Chapter 31 #3
“Alright, everyone, take seats, let’s talk to Suman,” Ranaji said.
My eyes widened in shock. I looked at Prince Ranvijay and Princess Aishwarya sitting on the couch, while Ranaji and Nandani sat on the bed. Princess Rudraja was playing with Prince Ranvijay.
Tell them what?
I felt scared; my fingers turned cold.
Kunwar-sa placed his hand on mine and guided me toward an empty couch, pulling me down to sit beside him. He shook his head slightly in assurance.
“So, Suman, how did you two meet? As in, how did it all begin?” Ranaji asked.
I looked at Kunwar-sa, and he nodded, encouraging me to speak.
“It's all family,” he assured.
And I recounted everything that had happened since the day we had met. Tears welled in my eyes as I recalled all the memories. Everyone was feeling sad for me.
“You should’ve told me. I would’ve taken strict action against them,” Ranaji said.
“She did not even tell me,” Nandani said, and I looked at Kunwar-sa, who just smiled at me, and kissed my hand.
I inhaled deeply at his daring action when, suddenly, Prince Ranvijay asked. “So, now you two want to marry each other?”
I looked at Kunwar Agastya, and he looked back at me, and my heart was pounding madly.
But in that moment, I knew that despite everything I had been through and all the mistakes I had made, he was the man who could handle me and all my flaws.
Once again, I felt ready to trust someone and was prepared to fall apart yet again.
My chest heaved heavily as I struggled to even my breath. I bit the inside of my lip, once again recalling all the fights we had endured. There was still a doubt in me.
What if I hurt him yet again?
He smiled, looking at me, and then turned to look at Ranaji. “Give us some time, Bhai-sa.”
I closed my eyes. He tightened his grip on my hand and gently caressed the back of it with his thumb. “We need some time to talk,” he said, and I gulped, looking at him. “Let’s celebrate Princess’s birthday first,” he added, and Ranaji nodded.
“Alright, let’s celebrate,” he retorted, standing from the bed.
We all stood too, and I pulled my hand from his when I saw Ranaji walking closer to me.
I felt my throat dry as he stopped before me. He smiled before placing his hand on my head, and I suddenly felt a surge of emotion.
“Don’t worry, we’re here for you in every decision.
However, make sure you know what you’re getting into.
He is naughty, stubborn, and he is maybe something more; you might know better,” I just couldn’t stop smiling.
“But we cannot wait to welcome you into our family as the third daughter-in-law,” he added.
I lowered to my knees and touched his feet. “Thank you, Ranaji.”
He held my shoulder to stop me. “And don’t worry, we did not hear about any bets, especially the dirty bet on my daughter’s birth, eww, Agastya,” he said, and everyone laughed.
I felt so ashamed.
“She has not fulfilled it yet, Bhai-sa,” Kunwar-sa said. “So, you cannot tease me about it.” I was shocked.
This man!
They all laughed again, and he pulled me closer, slowly wrapped his arm around me in a warm hug, and kissed my forehead.
“At least do not tease her,” he suggested.
I felt scared, happy, overwhelmed, and everything, all at once. As everyone laughed, I gulped, feeling embarrassed.
“Alright, let’s go out. People might think something happened,” Ranaji said.
Kunwarsa Agastya cupped my cheek.
I tried to pull my face back out of shame, but he smiled.
“Vivah bhi karti ho humse aur prem bhi karogi,” “You marry me and will also love me,” he teased, making me blush hard.
As I took a step away, he held my hand, but I stayed back.
He raised his brows in question. “What?”
I waited until everyone had walked out of the chamber and shook my head.
We then walked side by side. And once everyone disappeared from sight, I took his hand and stopped him in the middle of the empty hallways.
“Ab hum kya karenge?” (What will I do now?) I asked, caught in the storm of anxiousness.
Everyone was there. What would Daadi-sa have thought? What would King Abhinandan have thought about me? I mean, they would’ve thought of me as someone who had an affair with him.
