Jyoti was gone for quite a few times now and I was getting anxious as to what he was going to write.
Is he even going to give me a reply?
He doesn't reply with words  rather he is forcefully marrying me.
I was walking left to right and right to left biting  my nails when I heard footsteps

It was Jyoti and she has  her hand
She was heavily breathing  because of running here and there.

I grabbed her arms when she entered my room and shut the door behind.

I snatched  the letter from her and quickly unrolled it.

I started reading it.

"To my dear wife and queen of Rudragarh"

"Huh? Queen!" . I said in my mind

"I know you are eager to meet me "

As if! I said

Then I continued reading the letter.

"But you forgot that today is our haldi and after haldi no couple meets before marriage
I wish you had sent this letter earlier. I would have loved to meet you.
But now we can't do anything. We have to wait for the day of wedding.
If you need anything and if you have anything to say, say it in the letter. I will try to reply to you back."

"Huh? He rejected my proposal of meeting him.
He took revenge of last time.
That sly thing!. I said in my mind

No worries. If you want this on the wedding day then so be it

Suddenly mother entered my room opening the door.
I immediately hid the letter behind me.

"What are you doing?" She asked suspiciously.

"N..nothing..."

"Are you hiding something?" She asked suspiciously

I said hasitantly

"N..no, nothing."

"Why is your hand behind your back?. "She asked

Just...just wanted to keep it like that...

How come you are here? I asked

"It's your haldi today. I am here to take you
Come, let's go"

"Yes, you go ahead I am coming". I said

She gave me a side eye and started walking.
I hid the letter under group of papers

She turned and said

Come!

I replied

Yes ,yes

I took my duppata and went after her.

I went to the room where haldi ceremony was organised but it was a bit unusual.

It was divided into two parts using a curtain

"Why is there a curtain maa?"

"Well, as you know that Crown Prince Aditya is here so his haldi will also be done here."

"By whom?"

She gave me a look at said

By us or who!

I said

"What about his pare...
I stopped and remembered that he don't have any."

I felt a little bad thinking about it and
I went quietly to the place and sat down

Everyone started applying haldi
On my arms, my leg my cheeks

My whole body was covered in haldi

Then, my mother said

"Go to the room next to it and there they will give you a milk bath"

I nodded

I started walking away

There my haldi was rubbed off and I was given a milk bath and then water bath.
My skin was glowing because of the haldi and it was looking yellowish.

While they were dressing me up I heard some noise from the next door.

It must be his haldi!
Should I take a look?

No, it would be wrong!

I immediately went there in quick and slow steps without making any noise and started peeping through the pillar

He was sitting there and all the women have surrounded him.
I can't look at his face because of the crowd.

Suddenly I felt that someone was pulling my ear.
In pain I cried

Aaaa aa

I turned around and it was mother.

"What are you doing?"

"N...nothing "! I cried in pain

"You can't see him before marriage understood".

I nodded and said

"Now leave me please it's hurting".

She leave my ears turning them red.

"Off you go "

I nodded and
I with my gloomy face started walking towards my chamber.

It was almost dark and I was alone in my chamber.

I thought of lightening the candles and was about to call Jyoti but a sudden thought crossed my mind

The moment I spent yesterday with that stranger.
I felt a sudden pinching pain in my heart thinking about it.
I was also feeling excited and I couldn't stop myself from smiling.

I went to my bed and sat facing the balcony

After few minutes I stood up and went to the balcony.
Today 4 guards were there.

I said to them

"You don't need to stand here anymore. You all can leave!"

"Ji kunwari". They all nodded and left

I again went to the bed and unintentionally I was waiting for him to come.
One part of me was feeling embarrassed thinking about him and other was excited to even think about him

I stood again and went to the table. I grabbed a book and went again to my bed
I started reading it and I don't know when I felt asleep.

My eyes suddenly opened and I saw that it was already morning.
I realised that he didn't come yesterday and it made my heart a little sad.
I shouldn't be thinking about him.
I don't even know his name. Who knows,  he could be the contract killer.
I thought and rolled my eyes.

I stood up and called Jyoti and other attendees
She came and said.

"Kunwari, today is your mehandi".

"I know Jyoti."  I said in a "I don't care" tone

"Come, let me help you get ready "

"Hm hm." I nodded

I took a quick bath and got ready. I wore a green lehanga. It was looking beautiful on me. I wore matching pieces of  jwellery and went to the room where mehandi ceremony was going to placed.

I went there and women were gathered
Everyone was dancing and singing
I went to a sofa and quietly sat down
I was looking at the happy faces of my cousins, mother and grandmother.
Everyone seemed to happy

I was also smiling back but deep down I was the saddest person in the world right now.

An attendee came with mehandi and few of them started making designs.

Two of them were applying mehandi on my leg.
Other were applying it on my arm and palm

Suddenly she asked

"What should I write in husband's name? "

A sudden pain occurred in my stomach and my heart become heavy
My eyes became teary and yet I smiled and said

"A"

"A? Yes ..just write A and nothing else".

"Ok Kunwari". They said

They gave a look at each other and continued their work

After some time my cousins asked me to dance with them as mehandi of my legs are dried

I said no and they insisted a lot.

Suddenly my grandmother came and sat near me.
She then said

"Beta, you deserve to be happy. It is your day. Enjoy it please "

A tear dropped from my eyes and I gave her a smile.

I woke up and started moving my body a little.

Suddenly I felt that someone is watching me.

I looked in the direction my guts told me to and there he was

He was Staring at me. His legs were crossed and his hands were folded on his chest.
His arms were touching the pillar.

Our eyes met and as soon as I could do anything my cousin grabbed my shoulder and spinned me

I took 2 spin and looked at the same direction and he was gone!

He was here a second ago!

I started walking towards that direction but my grandmother stopped me and started dancing with me

I started laughing and dancing as well.

I forgot about him.