Page 28 of Rudra Nandani: The Saga of Control And Seduction

My Buaa applied haldi, a fragrant paste made from turmeric mixed with various herbs, on my cheeks.

Sitting in the palace hall on a Bajot—a low stool—I looked at the ladies gathered for my haldi ritual. I was surrounded by everyone, yet my mind was immersed in thoughts of the previous night.

He was indeed there. I wasn’t dreaming. I wasn't wholly hallucinating; it was due to my menstruation. He was there; I talked to him. But was the kiss real?

I couldn't fully cast my mind back, but a part of me wanted it to be real, while my sensible side just wanted to move on, thinking about my brother, who by now had probably been planning to wage a war against him over time.

A cold touch on my arms jolted me out of my contemplation, and I turned to my aunt, who was applying the haldi to my hands and feet. At last, she spread it over my forehead and blessed me with a gentle kiss.

All the affection and adoration from my family made me emotional. The closer we got to the wedding day, the more jittery I felt. Suddenly, the thought that I would soon get married overwhelmed me.

Later, my mother applied haldi in the same manner and pecked my forehead, causing me to smile wholeheartedly.

Despite men not being allowed at the ceremony, by the end, my father arrived to apply the paste and touched my feet.

All his life, he treated me like a goddess, and on every auspicious occasion, he bowed at my feet. However, his actionsmade me feel so puny.

How could I do that to my parents? They were considerate and protective and everything I could ever ask for, but I forsaken them for a man who, in the end, played me false.

I looked at him tearfully when he gave an encouraging smile.

“Don't worry; soon everyone will turn yellow,” he said, and I chuckled as he collected a handful of paste and slowly approached my mother, who was hiding behind my grandmother.

“Raj, you're a grown-up now. What will the children think of you?” My grandmother shrieked at him, and everyone guffawed.

“I’m still young at heart, Maasa,” he said, running behind my grandmother to catch her.

He applied the paste all over her cheeks, and she glared at him angrily. Sitting down, she gathered a handful of paste and smeared it on his face. I laughed at them both, still loving each other so deeply, and then broke down in tears.

My mother told me that my father hated her very much at first. However, when he found out that she was going to marry Rudra's father, he became furious. He ultimately ended up marrying her, a decision he later regretted despite the fact that they eventually fell in love. As a result, they got married again, performing all the rituals with everyone's consent and in their presence.

“Abhi!” He mischievously glanced at her and then at my aunt. He filled nearly all the paste in his palms and smeared it on my aunt's cheeks.

“Bhaisa,” she screeched, and with the intention of doing the same to him, she too took haldi in her hands. But before she could reach him, he stormed away. However, my mother blocked his way to allow my Buaa to get her revenge.

Meanwhile, Ruhani stepped closer to apply haldi to me. She called all the girls to sit around me and covered every inch of my exposed skin with the paste. Once my father left, she applied it to my back, neck, and face as well, gently scrubbing it all over with her hands. She then removed it with the help of oil. While doing so, I also applied haldi to her. All of this continued until late in the afternoon.

Ruhani and her mother later poured all the milk over my head, emptying the pot, followed by water. I was then asked to take a bath, after which I was not allowed to step out of my chamber.

Raksha dora—a holy thread—would be tied around my wrist tokeep evil energies away from the bride.

After taking a bath, I had dinner and lay on my bed. It was a really long day, and it would continue to be the same until the wedding. The following days were spent in Haldi with a lot of fun. My parents were always trying to cheer me up.

I noticed love bites on Ruhani's neck, and when I met her husband, I saw one on his neck as well. It seemed they were enjoying their time here.

My father was having a good time with Ruhani's father, and my mother seemed happy spending time with my aunt.

However, this one couple was often absent. Haider and his fiancée.

The man appeared smitten, and Ruhani told me everything that had happened. She shared how she regained her voice and recounted her experiences to me.

Listening to her, I felt that my pain was nothing compared to what she had experienced. However, she was fortunate to have Sultan in her life. Based on what she shared with me, I could tell that he loved her deeply.

On the fourth day of Haldi,after applying the haldi, I took a bath and had my meal.

Later that night, as I lay in bed, my heart, as it always did, began to imagine things that were as impossible as predicting the future.

A part of me was troubled because the King was going to send a physician to test me, and I wasn’t sure if Rudra did it.

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