“Kya arth hai kya karogi? Jo sab kar rahe hain: khush raho, janamdiwas manao,” “What do you mean by what will you do? Do what everyone’s doing: be happy and celebrate the birthday,” he said, and my jaw clenched hard.
How could he be so calm about it? The whole family found out about us, not us, but about the broken bed and the bet.
Yes, the bet!
Oh My God. The BET!
My eyes widened. I had to fulfil the bet.
“Kun... Kunwar-sa, humein kuch kaarya smaran hua hai,” “Kun... Kunwar-sa, I just remembered, I have some work.”
His brows creased as I tried to get out of his hold. “Kintu hua kya?” “But, what happened?” he asked.
I looked around, noticing the attendants watching us. Even Ranaji was not too far from us.
“Sab dekh rahe hain, Kunwar-sa,” “Everyone is watching, Kunwar-sa,” I muttered, and he instantly pulled me closer.
My shoulder crashed into his chest. His nose flared in fury.
“Sab log kya sochenge?” “What will they think?” I tried to explain.
I stared into his green eyes, which turned slightly darker as he said. “Kuch bhi sochein,” “Whatever they wish.”
I gulped nervously and tried to pull my hand back. This was not normal. This was not how we were supposed to behave. I mean, how could he hold my hand in front of everyone? What would they think of us?
“Kunwar-sa, please leave my hand, everyone’s watching us,” I whispered.
“Aadhi patni to ho hi humaari, ab poori hone wali ho. Hum sabke saamne tumhaara haath pakdein, kamar pakdein, ya poora ka poora tumhe pakdein, kon rokega humein?” “You’re already my half wife and going to be full sooner.
I can hold your hand, your waist or even the whole of you.
Who will dare stop me?” His words made me feel a whirlwind in my stomach.
I clenched my jaw.
How could he say that?
And, as we stared into each other’s eyes with hushed rage, fighting for dominance, his gaze suddenly softened, and he let go of my hand.
“Forget it,” he muttered, stepping back and walking away.
I gulped, watching him go, gritting my teeth in anger. He was so stubborn; he couldn’t even listen to me for once. He only wants what he wants.
And now he was angry.
I lowered my gaze, ignoring him, and looked at the attendants watching me.
“Haan aa jao, kha jao humein, kaam to sab poora ho gaya hai na,” “Yeah, come, eat me, everything is done right?” I spoke, exasperated, and walked away from there.
After spending some time in the kitchen to tend to things, I took a quick bath before changing into a fresh pair of dark green and red clothes. It was simple; Daadi-sa had gifted it to me on her last visit. She said, dark colours suited me.
While braiding my hair, I puffed my cheeks, remembering Kunwar-sa’s furious green eyes, and then looked at my dress.
Yes, now his eyes would see green with green eyes. I smiled at the thought.
I was stubborn, too; I didn’t want to attract anyone’s attention like this.
But our marriage was going to happen soon. I couldn’t believe I was going to marry Kunwar-sa. This meant we would stay in his chamber; I would wake up next to him, he would watch me getting ready, and we would share the same bathroom.
Urgh!
My cheeks flushed at the thought, and I wondered how I’d manage.
Especially his strength. I mean, he fought a war, won it, and because of his weight, the bed broke. The attendant asked if they should add two or three layers of wood.
I couldn’t even imagine how I would bear his weight upon me. He was much taller than my dead husband, stronger as well, and he might be bigger, too.
Oh My God!
That meant more pain, or maybe something new. That meant we would consummate on our wedding night. He would undress me.
“Suman,”
I screamed, startled, and placed my hand on my chest. My heart had raced wildly in the shock, and I looked at Reva standing at my door with her brows knitted together.
“What happened?” she asked, and I shook my head.
“Nothing,” I said, and she walked in closer to me.
“What was happening between you and Kunwar-sa? Did he yell at you over something? I saw him holding your hand in anger. What did you do to piss him off?” she questioned back to back.
I swallowed hard, unable to figure out how to tell her I had done nothing to piss him off.
He pisses himself all by himself.
“I did nothing,” I tried to say, and she placed her hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay? Suman, you’ve been acting strange since yesterday. What happened?” she asked.
