Ambivalence

Sense of Tranquility

Aaradhya's POV

As the haldi ceremony commenced, I found myself immersed in the joyous atmosphere, surrounded by Ruhani Masi, Dev bhai, and Reyansh. Laughter and chatter filled the air, adding to the festive spirit of the occasion. Despite my initial reservations, I couldn't help but be drawn into the excitement of the moment.

As per tradition, it was my turn to apply haldi to Rajveer. Reluctantly, I approached him, knowing that it was an essential part of the ceremony. 

The haldi ceremony was proceeding smoothly until my gaze caught sight of a group of girls lingering around my husband, stealing glances and giggling coyly. At first, I tried to brush off the feeling of unease gnawing at me, but when one of the girls deliberately stumbled and smeared haldi on his kurta, my anger surged like a tidal wave.

How dare she lay a hand on my husband? 

The audacity of her actions fueled the flames of fury within me, and I struggled to contain the rising storm of emotions threatening to consume me.

With determination burning in my eyes, I stormed towards Sharvansh, clutching the bowl of haldi tightly in my hands. Ignoring his confused inquiries, I grabbed his arms and began leading him briskly towards our private pool.

"Aaradhya, what's wrong?" His voice was laced with concern, but I was too focused on erasing any trace of those girls' lingering touch from him to respond.

"Aaradhya, kya hua hai? Kuch batayiye toh?" He pressed, his tone becoming more insistent as we entered the pool room.

Once inside, I wasted no time. I pushed him against the wall with force, my grip firm on his collar as I glared at him, gesturing for him to remain silent. My eyes lowered and I saw the haldi stain on his kurta.

Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I grabbed a jug of water and poured it over Sharvansh, the cool liquid cascading over his stained kurta. With determination, I began to rub vigorously, determined to rid his clothes of any trace of those other women's touch. The sight of their handprints on his attire filled me with fury and a sense of possessiveness over my husband.

But no matter how hard I scrubbed, the stains seemed to stubbornly persist, mocking my efforts. Frustration bubbled up within me, and with a frustrated gesture, I threw the jug aside, the sound of it clattering against the floor echoing in the room.

With a frustrated growl, I flung the jug aside, feeling the sting of tears threatening to spill from my eyes. The sight of those handprints on his kurta ignited a fierce protectiveness within me, driving me to erase any remnants of their presence.

Feeling defeated, I began to undo his buttons, my hands shook with a mix of anger and insecurity. Despite knowing that there was no room for doubt in our relationship, the sight of those marks still gnawed at my peace of mind.

Aisi aurton ke pati unhe akela chod dete hai,

This is not your middle-class family. This is a royal family, and it's only been six months since you married him. Once he finds another woman, it won't take time for you to become just his wife in name, while he spends his nights—

You will be left alone.

Nobody would want a girl like you.

"Aaradhya," Sharvansh's voice broke through my turmoil, his hands gently gripping my arms to stop me.

"Relax, just relax," he urged, his voice soft and soothing, offering a moment of respite from the 

storm raging inside me.