Part 73

The Siddha temple

Arnav was standing before Ghorakar's photo and talking to him inwardly.

"Tomorrow is my wedding. I'm going to marry Khushi. My love. Something good is going to happen to me. I know you are with me even though I'm not seeing you. I believe you will attend my wedding. Please do it in any form. That's enough. Please come. I will visit your JEEVA SAMATHI in Nagapattinam district after our wedding. I hope you will make it possible. Thank you."

He came to the sanctum, smiled at the pandit, and gave him prasad.

"May God bless you"

"Thank you," Arnav left the temple.

Wedding Day

Khushi woke up earlier and was getting ready for the wedding. After the wedding, they had to go to the Kala Bairav, a temple. She dried her hair well before plaiting it. She denied having a beautician do her makeup as she didn't like makeup. She got ready with simple makeup. Yet, she looked grand. The silk saree she draped gave her a classy look.

On the other hand, Arnav was fighting with his silk dhoti, which he was not used to. Finally, he tied it with a belt. He looked dashing in the half white silk dhoti. He was called to the stage. Arnav went to the stage and saw the Siddha temple pandit chanting hymns. He went to the altar and started following the pandit's instructions, sitting next to him. His eyes were on the path, expecting his bride.

Arnav became excited when the pandit asked to bring the bride. He saw Khushi heading to the altar in a red silk saree complete with jari work, which dimmed the red and made it look like orange. She wore a diamond jewellery set belonging to the Royal daughter-in-law, who would become a Queen.

Arnav could not avert his gaze from her. The girl who always liked the simple appeared like a queen of fairy tales.

She came to him and took her place beside him. Arnav saw her hand shaking. He smiled.

That was when the pandit tapped his thigh.

"Haan?" He looked at him, perplexed.

"You didn't hear me calling you..." The pandit smiled.

Arnav looked at Arvind and Ratna, who were smiling at him teasingly.

"The Groom forgot himself as he was bewitched..." Ratna laughed, making Khushi's condition awkward.

Arnav smiled. Though he wasn't affected by the tease, he could not stop admiring Khushi, whose cheeks turned red with shame.

"You can admire her for life. Now, complete the rituals," the pandit teased.

The pandit passed the mangal sutra to Arnav. Taking it, he tied it around Khushi's neck with many emotions. He felt a vibration in his body, like a current passing through. He filled the vermilion on her mangal sutra and then her forehead, circling her head, significantly saying that he would protect her forever.

They circled the holy fire for THREE times. In the first round, the couple prayed for nourishment, comfort, and a life filled with respect and nobility. The groom took the lead, signifying his role as provider and protector.

In the second round, they prayed for physical and mental strength, seeking a healthy and peaceful life together. And also sought one another's love and support.

In the third round, they sought blessings for health, wisdom, and abundance, vowing to manage their home with prudence and care. They invoked Goddess Lakshmi for prosperity.

Arnav was not on Earth, but his heart filled with excitement and joy. His wish to marry Khushi came true, and he felt he had achieved his lifetime goal.

After completing the phares, they walked down the stage and touched their feet to receive blessings from Arvind and Ratna.

"Both will live for each other with understanding, like today..." Arvind blessed.

"Be happy and spread happiness everywhere..." Ratna blessed and kissed Khushi's forehead.

Arnav's eyes wandered in the hall, expecting someone who always guided him. He expected Ghorakar to be present at his wedding, but didn't see him in the hall. He remembered what Kasi told him the other day: ' He said he would always be there for you.' Though he didn't appear in front of him, it did not mean he was not there. Arnav believed he would be there in invisible form.

That was when the pandit came to them.

"Your highness, you are going to Kala Bhairava temple, right?"

"Yes... It's custom..."

"Maybe... It was a custom because our village didn't have another temple, but now, the prince has found a Shivlinga. You are going to raise a temple too. So, visiting the Shivlinga first should be done."

"Is it?"

"Yes. Go and worship the Shivlinga first, then come to the KalaBhairava temple."

"As you say..."

People were requested to have lunch. They went to the vast dining hall, where more than five hundred people could sit.

The Groom and the bride got into the car to go to the temple. Arnav didn't leave Khushi's hand at least once. He smiled at Khushi with pride, happiness, excitement, and whatnot. He entwined his fingers with hers and bent down to kiss her knuckle. Khushi tried to pull her hand from his clutch. Gripping her hand, Arnav raised his head and looked at her, who was suffocating. He kissed her knuckle, deeply looking into her eyes. She gestured to him to look at the driver, pouting. He sat straight and circled her shoulders, making her condition worse.

"We are married. I don't care about anything or anyone. Is that OK?"

She again pouted.

"You look so beautiful..." He said in a low tone and kissed her hair.

Khushi bowed with a blush.

"Hey..."

"Mmm?"

"We are husband and wife now..." He said as if she didn't know that.

She smiled.

"We will be together from here on... In the same room. No one will question us. We can do ANYTHING..." He whispered.

Khushi's face swiftly turned red, as if blood from her body had gathered there.

They reached the place where they found the Shivlinga. Arvind and Ratna waited for them there. The newlywed couple attended the special Pooja, and the new SILK CLOTHES were provided to the Shivlinga.

In the meantime,

The Murthy brothers were disappointed and tense. They fixed the dynamite to blast when the newlywedded couple visited the KalaBhairava temple. They thought they would come directly to the temple. So the Murthy brothers fixed the exact time, but as they didn't expect, the newlywedded couple went to worship the Shivlinga.

"If the dynamite blast, everything will be spoiled. We should stop it..."

"Yes, we have only ten minutes... Let's go..." They rushed to the KalaBhairava temple.

At the same time,

They saw the Siddha temple pandit rushing all messed up. They frowned, seeing him.

"What happened, pandit? Why are you looking messed up?" Arvind asked.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, I didn't attend the wedding. I don't know how I slept. Thank god, the wedding happened well, it seems. Who did the rituals, your highness?" He asked, panting hard.

All of them looked at each other, dumbfounded. What was he saying? He was the one who did the rituals..! If he didn't do that, who did?

All of them jerked, hearing a horrible blasting sound. They looked in the direction and heard the sound from the KalaBhairava temple.

Arnav was supposed to go there, but the pandit stopped him.

"You should not go there. Please return back to the palace with the PRINCESS."

Arnav nodded and headed to the palace, and Arvind rushed to the KalaBhairava temple. He saw the aula of the temple collapsing and the Murthy brothers' lifeless bodies lying between the wreckage.

To be continued...