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Aishwarya POV

"I do not want you to see me, like... there,"

I tried to say in my low and slow voice while lowering my gaze for a moment and he thinned his brows in a line.

He waited for a few moments and kept looking at me before he said.

"Okay,"

He smiled and gently stroked his palm on my head and I placed my head on his chest.

"But, now you have to go back to sleep,"

He said and I closed my lazy and dizzy lashes. His warmness was feeling so soothing and I did not remember when I fell asleep again.

I woke up when I felt like enough contended with the sleep and tried to open my heavy lashes.

My sight fell on his sleeping face facing me. We were still on the small couch but not so small because it adjusted both of us. I felt my hand pressing against his chest. I immediately pulled back and sighed thanks for the Henna for not leaving any marks. It was all dried now.

I gulped and slowly detached myself from him. The noise of my anklet bells made him sigh in his sleep and inhale a deep breath.

I exhaled deeply while straightening up.

I sat and felt my lower back against his midriff. I started rubbing both of my hands against each other to get rid of the dried Henna still stuck to my palms.

As it was getting more and more off my skin I could see the actual color. It was dark, way too dark.

"Oh my Goodness,"

I breathed slowly as I realised that I had never had this dark colour of my Henna.

"What happened?"

His slow and sleepy voice caught my attention and I moved my gaze to look at him.

His eyes were still closed and I felt him wrapping his arms around me and slowly pulling me closer.

I laid back again against him and felt him coming closer to me.

I immediately pulled my face back and said.

"I am fasting, Hukum,"

He inhaled a deep breath tinted with the slight frustration and a slight smile appeared on my face.

"All right,"

He said and opened his eyes half only.

He lazily pecked my cheeks with his lips and I giggled a little.

"I have to get up and get ready,"

I tried to say and push him a little away from me.

He moved his hand off of me as I tried to stand up from the couch.

He went back to sleep in no time and I tried to say.

"You should go to bed,"

But, he was quick enough to get back to sleep.

I smiled looking at him and looked at my hands again.

I did not know it was making me smile for no reason. It was so beautiful. I looked at his hands and my sight noticed that he got the tip of his fingers messed up a little too.

He is the best.

I smiled and walked into the bathing room to take a bath. It took me a good time to freshen up, take a bath and get ready.

I chose dark red attire for today. It was good as it was my first Teej after the wedding and red was absolutely pure and holy.

I looked at myself in the mirror after getting into the Lehnga and Blouse and suddenly remembered that my jewellery was kept on the table. He took it off last night while I was asleep.

I immediately walked towards the table and looked at him still sleeping.

"Hukum,"

I called him in a slow voice while picking up earrings and wearing them.

"Hn?"

He said in his slow and sleepy voice and I asked.

"I think you should get up,"

I tried to say and he inhaled a deep breath while lifting his lashes.

"Really?"

He asked and I nodded.

"Ji,"

He stretched his arms wide and tried to touch my waist and I took a step away from his reach.

He chuckled and I smiled.

He looked at me and I just kept staring at his beautiful morning face. He was looking even more handsome now.

I quickly wore all the pieces of jewellery and walked back to the mirror.

He also stood up from the couch and raked his fingers into his mirror so that I could easily see through the reflection of the mirror.

He walked into the bathing room and I concentrated on setting my dupatta.

After getting ready I walked into the bathing room to see him.

My sight fell on him sitting on the stone stool only his lower and he lifted his gaze to look at me.

"Hukum,"

I called him slowly and he emptied the small vessel of water over his head and turned all wet.

"Ji,"

He asked and I gulped seeing him getting all wet in water. His thick lashes and brows turned wet and I felt as if my heartbeats were racing up suddenly.

"Umm, I am going for the prayers, if you need anything just tell any attendee,"

I tried to say in a slow voice and he nodded.

"Okay,"

I blinked silently and nodded.

"Okay,"

I turned and walked out of the bathing room. The image of his sitting there replayed in my mind and I suddenly shook my head.

I should be thinking about God.

I inhaled a deep breath and tried to concentrate.

I walked out of my chamber and started walking towards the prayer hall where everyone must be waiting for me.

I stepped into the prayer hall and looked at all my sisters all set for the prayers.

"Aishwarya,"

One of my sisters called and I walked towards her.

Everyone was wearing red and she asked.

"Show us your Mehndi?"

She asked and I smiled while bringing my hands forward.

Their eyes opened wide and their mouth followed.

"Oh my God, you cheated,"

One of my sisters said and immediately held my hands.

"You made yours more beautiful than ours, and it's so dark,"

She said and I smiled.

