Mohini POV

'I have come. Don't worry. Your Rao has came.' 

He whispered soothingly to me. I pulled back from him wiping my tears off. Then I ask him in sign language as to 'What is he doing here?' 

Rao knows sign language. In his last months's letter he confessed that he has been learning sign language to understand me and don't need nobody to interfere between us. 

He holds my hand down to stop me from signing and said with a smile, 

'Don't worry. I will make everything right. I came here as soon as I got the letter from Devika.' 

I am confused as to how he got the letter when my father already stopped her but then I remember that my father only burned one letter given to the Prince of Suryagarh. 

If my father had gotten Rao's letter he would have wanted to know what my plan is, why I am contacting Rao? 

And my whole mission of 9 years would have turned to dust. I am thankful to God and Devika that he didn't find my other letter. 

Rao pulled my attention towards him by saying, 

'I don't have much time as Maina Kaki will be here any time. I am going to say something which you won't like but, I want you to go ahead with the marriage.' 

The moment he says this I pull back my hand and stare at him with shocked and betrayed eyes. How could he ask me to marry someone else when I am in love with him? 

I shook my head backing away from him with tears rolling down my cheeks. He moves towards me in placating manner and says, 

'I don't have enough soldiers right now. From the last battle many were injured and are on the road to discovery. These two weeks will give me time to ask for help fom our alliance kingdoms. 

We will attack on wedding day and like this we can kill two birds with one stone, one your father and another Suryagarh's Prince and King.' 

He comes more closer and frames my face with his hands then says, 

'They will not be prepared for war here on wedding day and I know every secret entrance to this place. They will not escape us. Can't you sacrifce this much for our mission?' 

For a moment I think about his plan and realise it will bring us to very close to our mission and my and Dada's freedom. I nod at him to agree quietly. 

I want to ask him so much but I don't know to start from where. So I raise my hand to ask about him and his stay but he helds my hand, smiling softly at me and says, 

'I know you want to ask so many questions but we don't have time right now and I know this past day you haven't eaten properly so I am going to feed you.' 

I smile brightly at him, he holds my hand and bring me towards food. We both sit down on floor then he make a small bite and feed it to me. 

 I eat and do the same for him. He feeds me one bite then I feed him. We finish the food and wash our hands. 

'Don't worry, Mohini. We will attack them before marriage starts. I will come through garden beside aangan where mandap will be set.' 

He says with a smile to ease my worries. Just as he puts his veil down and takes the plate to walk out, my father enters with Maina Kaki. 

I instantly turned scared thinking he will find out about Rao dressed as female attendee but he barely glances at him and waits for him to leave. I take a breath as Baba didn't see Rao. 

Rao walks out of my room leaving me alone with Baba and Maina Kaki without anyone realizing his identity. 

The moment my room's door closed, my father said with expressionless face, 

'Go, get ready and look happy for your marriage. In your marriage Maina will act as your mother for rituals.' 

To which Maina Kaki replied with a small smile, 'Ji Raje.' 

The way she responds without bowing her head and the familiarity in her tone urges me to vomit. I didn't realize that Maina Kaki and Baba had gotten so close. 

So close that she acted like his wife and my mother and it all happened under my nose.

'Aaj se hum shaadi ki pehle ki rasam shuru karenge, sabse pehle- muhurta karane aur humare saare sambandhi aa rahe hai. Unhe pata nahi chalna chahiye ki aap khush nahi hai iss shaadi mein.' 

'From today we will start the pre-wedding rituals, first of all- Muhurta Karane and all our relations are coming. Theye should not know that you are not happy in this marriage.' 

I just nod my head because I will go along my marriage for Rao's plan and take great pleasure in my father's demise. 

He walks out with Maina Kaki then attendees enter to prepare me for rituals. They take me for special bath of rose oil and milk with beauty flowers. 

I wrap white cotton cloth around my body and enter the pool, rest my head and arms on the border of pool. 

The attendees bring sandalwood paste and rub it on shoulders and arms. After washing off the paste, I dry myself with towel and enter my room to get dressed. 

I wear a pink and orange saree with orange blouse. The attendees dry my hair and put my hair in a simple bun then support it with jewel hairpin.

I wear matching orange jewelleries with the dress. Then they tell me that our relatives have reached for muhurta karane.

Muhurta Karane is a pre wedding ritual where the bride's mother invites 'Suhasnies' or the married woman, to be a part of this auspicious day. The women start preparing turmeric powder and sandege (pulses and spice powder), and they also roll papads that can be used in the wedding. The ritual doesn't stop here as the family starts shopping for the bride and holds a 'Rukhvat' by displaying all the utensils, sweets, sarees, lehengas, and sweets. 

I stood and followed them to main hall. I never liked my father's side of family. He has two brothers, their wives, cousin brothers and sisters, their families. 

