Chapter 31 #2
“To... to... to bata dijiye,” “So... so... so, tell them,” I said timidly, and he walked me closer to them.
“Yes, Bhabhi-sa, ask me,” he said, sitting across from me as I tried to free my wrist from his grip. He was making my insides squirm.
“How did the bed break?” Nandani asked.
And suddenly, Ranaji entered the chamber and inquired, “Whose bed broke?”
He immediately left my hand, and everyone stood from the bed. I wanted to run away and whooshed up into the sky.
Princess Aishwarya adjusted her dupatta and looked away from him. Nandani remained seated, but a hint of fear was visible on her face, while Kunwar-sa suddenly smiled like a good boy.
“Kisi ka nahi, Bhai-sa; hum sab baat kar rahein the ki yadi bistar toot jaaye to kya karenge?” “No one’s, Bhai-sa; we were just talking about what we will do if the bed breaks,” he spoke animatedly.
Ranaji frowned, walking toward the couch and asked, “Kintu kyun? Ye to wahi baat ho gayi ki baadh aa jaaye to kya karenge, bhukamp aa jaaye to kya karenge, matlab aaj Rudraja ka janmdiwas hai aur yahaan charcha is par ho raha hai ki bistar toot jaayega to kya karenge, waahhh, adbhudh,” “But why? It’s like what will happen if a flood strikes or if an earthquake occurs?
I mean, it’s Rudraja’s birthday today, and the discussion here is happening over what if a bed breaks? Wow, great.”
My body shivered when suddenly an attendant walked in and said, “Kunwar-sa,”
Kunwar-sa blinked silently and smiled, looking at the attendant. “Yes,”
“Wo karmchaari pooch rahein hai ki shayya me lakdi ki parat do lagaani hai ya teen,” “The labourers are asking whether they should add two layers or three layers of wood in the bed.”
Kunwar-sa closed his eyes and exhaled, and suddenly Prince Ranvijay walked in. “Bhai-sa,” he said, walking in with a smile, but in an instant, it vanished, and lines of confusion formed over his forehead as he looked at everyone. “What happened?” he asked the attendant.
The attendant repeated, “Wo kunwar-sa ki shayya toot gayi hai to karmchaari pooch rahein hai ki lakdi ki parat do lagaani hai ya teen,” “Kunwar-sa’s bed broke, so the labourers are asking whether to add two or three layers of wood.”
I wished for instant death. I wanted to run away and die.
My fingers were shivering, and I looked at Kunwar-sa, breathing in and out deeply before speaking.
“Pehle apne mukh par lakdi ki ek ya do parat laga lo aur jao yahaan se,” “First things first, have your mouth concealed with two or three layers of wood, and go away.”
The attendant looked baffled but walked away quietly.
I looked at Ranaji, raising his brows at Kunwar Agastya, and inquired, “How did your bed break, Agastya?”
“What? Your bed broke, Agastya?” Prince Ranvijay asked, walking closer to him. “How? Are you okay?” He placed his hand on his shoulder, and Kunwar-sa just smiled awkwardly.
Princess Aishwarya walked across the chamber to Prince Ranvijay, leaning in to whisper something in his ear.
I lowered my gaze as his eyes widened while looking at me, and then he glanced at Kunwar Agastya.
“Bhabhisa, please,” he requested.
Suddenly, Ranaji asked. “Can someone tell me what the hell is happening, apart from Rudraja’s birthday celebration?”
“Oh my God, Agastya!” Prince Ranvijay screamed, placing his hand on his mouth.
Kunwar-sa inhaled deeply, shaking his head.
“Nandani,” Ranaji called, standing up.
I looked at Nandani, who was suddenly acting oblivious and patting Princess Rudraja as if she knew nothing. “Yes, Ranaji,” she asked with a smile.
“Can you tell me what is happening here?” he asked, raising his voice, and Princess Rudraja woke up, wailing.
Nandani shook her head slowly.
He immediately turned to look at Kunwar-sa and placed his hand on his shoulder. “How did your bed break, Agastya?” he asked in a strictly, chuckling as he looked at him.
“Um… Bhai-sa, kya aap bhi, itne bade hain aap, matlab, aapko nahi pata?” “Um… Bhai-sa, what??? You’re a grownup. I mean, do you not know?”
Ranaji gritted his teeth, shaking his head. “No, I do not. I want to know; tell me now,” his voice turned firm.
Kunwar-sa closed his eyes, lowering his head. “I fell,” he muttered. “I fell on the bed,”
Ranaji thinned his brows in confusion. “You just fell, and the bed broke?”
He nodded.
Princess Rudraja started crying louder.
Ranaji inhaled deeply and shifted his attention from him to the princess, taking her in his arms and patting her back.
“Oh, my little angel, what happened? These people suck, yes,” The princess rested her head on his shoulder as he gently shifted her in his arms. “Explain, Agastya,” Ranaji demanded.
Suddenly, Prince Ranvijay stepped forward and whispered something into Ranaji’s ear, and at that moment, Princess Rudraja started crying more.
