Barren: A tale of a queen ( completed)

Ch-9

" Shehnaaz forgives me bacha, I never knew he has this much pathetic belief about women's" He uttered sitting on her bed in her chamber while she said nothing, her eyes cascading to the floor, her eyes held anger as well as tears, she was never a cry baby but Ahmed character assassination her in front of his brother.
" look at me naaz" she denied.
" I am sorry bahijaan, but you know I do those things which gave me peace and happiness aur humne toh apko btaya tha na that I am going to compete with him, he..." and she cried more.
" I never know my fearless naazu has a soft heart" he commented wiping her tears.
" Ammi naraz hai she doesn't want to talk" she complained to him about their mother, he chuckle, her nose and cheeks became red with all the crying like she is in her childhood when she hurt herself.
" she will be alright, I like him"
" huh"
" Rawal Sidhanth Singh, I like him" he repeated his words.
" Why are you telling me?" she asked looking at him with her curious eyes.
"Because he asked me for your hand"
"My hand for what?"
" Naazu, where you lost your mind while crying" he joked, " obviously for marriage."
" Hamid, I know it's not the right time to ask for that, whatever occurred for the betterment, I never want this relation to be finalised because..." he stopped midsentence for capturing any reaction on his face but found none.
" I want to ask your sister hand for me" he proposed with a calm voice.
" ye kya badtmeezi," the Queen mother said coming inside.
" you are Raghuvanshi and we are Mughals, I wouldn't allow inter-caste marriage at all"
" but you both choose Ahmed for her, and you saw yourself what happened queen mother, I respect her, her bravery, the fearless attitude she carried with herself and the way she described the duties of a wife"
" Rawal.." Hamid fumbled.
"I understand Hamid if you say no I promised you I will leave Agra at that time only and never ever look at her"
" I need time till morning, I will let you know"...
" do you like him?" he questioned, he waited for a while for her answer but she busied herself playing with the hem of her dupatta.
" Ammi nh manegi" she whispered in a low tonne.
"And you?"
" I need to ask some questions bahijaan" he laughed listening to her while her mother came into her room fuming in anger.
" you couldn't disrespect everyone Shehnaaz" she roared " what questions do you want to ask, humari aazadi ka galat fayda Utha rhi hai ap" shehnaaz hides herself behind her brother.
" Ammi what's wrong with that?" Hamid uttered.
"Don't you dare to speak any word, apne bigada hai inhe, girls look good in limit but.." she stopped midsentence by her.
" Ammi, I know my limits believe me but I don't want anyone to use me like hum mar jayenge, whatever happened with Afreen baaji, he disrespected her, used her and one day threw her out because she couldn't give him a hire Ammi, kitna maara tha, he looked good, sophisticated I don't want to be as fragile as Afreen baaji, hume nh pta humari qismat me ky hai but if I get to know their opinions, beliefs so it gives me relief, ( Afreen was their elder daughter who gets married to one of the cruellest men) Ammi you always taunted me about learning the sword, horse riding, archery, however, you never asked the reason, hum nh cahte if I am in some trouble in future toh hum kisi ka intzaar kare to save me or handed over me without fighting, the world is so cruel I am safe here because bahijaan never let anything happen to me although I am afraid to go somewhere else where maybe..." she expressed herself.
" If you think he is not good for me then you should deny him"
*************
" Rawal you are awake till now," purohit hi asked.
" humne khuch glt toh nh kia na?"
" not at all, the girl has every quality which I wanted in your bride as well as Maharani of Jaisalmer, I am noticing her from the beginning, I tested her and every time she surprised me, she has her own beliefs, she has the power to take right decisions"
" But what about Rajmata and baba sa would they agree, he wants me to get marry with Madhumanti"
" do you love her?"
" of course I do"
" then don't think about any circumstances rather you can see her with anyone else, the rituals are going to start from tomorrow, many royal families would come and many proposals for her marriage also" He uttered departing from his chamber.
********
The morning sun came with hustle and bustle as today the ritual of marriage begins, everyone is busy in preparation from gatekeeper to maids, cooks to flowers man, today is manjha ceremony , (here the Mughal bride wore a bright yellow and gold lehenga while female relatives applied turmeric powder (haldi) on her. The haldi makes the bride's skin glow).
"Gulnaar bhabhi behadh khoobsurat lag rhi hai aap" shehnaaz commented applying haldi on her " bahijaan will forget to breathe" she teases her making her shy " but how misfortune he is, not able to see you for two days" sejal added further and both the girls laugh including Afaf.