactly like the one she liked in the jewellery shop, her father made her sister a thinner version, but dadi didn't let him make one for Tara. Tara lied then that she don't want it, she doesn't like gold. Is this chain a sign of Kanha ji? Tara started feeling lighter. She smiled at Rajrani ji from beneath the veil.
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Dhruv is nearly asleep in his chair when he heard the door opening. He looked back and saw Rishi with Birju. Birju went and untied him.
"Kaha tha tu itni der......" scolded Dhruv
"R a Malik babu geye the na Tara jiji ke ghar... wahi geye the..."
"Babuji... Tara ke ghar... keya hua udhar???"
"Kalse aur Tara jiji nehi ayegi idhar kaam karne..."
"Keu??"
"Keuki Tara jiji ke sath apka rhista pakka huaa..." Birju started celebrating, "Ab Tara jiji babhi banengi humari...."
"Bhaiya..... sach hai yeh...?" Asked Dhruv
"Ha Dhruv.... sach hai yeh...." Rishi patted on his shoulder, "aur sun, Babuji aur Ma shagun lekar ay rahe tere pas. Kuch ulta fulta nehi bolega... dono ka ashirvad lega... samjha..."
"Sachmai bhaiya... babuji raji ho geye??"
"Tujhe keya lagta? Sab tere dushman hai?"
Dhruv was confused. His father really fixed his marriage with Tara?!

Sethji and Rajrani entered the room. Sethji gave the sagun to Dhruv, it was a gold ring wrapped in red velvet. Dhruv took the ring and looked at it, it's not a new one, and this design no one wears at his home, it's thin and... it looks like it's of someone's father's... it seems like it's of Masterji!!
Dhruv looked at his father with teary eyes. Sethji smiled at him. Dhruv bend down and touched his feet, Sethji patted his head and kissed on his forehead. He then turned to Rajrani and folded his hand, she smiled back. Dhruv doesn't know why but he felt like hugging his father, but he didn't  because his heart is convinced but not his mind.

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