She wiggled, leaning toward Prince Ranvijay. Prince Ranvijay took her in his arms, and she placed her head on his shoulder.
Ranaji looked at me, and I immediately lowered my gaze, and then he looked at Kunwar Agastya, who palmed his face.
The moment Prince Ranvijay finished telling him, he walked around the bed and looked at Nandani.
“Nandani, don’t tell me you didn’t know about this,” he said warningly.
Nandani stood up from the bed, frowning, and asked. “About what?” She asked in an innocent voice.
Ranaji pointed at us. “About these two?”
Nandani widened her eyes. “These two what?”
“You know what I am saying,” Ranaji said, and she widened her mouth.
“No, I do not,”
I couldn’t believe how she was playing this; even Kunwar Agastya turned to look at her.
“What the hell did you do, Agastya?” Nandani exclaimed, looking at him, pleading with her eyes.
“How can you?” Kunwar Agastya asked, shocked.
She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes.
Ranaji sucked in a sharp breath, closing his eyes. “Suman,” he called, making me shiver in fear. “Come here,”
With shaky legs, I walked toward him and stood before him. I tried not to look up at him.
“How did the bed break?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Kunwar-sa interrupted. “Bhaisa, I wi—”
“Shut up, Agastya,” Prince Ranvijay cut him off.
Kunwar-sa scratched his forehead and sat on the bed.
“Yes, Suman, tell me, how did the bed break?” Ranaji asked again, and I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to speak.
“Um… Ranaji, I... I... I mean, we... no,” I shook my head.
“I... no, we, no, no, I walked away an... and... and,” I gulped nervously.
“And, he pu... pulled me to... to him, and we... bo... both fell on the bed. It broke,” My voice trembled terribly, my cheeks heated in embarrassment.
“Why did he pull you?” Ranaji asked calmly.
I blinked anxiously. “Um… because I was... going away and... and he didn’t want that,” I said, fidgeting with my fingers.
“Why did he not want that?” he asked further.
I bit my lip and furrowed my brows in fear and nervousness. I didn’t know what I was speaking; I was frightened and wanted to run away.
“Bhai-sa, let me explain—” Kunwar-sa tried, but Ranaji hushed him.
“Tell me, Suman,” Ranaji forced.
I gulped with fear. “Because, because Ranaji... he said that... he wants to marry me,” I stammered in a low voice.
He arched his brow. “Why?”
I lowered my gaze. “I think... because he loves me,”
“Since when?” he questioned.
I blinked nervously, unable to recall the time since when he had loved me. But, maybe… “I think... I mean, when Princess was born,” I mumbled.
“What? He proposed to you when Rudraja was born?” Ranaji asked, and I immediately shook my head.
“No, no, no, I mean... he didn’t propose b... but... but, I mean, we, we had a b... bet,”
“What bet?” Ranaji asked. I gulped nervously.
“Hey,” Kunwar-sa called out, but Ranaji glared at him.
I looked at everyone staring at me seriously; I could feel that my actual death was approaching, right there.
How could I fall in love with a prince?
“What bet?” Ranaji asked again, enraged.
I blinked nervously. “Ranaji, he was... teasing me... I mean, he was irritating me and... and I said that it would be b... boy and he said that it would be... g.... girl and I said that if... there is a boy, yes boy... then he will not... touch me and then he said,” I gulped nervously, feeling my body shaking with fear.
I looked, finding everyone’s expecting eyes on me.
“He said what?” Ranaji asked, his tone tinged with anger, and I felt my eyes welling up as I responded.
“He said... if it’s.... girl, I will, I mean, on every birthday of hers, I will su—”
Suddenly, Kunwar-sa’s hand concealed my mouth, and he pulled me back against him. My back pressed against his chest, and I inhaled deeply as fear coursed through my nerves.
My eyes widened with fear as I looked at everyone, who in return looked back at me in astonishment.
He pressed his cheek against my temple, tilting my head slightly, and he chuckled softly. “Itna thodi batana tha, Suman,” “You’re not supposed to reveal so much, Suman.”
I lowered my eyes in dilemma and fright.
I placed my hand on his wrist and looked at Ranaji, who looked at us with a disgusted look.
“Bhai-sa,” he muttered with a soft chuckle. “I love her. I want to marry her,”
I immediately pushed him away, feeling everyone’s eyes on me.
My cheeks burned, and I turned to face him. Moving away a bit, I spoke, “I recalled... som... something to do,”
But he held my hand and pulled me back beside him. “Tell Bhai-sa what you were saying about loving me back?” he muttered, looking at me.
“Ji?” I questioned.
He nodded, and I blinked nervously and turned towards Ranaji.
“Ji, Ji, Ji, Ranaji. Hum bhi Vivaah karte hai inse, Prem karna chaahte hain,” “Ji, Ji, Ji, Ranaji, I also marry him, I want to love him.” I babbled, and Kunwar-sa chuckled.
“She means she also loves me and wants to marry me,” he corrected.
Ranaji’s eyes widened. “How dare you two keep it from all of us?” he yelled, and I immediately took a step away and hid behind Kunwar-sa.
“She wasn’t ready, Bhai-sa,” he said