He turned to me, wide-eyed.
“You’re hungry?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out.
If I told him I was fasting for him, he’d have come down on me like a ton of bricks. So, I simply shook my head.
“No, why would I be hungry?” I asked and then noticed Nandani coming toward us.
“Devar-sa, would you mind if I take Suman with me for some time?” she asked, smiling.
He blinked at her for a few moments, then nodded.
“Yes, I do mind,” he muttered.
Nandani rolled her eyes, whispered through her teeth,“Shut up,” then grabbed my hand from his and led me to where all the ladies were.
My gaze fell upon two ladies in very plain attire, seemingly widows, and a four to five-year-old boy in each of their hands.
I sat next to Queen Trisha and Rani-maa on the couch, and across from them sat Daadi-sa with Princess Rudraja in her lap, Nandani, and Princess Aishwarya together. A few other distant relatives sat on the couches next to them.
Daadi-sa held my hand and made me sit beside her.
I smiled, looking at Princess, but she was busy playing with one of the young boys on the couch beside her. My brows creased together in remembrance, as the boy felt quite familiar. His curly hair and wheatish complexion reminded me of someone I already knew.
Just then, Princess snatched a small dagger from the boy’s hand, and before anyone could understand what was happening, the boy raised his hand and slapped Princess Rudraja.
She began crying right away, and Daadi-sa’s eyes widened with shock.
“Oh, my little radish, don’t cry, it’s okay,”
“Hridaan!” The boy’s mother raised her voice at him.“You shouldn’t do that, my boy.”
In this brief commotion, Nandani, however, remained completely unfazed, talking with the other ladies.
I gently patted the princess’s back, and after some time, she stopped crying.
“Suman,” Daadi-sa called.“You tell me, should we perform all the rituals here in Mahabaleshgarh? Both families can stay here together until the wedding and complete all the traditions. Then you can leave for your home. What do you say?”
I blinked at her questions. Half of the things she said flew above my head. I looked at Rani-maa, then back at Daadi-sa.
“Whatever you think is right, Daadi-sa,” I muttered, and she smiled.
“So, Suman also wants it. Now you say,” Daadi-sa spoke, looking at Nandani.
She stayed silent for a moment, then said,“Let me ask Ranaji, also, you should consult Nandan once. If this is the final decision, then we’ll call for more stuff from Suryagarh,” she suggested.
“Yes,” Rani-maa remarked.“We should ask them first to see if there’s any need for them in Suryagarh or not,”
Daadi-sa’s expression fell. I didn’t know why, but she was more excited about my wedding than anyone else. She was the truly happy kid here.
“Alright, let me ask Ranaji,” Nandani said, standing up. Everyone got back to discussing the plans for the rituals. And I sat there quietly, feeling the foreign weight on my ankles.
The anklets were heavy; I had never worn such weighty ornaments before. Looking at all the jewellery I had received as gifts, I realised all that metal would soon drown me under its weight.
I inhaled sharply at just the thought of it. Yet, it felt good. So good.
Nandani came back after some time.
