Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
SHIVINA
I t felt like I had barely laid my head on the pillow before someone was shaking me awake.
“Di! Wake up! You’re missing all the fun!” squealed Zarna right in my ear.
I cracked open one eye and glared at her.
“Why are you up so early?” I croaked.
“Because it’s the wedding day… duh!”
I sat up with a groan.
“This obsession with someone else’s wedding is extremely unhealthy, Zarna. Especially seeing as how you’re not even invited,” I pointed out with a yawn.
“Uff! I don’t care about the actual wedding. The BTS itself is so entertaining,” she said gleefully.
A cold hand clutched my heart. My sister had a twisted sense of humour, and I was sure that if she found the situation entertaining, it had to be some sort of dire emergency.
“What’s going on?” I asked, jumping out of bed.
“The bride is missing,” declared Zarna.
“What? How is that possible?”
“I don’t know, Di. I heard Rani Sa yelling at the staff because she went into Baisa’s room at five am and didn’t find her there. And she’s not even picking up the phone. None of her friends are answering their phones either.”
Baisa and her friends had gone into the desert for a hen night. From what I’d heard around the palace, one of her friends had arranged a party in the desert with tents, a DJ, food and drinks. I didn’t know why they couldn’t have done it in the palace itself. It’s not as if there wasn’t enough space here. But knowing Baisa and her friends, they were doing a lot more than just food and drinks, and there was no way they could all get high in the palace without Rani Sa knowing.
“I’m sure there’s someone they can reach,” I reasoned. “They wouldn’t send her out without a security team.”
Zarna snorted loudly.
“I heard Rani Sa saying that one of Baisa’s friends was supposed to provide the cars and security. They didn’t want the family involved at all. Di, I’m sure they were planning something really big for last night. Something that’s going to make the family go up in smoke when they find out exactly what happened.”
“I can’t believe Rani Sa would allow her precious daughter out of sight without a full security detail the night before her wedding,” I scoffed.
It just wasn’t possible.
Zarna shrugged in reply.
“Anything is possible with Baisa, Di. She knows how to get her way. But seriously… think about it… what if Baisa doesn’t turn up for her wedding at all?”
“Shubh shubh bol, Zarna,” I snapped. “And stop enjoying the situation so much!”
“Why?” she demanded plaintively. “Rani Sa and her daughter are so nasty to us. Why shouldn’t I enjoy their misery?”
“Because misery doesn’t take too long to change its direction and find a new target,” I informed her. “And you don’t want to be standing too close when it does. Now, promise me you’ll stay out of trouble for the five minutes it takes me to freshen up.”
“I promise.”
I didn’t trust her and was ready in four. We arrived downstairs to find the staff walking around on eggshells. The butler gave me a list of things to do, and I dragged Zarna away before she could ask any questions.
“Di, wait up! I need to know what’s happening,” she cried.
“No, you don’t,” I said grimly. “Stick with me and keep your nose out of this. If I catch you sneaking about trying to listen at doors, I’ll send you back to our room, Zarna. I mean it.”
She was too young to know the extent of Rani Sa’s cruelty, and I didn’t want her to find out the hard way that the old royal liked to take her anger out on her staff. We had to stay out of her way until Baisa got back safely because, of course, she would! Who in their right mind would mess around with something so important? No matter what happened, Kavya Baisa would be back in the palace before the baaraat arrived at the palace doors.
But as the hours passed, the air in the palace grew tighter and heavy with fear because we could hear the sound of revelry in the distance as the baaraat approached the gates, but there was no sign of Baisa. The hair and make-up people were getting antsy, and Rani Sa had confiscated their phones to make sure they weren’t live-streaming the story of the missing bride. Rani Sa and the other women of the family were already dressed and ready.
“Throw her into the make-up chair as soon as she arrives,” ordered Rani Sa to the MUA, and I could hear the despair in her voice.
Zarna sidled up to me when she returned from one of her frequent trips to the loo, as she’d have me believe, and pinched my elbow to get my attention. I bent my head to her.
