The king's first wife

Dreams break

It was a rainy night. The chill feeling went all around the palace as a new doli came inside and lightning struck one of the trees in the royal garden. She was back in her room, as maids put jewelry over her so that she could get ready to greet the guests.  

Ever since the wedding incident, people had started calling her a new form of Durga Mata. She had started getting even more importance in the palace and even if she didn't have a baby till she was 18, no one would seem to care. But there were three more months for her to turn 18 and Sohit had turned 18 just 3 months ago. The old woman was growing restless because there was something in the palace that was not going according to her. So, in secret, that old woman had gone to Raniganj instead of going to Durga Mata's sacred service 3 months ago, and now that she was back, she was back with a handpicked woman. One who served a lot of threat to the already delicate relationship of Pari and Sohit. 

" Rani ma brought along 2 women from Raniganj. Princess," a maid ran into her room and she looked at her in fear. 2 women from Raniganj? What was happening there?!
" And she's getting the crown prince to marry again," now Pari stood up. Marry again? He was hers. They were already married. How could that woman even do it? 

Pari ran out of the room in a dilemma. Her heart was racing fastly, hoping that he wouldn't agree. She didn't care if her jewelry was put on her or not. She didn't even care if she had a ghunghat over her head anymore. No one would recognize her without it as it is. All she cared about was her husband. He couldn't say yes. He just couldn't. 

" Marry her or produce a grandson in a one," her feet stopped moving as she stood on the balcony and looked down at everyone. Only one of her anklets was one currently, the other one had fallen off but she really didn't care. She was restless and a wreck internally. Her husband getting married to another woman? What the hell did she even do wrong for something like that to happen?!

He heard it. One of her anklets jingling and when that stopped, he looked up to find her staring at him with that face through the balcony. She did everything he asked him to do. She was the best wife she could be then why was he getting married again!? He understood her dilemma just by looking at her face but he didn't have an option either. 

" Ajji. You're getting me married and that is fine but bhai already has bhabhi," his brother also argued 
" Exactly, amma. This can wait till she's at least 18," his mother added but the old woman had a dark plan and a surety in her mind. Pari had already changed the country enough by showing that women could be brave too. No more could she have other women think that they were capable of doing all that too. She had a scheme and for that, she needed to get Pari's wings cut. She needed to cut those white, innocent wings that her own grandson had bestowed upon Pari. 
" No one will argue with me and the rules will not be broken for anyone," the old woman declared, " She needs to have one child till she is 18, or she will lose her husband. Those are the rules and they are the same for everyone," 
" Amma," even the king tried but the old woman's glare was enough for him to shut up 

" Either have a child in 3 months or marry Aditi and if you don't want to do any of that, Pari will be sent to Raniganj till she is 25," the old woman looked right at him with that face that told him that there was a bigger conspiracy behind the order. He knew that his grandmother never did anything for no reason and he also knew that she had always regretted getting Pari married to him because he encouraged Pari in the wrong ways. He was the main reason behind Pari's courage and now, he could see how carefully that woman had wanted to cut him off from Pari. How carefully, that woman had plotted a way for Pari to stop trusting Sohit. He could see it carefully. 

" At least give them 9 months Ajji," his brother begged and she only kept a hand in front of him, while staring at Sohit, and waiting for him to answer. It was an internal war that she caused there. If he chose any of those options, it wouldn't be right for Pari. So, he only glanced back at the balcony. 

She was still there, in tears now as her hands held on the rail tightly. There was pain on her face hurt in her eyes, agony in her hands, and anger over her lips. How she hoped that he wouldn't choose any of those options and would come out with his own answer to the situation but alas, he was also chained. He wasn't in a position over his grandmother's. He was below her and he really couldn't choose anything else.

" Sohit," she called him again and Pari just saw as his face turned to look at his grandmother
" I'll marry her," he answered with a stiff, emotionless face and the old woman smiled in victory. Then, she ordered the women to get out of the doli and made him look directly at his new wife. A scene even Pari could see... 

That woman looked much younger than Sohit. She had long black hair, shorter than Pari's but they were long too. Her eyes were nothing unique but the look of happiness that she had only left Pari bitter and she turned around in tears. She didn't go down to greet the guests that day. 

" You will get married in 3 months," she heard the old woman say and wiped off her tears while smudging her kajal as she walked back into her room and Sohit glanced back at her with worry just to see her back faced him as she walked away.