Love is a spontaneous emotion

Chapter19 He Felt Peace

1 week later, at Maa Durga Temple

The wedding ceremony of Raghunandan and Maithili was held in the presence of both Pathak and Kashyap Family members and, yes, excluding Shalini Pathak, who was in prison. The bride looked out of the world in deep maroon lehega choli and beautiful gold jewelries. She was a sight to behold.It looked like Godess Durga was not in the Prathima(Idol) but had walked right into Maithili. That was how the bride looked . There was a divine glow of Maa Durga on her face. Raghunandan sat at the wedding mandap with a rather grim face. Savithi Maa and Maithili's younger sister,Sanika, walked Maithili to the Mandap and sat her next to the sulking groom. Raghu was looking extraordinary in his golden beige sherwani. He didn't bother to even glance at the Godess of a bride sitting next to him. The priest began chanting Mantras, and the ceremony commenced. Everyone's face radiated with happiness but the groom's. Raghu filled the sindhur in the hair partion of Maithili and tied Mangalsuthra around her neck. Both the bride and the Groom took saath pheres(going around the holy fire holding hand and taking marriage vows).

Raghunandan

I never imagined that one day I would be marrying a Vagrant like her in a mandir with only family members and in a simple ceremony. I feel like I have eloped and got married. Whatever the reason that my folks are hell bent getting this Maithili married to me I don't care nor do I want to understand but what about the Girl, why would she agree to this marriage at such a young age and to a man who is 11 years older than her who, I am sure she doesn't even remember because the last time we saw each other was years ago when she was a mere kid and after that I went to US.

Doesn't she have a goal, an ambition, a life that she wants to live ,a dream? and for God's sake, I don't believe that she is in love with me. I am sure she doesn't even remember my face, and we have hardly seen each other. I don't remember her face either. The only reason she wants to marry me is "money."She agreed to marry me because she is a gold digger. I feel trapped. How am I going to deal with this? Goddess Durga should only show me the way out of this mess.

I was deluged in my thoughts when Savithi Maa tapped me on my shoulders and said ," Where are you lost,Beta? now hold this Mangalsuthra and tie it around Maithili's neck. "

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath I did as told. I did'nt even look at her face while putting sindhur in her hair partition. I felt like I was being sacrificed at the alter for Durga Maa. Usually, it is a goat that is sacrificed, but today, it was me.

Naanima , Papa, and Naav were on cloud nine. I have not seen them this happy in a long time now. At least this marriage made someone happy. The priest asked me and Maithili to touch the feet of the elders and seek their blessings. After all the rituals, we left to our house.

Maithili entered the house pushing the Kalash( copper vessel ) filled with the rice with her feet after Savithri maa and Naav did the arthi to both of us. I am here looking at everything happening right in front of my eyes, and it is like I am caught up in a dream, more precisely a nightmare, and unable to wake up.

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It was the wedding night. The room was decorated romantically with roses, jasmines, and scented candles. The bride looked ethereal in sunburst orange and cream lehenga choli. She wore jasmine flowers in her hair. The delicate sounds of her bangles and anklets added to the romantic air in the room. The moonlight that filtered through the window shone on the blooming lotus like face of the bride. Maithili was so tired she did'nt know when she drifted off into slumber. She slept like a baby sitting on the bed with her face on her knees.

Raghu walked into the room, closing the door behind shut. He was stunned at the mesmerizing decoration of the room. He thought if only the bride sitting on the bed was Bhavana. His heart broke into a million pieces, and he felt he even heard it shattering. He missed her terribly. How beautiful life would have been if he had married the love of his life, he thought. He felt his heart burning in immeasurable pain.

He sauntered to the bed to get a pillow and blanket when his eyes fell on the sleeping beauty. The moment his eyes fell on her Godess like face, all his thoughts came to jolting halt. All the pain and disappointment he felt evaporated into the thin air.He felt peace that he had never felt before. The soft dark curls that fell on her cheeks and forehead stood in stark contrast to her skin, which was akin to the lotus dipped in milk. Her eyelashes that framed her gorgeous eyes curled up in such a way that it felt like a peacock had spread out it feathers ready to take a leap to dance in the rain.That was how Raghu's imagination had turned looking at his bride. His eyes were glued to her mesmerizing face. He was lost in her beauty. She was weaving a magic in which he was hopelessly trapped. Just then, her lips, which rivalled the rose bud, started moving, snapping him out of the trance. She was mumbling something in her sleep. Raghu was shocked and disappointed with himself for feeling what he felt looking at Maithili. He thought he was immune to those feelings after Bhavana but Maithili proved him wrong by stirring those emotions in him yet again swaying his resolve of never again falling for any woman, one heartbreak was enough for him to last a lifetime.

He left to his study adjoining his room with a pillow and the blanket. He tried to sleep but to no avail. He was too disturbed by what happened when he saw his stunning bride.