Cittaja || Indian Historical Romance

41.

Anvesha and Amritakumari both went to see Shakra in the room where he was staying.

"Pranaam, Mahadevi. Pranaam, Maharani." He greeted them and touched their feet as expected of him. Karma sighed sadly but didn't say anything. She felt the pang of pain at the sudden distance Shakra grew for his mothers.

"Are you forgetting who I am? I gave birth to you, Shakrajit." Amritakumari reacted to him suddenly calling her by the title. He had always called all of them Amma. He used their titles when he wanted to tease them or taunt them. Yet, never in the tone he used now. 

"Yes, Mahadevi. I am aware. I'm grateful for it." He answered.

"Jit, she didn't want to marry you. If she wanted to, she wouldn't have sent Maharaj a letter with a proposal to have Yuvika marry you." Anvesha sighed loudly at his childish tantrum.

"If that's the conversation you want to have, then I'm tired and I wish to have some rest. I don't want to speak about that."

"Shakra, don't be silly."

Shakra sighed, "Okay. Understood. Go prepare for the marriage you wanted to happen. You must be excited. You brought gifts for Yuvika. Go, give it to her."

"It is your wedding, Shakra."

"Yes, as I am reminded by every single person every moment."

Anvesha and Amritakumari both looked at each other. He didn't seem to want to entertain them at all. He was irked and any more of a conversation would push him off the edge.

"We brought you the neela outfit, Shakra." Amritakumari put the tray on the dressing table. A beautiful dhoti of neela dye and embroidery of gold threads was placed in the tray. Gold jewelry with blue sapphires was kept as a set with the clothes. He would have really loved the outfit if it was being giving to him for his wedding with Mayurakshi.

He sat on his chair, pushed his head back, and closed his eyes.

Amritakumari and Anvesha both looked at him first and then at each other. Seeing his reaction, they walked out of the room. When they reached the end of the corridor, "Do you think we have also not properly gauged his feelings?" Anvesha asked her.

"I feel like things are only going to get harder from now. It is inexplainable why Shakra has such attachment to her. I don't see what Shakra sees in her."

"I think we should have brought along Abhijit. He seems to always have a way to cheer up Shakra."

"Abhijit, Aparajita, and Kamaljit openly disagreed with the wedding and refused to come. They already know that Shakra hates this wedding. Behind them, the rest of the children too decided not to be a part of it."

Amritakumari went out to the hall where the bride was having her henna and haldi ceremony. All the guests from Kalika Empire had arrived for the ceremony. Shatrujit didn't seem very interested either. He just went through Mayurakshi's request.

The guests started to come towards the bride and gave her gifts.

"Congratulations on the wedding, Rajkumari Yuvika." Jayraj, one of Kalika Empire's important men, handed Yuvika a tray of gifts. All the members of the Krishneri family were getting gifts. When it was Mayurakshi's turn, he had a brilliant grin, "I have been waiting to see you for a long time, Rajkumari Mayurakshi." He handed her a tray of gift.

Mayurakshi was confused at having received it. Krishneri's guests usually gave gifts to her step mother and step siblings. Not much to her. She didn't mind not receiving any gifts. Some people did give her but it wasn't anything so important. So, she didn't take them seriously either. So, when one of Kalika Empire's elite men specially addressed her and came with a gift, she was surprised.