Chapter - 8
The next morning, Siya woke up earlier than usual.
She immediately began doing the tasks her Taiji had assigned her.
In between, she made tea and coffee and took it to her Tauji, Taiji, and Natasha's rooms. She cleaned the house, prepared breakfast, and arranged the table.
Afterward, she went to the kitchen to eat her own breakfast, then cleaned the kitchen and started making snacks.
Once she finished everything, she went to her room to take a bath and get ready in a simple suit.
She grabbed her bag and started heading out for college.
As she walked into the living room, she noticed people were decorating the house.
She was still unsure of what was going on, but the sight made her feel uneasy.
Just then, Meenakshi came and asked rudely, "Where do you think you're going?" Siya, trembling with fear, replied, "Taiji, I'm going to college."
Meenakshi's face hardened. "Finish the work first, then you can go."
Siya responded nervously, "Taiji, I've done all the work."
Meenakshi snapped, "Don't talk back to me! Haven't you forgotten about yesterday's punishment?"
Siya quickly shook her head, "No, no, Taiji. I'll do whatever you say, but I need to submit my assignment at college."
Meenakshi glared at her. "I don't care about your assignment. Do the work, then you can go."
Siya knew she had no choice. If she argued, her Taiji would punish her even more. So, she nodded quietly.
Meenakshi then explained what she needed to make for lunch.
Siya had already prepared 3-4 snack items, 4-5 main dishes, and 1-2 sweet dish, but Meenakshi insisted she make 2-3 more main dishes and 3-4 additional sweet dishes.
Meenakshi was determined to impress the Rathore family so they would agree to the proposal.
Siya reluctantly went to her room to put her bag away and then returned to the kitchen. She worked diligently, preparing the additional dishes. By the time she was done, it was already noon. She quickly grabbed her bag, rushed to her room to change, and hurried out the door to college.
In the Rathore family, everyone sat together at the breakfast table, their excitement hidden behind composed expressions. They dared not speak while Aarav was present, as he had a strict rule against talking during meals. The silence in the room was palpable.
After finishing his breakfast, Aarav looked at Arjun and said, "I'll see you at the office."
Arjun, however, wanted to accompany the family to meet his future Bhabhi. He hesitated before speaking, "But Bhaisa, today everyone is—"
Before he could finish, Aarav interrupted him in a cold voice. "You will be attending the meeting with Mr. Kashyap. I don't want any excuses."
Arjun, lowering his gaze, replied, "Ji, Bhaisa," and fell silent.
Once Aarav left the room, the atmosphere lightened. Conversations resumed, and the family started discussing the day's plans. Neelam noticed Arjun's disappointed expression and said warmly, "Arjun, go complete your meeting and come back quickly. We won't start any rituals without you."
A smile spread across Arjun's face. "Ji, Taiji," he said gratefully, before heading to the office.
The rest of the family began getting ready to leave the house. Just then, Rajveer received a phone call. His expression grew serious as he turned to Sumitra Ji. "Maa, there's been an accident. Mamasa is in the hospital."
Sumitra Ji's face tightened with concern. Rajveer continued, "We should go to the hospital first and meet the girl later. This is urgent."
But Sumitra Ji was firm. "No, we can't delay the visit. They may have already prepared everything for our arrival. Vijay and I will go to the hospital and meet my brother. You take care of the family and go meet the girl."
Rajveer hesitated, trying to reason with her. "Maa, are you sure? It might not be right to split like this."
Sumitra Ji's voice turned authoritative. "It's an order from Rajmata. No further discussion."
Rajveer, understanding her determination, didn't argue further. Sumitra Ji and Vijay left for the hospital while Rajveer and the rest of the family headed to the Rajput house.
Natasha was in her room getting ready while Meenakshi busied herself fixing every small detail. As she adjusted Natasha's dupatta, she kept repeating instructions on how to behave in front of the Rathore family—what to say, how much to speak, and how to carry herself.
Natasha, irritated after hearing the same lecture for the hundredth time, finally said, "Mom, I'm not a child. I know how to behave."
Meenakshi snapped, "Shut up! You don't know anything. Your father is so happy, and I am too. I don't want any mistakes today. I want them to say yes to this proposal, so you better behave properly."
Sighing, Natasha replied, "Okay, Mom."
An hour later, the Rathore family arrived. Everyone sat in the living room and began polite conversations. Neelam eventually asked, "Where is your daughter? Please call her."
Meenakshi immediately replied, "Ji, Mrs. Rathore, I'll bring her right away," and went to Natasha's room. Once again, she reminded Natasha of how to behave, then led her to the living room.
Natasha looked beautiful and carried herself with grace. She spoke sweetly, impressing the Rathore family. They all seemed to like her demeanor. During the conversation, Neelam explained why Rajmata wasn't present and why they had arrived a little later than expected.
Meenakshi asked curiously, "Aarav beta isn't coming?"
Before anyone could respond, Meera quickly covered for Aarav. "He and Arjun had an important meeting and couldn't make it."