“The official story is that her car broke down on the way back home, and there was no mechanic available in the desert. The truth is that Raja Sa sent a helicopter to bring her home hours ago, but she was in no state to even walk a few steps. What was she doing, Di?” she whispered, looking pale and worried.
I had a fair idea about what she was doing, but it wasn’t something I wanted to tell my sister. She was too young to know the real truth about Kavya Baisa.
“Maybe she drank too much last night,” I said noncomittally, hoping it was just that and not an overdose like last time.
Almost a year ago, Baisa had done far too many lines of coke, and she’d had a seizure in her bathroom when I was helping to dry her hair. It was scary to watch, and I was terrified she was going to die, but she bounced back the next day and acted like it hadn’t happened. It was sheer bad luck if something like that had happened this morning.
By now, even Zarna realised the gravity of the situation and was too frightened to go eavesdropping anymore. She was silent as she helped me place the gift boxes into neat little piles in one of the anterooms.
The Mirpur party had arrived at the gates with a DJ truck leading the procession. I peeked from a window and saw His Highness and his mother sitting in a vintage gold-plated Rolls Royce at the centre of the procession while the baaraatis went wild around them.
We went out onto the balcony to cheer the baaraat.
My heart did a pole vault right into my throat at the sight of him looking so regal in his off-white sherwani and turban with the bejewelled sarpench. Uff! And he’d grown that stubble until it was almost a beard.
“Jamai Sa ghana futra lage hai,” exclaimed one of the housekeeping staff, and everyone on the balcony echoed her sentiment. I agreed, too. He looked utterly, heartbreakingly handsome.
I hoped Baisa had the sense to get here on time. I couldn’t imagine her being blind to everything that was at risk here. Not only was His Highness handsome and wealthy beyond words, but he was also one of the good ones. He deserved a wife who would cherish that.
“She doesn’t deserve him.”
For a minute, I was terrified that I had spoken aloud. I sighed in relief when I realised it was Zarna whispering in my ear. I turned around to glare at her.
“Don’t say that,” I whispered back sternly. “That’s not kind.”
“But it’s true,” she said shrewdly. “He has kind eyes.”
“When did you see his eyes?” I asked with a snort.
“Umm, hello? He’s looking at us right now,” she replied.
My heart skipped a beat as I turned to look at the baaraat. It had halted beneath our balcony because his baaraatis were dancing in front of the car and refused to speed up. And His Highness was looking up at the women admiring him. He was looking right at me.
Unlike the other members of the staff, I was dressed very simply in a yellow poshak and had never felt as dumpy and unattractive in my life as I did at that moment when I was faced with his splendour. And yet, his eyes didn’t leave mine.
I tried to take a deep breath, but my lungs had seized up. In a minute, I was going to pass out, I realised. I gripped the edge of the parapet tightly, and that’s when it happened.
His Highness raised a hand and waved slightly.
There was a loud cheer from the women around us as they thought he was waving at them. But I knew better. He had waved at me. I unfurled my fingers from the parapet and wiggled them slightly, out of sight of the other women. And a small smile cracked the granite hardness of his face.
Air rushed into my lungs with a whoosh as he turned his head and stared ahead steadily. I took a sharp step back and allowed another woman to take my place. Enough was enough! He wasn’t my friend. I couldn’t allow this to happen again. The next time I saw His Highness, I was going to treat him like a stranger, I decided firmly.
“Why was he waving at you, Di?” hissed Zarna as I walked back into the room.
“At me? Why would he wave at me?” I countered quizzically.
“I’m not blind,” she commented. “I know what I saw.”
I shrugged in reply.
“I have no idea what you saw, Zarna. Maybe you need more sleep. Now, you stay here out of sight while I go downstairs to help Rani Sa welcome the baaraat.”
I stood behind Rani Sa with a big silver tray of rose petals in my hands and kept my eyes on the ground as she began the elaborate ritual to welcome the dulha. I had no intention of making any more eye contact with His Highness. Not even accidentally.
