6

"Have you really become so disrespectful that your Father's agony is not affecting you? How can you even breath? Should you be dead by now in shame?" Anahita's Aunt snapped at her, the big fat face of hers was swollen red in anger.

Flinging her cellphone on the bed, Anahita ambled to her aunt, pasting a fake smile on her face, "I'm so sorry aunt but I am not told to and taught to suicide just because some stupid people have a prejudiced opinion about me and I am wondering that perhaps little water bath didn't help you anyway or maybe you're si full with loathe against me that you don't to leave any chance of slandering me."

She sighed, "Whatever it is, if my dad is sulking for my birth or for my deeds. It's my personal matter. So don't poke your filthy nose because since you know I am terribly shameless, I might harm your prestige as well."

Her aunt scowled at her.

"So," Anahita smiled. "Maintain a safe distance and if I am not wrong, Manish bro is in Sweden Right? I have been on social media recently and I have noticed that some of his photographs shows sheer closeness with a guy. So, instead of spying on me, keep a check on him. Who knows he may bring a son in law for you?"

"I am not going to talk to a girl like you." Her aunt fumed.

"Good for you." Anahita giggled and shrugged, moving back to the bed. Old lady glared her for a moment or two and sprinted downstairs quickly.

***

Anahita descended down the stairs following by her cousins and Maternal Uncle. Everyone was looking at her, she was the cynosure. Shimming a rough glance at everyone, she noticed that there were few peoples, only limited to close relatives who'd managed to come up till then. Since the wedding was scheduled in the evening, not everyone had the idea that there would be some last minute changes. Anahita sighed at her dad's decision.

Then, her attention was stolen by the heat and the choking jewellery around her neck that made her dizzy. Instead of room conditioners placed in the venue, the warm gust of wind slapped her exposed skin and loads of perfunctory makeup made her sweat profusely.

Ignorant to her sufferings, the welcomed guests were eyeing her like a display object. Shooing off her irrelevant notions, she treaded the distance from the staircase to the dias where wedding rituals were going to take place. Her cousins and mom helped her to get on the dias on the other side of Antrapat that was screened before Yuvraaj.

Uptill now, she hadn't casted a glance at him. The Mantras resonated in the air and priest removed the Antrapat between them. Anahita bothered to look at Yuvraaj who was attired in proper Maharashtrian Dhoti-Kurta with a Topi on his head and Mundavalya dangling down his face. Even in traditional attire, he was looking tempting as a runway model. That shimmery lace on his Topi and Mundavalya only accentuated his male beauty.

To Anahita"s utter displease, he hadn't casted a single glance at her. Not that she was dying to see him drooling over her but there was something on his face that made her worried, probably the blank look. Perhaps he was forced too for getting married to her.

"Exchange the divine garlands." Priest told along with Mantras and Anahita winded the garland around his neck. Then, like a perfectionist, Yuvraaj followed her suit. Amidst the hoots and whistling all the other rituals were being performed. Anahita was slightly miffed at the old bald man who was called priest because of his rattling about get up and sit down.

She curbed the urge to hiss at him that ‘Dude, wear five kg load on yourself and cover your face in this scorching summer an repeat the process of getting up and settling down. You will know what is this?" But what she did was touching Yuvraaj"s elbow while doing Havana.

"Get up for Saptapadi."

Anahita was collecting herself while getting up and she lost her balance by stepping on her Saree. The moment when she prepared herself for the public humiliation, Yuvraaj gripped her waist mid air, steading her.

"Careful!" His whispered didn't register, his cold fingers on her bare flesh did. Anahita quickly jerked back and stood properly. She remotely performed the rituals. It all meant nothing to her. They sat on their exchanged places. Priest passed the box of vermilion to Yuvraaj, asking him to fill Anahita's parting and preached about the importance of the powder in their marriage.

Anahita felt tears forming in her eyes as Yuvraaj's fingers pinched the powder and filled her parting. She had always imaged it to be with Mukund. She had envisioned Mukund taking oaths with her, tying Mangalsutra in her neck, getting blessing from everyone with a genuine smile on their face.

