The Mirage Chapter-5; Part-2

THE MIRAGE by GoldenHaze

Chapter-5 DEAL SET

Part-2

A beauty! Kushi Kumariji is stunning! ASR thought as she looked into his eyes for the first time. Her skin, her face and facial features were delicate and absolutely beautiful. Long eye lashes and beautiful big eyes with drooping eye lids a chiseled sharp small nose and a bow shaped pair of lips set into a pert chin. The neck was again slender and the shoulders upright and her bearing showed her royal lineage. 

Her face had minimum make up on  as ASR realised she cleverly touched up here and there to accentuate her features. There wasn't any highlighting done as she didn't need any. This was new to him as he always saw people trying to add more to themselves especially women and that too wedding...her own! Is she that simple in her attitude too... somehow his shrewd mind could not put the facts together into a logical sequence. There was something missing.  'Coz this woman was supposed to be extra smart, put on and tacky! Right! That's how she should be. But here she is beautiful, very attractive and classy not to mention the fact that her demeanour was very elgant and not to forget how innocent she looked! Like a fresh bud that was waiting to bloom. If not for this fiasco he would have really thought she made a perfect bride for him!  He needs to figure it out once Aman comes back with Shyam's bank statements! Till then he will have to bide by his time and give her the benifit of doubt all though there is a little chance that she is not guilty!As he thought he saw her lips part in a slight smile transforming her face. Holy molly!!!what was that how can an excuse of a smile make some one look so ethereally beautiful! Oh my god! of all the things in the world! he will have to deal with one looker of a woman in the name of a wife and that too when he is not sure what she is up to! great!

How stunning ASR looked! The man exuded power and charm and something else! What was that? A kind of ruthlessness bordering on insensitivity?  A chin set firmly with his jaw which was quite rigid stating how stubborn he could be!Then she raised her eyes further and saw his lips again feeling that tug of awareness.... his lips were quite different from the rest of his facial features. They were as he was! perfect, sensual but gave him a look of being generous !Khushi blushed looking at them! Khushi looked into his eyes that already sought hers. And.... she gasped! Liquid brown eyes which were deeeep... and she thought something didn't match quite there! They were intense,shrewd and were assessing her... true it's the first time he was looking at her she understood! But she could see something else! They were sensitive.she saw a slight flicker of emotion as if it was uncertainity and they softened for a fraction of a second and again that intense all tearing look was clamped on to them! Why did she have this feeling that the intensity the shrewdness was put on and not the actual man! May be ASR was not as bad after all! That made her smile a little and she heard a slight intake of breath and the eyes boring into hers flashed  with... what was that she saw? awareness?for a milli fraction of a second that too!

"Lijiye!! hogaya! Ab chote aap Khushiji ko chodiye!" Anjali's voice brought both of them back out of their musings. But they stood stock still each of them unsure of the other!

"Chote! "Naani gently reminded Arnav once again and he realised his right arm was tightly wound round her waist so slender that it settled in its crook! He found her blushing again and although the veil was drawn he now knew her reaction already. His wife could blush crimson and right from her neck! Now wait a minute! his wife? Where that came from! ASR watch out this woman is trouble with a T. No wonder Shyam.... The thought made him jerk back and Khushi found herself being freed suddenly from Arnav's arms! She somehow felt at loss! Don't expect too much Khushi! Expectations bring heart breaks! She chided herself mentally!

Arnav and Khushi continue with the rituals as they were moved to a  smaller mandap which was set up inside the gol baraamda as the rest of the guests were dining in the main grounds of the Sheesh Mahal. It turned quite chilly as it was almost ten as the wedding started later than expected and Khushi thanked the sacred fires for the warmth! Arnav sat patiently as he promised his Di he would! as time passed the pandit sked him to apply sindhoor on Khushi's maang and he turned to apply it as Paayal lifted the veil of khushi slightly as according to the tradition the groom was not supposed to see the brides face till after the wedding! Arnav could not resist from snatching a look at the woman sitting beside him. What he saw made him a trifle concerned as Khushi looked visibly tiered. For a second he really felt bad for her as he could see how tired she was and also under what pressure she was after his deal with her father! Khushi just let her eyes be, as even rising them was a thing beyond her energy levels. As Arnav applied sindhur with a gold feather according  to their tradition, he sensed something wrong. They were then made to fulfill some more rituals and all along Arnav felt Khushi was not up to herself.After maang bharai and the pheras they took the blessings of the elders! 

Now it was almost midnight and only the family and few close friends were around. The rest scattered across the ground and the quarters given to them while many others left. Arnav and Khushi were taken by Garima Shashi and Buaji to the Gol Mandir along with Anjali and Nani  who accompanied them from the groom's side. 

The mandir was closed but for a grilled door which would be opened in the morning! The pandit opened the doors and asked Khushi to apply tilak to the sword that was given to Arnav at the beginning of the wedding as per the tradition and then apply tilak to Arnav.

Khushi felt she was about to be out on her feet but how ever she applied tilak to the sword and when it came to Arnav she could just not figure out as she was feeling dizzy and also her veil was heavily brocaded."Paayalji inki madad keejiyena!"  ( Please help her) Anjali urged Paayal and added, "ab tho yeh ghoonghat hataake tilak lagaa sakthi haina?"( Now she can lift her veil isn't it?) "nahi Di remember for my wedding also i did not till i applied tilak to aakashji" Paayal clarified. "But why?"Arnav's voice suddenly echoed amidst them. 

