Shedding ROYAL Blood

▪︎11▪︎The Vιrgiηitγ Test

▪︎Amrit▪︎

On the day of the wedding, my heart beats were louder than ever, my breaths were coming out broken, my palms sweating, my body was shivering, and having cold sweats.

I was being dressed from head to toe into this heavy gold jewellery, laden with gems. The heavy, bright red lehenga was adorned with golden and silver threads, with a thick lace of pure gold on its borders. The Kundan Har (Gold Necklace) in my neck is made of pure gold and studded with all kinds of gemstones extended from my neck to my navel. My hands were clad in gold bangles. My head held a huge gold Tiara with a big maang tika in the middle of my forehead. I looked on as the maid brought a huge nose ring and started to slide it on my nose. A nose ring. I felt sad. This Nath is the symbol of a Virgin Bride and then being married. A nath is worn on the day of the wedding and continues to be worn until death. It is ceremonially removed by the bridegroom to symbolise the end of his new wife's virgiηitγ.

***

The two maids on either side were holding my whole body weight as we kept walking towards the raised aisle. There was a thick floral veil in front of me, on the other side of which sat the Sultan with his family and Associates, looking more handsome than ever.

He was wearing a heavier dress than usual, his turban clad with more diamonds and pearls than everyday and he had a gracefully proud smile in his features.

Seeing him so happy, burnt my insides. Here I was dying of fear and restlessness. As I walked upstairs, Badi Maa got up from his side and sat beside me instead of him and he rolled his eyes in jealousy seeing that. This small gesture made me so comfortable. Other than the maids and soldiers, she was the only family member at my side of the veil.

One of the Mughal maids bent to my level and said, "Begum Sahiba, when the Qazi Sahab asks, you have to say 'Qubool Hai' (I accept)".

"Rabia." Badi Maa glared sternly at the maid and shook her head in a negative.

Badi Maa held my hands and said, "child, the priest will come and ask your permission for the wedding. He will ask you if you accept to be given to Omar in this marriage from the heart. He will ask your consent first, then Omar's. This marriage won't happen without your consent."

Consent? Did the Sultan even know the meaning of that word? Is there any reason remaining for this hypocrisy? If he could, he would just knock me out and have the wedding for all he cares.

For a moment, the evil thought did cross my mind. To put an end to all this madness, to insult him in front of all his whole Kingdom, all the nobles, monarchs, and aristocrats, his subjects but what after that? How much it will break Badi Maa's heart. The arrival of the priest was announced and the hall went silent for everyone to hear it.

It was a raised aisle on either side of which sat the nobles, kings and aristocrats and downstairs the common people stood in thousands to witness the wedding of their Sultan.

As Badi Maa had told me, the priest asked me and I paid attention to what he said. He asked me if I accept being given in marriage to Sultan with two Palaces and 80 kg gold in Haq Meher which I couldn't quite understand so I looked at Badi Maa who nodded gently. She is the only one I can trust here. Listening to her I said, "Qubool Hai". He asked me again. I replied the same and the third time and I replied the same.

Then he went to the Sultan and his reply came out really quick and clear, "Qubool Hai-Qubool Hai-Qubool hai."

I could see from the corner of my eye, Badi Maa chuckled at his childishness but didn't say anything. After that the priest announced us as a husband and wife. After that, there were loud cheers, people hugging each other, all the public shouting blessings and the Royals placing gifts in front of me.

I could only sit there and let all that happen with tears in my eyes. I didn't know why I was crying. It was too much. My parents biggest dream coming true or a function so grand that I hadn't even dreamed off.

"Amrit?" Badi Maa shook me a little.

"Yes Badi Maa?"

She wiped my tears and hugged me tight. This was all I needed in this moment. To know that I am not alone in a foreign land and there is someone I can trust, rely on.

She gestured and two maids walked to me. "This is your wedding gift child. This is Kesar and Meera." And two hindu maids, wearing lehenga Choli, bindi on their foreheads smiled at me. Their complexion was a bit different but their exact same attire made them hard to distinguish. Meera was fairer with black eyes that shone and had long, black braid travelling down her waist. While Kesar was wheatish, with brown hair, a shorter braid and black eyes.

Looking at them felt like looking at myself from the past.

"Namaste!" Both of them joined their hands in greetings.

"They are born and brought up in the westside of the Sultanate where you are from. They know all your customs, traditions and way of life. This will keep you comfortable and you won't feel totally detached. And both of you... from now on, you're in Begum Sahiba's service. It's your duty to take care of her. I should not hear any complaints." She ordered sternly and they nodded with the same smile.

"Dhanyavad. (Thank you.)" I said smiling.

From being a maid, to having maids to serve me, everything about my life changed.

