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Their good-natured teasing amuses me, but Ayaan completely disregards their words.
“No way. If you both can’t handle a simple forehead kiss, then next time, close your eyes instead of dropping your jaws,” Ayaan retorts as he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me closer.
“Stop teasing my brothers,” I interrupt, turning to Ayaan.
“They started it,” he replies. “Ever since the Knight and the Rook have joined hands, they think they can take down the King.”
“We can,” Aksh bhai chimes in. “We’re a formidable team now.”
“But not as strong as the King,” Ayaan challenges, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.
Gosh! They are never going to back down, always ready to flaunt their strength and might against each other!
“Alright, everyone,” Bhabhi interrupts us. “Now that everything seems to be resolved, it’s time for Meher to complete the post-wedding ritual. Vishnu and Aksh will both tie the Raksha dhaga on Meher’s wrist, promising to extend their protection and love throughout her life.”
I am so excited for this. Bhabhi has already prepared the Puja thali. As I take a seat on the couch, she lights the diya, and both my brothers take their turns to tie the Raksha dhaga around my wrist, solemnising the ritual. My eyes well up with tears, but these are tears of joy. At that moment, I sense his presence. I glance up at the stairs to see Dad silently witnessing this moment from afar. There’s a mix of happiness and regret on his face, but he quickly conceals it and retreats back to his room. I hope he takes my words to heart and considers giving Vishnu the rightful place he deserves.
As Aksh lovingly feeds me the sweets, I catch sight of Ayaan standing a few steps away, looking at me with a warm smile. It’s all thanks to him that I could finally find clarity and closure regarding my doubts about this whole situation. If he hadn’t brought me to Walia House today, it might have taken me weeks to muster up the courage and resolve to come here and seek answers about the past.
Ayaan has truly outdone himself today. This is what a king and queen do for each other. When one of them is in pain or is suffering, the other is always there, ready to provide support and ease that pain. I’m immensely grateful to my king, and regardless of the circumstances, he deserves a special reward for this.Tonight!
AYAAN
I was worried about today and how things would pan out between Meher, her dad and Vishnu, but now that they have made amends, I feel a sense of relief. I couldn’t bear to see my queen constantly worried and upset. That’s why I felt the need to take swift action to ease her concerns. Our visit to Walia House proved to be fruitful. Meher happily completed the post-wedding ritual with her brothers, Aksh and Vishnu, and we returned home.
As promised, we had dinner with Dad, Krish, Bhaskar uncle and Trisha, who had become an integral part of our family. A woman ready to protect my queen with her life had earned her place within the family.
After dinner, Meher went back to our room, leaving Krish and me to have a quick discussion about my upcoming weekend plans. I was planning a surprise encounter with Raghav at The Roost, but I hadn’t said anything to Meher yet. I decided not to disclose this to her until the day itself, as I knew she would object due to the potential danger involved. Also, she would get worried because I intended to go alone while Krish and his team would be stationed outside the pub, guiding me in the best possible way.
Krish and I talked about our plans and strategies for the upcoming rendezvous with Raghav, and by the time I returned to our bedroom, it was nearly midnight.
As I step into the bedroom, I am immediately struck by the warm and romantic ambience created by the soft glow of dimmed lights. The faint flicker of scented candles on the bedside tables perfumes the air with a delightful fragrance. Meher has clearly put in lots of effort to set up this intimate atmosphere, and I’m genuinely impressed.
My gaze is drawn to Meher, who is standing before the ornate chessboard table, the same elegant antique piece that has graced our family’s living room for decades. I can’t help but wonder why it’s been brought into our bedroom tonight.
She appears to be completely absorbed in her task, carefully placing chess pieces on the board with a thoughtful expression. She’s playing chess from both sides, a habit I’ve developed to sharpen my skills and gain insight into my opponent’s moves.
Meher’s attire only adds to the magic of the moment. She’s dressed in a three-piece maroon satin nightdress that complements her beauty, and her hair is tied up in a messy bun. She looks freshly showered and relaxed, having removed all her jewellery except the mangalsutra and my black beaded bracelet on her wrist, which she never takes it off her.
As I look at my newlywed wife in this cosy and romantic setting, I can’t help but admire her beauty. It’s clear that she’s managed to shrug off the stress and worries that had plagued her earlier in the day, and it warms my heart to see her so carefree and at ease. I lock the door and step inside, making my way straight to her. I’m just about to hug her from behind when she turns around to face me.
“Hey, husband,” she smiles at me.
“Hey, wife,” I smile back, pushing the silky lock of her hair behind her ear before glancing at the chess table again. “What is this doing here?” I ask.
She turns to see me pointing at the ornate chessboard table.
“Oh, this,” she said, quickly stepping away from me and admiring the table with a smile. “Well, I saw it downstairs, and since I knew you had a long discussion with Krish to attend to, I asked the house help to bring it to our room tonight. That way, I could pass some time.”
Meher starts adjusting the chess pieces on their respective sides again—all whites together and all blacks on the opposite end. Her keen interest in the game and the way she carefully touches the pieces is a major turn-on for me, knowing she shares my love for the game. I take a step closer to her to hug her from behind, but just as I am about to do so, Meher suddenly slips away and continues to adjust the pieces again. Okay! That’s weird!
“What’s wrong?” I ask. “Why are you not letting me touch you?”
She finally looks into my eyes again and grins.
“That’s the purpose of this entire game tonight.”
I don’t understand. Meher gestures towards the chess table, but I am still clueless about what she wants to tell me.