Paayal was a little scared of her brother in law but she loved him too as now she knew him for the past six months and found hm to be a very nice person  with a put on tough exterior. 

"Haan bitiya kyun? hum bhi poochna chahath rahe!"  (Oh yes i too ws curious to know the reason. Can you elaborate?)nani asked? 

"Nani ji one of the Jethwaa prince when he was getting married, enemy attacked Ranpur as they thought everyone would be busy with the wedding! The prince finished all the rituals in haste as he could not leave the bride midway. He promised her he will come back to her after winning and present the enemy's sword as her wedding gift and left.Jethwaas are known for their word and he left without even seeing the bride's face as she was in a veil.It so happened that there was a tough battle and the news came out that Ranpur was loosing and everyone at the mandap started cursing the bride that she brought ill luck. This hurt her and she a princess of alamgarh refused to go back and kept a fast at the gol mandir praying to devi mayya and vowed she would not lift her veil till her husband came back to fulfill her word. It seems three days later the prince turned up badly bruised but victorious and presented his bride with the enemys sword and kept his word by lifting her veil. So it became a tradition as the bride continued the tradition with her children as she did not want any other woman to suffer from what she did. Paayal concluded" 

Here goes another tale Arnav thought. Khushi slowly swooned once to Paayal's side and then to Arnav's and her weight shifted making her to bend slightly to her right and on to Arnav. Arnav suddenly noticed khushi's weight on his left arm and turned his head and found that she was fading! reflexively he edged his shoulder under her's to give her support and muttered under his breath ,"tum theek ho?"( You OK?).

Khushi realised with a start that she was about to fall but for the support and grabbed Paayals arms! "Khushi? Bitiya? khushiji?" Everyone screamed and she blurted "hum theek hain. ( I am OK)"

Naahi aap vrat rakkhe haina? kaise theek rahenge? Paayal bitiya inhe juice pilaayiye tab griha pravesh karake fir inhe arram karne denge. Baaki ke rasam kal howath rahenge!" ( No you are not. You are fasting.Paayal give her some juice and after griha pravesh we shall leave the couple to rest and the rest of the rituals let us continue with... tomorrow)Nanni decided looking at Garima. 

Garima was relieved as she too wanted to wind up as it was very late and did not know how to request the Raizadas to consider that!"

"Ji naaniji. Jaisa aap kahain!" ( As you say) she thanked her with her eyes too for understanding"

Naani smiled back and assured her with her eyes which said "it's ok. relax" They made the bride and groom to sit in the two chairs arranged there face to face.

Paayal brought a glass of juice and was about to make khushi drink it when Khushi bent and wishpered something in Paayal's ear for which she looked at Arnav and said "haan per unke liye ek aur layenge na!" ( yeah but i shall get another one for him) 

Kya baath hai paayal ji?  ( What happened) Anjali asked. Nahi Di! Khushi says Arnavji should be given this as he too must be hungry! Paayal explained! Arnav looked at her...shocked!Nani and Anjali beamed and Anjali started teasing Arnav! "Wah chote! abhee se tumhari patniki itni chintaa hai tumhaari!" ( Your wife is so very concerned for you)

Arnav thought he had to control this situation as usual. He inched forward towards Khushi his knees almost touching her and said," you take care of yourselves then you can think of others!"
Khushi fumed. How dare he says that to her! And that too when everyone was around!

"Chote! Khushiji kithee sweet hai and you are a spoilt sport" Anjali intervened. She took the glass from Paayal and said "chalo ab Khushiji ka ghoonkat uthaawo!" ( lift her veil)

Arnav reluctantly did what he was told to and as he lifted the veil he was once again struck by her beauty! Everybody present there cheered with AAkash saying "atlast" which made everyone laugh.
"Chalo chote ab tum Khushiji ko juice pilaao!" (Offer her this juice) Anjali insisted giving him the glass. 

"What the!"Arnav swore. "Di ... apko..." " common chote itni si baath hai!" Anjali cut into what ever he was to say. Arnav gave up as he realised it was neither the time nor the ocassion. He took the glass and took it to Khushi's lips. 
Khushi looked up into his eyes just then and he saw her eyes red with fatigue, anger and also sorrow.He somehow did not like the tears in her eyes. 
His hand shook and Khushi took the glass from him and took a sip. 
Everyone started hooting and Anjali prompted," Chote you guys go ahead to your room and wait near the pool as without Griha pravesh you cant enter the house.

"Di we ARE in the house if you must know" Arnav countered. 

"Rasam hai Chote !"Anjali pleaded with him for which he had no answer. He got up and walked forward and everybody burst out laughing. 

He turned to see what made them to and found Khushi huddling towards him and then remembered they still had the gat bandhan from the pheraas.

"Chote ab tum akele nahi ho mere bhai! Khushiji bhi tumhare saath hai! Yeh baath kabhi nai bhoolna! "( Don't forget my dear that now you are not on your own. She is there with you. Never forget THAT) )Anjali said as if to tease her brother but Arnav looked into her eyes and found that his sister meant much more than what she said! 

"Yeh baath my bhoolna tho door yeh bath mujhey kabhi bhulaane nahi degi Di" (Even if I want to it won't let me)he added silently "kyunki I never forget once the deal is closed. DEAl SET"he thought.

Next...
CHAPTER-6 The Midnight Sun