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Aishwarya POV

I laughed a little seeing them and it reminded me of a few moments of my childhood that blurred my vision making me dive into tears.

"What happened? Bai-sa,"

My attention was caught by Moni and I shook my head wiping the lone tear off my cheek.

"Nothing,"

She smiled and walked a little closer to me.

"It is okay to miss the family,"

She said and I lowered my gaze figuring out what did family actually mean.

Being surrounded by hundreds of people every day around you, after you and before you sounds pretty joyful and happening but little did I know about the joy and happiness. Being surrounded by people did not mean that you have family or friends but a forest full of trees and animals that for the world outside is so beautiful and happening but inside the hungry animals chewing on leaves, eating the crops and hunting others for the sake of satisfaction, anger or just survival. Lions hunt deer, deer chew grasses just like the people around you in the name of family hunts you for their own hunger, satisfaction and survival. Same to the same.

I inhaled a deep breath still remembering the day when my father came to me and told me that I had to marry a man because he decided. All I could do was agree to with my head down.

"Let me help you get ready, Bai-sa,"

Moni said and I lifted my gaze to her coming out of my mind.

"Ji,"

I muttered and turned my feet to walk a little to the bathing room. She helped me take the bath and I noticed her adding a few extra oils that were smelling lavender and cinnamon. It was beautiful yet not able to bloom my heart.

She washed my hair and then asked me to take down my inner garments. I was feeling insane to do that as no one had ever seen me naked except myself.

But, it was good. This was my life now.

I unwrapped the cloth off my chest making it move from my body. She looked at me and furrowed her brows.

"Bai-sa... you do not remove pubic hair,"

I timidly joined my thighs together and placed my hand and looked at her. Her expression was not seeming abnormal but more like she was asking casually.

"Do I have to?"

I asked and she chuckled a little.

"That is your choice completely. But, the cleaner the better. It is attractive,"

She said and I thinned my brows.

"Do all women do that?"

I asked and she shook her head.

"No, it is an individual choice. The one who likes it better with them do not do that,"

She said and I said.

"Oh,"

And, then asked.

"Should I do that?"

She smiled and looked at me for a few moments before saying.

"I think you should. I mean after many years of marriage, it does not bother to have them or not. But, when the spark is at its peak, why throw water at it,"

She said and I did not get it but it was seeming useful and beneficial. Maybe I would not smell after that. Or the last night it was the sweat down there when he was close. Because he was making me feel hot. But, it did not seem like sweat. Nevermind. It would be no more soon.

"Okay,"

I said and she asked.

"Shall I do it now?"

She asked and I counter questioned.

"How to remove hair?"

She smiled and said.

"Well, there are various ways, we can use blades, we can pluck them one by one or simply just apply thick sugar syrup and pull it,"

I gulped with slight discomfort and asked.

"Will it hurt?"

She smiled.

"No, it will not if we use a blade but if we use a blade then it should be used quite frequently plucking definitely hurt and sometimes gives after pain too and sugar syrup hurts for quite a moment and it reduces the hair growth,"

She said while rubbing the bathing paste on my arm.

"How does this sugar syrup work? Who discovered it?"

I asked feeling suddenly all curious about it.

She smiled and clicked her tongue.

"I do not know there are many stories but I once heard that there was a lady who was making sugar syrup for the sweets and she kind of fell asleep while the vessel was still on the stove. She suddenly woke up and realized that it had been a long time since the syrup was on the stove and it was almost night now. She immediately ran to the stove and looked at the cold mud stove, the wood had burnt completely and she looked inside the vessel. She cursed herself for it and touched the syrup and found it was very thick and sticky. A few drops of it fell on his arm accidentally and when she tried to remove it, her hair came out. And, I think that it how it came in the picture,"

She said and I nodded.

Amazing, I did not know about it. And, suddenly another question erupted in my brain.

"Do men also do it?"

She immediately smiled and lifted her gaze to look at me.

"Of course, they also want to be clean and attractive,"

She said and I lowered my gaze.

"Oh,"

That meant Hukum would also do that.

Strange.

Scary.

Interesting.

I saw hair on his legs.

"Okay, I want that but not now. We are already late to depart and I think that will take time,"

I said and she nodded.

"Yes, it will,"

I smiled a little and she helped me finish the bath.

After taking the bath, we both went into the dressing room and she helped me to put into a beautiful red lehnga with heavy embroidery and stone work.

"This is beautiful,"

I said and when I looked at it was not from my collection but new.

"Yes, it is. Hukum chose it for you,"

She said and I touched its fabric which was light in weight yet looking so heavy.

"He did,"

A slight smile appeared on my face and I asked her to help me to put it on.

It was looking so beautiful.

"You have such a tiny waist. Do not you eat anything Bai-sa,"

Moni commented and I looked at my waist which was small.

My whole body was like this. It reveals my bones on the chest and midriff too very clearly. I hate it.

"You know, you will fit in his arm so perfectly,"

She laughed a little while saying and I thinned my brows not understanding why would I fit in his arms so perfectly.