I marvelled at Rani Sa’s composure as she performed the rituals calmly. How was she not falling at his feet in a panic, I wondered. These royals must really have balls of steel. Or Baisa must already have returned. That had to be the reason Rani Sa smiled widely at her Jamai Sa and his mother as she led them towards the mandap.
I was arranging the wedding garlands on a tray when Rani Sa’s personal attendant, Diggi Mausi, came up to me and grabbed my arm.
“Is she back, Mausi?”
“Rani Sa wants you, Shivina beta. Jaldi aao.”
She led me upstairs to Baisa’s room.
“What’s going on, Mausi?” I asked, expecting to see Baisa sitting in the makeup chair.
Instead, I found Rani Sa pacing up and down the room.
“Have you told her what she has to do?” she asked Diggi Mausi sharply.
“Not yet, Rani Sa. Maybe it will sound better coming from you,” Mausi replied timidly.
Rani Sa expelled a sharp breath.
“Idiots, the lot of you! Suno, Shivina, we need you to do something very important.”
She smiled at me warmly, and I felt a shudder snake up my spine because Rani Sa never smiled at me. This situation had danger written all over it. But I could hardly walk away while she was talking to me. I had to hear her out.
“How can I help, Rani Sa?”
Rani Sa led me to the sofa, and when I sat down next to her, she took my hand in a vice-like grasp.
“As you know, Baisa’s car has broken down in the desert. We’re trying our best, but it doesn’t look like she’ll be back in time for the pheras. We need you to stand in for her,” she whispered.
I stared at her dumbfounded. Surely, she didn’t mean what I thought she meant.
“You mean… you want me to marry His Highness instead of Baisa?” I stuttered.
“Don’t be stupid,” she snapped. “How can you marry Baisa’s fiancé, gelseppi? You just have to pretend to be her for a bit.”
“During the pheras?” I asked carefully.
“Yes! It’s not a big deal. The two of you are the same size and height. You just have to stand in for her during the pheras. I’m sure she’ll be back by then. She can change into her bidai outfit and take her rightful place. I wish this deception weren’t necessary, but the bloody baaraat arrived right on time! Bataao! Who’s ever heard of such a thing? If only they had kept dancing outside our gates for another hour or so, Baisa would be here on time. Hai na, Diggi?”
Even Diggi Mausi could not bring herself to chime in her agreement because neither of us had ever heard of anything so monstrous. The pheras were the most important part of the wedding, where the couple made binding vows around the holy fire. The woman who went around the fire seven times with the bridegroom would be tied to him in holy matrimony by the end of the pheras. How on earth could I stand in for Baisa?
“Maybe you could tell them Baisa needs one more hour to get ready,” I said desperately. “This deception is impossible, Rani Sa.”
“We have no choice, Shivina,” she replied grimly. “The Maharaja of Mirpur and his family went straight to the mandap as soon as they arrived. If this were a traditional wedding, there would be rituals for him to perform before the actual pheras, but Jamai Sa only wants a simple prayer and the saptapadi. It’s not as difficult as you think, pagli. You can wear a heavy veil over your face. Arre Diggi, why is this girl not wearing any mehendi? How can we pass her off as the bride with these bare hands?” she cried.
Because I’m not supposed to be the bride, I wanted to yell at her. But I stayed silent, hoping she’d realise this was a stupid plan. But Rani Sa was desperate to cover up Baisa’s absence.
“It’s okay. Just remember to keep your hands covered with your dupatta at all times,” she said, breathing heavily as she tried to think of anything that would tip His Highness off.
“But Rani Sa, she will have to push the veil back when it’s time to apply the sindoor,” pointed out Diggi Mausi. “Jamai Sa’s bound to notice he’s marrying the wrong woman.”
“ He’s not marrying her, idiot, ” shrieked Rani Sa, banging her hands on the edges of the sofa. “He can only marry my daughter. Shivina is just the proxy. As for the veil, we won’t allow him to push the veil back. We’ll lift it by the edges, and he can put his hand under it to place the sindoor.”
