Veil of Fate
The countdown to Sandhya’s wedding commenced with the arrival of the marriage party on that 6th June. The groom’s entourage felt the official clout of Kamalakar, who by then became the District Collector. Officials worked overtime to spruce up the government guest-houses for the occasion. Fleets of department vehicles were lined up at a hailing distance from the guests. The kalyana mandapam was so made up as to resemble the durbar hall of a maharajah’s palace. Attendants in their scores swarmed the place to be on hand for assorted errands.
Sandhya was wondering how to introduce Roopa to her fiancé. She couldn’t take her to him, as custom ordained that a bride shouldn’t move out of the house on the eve of her marriage. She wished that he would come home to see her but the norms left no scope for that either.
‘What about going to the guest-house on the sly,’ said Sandhya to Roopa.
‘Why not,’ said Roopa in jest, ‘if you don’t mind being labeled a groom-chaser.’
As they were wondering what to be done, Sandhya’s mother called her, ‘O, Sandhya, come down.’
‘Seems she won’t let me be on my own today,’ grumbled Sandhya as she went down.
Springing down the stairs in irritation, Sandhya saw her fiancé following her movements from the drawing room. Even as her daydreaming brought him closer to her in her consciousness, she was still shy in his presence for the lack of intimacy. Thus, stopping in her tracks, she blushed to her roots.
‘Oh,’ he complimented, going up to her, ‘you look sweeter than ever.’
‘Thanks for the compliment,’ she said coyly.
‘It’s I who should thank you,’ he said taking her hand, ‘for accepting my hand.’
‘Why, you had started it all,’ she turned coquettish, ‘by taking my hand to read in between the lines.’
‘What of your inviting gestures,’ he said looking into her eyes.
‘Don’t tell me,’ she said all smiles, ‘you’re blindfolded otherwise.’
‘Won’t your beauty,’ he said joyously squeezing her hand, ‘impart vision to the blind even?’
‘Oh, come on,’ she said enthusiastically, ‘I’ve a treasure to show you.’
‘I thought you’ve more than one!’ he said mischievously, ‘anyway, why a premature display?’
‘Behave like a bridegroom,’ she scolded him in mock anger, ‘and don’t act like a playboy.’
‘Hope you won’t frame rules for our first night and thereafter,’ he said, making her suppress her smile.
‘Tell me,’ he said, picking up from where she had left, ‘what’s that you want to show me?’