After drying my hair, I braided it and walked out of the room to see the preparations. The entire palace resembled a bride, adorned with flowers and multicoloured curtains, evoking the spirit of holi.
I went to Nandani’s chamber and found her already awake. The event was to begin late morning, and chaos unfolded in the palace because, after the naming ceremony, the doors were to open to the villagers for the feast and donations.
I watched Nandani prepare for the princess’s naming ceremony. She sighed in frustration and glanced at me, and I couldn’t help but smile.
She had gained weight during her pregnancy and struggled to tie the waistband.
“Let me help,” I said, and she nodded as she got to her feet.
“Inhale,” I said, and she squeezed her stomach in. Once I tightened the knot, she exhaled deeply.
“I hope it won’t hurt you,” I remarked, and she shook her head.
“I’ll come out of it as soon as the ceremony ends. Plus, I need to lose weight. It’s not looking good on me,” she said, pouting her lips, and I shook my head.
“You look beautiful as always, even cuter,” I said, and a broad smile appeared on her face.
“I’ll ask Rudra to help me lose weight,” I furrowed in confusion.
“How can he help?”
And she gave me a side-eye, saying,“With sex.”
Her bold words instantly reminded me of Kunwar Agastya, and I couldn’t help but lower my gaze.
Part of me wanted to tell her everything, but that would create problems for his wedding, if it happened. Besides, it wasn’t my place to be a hurdle in that. He had to make everyone aware if it meant anything to him.
But I didn’t know why seeing him with Princess Rashmika made me feel bad, especially after what happened the other night. The image of his face licking my fingers was still vivid in my mind. His eyes appeared devilishly attractive, and his soft curls looked cute.
“Why are you smiling?” Nandani pulled me out of my thoughts, and I quickly shook my head.
“Um… It’s the princess’s naming ceremony,” I babbled, and she smiled.
“Yes, Suman, I can’t believe how far we’ve come, but…” she paused, and I noticed her expression change as she grew upset. Her cheeks flushed red, and I held her hands.“But I wish Baapu-sa28were here with us. I wished for him to see his grandchild. I wanted him to be my first child.” Tears rolled down her cheeks, and I shook my head.
“He’s still watching you, Nandani. But from a better place,” I said, and she sank onto the couch, letting her tears flow, sobbing softly.
“Even though I’m happy I have everything, it feels like a void. You know he would’ve cried seeing the baby. He loved children and had always been supportive and positive. I never thought he’d be taken away so soon.”
I kneeled before her, gulping silently, and as he sobbed, I wiped away her tears.
“He was in pain, Nandani. Given his condition, he wouldn’t have felt happy even if he were here. It would be too selfish to think only about your pain. And trust me, he may not be able to talk to you, but right now, seeing you cry for him, must pain him too, for his beautiful, powerful daughter. I don’t think he would want to see you crying at your daughter’s auspicious naming ceremony. He would want you to remember him with happiness. That’s what he asked everyone to do when he left: to remember him happily, so his soul feels content seeing his family smile,” I said, wiping her tears.“Let’s bring back that smile,”
She chuckled softly.“Even so, I miss him so much,” she sniffed, and I pulled her into a tight hug.
“That’s okay,” she calmed down after a while, and I saw Ranaji walking in with his daughter in his arms.
When he saw Nandani’s tear-stricken face, he asked.“Can you hold her for a moment, Suman?”
I nodded and took the princess from his hand.
“Can you all wait outside?” he asked, kneeling before her. I then took the princess out of the room and went to the guest chamber, where I found Kunwar Agastya talking to Daadi-sa.
“So, what do you think of her? Is there any progress in love?” Daadi-sa teased him, and he chuckled, shaking his head.
“I’m quite inexperienced, Daadi-sa, but you seem like a player. Tell me how you got Daado-sa29to fall in love with you,” he asked playfully, and she cupped his face, laughing.
“Your Daado-sa was an angry king. We were both very young when we got married. Then, as I grew older, he came to take me with him. He wouldn’t speak to me sweetly; he was very work-oriented, giving orders and stating what needed to be done. Meanwhile, I was clumsy and talkative. When he would return to the chamber, I would excitedly tell him about my day, but he would fall asleep, irritated by my chatter. This continued until he got used to my talking, and we gradually learned each other’s ways. We never spoke about love like Rudra and Nandani, who kept their lips glued together. It was a simple, responsible marriage,” she said.