Meenakshi smiled and said, "That's okay. Work always comes first." She then invited everyone to the dining table for lunch.
The family enjoyed the meal while chatting. Meanwhile, Anaya sent a quick message to Arjun: Where are you, Bhaiya? Come fast. Arjun replied, I'm on the way.
After lunch, everyone was seated in the living room, engaging in light conversation. Meera Rathore, curious about the Rajput family, smiled and asked, "Mrs. Rajput, who all are there in your family?"
Meenakshi, sitting gracefully, quickly responded, "It's just the three of us here—my husband, my daughter Natasha, and me.
My son Dev and his wife Tara live in Delhi.
They both work in a corporate company there and are quite busy with their professional lives.
" She smiled proudly and added, "We're very proud of them. "
Meera nodded politely. "That's wonderful. It's always good to see the younger generation doing well in their careers."
Meenakshi beamed, pleased by the praise. Natasha, however, remained silent, focusing on presenting herself as poised and elegant, just as her mother had instructed.
The Rathore family seemed satisfied with the response, and the conversation smoothly shifted to other topics, keeping the atmosphere pleasant and cordial.
Neelam stepped aside to call Rajmata. "Maa, when are you coming?" she asked.
Rajmata replied, "I can't make it today. You all complete the rituals without me."
Neelam, surprised, protested, "But how is this possible? Aarav isn't here, and now you too. Let's reschedule for another day."
Rajmata firmly said, "No, no. Don't delay. Just give the ring and other things today. We'll do the remaining rituals later."
Reluctantly, Neelam agreed. She informed the rest of the family that Rajmata wouldn't be able to come. Meera then asked, "Who prepared today's food?"
Natasha was about to speak, but before she could, Meenakshi quickly said, "Natasha made it."
Natasha, shocked by the lie, stayed silent.
Meera praised the food, commenting on how delicious it was.
She then shared with Meenakshi how Rajmata had seen Natasha at the temple but couldn't see her face and still felt a connection.
She described how Rajmata liked Natasha even without meeting her properly.
Meenakshi immediately realized that Rajmata had mistaken Siya for Natasha.
However, she couldn't reveal the truth, as this was a golden opportunity for her.
Smiling, she replied, "Yes, yes. Natasha visits the temple often.
She loves going there." In reality, Natasha couldn't even remember the last time she had been to a temple.
Meanwhile, Suresh and Rajveer discussed business matters. Just then, Arjun arrived. Neelam sighed in relief. "Thank God you came. I was waiting for you."
Neelam asked Meera about the ring, and Meera admitted, "The ring is with Maa. She wanted to give it herself."
Neelam decided to handle the situation for now. She gave her own ring to Natasha, along with a coconut, a gold coin, and a few pieces of jewelry and clothing.
Meenakshi beamed with happiness, pleased with how everything was going. In her mind, she resolved to keep Siya hidden from the Rathore family until the wedding, ensuring nothing could spoil her plans.
After completing all formalities, the Rathore family bid farewell and left for their home.
After the Rathore family left, Natasha, curious and annoyed, confronted her mother. "Mom, why did you lie that I made the food? What will happen after marriage if they ask me to cook?"
Meenakshi rolled her eyes and said, "Crazy girl, don't you understand? Do you know how many servants they have in that palace? They won't expect you to cook. And even if they do, you can learn one or two dishes from Siya."
Natasha frowned and said, "Speaking of Siya, why didn't you tell them anything about her? Anyway, it felt like they came here not for me but for Siya."
Meenakshi looked irritated and called out to her husband, "Suresh ji, will you explain some sense to this girl? She doesn't understand the golden opportunity we have, and she's bent on ruining it."
Suresh, seated comfortably, joined the conversation. "Princess, your mother is right. They haven't seen Siya's face. Only you deserve to become the queen of the Rathore family, not her. After marriage, you won't just be a part of their family but the queen of Rajasthan. Stop overthinking."
He then turned to Meenakshi and added, "It's your responsibility to ensure Siya doesn't come in front of the Rathore family. Also, call Dev and Tara to inform them about this. I'm going to rest." With that, he left for his room.
Natasha's mood instantly brightened. She started daydreaming about her life as a queen, imagining herself giving orders and living a grand life.
In the evening, Siya returned home. Meenakshi called her over and said, "Just clean the kitchen today. Don't bother about making dinner; I've already ordered food from outside for everyone, including you."
Siya's face lit up with a rare moment of happiness. "Thank you, Taiji," she said softly.
Meenakshi waved her off. "Now, go and first make tea for me, then clean the kitchen."
Siya nodded and headed to the kitchen. Upon entering, she noticed the scattered utensils and leftover traces of the afternoon's activities. It was clear guests had been over, but no one had bothered to tell her anything—not that she could ask.
She quietly prepared tea and served it to Meenakshi, then returned to clean the kitchen. After finishing her chores, Natasha handed Siya her dinner—a simple meal from a roadside dhaba, while the family enjoyed luxurious dishes from a five-star hotel.