Chapter 40
Icouldn’t sleep the entire night.
My eyes felt heavy, exhausted, but my heart was overflowing with love, anticipation, and an unfamiliar sense of responsibility. I wanted to witness this last night of my bachelorhood, knowing that by morning, everything would change.
Until now, I had been just a carefree, reckless boy, wandering like a free bird. But the next day, I would no longer be that boy. I would become a man. A man who was someone’s dream, someone’s long wait, and the husband of my wife.
“What happened, Agastya?” Rudra Bhai-sa’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I lifted my head from the couch’s headrest and looked toward him.
“Nothing,” I replied lightly. “Just staring at the stars.”
He smiled knowingly, lifting his brows before taking a sip of fruit juice and munching on peanuts.
“Married life is no joke, Agastya,” he said.
Ranvijay Bhai-sa hummed in agreement. “Hmm… Bhai-sa is right.”
King Abhinandan chuckled. “For once, that’s the only thing I agree with Rudra on.”
Rudra Bhai-sa shot him a look.
“Thank you very much,” he remarked. “And how long will it take for you to accept that I’m your brother-in-law now and that I didn’t force your sister into marrying me? It was completely consensual.”
King Abhinandan rolled his eyes. “Not this story again.”
I sighed deeply, glancing between them.
“It’s my wedding,” I reminded them. “And we’re all here to give me moral support.”
They looked at me, momentarily caught.
“Yes, right,” Rudra Bhai-sa said quickly. “Where were we?”
It was well past midnight. We sat in the open garden beneath a sky scattered with stars, with fruit juices on the table, and the hookah resting nearby.
Rudra Bhai-sa and Ranvijay Bhai-sa weren’t smoking because Rudraja was asleep peacefully in Rudra Bhai-sa’s arms, and Aishwarya Bhabhi-sa was pregnant. Ranvijay Bhai-sa had declared firmly that he wouldn’t carry even the scent of smoke back to her.
Only King Abhinandan and I took a few drags. The clove and cinnamon flavour soothed my throat in the cool night air.
“We were talking about how married life is no joke,” I said, bringing the topic back.
“Yes,” Rudra Bhai-sa nodded. “Married life is no joke.”
“Especially when you’re responsible for keeping your wife happy and healthy,” King Abhinandan added.
“I agree,” Ranvijay Bhai-sa smiled. “The real challenge is keeping the queen of your heart happy. I never knew women had such wild minds. They can imagine things out of thin air. It’s impossible to tell what’s bothering them.”
I frowned slightly.
“And when they’re angry,” Rudra Bhai-sa added, “it’s worse.”
King Abhinandan chuckled.
“But it’s also cute, exciting, even when they’re angry.”
Rudra Bhai-sa glared at him. “Don’t tell me you deliberately make Trisha angry for fun.”
King Abhinandan shrugged. “Sometimes.”
“Well,” Ranvijay Bhai-sa said casually, “I do it too. Aishwarya looks even more beautiful when she’s angry.”
I stared at them blankly. They clearly did not know what actual anger looked like. I did.
“I disagree,” Rudra Bhai-sa cut in. “You two have calm wives who look cute when angry. But Nandani, when she’s angry? That’s a lost game. I excuse myself and let her cool down, or she’ll clean the entire chamber and me out of my palace.”
We all laughed at that.
“You deserve that,” King Abhinandan said.
I swallowed and glanced at Rudra Bhai-sa.
“Bhai-sa… can I ask you something?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
I ran a hand through my hair, hesitating before asking, “How do you know when your wife is going through something but isn’t telling you?”
Rudra Bhai-sa went quiet for a moment, then lowered his gaze.
“Silence,” he said simply. “When she becomes silent, understand that something is wrong. Everything’s fine until she’s laughing, teasing, shouting. But silence means it’s serious.”
“Oh,” I murmured.
“And when she stops looking into your eyes,” Ranvijay Bhai-sa added. “When she looks at everything else but avoids your gaze, there’s something you need to worry about.”
I nodded slowly.
“And,” King Abhinandan said, drawing our attention, “when she starts smiling too much.”
We all looked at him.
He inhaled a long drag of smoke, stroking his ankle, and stated, “If she’s trying too hard to appear happy, smiling excessively, making you feel like she’s doing just fine without you, she isn’t. She wants you to take a stand for her, to do something.”
Rudra Bhai-sa placed a hand on his shoulder.
“I agree.”
I lowered my gaze, knowing he was speaking from experience.
“Whatever happens,” Ranvijay Bhai-sa said lightly, “what ends well is always well.”
We talked late into the night until the women remained awake, preparing for the ceremonies. I tried calling Eklavya to join us, but he was busy with someone.
After a brief nap, I woke before everyone else. I usually slept face-down, hands tucked beneath my cheek, but the potent scent of henna made my stomach churn.
No matter how many times I washed my hands, the smell only intensified.
After bathing, Bhabhi-sa tied a thread tightly around my wrist, knot after knot. I didn’t question it, because perhaps it was meant to protect me.
