Page 12 of Twisted Deceit
Knowing people were watching her, she hugged him to avoid his eyes. She was ecstatic he agreed to the contract, but the novel sensations and how she reacted to his touch scared her.
What was she getting herself into?
Too late; anything is better than marrying the Thakvar heir and being stuck in Singoor.
Chapter 6
Singoor Desert, India
Aadhya could not believe every bit of her plan worked out. From the time she identified Nakul as her potential temporary husband and Nakul agreeing to the contract, everything happened uncannily.
It was the day before her wedding ceremony at the Singoor temple. She sat on the comfortable couch as two women applied beautiful henna art on her arms and legs in preparation for her bridal look.
Her aunt was ecstatic when she shared the news about the man she loved and intended to marry a businessman and settle overseas. She had been busy with the wedding preparations since then.
Still, Aadhya wondered if she disappointed her aunt by choosing to leave the country.
She returned to Singoor a few days ago after meeting Nakul’s family over a video call. She was glad that the meeting went without a hitch and, most importantly, the contract for the marriage was signed. She was, in fact, legally married to her temporary husband already. A simple event that his grandmother could witness over a video call before her surgery.
Her uncle, her aunt’s husband, was unhappy about her rejecting the Thakvar alliance, but her aunt convinced him. Her uncle was protective of her and asked her to share every detail about Nakul as if he wanted to ensure Aadhya was not being conned for her inheritance. In the end, she was glad her uncle agreed with her decision.
*****
It was the wedding day, and Aadhya was nervous about everything. She was worried about her aunt finding out about the charade, the Thakvars opposing the wedding, or worse, her groom being kidnapped by one of the savage clans.
The loud drum beats from outside the mansion were drowned in the sound of her heart beating in her ears. She was about to get married at the Singoor temple as per the traditions of the land. She sat in the middle of her room in the Kanwar mansion, surrounded by a dozen women busy with the finishing touches of her bridal look.
Her eyes were lined dramatically, the lip color derived from a local flower, and the pigment was so deep it was naturally beautiful. The vermilion powder was mixed in water to draw Kanwar traditional designs on her forehead.
Her body still had a hint of yellow from theHaldiceremony, and her red dress made her skin glow. Especially the mehendi patterns stood out. Her hair was braided with gold medallions used to decorate along the length of it.
Her outfit was heavy, hand-embroidered silk, making her look like a queen. She felt the weight while standing but it felt lighter when she saw how her aunt smiled at her.
Her aunt was the one who raised her after her parents passed away in a fire accident almost twenty years ago. She would do anything for her aunt. Even if it meant she had to marry the Thakvar heir to make her aunt happy. But her aunt loved her equally, and she agreed to Aadhya marrying a man outside Singoor. It was her way of dodging the bullet of the Thakvar alliance.
Thakvar heirs showed up out of nowhere, sending out alliances to the female heirs, and she had no interest in becoming a Singoor bride and being stuck in the region. She had no good memories from her place of birth and never once thought of moving back.
A week ago, she got legally married to a man who was looking for a temporary wife. He needed a wife for his grandmother’s sake. It was the setup she needed to not be tied to a man from Singoor. She didn’t want to be in the place where her parents took their last breath. Her goal was to live as far away as possible from Singoor, away from the darkness of the past.
The event at the Singoor temple would seal the deal for her to leave Singoor with her temporary husband, an international businessman. The ceremony was for the clan heads and close family to attend and give blessings. Also, it was a way to notify the clans that the heir was no longer available for future alliances.
“Such a beautiful bride, our Aadi, has turned into. Her to-be husband is very lucky.” Meenabai, the older woman who helped raise her, made her smile, relaxing her a bit.
“Nani, where have you been all day?” Aadhya met the older woman’s eyes in the mirror.
“Getting everything ready for you,” the woman laughed and added, “I prepared all your favorite sweets and snacks. They will be sent to where your wedding night will take place.”
“Great! Thanks, Nani.” Aadhya knew there would be no wedding night with her fake husband.
“This child is not shy at all.” Meenabai tried to chastise her for being so casual, and Aadhya laughed it off.
“Is my Aadi ready to go get married?” Her aunt’s voice made her smile. Rajeshwari Devi Kanwar, the clan leader caring for the people since her father passed away, leaving the region's responsibilities and their only child to her.
“Rajji,” Aadhya let out a squeal of joy when she caught sight of her aunt in the mirror. “You look stunning in that outfit.”
Her aunt had her traditional clan head outfit with the long Kanwar insignia necklace. A round medallion with the symbol of a camel in front of a sunrise. A sign of hope and new beginnings. Paired with her medallion was the traditional weapon, a spear on her back, held securely by a belt wrapped around her waist.
“You are so beautiful, Aadi,” her aunt blinked away tears and quickly followed, “I cannot believe it is your wedding day.”