My real both uncles has each daughter who hate me because I am more beautiful than them and they taunt me for my muteness as they can only find this one flaw in me. 

I am beautiful and I am proud of it. My both uncles are sleazy and they always watch me with hungry eyes. 

My mother's side family never liked Baba so after Aai's death they broke all relations with my father and his family even with me and Dada. 

I just wish that Dada was here with our friends. I can't find Devika anywhere within the crowd. I don't know what my father has done to her. 

Maina Kaki welcomes the ladies with haldi and kumkum. The attendees make me sit down on small chauki with arms around my knees. 

Maina Kaki bring five suhasinies i.e., my aunts who apply kumkum and haldi on my forehead to bless me all the while I keep my eyes down. 

Then they all gather with iron pestle to grind turmeric with me helping them in grinding it. We prepare pulses and spice powder, and also roll papads. 

During evening, instead of going to market my father calls shopkeepers for sarees, lehangas as I will be mostly required to wear lehangas after my marriage in Suryagarh. 

Everyone choose new sarees for themselves. Jewellers are also called to make new jewelleries for my marriage. Maina Kaki asks me to choose jewellery design. 

When I don't show much enthusiasm, she herself choose saree, lehangas and gold jewellery designs for me. 

I am going along with this marriage for my mission but I can't show my willingness to the marriage because then my father will know that I have planned something. 

Maina Kaki and other ladies shops for 'Rukhvat' which will be displayed tomorrow. I don't go near my cousin sisters even though I can see the evil glint in their eyes to taunt me. 

After dinner everyone retire to my room and I escape before my cousins could stop me but I wished too early. 

My elder cousin Gargi said mockingly to me, 

'Arre Mohini, Stop! Tell us something about your would be Navara. Tell us about his likes, vices, habits and other things.' 

In response to which Gunjan, my second elder cousin said, 

'She can only tell when she know something. But she didn't even seen her future husband. And to tell something a person should have tongue but this poor girl doesn't even have that.' 

They both laughed after that, like they have cracked a very amazing joke. I don't bother with them or their mockings. I am way past that. 

I am not a child who will act like a spoiled brat like them. They both are married but they can never become genuine and mature. 

Gunjan comes forward to say something when Maina Kaki interrupts them, 

'Raje wants you to retire to your room.' 

I just nod my head and walk out without glancing at either of them. 

I enter my room and pray to god that I and Dada be free of Baba, at least we deserve this after so long of misery. 

Next morning, I get dressed in peacock blue saree with matching jewelleries. My hair is up in simple bun decorated with flowers and hair accessories. 

I go to the kitchen and make sweet ladoos and modaks by my hand. It took me whole day to prepare this. During afternoon Maina Kaki arrives. 

She herself escorts me to temple hall where we decorate items bought yesterday at one side to display my family's riches. 

On the other side we decorate items made by me like handmade paintings, table mats, crochet crafts, embroidered pillows and cushions, and foodstuff. 

We decorate all these items in front of Lord Ganesha statue for him to bless my gifts and my married life. 

My family arrive for the pooja which I do with Baba. Nobody looks the least bit bothered that Dada is not here. I just hate them all. 

The attendees came and pack all the gifts to send it to Suryagarh. Baba checks all gifts to make sure I am not sending any letters with it. 

After dinner, we all retire to our rooms. I go to my room and prepare my dress for three days journey to our Kuldevta Mandir tomorrow for Kelvan. 

In this ritual the family perform a Pooja to their Kuldevta for auspicious blessings for the union. The pooja ceremony is generally followed by a meal with the family and close relatives. 

I mark a line with my dagger on the inside of my bed to mark days passed. So far 2 days have passed and 12 more to go for my freedom. 

Next day, we all get ready for the journey. Maina Kaki takes me to palki in which I am travelling alone. I put my veil on my head. I can't show my face to strangers till marriage. 

Someone enters my palki and I go to stop but freeze when I see its Devika. Tears brim in my eyes and I hug her tightly, crying quitely. 

She also hugs me back and we both started crying. 

Our palki starts moving. We both pull back, she wipes off my tears and says,

'Don't worry, Mohini. Just trust on Rao. I know about his plan.' 

I ask her, 'How did Rao got my letter?' 

Devika replies, 

'Your father caught me delivering the letter to the Prince so I carefully hid other in my saree. After he left I gave the letter to Ganesha Bhau to send it to Rao. I tried to find but I couldn't find Ramaji Bhau.' 

I nodded my head and strengthen my resolve to destroy Baba and his evil plan. I will go along with this marriage to save everyone from him. 

At night we stop to relax and the next day we reach the temple. We freshen up in nearby pond and enter the temple for 'Kevlan'. 

The temple is on the west outskirts of our empire which is close to our palace that's why it only took 1 day to reach here. 