And there she was. In reality, nothing was happening how she wished. She hated it, she hated her parents, she hated Yuvraaj the most. She didn't wish to accuse but she hated Mukund as well for leaving her in such difficult situation.

She sighed as the wedding got completed. While getting up, she noticed there was some vermilion on her nose. She raised her hand to wipe off it but the priest impeded her.

"It's a good omen. Let it be."

Unwilling, Anahita nodded. If everything was good omen, she wouldn't be converted into Anahita Yuvraaj Prakash from Anahita Maurya.

At the time of departure, clutching the silver idol of goddess Parvati that she was meant to take home with her, Anahita trudged to her father after hugging her mother for the last time. She hadn't cried, her eyes had no tears left to stream. Yet, the coldness she witnessed in her father's eyes made her cry. Mr. Maurya wasn't even looking at her as if she were dead to him. He stood rooted without stepping ahead to engulf her in his embrace.

"Dad, I am sorry." Anahita whimpered, looking at his eyes directly, excavating the traces of love for her in them. She knew that he was hurt but she was aware that Mr. Maurya loved her most.

"Go Anahita! They're getting late." Mr. Maurya mouthed coldly and Anahita sobbed, hugging him tightly. "I am sorry dad. Please forgive me."

Like before, Mr. Maurya didn"t respond to the hug. She felt the coldness in his warmth. She anticipated him to cry, she anticipated him to yell but she didn't want him to shut himself up.

"Say something dad, please!" She pleaded, shaking Mr. Maurya lightly. "Yell on me if you want, slap me, punish me but please don't be silent. Let me know what is going on in your head, dad please!"

"They are waiting, Anahita!" Mr. Maurya grasped her shoulders and distanced her. "This is not your home now. Yuvraaj and his family is all you have."

Her heart thumped loudly in her chest, "Dad!"

"Go!" Mr. Maurya said icily. Looking down, Anahita filled with grief. Her vision blurred, hiccups left her throat. She felt someone had snatched the rug beneath her feet. She lost her existence.

Wiping her tears, she pledged to never step inside this mansion that was once her home. She glanced at her father once again, hoping he would be regretting his words. He was not.

"I accept that i am the worst daughter dad and you don't deserve me but you are no better. Even I don't deserve a father like you and I wish I don't get you as my father in next life." She whispered through her greeted teeth, "I will never step in your home again since you've made it clear that it's not my home anymore. I am sorry that you had to put up with me till now. Congratulations! You've get rid of me."

Without sparing another glance, she ran to the exit where Yuvraaj"s car was waiting for them. That was what she had inherited from her father; rage and waywardness. Determination was another aspect And what she did not manage to acquire was, Restrain. Restrain on her overflowing emotions. Covering her mouth, she cried bitterly on her miseries, her father's coldness, his words, her mother's hatred, Mukund's headlessness, Yuvraaj's arrogance and finally, on her fate. She regrettable the words she uttered to her father. She was his princess, her dad had always been her support. She failed to understand where her stars betrayed her.

***

Yuvraaj took blessings from Anahita's parents and promised them to take good care of her. He came and crawled beside her in the awaiting car. It started rolling but Anahita was still crying. Contemplating his actions, Yuvraaj cleared his throat and offered her the Kleenex box after sometime. Giving him a side glance, Anahita took the box, sobbing profusely and kept it on her lap.

"Listen, it's been an hour since you're still crying. Please stop else you will fall ill." Yuvraaj said, genuinely concerned about her.

"Just shut up!" Instead of calming down, Anahita shouted and cried louder.

Yuvraaj clenched his jaw, disliking the way she spoke to him. He itched to counter back but clammed up. His rationality knocking him. She has just left her home for ever, she must be shattered.

For the rest of the journey, Yuvraaj didn't bother her and Anahita eventually stopped crying, her focus rather shifted to the landscape outside the window. They reached Yuvraaj"s home and his mom and sister got busied in the preparation of welcoming the bride.