The Sultan removed his head Sehra, walked to me and extended his hand. I looked around and hesitantly placed my hand in his and he gently pulled me along with the heavy jewellery towards the end of the stage where the common public stood. Even through the thin ghunghat on my face, I could see them, the hopeful people who loved their Sultan. They were still cheering enthusiastically as soldiers came from both the sides and started distributing huge trays of Gold coins. Within a few moments, Sultan gestured to my maids to come there.

My heart constricted with his next words, "it's evening. Take Begum Sahiba to my Chamber. And Get her ready for the wedding night. Make sure She looks like the most beautiful Bride ever!" And my heart sank.

My head snapped up to him, the fear evident in my eyes but he only gave the same victorious smirk in return.

I stood there frozen when Kesar and Meera pulled me away.

***

This was the only ritual Sultan has been waiting for. This is the only reason why he went through with the wedding. They took me to an unbelievably huge Chamber and my heart sank seeing the it so beautifully decorated with flowers, perfumed incense sticks and the whole bed clad in floral beauty.

The three maids gently removed the jewellery and I felt like a heavy boulder was taken off my chest. The Silence was getting tense but I didn't know what to say. I was too numb but it was a relief when the three started talking among each other.

They guided me to the huge bathtub and Kesar started to slide off my blouse away when suddenly I remembered about the slave-mark on my collarbone and I clutched the blouse. "Dim the lights first." I ordered.

They nodded and did as told. I stepped in the warm water when two of them started massaging my body. I breathed out a sigh of relief, their hands worked magic calming down my tensed muscles and I could feel the tiredness evaporating from the whole body. I closed my eyes and sat there as they washed my hair, Applied some fragranced paste on my body which made my body softer than before. I touched it again and again and smiled. But again the thought didn't leave my mind why all this was happening. Because Sultan wanted me to look beautiful for him. After the bath, the maid put some charcoal in a bowl and started steam-drying my hair.

I was dressed in another Beautiful red dress, small glass bottles of concentrated flower extracts were brought by Meera. She dabbed them on cotton and started applying it on my neck, wrists, toes etc. "Look at yourself Begam Sahiba. You look beautiful. Sultan won't be able to take his eyes off you today." She drooled and I was supposed to blush but I just paled. I wanted to remove the line of formality and ask them to call me Amrit but I liked the title –Begam Sahiba. It sounded so heavy and respectable.

"Begam Sahiba?" Kesar asked.

"Yes?" I replied.

"I have a request."

"Say it?"

"I want to be the one to carry your bedsheet outside in the morning." Kesar said excitedly.

"Ok." I shrugged, not caring why other two frowned at her but I was curious. "What happened?" I asked after seeing their faces.

"Um.. it's nothing that pure girls have to worry about Begum Sahiba." Meera said combing my hair.

Those words had me more worried now.

"What? Say it clearly." I tried to sound as casual as possible.

"The last ritual... tomorrow morning when your union is completed... your bed sheet stained with blood will be shown to the elders." Kesar said.

My heart sank. A Virgiηity test?

"And I want to be the one to show them because then they will reward me as a token of their happiness." She said excitedly.

"W...What if the girl doesn't... you know... bleed?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"Sultan and the molvis are very strict in morality matters and religious affairs. If on the wedding night, it is found that a woman was immoral, then she would be severely punished. The standard punishment as I have seen so far is... her two fingers are cut, her head is shaved and she is made to walk around the entire village." Meera said.

And Kesar continued, "That absence of fingers is the proof of her characterlessness which she has to bear with all her life. That way every man sees her and she will never get married."

"That's barbaric." I hissed in shock.

"Begam Sahiba it hardly ever happens." She said rubbing my back seeing my condition. Those women who know that they're wrong, carry poison with them and consume it after the wedding to prevent the shame. But you should not think about such unpleasant things right now. Just smile."

"Are we done?" I asked suddenly. I need to be alone.

"Almost." She said and quickly gestured to the other one something. She brought a huge silver glass of milk, and a bottle of liquor and placed it on either side of the bed. Then she placed a few betel leaves wrapped in a silver foil and placed it on the table.

They asked me to sit in the middle of the bed and beautifully spread my dress all over the bed, pulled my veil upon my face but my mind, my thoughts kept circling around their words.

What will happen now? When Sultan comes to know about this.

Tears started flowing as I recalled their words and imagined the dreadful future that awaits me.

I never imagined giving myself to anyone other than Kunwar Sa. Can I have the courage to tell the truth to Sultan? Would he listen to my pleas? No. He has won me over. I'm his to tame, to use, to claim, to hurt. And then... when I don't bleed...

I clutched my palm to my face to stop the scream when I heard footsteps approaching. And my heart broke to pieces.

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