caught in the heartless drama

“There is something your sister demanded, Nayera,” Rani Sa said as they got took their seats for lunch. Kush himself served Nayera just like his father served his mother.

It was just an act for show but the small smile Nayera gave him melted his heart in one go. “Uhmm,” Rana Ji cleared his throat as they both looked away from each other. Nayera’s cheeks heat up.

“What is it, Rani Sa?” Nayera asked referring to what she was saying a few moments ago.

“She wants to match kundalies first,” She said as Nayera nodded.

“It’s a tradition we follow,” Nayera murmured under her breath as she ate. Kush put another roti on her plate as she glared at him.

“What? You don’t eat at all,” He said making her eat a bite.

Nayera shook her head chewing the bite; the elders were happy to see their children happy like that but they did not know it was just a façade, just a show for them to believe Nayera and Kush were a couple.

“You believe in matching Kundali?” She asked her not to be mother-in-law.

“Yes,” Nayera smiled inwardly.

“Only if it matches,” Rani Sa said with a giggle as Rana ji smiled as well. Nayera and Kush looked at each other with the reaction of ‘We’re fucked!’

‘What if I have to actually marry him?’ the thought crossed her mind as the spoon dropped from her hands.

All the eyes were on her now, “Era, you okay?” He asked holding her hand as she looked at him for a moment before she nodded.

“It just slipped accidentally,” She said as he nodded.

“Eat,” He said softly as the discussion continued.

After the lunch

“Nayera, DO you have your kundali at your home?” Rani sa asked as Nayera shook her head.

“It is at my parent’s home,” She replied, she was trying to delay it as much as she could.

“Don’t worry, I can have the priest make it again, you select your dress okay?” Rani Sa said.

“Your birthday?” She asked.

“9th August 1996,” Nayera said as Rani Sa’s smile dropped.

“What happened? Rani Sa?” She asked observing the change in her body language.

“Nothing, Do you like anything from these?” She asked pointing at the pile of clothes.

“Nope, Maa-sa, she is flipping every dress away, not liking anything at all,” Kush said as he came from behind, sneaking his arm around her waist.

“Kush!” Nayera whispered in a warning tone. Kush laughed as he looked at his mother.

“I need to talk to a royal priest, excuse me you two,” She said walking away from there.

Nayera quickly removed Kush’s arm from her back as she stood at a little bit of distance from each other.

“What have you gotten me into? Kush!” She asked looking at the decorators around the house.

“Trust me I want to stop this roka as much as you do because in Rajwada, if roka happened, nothing can stop me from marrying you,” He said as he stared into her eyes.

“What?”

“I mean, nothing would be able to stop them from getting us, you and I, married!” Kush said making Nayera even more scared.

“I don’t want to marry you, hell I don’t want to get married ever!” Nayera said pacing back and forth.

“Calm down if any plan does not work, I can still be the bad person here okay?” He said cupping her face. Her eyes stared into his.

“I can back out from the wedding okay? If anything does not serve purpose, I will back out,” He said placing a kiss on her forehead.

“You would not have to get married to me,” He said as they parted.

“Promise?” She asked.

“Promise!” he affirmed.

“let’s go then and select dresses for our not happening roka,” Nayera said with a giggle as they both went on selecting beautiful dresses for themselves.

“How are we going to separate these two Rana Ji?” Rani Sa asked as she eyed both of them. She was so excited to get them both married but she can’t now.

“It’s going to be a tough task, they both are so in love,” Rana Ji said as another set of laughter echoed in the palace. His heart ached, after a really long time his son was back home, there were laughs in the Palace where just silence before them.

“They can find love again, in other people,” Rani Sa said wiping the tear off her cheek that rolled down her eyes.

“Call him,” Rana Ji ordered as she looked at him.

“You sure you want to break it to him this way?” She asked.

“Yeah,” He replied before walking to his study room.

Kush’s mother went to them and they both smiled looking at her. She tried to put a smile on her face but couldn’t.

Kush noticed it and went ahead to his mother as Nayera sat back looking at the necklace sets.

“We have to stop this roka, Kush,” she said as Kush frowned, inwardly he was jumping in happiness but he had to keep the act up.

Seems like the priest's plan worked.

“Come with me,” She said pulling him to his father’s study.

“What happened? Maa-sa, you were so excited about our roka a few minutes ago and now you are saying that the roka can’t happen, what is the deal here?” he asked both of them.

“That girl can’t become our daughter-in-law, Kunwar Kush Sabarwal,” Rana ji said as Kush clenched his fist.

“But why?” Kush asked.

“Kush we said no, that means no,” Kush could not understand his father, a few minutes ago he was calling her, so sweetly but now he is saying she can’t become his wife.

“I need to know the reason, Bapu-sa,” Kush demanded, he needed to make it seem like he really, really cared.

“Her kundali has dosh, you can be killed if you marry her,” Rana ji said.

Kush raised his eyebrow at them, “An hour ago matching kundali’s did not even matter to you,” He said.

“your kundali’s match but her dosh can be a threat to your life,” Rana Ji said being the heartless person here.