I sucked my lower lip and muttered, “Nothing, seriously, nothing happened. It’s just he was angry with me.”
“But why? I mean, he had never held anyone’s hand before. What did you do?” she asked.
I closed my eyes in disbelief; I didn’t know what to answer.
I mean, people would look at me as if I had seduced him.
“Hey, love,” came his voice, and we both turned toward the door.
He placed his hand on the upper doorframe and bent slightly before stepping in. It looked like he had just taken a bath, clad in a plain white kurta.
He frowned at Reva and asked. “Is she your friend?”
I bit my lip, unable to control my blush, and nodded slowly.
“Hi friend, I’m the husband,” he said, and I immediately covered my face, looking at Reva’s eyes widen.
I walked Reva out of the room hurriedly, saying, “Um… I’ll talk to you later,” and immediately locked the door.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked, turning to him.
Hastening my steps, I pushed him back with my hands.
He crashed against the wooden almirah.
“Aaram se. Praan logi humaare?” “Careful. Want to kill me?” he asked, mischief obvious in his tone.
I looked at him in amazement as he wrapped his arm around me and smiled.
“Haaye kitni sunder lag rahi ho. Kintu Jab kroddh Karti ho bilkul acchi nahi lagti,” “Ah, you look so beautiful, but when you are angry, you look ugly,” he teased, and I stared at him, confused.
What the hell happened to him?
“Aapki buddhi bhrasht ho chuki hai,” “You seem to have lost your mind,” I whispered and took a few steps away from him, but he immediately pulled me back and placed his hand on the small of my back.
“To le aao thikaane par,” “Then revive it,” he muttered over my lips.
My heart raced as he cupped my cheek. I blinked quietly, looking into his eyes. Someone would see us. I didn’t know why he was creating more trouble for us.
“Itne din baad mile hain hum, do prem bhare bol to bol hi sakti ho?” “We have met after so many days, can you not speak a word or two of love?” he asked.
I tried to calm my pounding heart and looked at him, leaning closer. My hands clenched his kurta as he inched nearer. His calm, warm breaths fanned over my face.
My lashes lowered, and my gaze fixed on his lips.
Suddenly, he pulled me even closer, and I shifted on my toes, blinking nervously.
My eyes shut close, and my breath stopped when he parted his lips and sucked both of my lips for once and pulled back, slowly.
The wetness of his mouth lingered on my lips, and I sucked on them; it tasted like grapes.
“Angoor bahut bhaate hain aapko,” “You love grapes a lot,” I muttered, and he smiled.
“Ab angoor-vangoor nahi, tumhe khaayenge. Kaccha, bhoonkar, achi tarah tel masaale mein pakaakar. Sajj rehna, har ek aansu ka pratishodh liya jaayega,” “I will not savour eating grapes anymore. Now, I will eat you, raw, fried, with spices and oil. Be prepared, you will pay for every single tear I shed because of you.”
My stomach somersaulted as he placed his lips over mine again, sucking me slowly and teasingly.
My head tilted back, weighed by his dominance as he pressed his lips firmly.
I pulled back. “Ranaji se shikaayat kar denge aapki,” “I will complain to Ranaji.”
He lifted me in his arms, making my eyes widen in shock.
“Jisse shikaayat karni hai kar lena, hum nahi darte,” “Complain to whoever you want, I’m not scared.” he whispered against my lips and pressed me against the wall.
My lashes fluttered shut as his lips clashed against mine in an urge, causing me to rise on my toes, winding my arms around his neck, and with equal fervour, I kissed him back.
I felt his hand pulling my dupatta off my head, and his palm met my exposed back. It felt rough, too rough.
“Humein darr lag raha hai, Kunwar-sa,” “I’m scared, Kunwar-sa.” I whispered.
He placed his hand on my chin and pushed his tongue inside my mouth.
My thighs pressed together when his tongue collided with mine, making me feel dirty and submissive altogether.
“About what?” he asked, midway.
I gulped, bracing myself. “Vivaah ke pashchaat suhaag-raat,” “The night after the wedding.”
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