CHAPTER 22
The night before the wedding, as the sun dipped into the water, it painted the sky in shades of coral and gold.
She was in her room, exhausted. She was done with all the rituals she needed to perform and she felt proud when Ashok told her she passed with flying colors.
It wasn’t normal for all couples to go through such a rigorous test but they did only when someone was getting married to someone outside the island.
All the ceremonies were to appease the Sea Goddess and show that the outsider could be an islander.
It was around that time when Ashok would read to the kids and put them to bed.
It was his time and lately, she had the urge to go be with them but she had been resisting.
It was going to be a matter of time before she had to leave to go back to San Francisco.
Better if she didn’t disrupt the twins’ habits and schedules.
Her heart raced when she heard a soft knock. It was sooner than usual but Ashok had come to see her and they normally shared a meal.
“Come in,” she rasped, catching her breath as her heart went on a rampage.
The door opened slowly and one of the staff members stuck their head in. “Ma’am, we have her highness here to see you.”
Isha felt a new tension grip her, wondering why Ashok’s mother came to see her. She guessed it might be to get her prepped for the ceremony the next day. They had done so the night before the first pre-wedding ceremony.
But this time, it wasn’t just her. Other women accompanied Ashok’s mother.
Something about their somewhat solemn expression told her they were there for another reason.
She had just showered and was getting ready to go to bed after dinner.
She could use the rest as she had an exhausting day choosing the outfit and jewelry she would wear.
“Your highness, what a pleasant surprise.” Isha smiled walking toward her as she stopped in the middle of the seating area of her suite. The woman returned her smile but unlike other times it did not reach her eyes.
“Everything okay?” Isha asked, wondering what made the usually cheerful woman look worried.
Ashok’s mother nodded. “The wedding is pushed out to later in the day due to another ceremony,” his mother explained, her silver bangles chiming softly as she raised her hand to adjust a loose lock away from Isha’s face.
The slight concern she had from the surprise visit from his mother vanished at the elder woman’s sweet gesture. She was so warm and it gave her so much comfort. She had noticed early on that’s how she had felt about Ashok being around but now, he made her body do and feel other weird things.
“That’s okay,” Isha let out a chuckle and added, “I could use some extra sleep.”
Ashok’s mother shook her head. “It’s a night ceremony. You and Ashok must stay awake until dawn breaks, and you have to be together. It is the final test. It is to see if your minds and hearts are truly aligned and if you can sustain each other through the longest and toughest hours.”
Isha suddenly felt a flutter of nervousness. After days of physically strenuous activities and preparations for various ceremonies, the final test seemed deceptively simple, yet the gravity in Ashok’s mother’s voice suggested otherwise.
“Oh, okay.” Isha’s mind was racing about what she was supposed to do next. “I’ll wait for Ashok to put the kids down for the night and we can hang out here.”
The older woman shook her head. “We must leave now.”
Isha should have guessed it was a lot more complicated than Ashok and her hanging out in a room, talking and maybe watching TV and staying up the night. She stepped out of her room into the wide hallway to find more women waiting outside.
What was the big deal about this last-minute ceremony that was added?
She was confused when she was led out of the mansion and down the path to the deck where the boats were parked.
Another group was waiting there, flame torches in hand and she noticed Ashok was standing there with his father.
She noticed a small fishing boat that was decked up traditionally, its hull painted in deep blues and greens, with flowers layered.
Garlands of jasmine adorned the boat, and oil lamps were lit in protective glass holders along the sides.
They wanted them to spend the night on the boat? Why?
As she approached Ashok and his father, their gaze met but she quickly looked away at the older man.
“Isha, the ocean is our mother,” his father, the chieftain, explained as they approached the docked boat. “She needs to witness your connection and the strength of your bond. Only in her presence, far from the distractions of this land, can your souls truly speak to each other.”
It took her a moment to process that they would be out in the sea, most likely with no devices to entertain them or ability to call someone. She could talk all night with Chandini and finish the challenge but she had to talk to Ashok and stay up.