Stupid thought, yeah, definitely the effects of getting married.
I felt nervous. Restless. I wanted to run away.
What if she’d scold me? What if she didn’t like staying with me? Such questions kept racing through my head.
Urgh.
First, no sleep. Then, these thoughts.
I might actually go mad before tonight.
My eyes drifted to Rudra Bhai-sa and Ranvijay Bhai-sa, walking in laughing, carrying my wedding clothes and placing them on the table.
Suddenly, my stomach twisted. I began pacing, back and forth in the chamber.
“What happened?” Rudra Bhai-sa asked.
I gulped and shook my head, looking at him. “Nothing,”
Suddenly, Rudraja yelled excitedly.
She was in Ranvijay Bhai-sa’s arms, and I smiled at the sight of her. She scrunched her face as if she were about to cry, then leaned forward, reaching for me.
I took her into my arms and gently moved her tiny palm, smiling at both of them.
“Taaattaaaa…” she babbled, saying something incomprehensible even to Rudra Bhai-sa.
He nodded with a smile.
“Yes, pumpkin. Taaatttaaa,”
She laughed, squealing happily, then turned toward Ranvijay Bhai-sa.
“Raattaa!” she yelled, leaning forward again, wanting to be passed back.
That was her favourite game, switching arms every few moments.
Ranvijay Bhai-sa took her from me and placed her gently on the couch. Rudra Bhai-sa handed her his small sheathed knife to play with.
“Just sit here,” he said.
She showed her tiny teeth in a giggle, and I laughed softly, watching her.
“And now, get ready,” Rudra Bhai-sa said to me.
Even though I had already bathed twice, I went for another quick bath. I didn’t want even a trace of odour on me.
After bathing, I walked out to see Ranvijay Bhai-sa handing me a crisp white outfit, with an embroidered overcoat embellished with pearls.
Once I changed, I stepped out again to find my Bhabhi-sas waiting.
“Aww, you’re looking really good,” Nandani Bhabhi-sa teased.
I rolled my eyes.
“Come on, Bhabhi-sa. I always look good.”
They laughed at my remark.
As I sat on the couch, Rudra Bhai-sa began drying my hair with a cotton cloth. My heart grew heavy with our childhood memories. He had always done this when we were younger until he left for work and education.
Meanwhile, Ranvijay Bhai-sa gathered the jewellery and carefully wrapped the red-and-white wedding turban around my head. Rudra Bhai-sa helped fix the stones onto it, and I couldn’t stop smiling.
“Let’s make you wear the kanttha58 now,” Aishwarya Bhabhi-sa suggested in a very low tone, minding Rudra Bhai-sa’s presence.
I nodded.
She tied the long necklace around my neck and fastened it behind. Rudra Bhai-sa stepped aside respectfully. Then Nandani Bhabhi-sa added another necklace, securing it neatly.
“Neg59?” Nandani Bhabhi-sa asked once she was done.
I frowned in confusion. “Neg?”
“You’re supposed to give us something for doing all this,” Aishwarya Bhabhi-sa said.
I looked at my brothers, bewildered.
“Isn’t this supposed to be a free service?”
Nandani Bhabhi-sa shook her head.
I sighed.
“So… what do you want?”
Aishwarya Bhabhi-sa smiled gently. “We want a promise.”
Nandani Bhabhi-sa placed her hand on my shoulder.
“This marriage won’t be easy for either of you, or for Suryagarh.
Neighbouring kingdoms and enemies will see this as a weakness.
They’ll question why you didn’t marry a princess or someone richer.
Very few understand love. Outside these chambers, power and strength are all that matter.
And the three of you, together, are that strength. ”
She paused.
“We are one family, Agastya. The kingdom exists because of us; we do not exist because of the kingdom. Never let anyone’s opinion dishearten you.
No one knows what you’ve endured, or why only Suman can give you the life you deserve.
Promise us you’ll never regret marrying a woman from a different caste or status.
Promise you’ll never make her feel lesser, because she’s not. ”
I swallowed hard.
“Never, Bhabhi-sa. Never,” I said firmly. “If I’m marrying her, I could burn kingdoms for her.”
She smiled and kissed my forehead. I felt a surge of emotion tighten in my chest.
As brother-in-law and sister-in-law, we had both always got on each other’s nerves, but it was all for fun. And in that moment, her supportive words were indeed of guidance.
“God bless you,” she murmured.
Aishwarya Bhabhi-sa nodded. Her eyes were misty.
“But that doesn’t mean I won’t spoil your children,” I added lightly.
She laughed, wiping a tear.
“God bless you, Devar-sa.”
I noticed my brothers watching us with mock envy.
“See that, Bhai-sa?” Ranvijay Bhai-sa whispered to Rudra Bhai-sa. “How effortlessly he talks to our wives.”
“Bhabhi-sa,” I said playfully, “someone here needs a forehead kiss. I can smell jealousy.” And they laughed.