We both looked at each other at the same time, and both of the ladies giggled.
“What?” he frowned.“Didn’t you just hear what they said? What’s the point of getting married if we cannot see each other?” he hissed when suddenly Ranaji remarked.
“Dekho, Agastya, ab yadi vivaah karna hai to kuch samay ke liye is virah ko sehna hi hoga. Anyatha tumhe sampoorn jeewan is virah ki agni mein jalna hoga!”“Listen, Agastya, now that the wedding’s around the corner, you’ll have to endure this separation for a few days. Otherwise, you’ll spend the rest of your life burning in the fire of longing!”
His face twisted in utter frustration.
Slowly, I held his hand and shook my head. I could sense how anxious he was from the way he kept blinking and gulping.
I looked at Daadi-sa and Rani-maa, who were talking to the priest.
“Everyone,” Daadi-sa said, catching everyone’s attention.
“Suman aur Kunwar Agastya ke vivaah ka shubh muhurat aaj se ek saptaah ke baad ka nikla hai. Aisa muhurat va sanjog battis varshoan me ek baar hi banta hai,”“The auspicious date for Suman and Kunwar Agastya’s wedding falls exactly one week from today. Such a muhurat and alignment occur only once in thirty-two years.” she announced.
My heart raced—one week.
“What?” Nandani interjected.“Just one week? How will we prepare everything so soon?”
Princess Aishwarya and Queen Trisha, too, arched their brows in quiet disbelief.
“Ji, Daadi-sa, isn’t it too soon?” Queen Trisha suggested when Kunwar Agastya cut in quickly.
“Done, Daadi-sa, done. Now, if everything is final, can I take my wife somewhere to talk to her?” he asked, grabbing my hand.
Ranaji narrowed his eyes at Kunwar-sa, but he was too much in haste to be bothered, so he just rolled his eyes and walked us out of the hall.I could sense everyone’s amused yet shocked gazes fixed on us.
As he hurried us outside, a cold breeze hit me, raising goosebumps.
“Kunwar-sa,” I tried to stop him, and he halted mid-step.
“Yes,” he retorted, turning to me.
Calmly, I withdrew my hand from his and glanced back, noticing the guards standing outside the celebration hall watching us.
“That’s not how you behave in the elders’presence, Kunwar-sa,” I said, looking back at him.“Everyone was watching us. You shouldn’t have done that.”
He just smiled and stepped closer, and my eyes widened in shock.
“What?” I questioned, but he inched even closer, causing me to take a step back.“Kunwar-sa, stay within your limits; everyone’s here,” I reminded him in a warning tone.
He frowned.“Where are you staying here?”
My own brows creased together in confusion, yet anyway, I replied.“In a guest chamber,”
“Oh, great,” he smiled.“Why don’t we go there for some time?”
My jaw clenched, and I immediately pulled him aside.
“Are you mad? Everyone’s here, an—”
“Shhh…” he hushed me, placing his finger on my lips, and my breath caught in my throat.
“Kabhi-kabhi chup rehna bhi seekho; hum har samay acchi manodasha mein nahi hote. Kayi baar humaara hruday humaare hi viruddh ho jata hai.”“You should know to keep quiet once in a while; I’m not always in a good mood. Sometimes my heart conspires against me,” he hissed, holding me flush against his chest.
His words and his touch sent a shudder through me, leaving me breathless. And as I was just about to catch my breath, he leaned in to my ear and whispered,“Take me to that chamber,” his tone almost commanding, and I clenched my teeth.
I hated him for that. He always did that. He knew all the ways to embarrass me, and he never obeyed.
