Page 22 of Twisted Deceit
Later that evening, Aadhya dragged her heavy skirt along as she walked with her husband. Her outfit was beautiful but heavy and she had to be by his side as she was tied to him, literally. It was an evening of festivities, and as part of the newlywed rituals, if they could not spend private time on holy lands, they spent time in public events, their hands tied together with a religious thread.
She could not believe her ears when Meenabai said they had to have their hands tied until a specific event was complete. She only wanted to scream. Three days alone in the cabins would have been a lot less tormenting.
Why did her Thakvar husband not want to go to the holy lands? Did he have an agenda?
Whatever he had on his plan, she needed to make sure that she would need to stay in the Kanwar mansion for her to drive him out successfully. Her mind needed to be clearer when thinking about hiring someone to snoop on her husband without being noticed to find proof of what he was doing.
Who would spy on the Thakvars, even if it was for money? And what would be worse was if she was caught in espionage.
The ritual went by fast as she sat beside her husband, her face covered in the veil as the neighboring clan heads were present that evening to bless them. Soon after the ritual, their hands were released, and she let a breath out. Feeling him against her skin was torturous; her nostrils tickled with the cologne she thought was sexy from the day she met him and just being so close to him.
She was glad she didn’t have to walk around the carnival-like setting with her hand tied to her husband’s. She was amazed at how quickly the show came to life. Singers, dancers, and other artists from the Kanwar region showcased their talents to the other clansmen who were present. It was only during the big festivals that all talent was put on display. And because of her being away at boarding school, she had missed out on the annual celebrations.
Aadhya spotted her aunt speaking to one of the clan members at a distance, and her heart swelled with affection for the woman. It had to be her aunt’s idea to pull off such a celebration, knowing how upset Aadhya would get when she heard about all the fun the household had at the annual carnivals.
She left her husband’s side and, ignoring that her aunt was in deep conversation, Aadhya put her arms around her. “I can’t believe I missed the fair all these years.” She kissed her aunt. “Thank you, Rajji. This is so amazing.”
Her aunt placed her palm on Aadhya’s cheek. “Anything for you, sweetheart.”
“Wonderful celebration,Maaho.” Nakul smiled, and Aadhya’s eyes widened with surprise. The man used the proper term in the Kanwar local dialect to address a female clan head. He even followed the clan norm and bowed to her aunt.
The surprise was visible in her aunt’s eyes, and she smiled in return. “You know our local dialect?”
He shook his head. “Just a few words.”
Liar!
“Aadi, you are so lucky. Your husband is learning the local dialect for you.” Her aunt got emotional, and that made her glare at Nakul. With the way he was building up his profile, it seemed her people would not believe the rumors she planned to spread about him after he abandoned her, as per the contract.
She had to do something else to get him to leave. She muddled through the options, watching a spear fight traditional to the Kanwar clan. One fight ended, and the winner stayed inside the ring. She noticed how the men were placing a personal item on a tray carried around by one of the men to challenge a winner into a fight. Some put their bracelet, some their turban, another man his beads necklace, and as the man holding the tray approached where they stood as if to invite Nakul, she jumped in and placed one of her bangles on the tray.
“Aadi, what are you doing?” Her aunt looked shocked.
She looked at her husband, who was a few feet away, through her veil. “Rajji, Nakul is trained in spear fight. He would not have considered participating if it weren’t for me.”
“Wow, NakulBaba, is that true? Do you know how to fight with a spear?” Her aunt’s joy knew no bounds. Aadhya followed her aunt to where her fake husband looked, and to avoid his eyes, she bent down to touch his feet.
Just like that morning, he stepped back before holding her by her shoulder to straighten her back. His face was a mask, and she didn’t know what he would do next.
Aadhya expected him to object and decline the fight, be scared or embarrassed, but the man looked unfazed. He nodded. “I practice from time to time.” He looked in her direction and met her eyes through the veil. “I’ll do it if Aadhya wants me to.”
“How wonderful and auspicious! A Thakvar knowing a Kanwar warrior skill.” The aunt quickly signaled to her trusted man. “Make sure Aadhya’s bangle is picked for the next fight.”
Aadhya watched as her aunt’s trusted man walked to the organizers to ensure the next fight included Nakul. She waited to see at what point her husband would back off. There was no way he would have learned the spear fight because it was not the Thakvar fight ritual. They used daggers or swords in that part of the region.
Nakul wore a traditional cotton tunic and loose-fitted pants paired with a turban. She watched in amazement as he walked over to where she stood and handed her his turban. “Don’t enjoy the show too much.”
She was baffled as he walked to the center court where the fight would happen. Did he realize what he was getting into? Did he think he could wing a spear fight? At best, he probably got trained in handling a sword for protection, but a spear fight was something else.
The opponent looked tiny next to Nakul, despite being tall. She noticed how well-built Nakul was, and all those feelings of attraction she had for him at the resort came crashing back. She shook them away and sat beside her aunt to enjoy the show.
She knew the outcome of the fight: him leaving the Kanwar mansion. Either embarrassed or angered by the fact that he lost. It didn’t matter; she just had to drive him away somehow. She hoped that he would leave that night while people knew from Meenabai that the marriage was not consummated and keep him away.
The sound of metal on metal made her shake out of her dreamy thoughts. The fight had started, and more crowd gathered as the word spread that a Thakvar and the top warrior of the Kanwar clan were engaging in a fight. Aadhya was surprised to see that a different man was sparring with Nakul. His opponent was bigger than Nakul if not taller.
The few maneuvers from Nakul and Aadhya’s jaw dropped. He was fighting like he did this daily. How was that possible? He may have been a Thakvar but he was born and raised abroad. How was he able to fight with so much agility? And he had been in the offense from the time the fight started.
Her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw Nakul’s opponent’s spear fall to the ground and the horn was blown, indicating the match's end. “Aadi, your husband is a true warrior. So proud of him.” Her aunt’s husband, who joined them mid-fight cheered.