It wouldn’t have been too hard if she weren’t so exhausted. Maybe she could find a way to nap. Especially since it sounded like it was going to be just the two of them.
Isha smiled at Ashok’s parents. “I’ve enjoyed my time on the island and I’m pretty sure I’ll enjoy this time with Ashok. He and I barely get time for ourselves with the twins. I’m looking forward to this.”
She saw relief sweep over the older couple’s faces. His mom smiled and she saw it reach her beautiful eyes. When she looked around for Ashok she realized he was already aboard, adjusting the sails like he had a lot of practice.
“Ashok is good at sea. He will take good care of you,” his father sounded proud of his son.
As she stepped onto the gently rocking deck, she felt a profound significance of that moment.
She would be spending the night alone together, surrounded by nothing but endless water and stars.
She suddenly felt her awareness grow and looked up to find his eyes on her, an undecipherable expression in them.
She took his extended hand and stood next to him as they looked at the group on the deck. Ashok’s sisters had joined the sendoff party too. Ashok nodded at the man who was holding the rope that kept the boat docked to the small pier.
Just as they thought they would pull away, Aravinda stepped forward and a silence fell over the group. Isha admired the command she held in her presence. The true queen.
“It’s simple,” Aravinda announced from the dock, her voice carrying the authority of tradition.
“You must stay awake and in conversation until the first light touches the horizon. If either of you falls asleep, or if you fall into silence for more than a few minutes, it is considered a failure. People will be monitoring voices but they cannot hear what you are saying so don’t feel like you need to be discreet with your conversation. ”
His sister’s eyes met Isha’s. “This is the final event before the wedding to prove you belong in the island, that you can be a true partner to the future chieftain.”
The future chieftain’s partner? Wasn’t Aravinda the future chieftain?
Isha looked up at Ashok confused as the family ceremoniously pushed the boat away from the dock.
He nodded like he knew what her confusion was about and gestured to her to settle onto the cushions that had been arranged in the center of the vessel.
The boat rocked gently as he raised the sail, and soon they were gliding away from the lights of the island, out into the vast darkness of the sea.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly, securing the sail and moving to sit across from her. The oil lamps cast dancing shadows across his face, and all around them was the gentle sound of water lapping against the boat.
She nodded, though her heart was racing. The isolation was complete now. It was just the two of them, the boat, and the infinite ocean and endless questions. “You are the future chieftain?”
Ashok nodded. “It was part of the deal I made with Aravinda. As the son of the chieftain, it is traditional for me to take over the reins after my father but when I left the island with Sami, I relinquished my rights to the role and made Aravinda next in line.”
He paused and let out a sigh. “She knows not to break tradition no matter how progressive my family is, so she took this opportunity to hand the reins back to me. It is her way of making sure I never leave the island again.”
“But what about your businesses? The kids’ education. Isn’t that all in the city?” Isha was a bit alarmed with the change in the plan.
“My businesses, I had always had the plan to set up in such a way that I can move here eventually.” He paused and smiled before adding, “Sami promised she would bring us back home at some point. Didn’t realize it would be this way.”
Her heart twisted painfully when she sensed the sadness in his voice. Something that he rarely showed. On impulse, she scooted closer to him, her hand going over his shoulder. “I get it.”
He nodded and looked at her. “For the kids’ education, nothing beats the system that Amuktha has set up. Education institutes with the teaching staff and the infrastructure to perform any kind of research and experimentation will all be set up in the next few years.”
She leaned back on the cushion, feeling the weight of her responsibility and duty lifting a little. “I’m so glad you thought this through. Makes me feel less guilty about going back to San Francisco.”
“Why would you feel guilty?” His question made her smile.
“Sami and Ravi entrusted both of us to take care of the kids so I should technically be involved in their lives.”
He let out a laugh. “You will be there every summer of their childhood. I’m going to ship them off to California to their Isha aunty.”
“You should come too,” she blurted.
He paused for a long moment before looking up at the sail. “Maybe, sometime.”
“You should for sure, it’ll be good.” Why she was so insistent on him going, she had no idea.