Cittaja || Indian Historical Romance

44.

All Shakra could think of was Mayurakshi.

Everyone made Shakra sit in a large tub and gave him a sacred bath for the wedding. Manas was the groom's aide. He was also being given a sacred bath.

Shakra closed his eyes, thinking about Kalika, 'Amma, you know everything. I don't know what to do anymore. I have always loved Mayurakshi, and I always will love her. I do not know how to handle this new relationship that is being forced on me. From today, I will never get to look at Mayurakshi. Just the thought of it is painful to me. It is foolish for me to compare the love you have for Shiva with the love I have for Mayurakshi. For 8 years, she has been the only woman I have desired. I can't give up the thought of her suddenly. So, if I make mistakes in this process, please guide me. I do not want to humiliate a promise that I will make before you. You know that the royal couple will come before you and they make a promise to always stand by each other. I will have to make the same promise before you. I do not know how I will keep it. Please save me, Amma. I do not have anyone else to turn to.'

She has always protected him from the most difficult situations.

They brought water from seven holy rivers. Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Narmada, Sindhu, Kaveri, and Godavari. He was, in the last turn, bathed with all those waters.

"Yuvraj, from this point till the time all the wedding rituals finish, you will fast. You cannot eat anything. Not even drink water. This fast is being kept by you for the longevity of your marriage with the bride. It is also for the long life of the bride. Take an oath in the name of your Kuldevi, Sri Chandika, that you will keep a fast." The pandit told Shakra.

Shakra nodded. He prayed to Sri Chandika and took an oath for the fast he would keep for the bride.

"Now, go change your clothes. "

They took Shakra into the room, where he changed his clothes. By the time Shakra returned, Pandit had prepared the wedding altar.

Shakra sat down at the spot set for him. "Till today, you have worn a single yagyopavita, symbolizing brahmacharya. Now that you are getting married, you will wear two of them. This represents the debt you have now. The responsibility of your wife also rests with you. It is the debt you incur with kanyadaana. Your father-in-law offers you his daughter for dharma kriya as a dharmapatni. So, her welfare is your debt to her. This yagyopavita is to remind you of the added responsibility you have. All of her responsibilities are yours. " The pandit started telling him. Shakra nodded a yes.

His heart went fast. He was making promises he wouldn't be able to keep. He knew how much he revered Kalika. To insult any promises related to Kalika would be unacceptable. Shakra turned to look at his father. Shatrujit gave him an assuring smile.

He went on with the rituals being dictated by the pandit. After performing a few more rituals, the pandit gave him turmeric and water. "You should now do Vinayaka puja. To make sure that the marriage doesn't incur any troubles, you pray to him. "

Shakra made a small form of Vinayaka, a round body with a slight trace of an elephant's head. Then they performed Vinayaka puja. Shakra could only think of being separated from Mayurakshi. He looked at the form of Vinayaka before him. 'There has been no obstacle before me like this one, Ganapathi. Please help me out.'

Gokula sat on the side of the groom with Raashi. Both of them thought Shakra would create a problem. They were expecting an outburst from him at any moment. Their aides were also sitting in the room to tackle any problems Shakra would start. Gokula didn't believe that Shakra would silently get married to Yuvika and not suddenly reach out to Mayurakshi and runoff. Sitting in the room, they didn't know what to do.

The allies of the Kalika Empire and Krishneri both were waiting at the groom's area. Krishneri's allies assumed that trouble would arise from this point in the Fort. Shatrujit did not worry at all. He was chatting away with his commander, who was next to him. Manas was right behind Shakra in case anything came up.

The reaction from Shatrujit brought doubt to Amritakumari. Shakra was a carbon copy of Shatrujit in several things. One of those is being forced to do something he didn't want to do. It still amazed her how Shatrujit was so easily persuaded by Mayurakshi. Shatrujit didn't even react a little. That made her doubt. Her husband's unusual silence and then Kalika Empire's court outright favoring Mayurakshi pointed to something being planned under her nose.

"What are you doing? " She asked Shatrujit. He turned to her and gave her an innocent.

"I'm talking to my commander...." He answered vaguely.

"Stop playing around and be honest. This is so unlike you. Shakra and you are being forced to accept Yuvika. I'm expecting an outburst from Shakra at any moment, but I don't know why you seem so relaxed."

"Is it a crime to be relaxed?"

Amritakumari gave him a look. It did nothing to him. She could make any man do anything she wanted with that look except her husband.

"I'm serious."

"I don't understand what you want me to do. Create a scene? Don't worry, your son will soon burst out and that wish will come true."

"Your silence is eerie. I have known you for a long time. I can't believe you're sitting here doing nothing about all this. I know that you're aware of the conflict that happened between Mayurakshi and Yuvika yesterday. I heard people talking about seeing Gowri meeting up with Guru Vishwanath. What are you doing?"

"I just sent Gowri to take the bride and the groom's birth charts to Guru garu. He decided on this muhurta. He said that it would be the best one for their future."

"I can bet that you're doing something baffling."

Shatrujit just grinned at that. "Depends on your definition of baffling. I am doing what I have to do."

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