“I won’t do it,” I whispered.
“What?” asked Rani Sa in surprise.
I took a deep breath and stood up abruptly, shaking my head vigorously.
“I won’t do it,” repeated loudly. “I will not allow Kavya Baisa’s fiancé to apply sindoor on me or tie a mangalsutra around my neck. Nor will I take the saptapadi with him just to save her skin. I don’t care if he finds out she’s late for her own wedding. I will not play such a monstrous trick on the man!”
Rani Sa stood up and loomed over me angrily.
“Are you out of your mind? You will do as you’re told, Shivina,” she exclaimed.
“No, I won’t,” I declared. “These rituals mean something to me even if they mean nothing to you, Rani Sa. If I perform those rituals, it means I am married to His Highness. Just putting on the bidaai outfit won’t make Baisa his legally wedded wife.”
“Arre, I told you Jamai Sa doesn’t believe in rituals. They will have a registered marriage in court two weeks later. Their marriage will be legally binding.”
“And what about me?” I asked in desperation. “How can the marriage be legally binding if he’s already married to me?”
She leaned forward and slapped me hard.
“Don’t try and get above yourself, you little bitch. You are nothing but a stand-in.”
“And that’s exactly why I will not do it,” I said defiantly as I rubbed my jaw.
“Oh, you will do it,” she sneered. “For your little sister, if not for yourself.”
I drew in a sharp breath.
“What do you mean? Keep your precious money, Rani Sa. I won’t let you hold my sister’s fees over my head anymore.”
“Hmm… grown a spine, have you?” she asked snidely. “Fine, if you won’t do it, you won’t do it.”
I stared at her suspiciously because I couldn’t believe she was giving in so easily.
“Get this ungrateful bitch out of my sight, Diggi. And while you’re at it, do get the principal of Zarna’s school on the line. His personal number is in my diary.”
Rani Sa smiled at me nastily.
“I think he’ll be very interested to know that I caught Zarna stealing from me. After all that we’ve done for these girls.”
“My sister hasn’t stolen anything,” I said furiously.
“Maybe… maybe not,” said Rani Sa, with a shrug. “Whom do you think he will believe?”
“But why would you do that to Zarna?” I asked, unable to believe the cruelty of this woman. “They’ll throw her out of the school.”
My sister’s school was famous in Jaipur for being very strict about their code of ethics. And if Zarna was expelled from that school, no other good school in the city would take her. Why would Rani Sa play with Zarna’s future like that?
“Ladki, I rewarded your father’s loyalty to my family by giving you and Zarna a roof over your heads, and now I’m going to punish you for your disloyalty to me. Diggi, throw them both out into the streets right now,” she said sharply. “If my daughter’s life is ruined today, I’ll make sure yours and your sister’s lives are ruined too.”
She gestured sharply to Diggi Mausi, who moved towards me reluctantly.
“Maan jaa, beta. It’s for the best,” she whispered in my ear when she led me out of the room.
“It’s wrong, Mausi,” I said tremulously. “It’s a sin.”
She cast a quick look at the room we’d just left.
“These people are used to sin by now, beta.”
“How can I let them drag me into it with them? I can’t do it, Mausi.”
I sank to the ground and sat with my back to the wall. I was shaking like a leaf because Rani Sa was capable of carrying out her threat. I tried telling myself that she’d have to prove Zarna’s crime and that she hadn’t a shred of evidence because my sister hadn’t stolen anything.
“What choice do you have?” asked Diggi Mausi.
“I’ll fight her! I’ll tell her to call the police and ask them to prove my sister’s crime,” I said defiantly.
“Do you think the school is going to wait until the police finish their investigation? And where are you going to live? You have no job, no house. This city is not safe for two naive girls like you and Zarna, laado.”
“Diggi, get me my diary,” called Rani Sa.
Blast the woman! Why was she hell-bent on ruining my sister’s life? Didn’t she have enough to worry about right now?
Diggi Mausi walked back into the room with one last look at me, and I knew there was no way to fight this. I followed her into the room.