"Why will I hav-,"

"Aishwarya,"

Suddenly, Hukum's voice caught my attention and I immediately grabbed my dupatta to cover my head and chest.

"Open the door,"

I said to Moni and she walked towards the door to open it.

I looked at him standing half naked only wrapped in the towel and he said to Moni.

"You can leave,"

My heartbeats raced all of a sudden when Moni walked out of the dressing room and she closed the door behind me.

I fisted my hand on my lehnga and the vision of the last night started capturing my brain. As he was walking closer, my eyes were shamelessly watching the water droplets falling down his hair locks on the side of his forehead to the shoulder, all the way through his cheeks. And, the slipping down his chest. It was puffed and his waist was small not like mine but it had rectangular shapes that were highlighting when he was walking closer. 

"I am sorry, everyone is waiting for us only,"

He said in a hurry and walked past me to the trunk to take out his clothes. My eyes were absentmindedly looking at him as he slipped down the cream-coloured kurta through his neck and took the lower in his hand.

I immediately turned my gaze away by turning away and my fingers unknowingly tracing my bangles in the hand.

"Aishwarya,"

He said as he walked towards the front of me after wearing his clothes.

"Ji,"

I looked at him as he was looking very beautiful and alluring in this colour.

"I think, I need your help,"

He said and I looked at his hand holding the securer of his kurta in his hand.

"Oh, it broke,"

I said and walked towards my trunk to take out my sewing kit.

I took the needle between my finger and put the same coloured thread in it to not leave any sign of mismatch.

I walked back to him and looked at him.

I waited for a few moments wanting him to take it off so that I could sew but he stepped closer to me.

"We are getting late,"

He said and I looked down at his chest and kind of realised that he was wanting me to sew his kurta while he was keeping it on.

"Ji,"

I managed to say in slow voice and felt my cheeks warming up with the closeness. I tried to hide my face by looking down only at the thread. My fingers were feeling cold to touch it and my heartbeats were racing when I started to sew. I put the needle in the cloth and the string together and I could feel that he was watching me very closely.

I tried to focus and concentrate but the noise of his breathing and my breathing and our breathing was fanning all over me. 

Suddenly, the dupatta slipped through my head as I leaned in closer to break the remaining thread. My heartbeats turned insanely mad.

"You have such a small waist. Do not you eat anything?"

He said all of a sudden after looking at my back through the mirror and I immediately took a step back. My hand immediately pulled the veil back on my head and I looked at his face. It was expressionless and I tried to say.

"I do... but... people say that food does not..."

He took a step closer.

"... work on me,"

My hand pressed against the edge of the table behind as I saw him coming closer to me. My heartbeats were turning wild when I saw him leaning in closer to my neck and inhaling against my skin.

A strong shiver ran down my spine when he muttered.

"Apart from dark ink, moonless nights and the cosy corner of the dark room with a book in my hand beside a slightly burning lamp, I love... Lavenders,"

He said and my lashes closed.

And, I just took a bath with Lavender.

"Hukum,"

I breathed in a slow voice and he slowly moved back. 

I opened my fluttering eyes and looked at him.

I gulped and lowered my gaze when he said.

"I am waiting for you, outside and thank you so much for this,"

He touched my hand and moved it from the edge of the table to closer to his lips only to melt me with the timidness of his touch with a kiss.

And, then walked away outside.

Moni came back and helped me get ready quickly. I could not notice what was she doing with my hair and everything as my mind was just stuck on him.

After getting ready, I walked outside and found him waiting for me.

"Let's go,"

He said and I pulled my veil a little down to cover my forehead at least.

But, he walked closer and put in on my head and said.

"When no one can cherish what you have, learn to treasure it by yourself,"

I blinked nervously not understanding what he said and not having the courage to tell that I did not understand.

We both walked out of the chamber and I noticed that a group of soldiers and attendees joined while we walked through the galleries, towards the main entrance.

I could hear the faded noises of whispers and giggles as the people were watching us.

A group of ladies standing in the corner keeping their eyes on us. One said something to another and then a loud laughter.

He held my hand all of sudden and I brought my gaze from them to the way beneath me. I hid myself a little behind him. The less they see me the less they would talk about me.

We came out the door and my sight fell on Ranaji and Jiji. I pulled the side of my veil in the respect to him. He was the King and my elder brother-in-law.

"Aishwarya,"

I heard Jiji's voice as she came to me and I smiled looking at her.

"Look at you. Glowing as always,"

She said and hugged me gently.

"Come, we have to share the palanquin,"

I smiled and walked with her to the palanquin.

We both sat in and I heard the slight and faded noises of horses, people and pullers.

"Is it too far?"

I asked looking at her and she nodded.

"Yes, it is, also there is a Trek for the temple so we decided to make it a three day trip that is why the convoy is with us,"

She informed and I nodded.

"Okay,"

I would surely pray Devi Maa to help me in getting rid of that sickness as soon as possible.

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