Stepping out of the car, Anahita stared at the proudly standing Prakash Villa. It didn't surprise her or excite her. This was like her second home, she knew every part of it. Every nook and cranny was familiar to her, after all this was the place where she had spent her half of the childhood, hiding and bickering with Yuvraaj and once he was deported to Australia, she used to come here to spent time with her mother in law.

"Gently kick this urn and enter with your right foot first." Mrs. Prakash directed her, smiling with a Thal in her hand. Exhausted, Anahita followed what was asked and hundreds of rituals after that without complaining. People's teasing and giggles didnt affect her, neither her mother in law's affectionate caress calmed the storm inside her.

Having pity on her condition, Mrs. Prakash came her rescue, "Okay enough for today. Anahita must be tired. Gitika go take Vahini go her room and let her rest. We will do the remaining rituals tomorrow."

"Come Vahini." Gitika giggled leading Anahita to Yuvraaj's room. Anahita passed a smile to Mrs. Prakash and followed Gitika who was blabbering how she had tastefully decorated the room for Anahita.

The room was same as she had seen the last time. A bit more monochromatic with the combination of white and grey. Front wall was pained black and intricate patterns embellished it. This was a add on. A big chandelier hung above the coffee table, cluttered with sofa around it in the centre of the room. Right behind it was the king sized bed. Opposite to it, plasma TV hung om the wall and beneath it, there was a small three drawers closet.

"Vahini, I have already put your luggage in the room, so you can get fresh and if you need anything, call me." Gitika told and exited the room, shutting the door behind her.

Anahita plopped on the bed, sighing. She cracked her neck and stretched her limbs. She laid on her back, staring at the mosaicked ceiling. So much happened in a day for her to register; she ran from her home, her relatives proved her characterless, her parents abandoned her, she got married to a jerk and she was all alone. Her eyes drifted to the chandelier. It was unique and with crystal, each and every bulb was shadowed. It instantly made place in her heart.

One thought led to another and she remembered about Mukund. Getting up, she walked into the walk-in closet and witnessed her bags at a corner. She scratched her neck, contemplating whether to move her stuff inside the cupboard or wait for Yuvraaj. She opened a cupboard and gaped at the neatly hung clothes. Unlike her wardrobe, Yuvraaj's wardrobe was elaborately organized.

Typical Yuvraaj! That perfectionist.

Shutting the door, she dragged her bag to the bed and threw it on the bed. Rummaging through her it, she took out her cellphone. Her eyes widened when she switched on her cellphone. She had twenty nine missed calls from Mukund. Exasperated, she dialed his number and bit her nails waiting eagerly for him to pick up the phone. Groaning, she sat on the bed and redialled his number. This time, he picked it up on the first ring. "Hello!"

"What the fuck is your problem Mukund? For starters, you called me about thirty times and then when I am calling you, you're not even picking my call! What's going on?" She yelled without giving him a chance to speak.

"I am sorry, Anu. I forgot that you were busy in rituals. Anyway, I called to know if everything went smooth?"
"Of course!" Anahita scoffed, fingering her green bangles. "Dad hates me, mom doesn't want to see my face and now, I am married to Yuvraaj. Everything is good."

"I...I am sorry, Anu." Mukund hushed on the other side.

"Mukund! I've lost everything." She said blinking her tears away. "My parents, my dignity and my home everything. You are the only person I've trusted and I still have. Please don't leave me alone." She tried but failed in controlling her tears.

"Don't cry baby. I am not going to break your trust. I will never leave you alone. Just be patient. It's just the matter of five weeks."

"Five weeks!" Anahita exclaimed, her instincts on alert. Mukund was surely going to throw a bomb again over her.
"Yes baby five weeks!" He cooed, "I can't come right now."

Previously, I'd set up the wedding scenario as normal Indian wedding, even though the characters are Maharashtrian. But this time, I've set up the wedding according to their tradition. No, I am not a Maharashtrian if that's going to be your next question. I am just simple and plain North Indian Hindu with very ordinary weddings having around me. So, the reference was taken from Google. If this is not how Maharashtrian wedding takes place, google is to be blame. Views and Votes please :)