Groom's family is also present for this ritual but they had to do their own ritual  so my father didn't invite them. 

After the pooja, the ladies help in temple kitchen to prepare for lunch while I was send to my tent with Devika. 

We ate lunch made for the ritual and after some rest we started the journey home and next day we reached the palace. 

My cousins didn't interrupt me and Devika made sure of it by giving them scathing looks when they even dare to come close so they avoid me like a plague. 

Nobody is corncerned about me even though it is my marriage they are just here to celebrate a festival and start a faishion show. I am the last thing on their mind. 

So I take the opportunity, leave everyone and try to find Ramaji Dada towards his room. I hide myself from attendees and reach his room when I opened it I couldn't find him anywhere. 

Suddenly a voice said in my ear, 

'Kisse doondh rahi hai?' 

'Who are you looking for?' 

I jumped around to find that it is Baba standing there looking every bit of evil that he is. He just smirks at me and come closer saying, 

'You won't find him here. I won't hide him somewhere you can easily find him and we have already established that you are far more intelligent than I gave you the credit.' 

He holds my arm tightly and drags me out of the room towards my room. He throws me inside and says,  

'I won't have you roaming around before marriage it's not auspicious so till haldi arrives from groom side you are not allowed to leave this room.' 

He then walks out locking me inside. For five days straight I am locked inside the room with my life on repeat- wake up, take bath, eat, sit, eat, read,  eat, sleep. 

All the while Palace is decorated for marriage and ritual and preparations are made for big day.

10 days have passed, 4 more to go till marriage. 

On 6th day of my captivity, Maina Kaki brings yellow saree with flower jewelleries and make me ready for Haldi ceremony. 

I am taken to main hall where I sit on small stool with knees raised and arms around it. 

The bride's mother starts the ritual, here Maina Kaki starts with touching my knees, arms, shoulders and head with haldi and then others follow suit. 

After everyone touched me with haldi my two evil cousins step forward to rub haldi on my arms and legs. They do it roughly without taking in account that it is hurting me and my skin. 

I endure it. Then ladies take me to aangan where they make me sit in a pot cross-legged and pour milk and rose water on me. 

Then I am send to my bathroom where attendees rub out haldi on me, apply sandalwood paste on me then I wash it off and return to my room. 

Haldi ceremony goes on for three days and traditional dancers are called for performance everyday. 

On last day of Haldi ritual I lie on my bed and mark the day. 13 days have passed, 1 more to go. 

Next morning, I dress up in deep magenta colour with lilac borders and matching jewelleries for Mehndi ceremony. 

This time Devika enters and take me to the main hall where ceremony will be held, grinded mehndi is send by my in laws with Haldi. 

The artists who are mainly here to apply me mehndi is already busy with Gargi, going to apply her my in laws mehndi. 

Devika see this and growl inside her breath, she leaves me and walk towards her and says in low, angry voice, 

'Janam se akal nahi hai ki ya janam ke baad dosri manzil se gir gayi thi isliye akal chhod ke chali gayi aapko.' 

'You have no intelligence since birth or you fell from the second floor after birth, that is why your intelligence left you.' 

Gargi looked at her with angry eyes and said, 

'Don't forget your place, you are a maid of that nonsense mute and I am a princess and-' 

She interrupts her with sharp tone, 

'You don't forget that I am the daughter of important minister of Raje and you are the daughter of imbecile man who can't even look after his own empire and needs my father's help to run it, even the people of your own kingdom take my father as king.' 

She says it menacingly and steps closer to her and says to her, 

'Samhal ke, kahin aisa na hoon ki jald hi hum rajkumari ho aur aap naukrani bane ke bhi kabil na hoon.' 

'Be careful, it may happen that soon I will be princess and you will not even be worthy of being a maid.' 

I didn't know that my sweet friend had this much evilness in her. Gargi is shocked as well, she just open and closes her mouth. 

I just hide my mouth to hide my smile. She stands in a huff,  glares at her and walk out. 

Devika brings me to sit on the stool for the artist to draw on my hand. She mumbles to me, 

'This place is for you and not anyone else even this Mehndi.' 

I just sign at her sadly, 'This can never be my place nor my mehndi as it didn't came from Rao.' 

She just smiles at me and leaves me alone. The henna artist draw designs on my hand and leg.  

Then she asks me groom name when Maina kaki comes and tells her name of Yuvraj of Suryagarh which I hear for the first time. 

It is so sad that I don't even know the name of my would be husband. 

After the application of henna I retire to my room then after some hours I remove henna. 

Then attendees enter the room to apply beauty pack on my face after which I apply beauty care especially for brides. 

After all this I lie on the bed and mentally prepare myself for tomorrow. I mark the last day on the inside of my bed. 

14 days passed, tomorrow the final day. 

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This chapter is long to cover the whole pre wedding ritual.😊😊

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