"No, Jiji, I did not do it. I got tired after applying Mehndi to all your hands so Hukum did it,"

One of my sisters suddenly chuckled.

"What?"

A few laughed.

"Your husband?"

She asked with weird expressions and laughed.

"Ji,"

I managed to agree.

"What kind of husband does that? What is he? A half-man?"

One of my sisters said and suddenly I felt a wave of anger running through me.

"No, actually he is a full man. Spend a night with him and you will know,"

I said and suddenly my elder sister slapped me tight on my cheek.

"Absurd,"

She cursed me and I could feel my heart beats racing so wild. The tears were on the verge of rolling down my eyes but I blinked to fight them to stay back and not show uninvited.

What the hell did I say wrong?

They should spend some time with him to know him. He was the best man, a man who supported me more than they ever did in their whole lives.

"I did not say anything wrong. If you will spend some time with him, you will know him better. You are saying that because you do not know him,"

I tried to say and she inhaled furiously.

"We do not need to spend time with your husband. Understand! Whatever he is, we do not care. And, what the hell did he do to you? Hnn. It's not even a month since your wedding and you are already fighting for him with us. Us, Aishwarya. We are your sisters. What the hell he did do to you? What did he give to you? Some ornaments, rich life, status, power? What the hell did he give to you? Do not forget he is just the counsellor in the court. He holds no power. You do not know the real men who are Kings like our husbands,"

She said and I could feel like my blood was boiling and my heart was getting wild.

I did not know but I had never felt this much affected.

I inhaled a deep breath and tried to calm myself down.

I did not have to answer them.

They would never understand what he gave to me.

I just blinked silently and lowered my gaze.

"Nothing,"

I said. I should not argue with them. They were my elders. 

I closed my eyes for a moment and asked for the forgiveness of God for behaving like this. I was fasting for him and I should not cross my limits.

"I am sorry Jiji, if it hurt you,"

I said in a slow voice and walked past them to begin my prayers.

My heart was pounding and feeling on the cliff all the while I was praying to Maa Parvati. 

All I could for was strength. Strength to not build power or status but to stay happy. Because being happy was seeming to be the most difficult thing very now.

After finishing up the prayers, I silently walked back to my chamber and sat on the bed.

My eyes silently looking around to find emptiness only.

Hukum was not there.

I exhaled and felt like crying already.

I laid back on the bed and suddenly the slight noise of footsteps approaching made me alert.

"You are back after the prayers?"

He asked and I could recognise from the loudness of his voice that he was coming closer.

"Yes,"

I said and I was feeling as if I was on the verge of breaking into cries.

"What happened?"

He asked while standing close to the bed and I looked at him asking that seriously to me.

"Nothing,"

I said but felt that my voice came out really low.

He came closer and laid beside me. Our legs were down and backs were pressing against the mattress.

"Something?"

He asked again and I looked at me.

"Are you upset? Did you cry? Something said someone?"

He asked me a short breath and the more he was asking the more I was feeling like crying any moment.

I shook my head and blinked silently.

"What is freedom Hukum!?

I asked in a silent voice and he remained silent voilent for a moment before saying.

"Depends on what you feel bounded with?"

He said and I inhaled calmly for a moments to run my thoughts wild to think what were making me feeling bounded.

"What makes you feel bounded? Aishwarya,"

He asked in a slow voice and I tried to answer.

"I think there are so many things,"

I said in a slow voice and he shifted closer and placed his hand on his palm while supporting it with his elbow.

"Like what?"

He asked and I looked at him.

I blinked silently.

"Many but do you think that having a identity of my own will help me feel freedom?"

I asked and he inhaled silently for a few good moments and nodded slowly.

"Having a identity and voice of your own will definitely make you feel powerful and liberated but it does not guarantee freedom. Anything beyond requirement is slavery, Aishwarya. Before achieving anything you should set your own limits for yourself. That beyond that limit you cannot accept or handle that particular thing. Being too much agreeable and not that much agreeable is disadvantageous. But, if you will me I will always want you to have a identity of your own. Like Aishwarya, Princess of Songarh and Suryagarh, not just Aishwarya Ranvijay Dev Singh,"

He said and I blinked silently hearing him. The memory of my sister slapping me was replaying again and again in my head.

I did not know but I had never felt this much affected with their slap in my whole life, the much I felt today.

It was like being a Princess, being the wife of him was not enough.

And, I was not getting over it.

I inhaled deeply and looked at him.

"I think I am ready for the business idea you gave me. I will do it,"

I said and he suddenly screamed so loudly.

"WHAAAAATTTTTTTTT???????"

Sometimes, flowery words cannot awake the power in you but a slap can.

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