It was a pleasant morning, the sun was shining brightly, and the chirping of birds made it sound like God was singing himself. The sunlight peeping through the curtains on the window fell directly on the couple sleeping peacefully.
Mrityunjay’s eyes opened when he felt bright, even with his closed eyes, he sat straight on the bed, stretching his arms, and looked around the room, only to find Katha sleeping peacefully. Her clear, bright skin shining in the sun’s rays, making her look even more beautiful, didn’t go unnoticed by Mrityunjay.
For what it’s worth, Mrityunjay felt jealous of the rays, as they were kissing Katha’s body, her every part, inclusive of her face, her lips, arms, neck, and slender waist, and he couldn’t. It had been only a few hours since Mrityunjay had promised Katha, but now he was fighting his desire to have her all to himself.
He stood up from the bed and closed the curtains, before warning the sun rays not to be intimate with his wife. Just when he heard a little jingling sound of anklets and bangles, he turned around only to find Katha awake and stretching her arms like he had done a while ago.
Katha opened her eyes and saw Mrityunjay standing near the window, gazing at her. She stood up from the bed, and while she was adjusting her dupatta over her head, Mrityunjay walked near her, held her hands, and brushed his lips slightly on the back side of her hands, making a shiver run down her spine. It didn’t go unnoticed by him.
Mrityunjay smiled at Katha and said, “Ab jo ki aap hamari patni hain, is kaksh par aapka bhi utna hi adhikaar hai jitna ki hamara. Aiye hum aapko kuch dikhate hain.“
“Now that you’re my wife, you have as much right as I have in this room. Come with me, I want to show you something.“
Katha smiled slightly at Mrityunjay and moved with him, both holding each other’s hands gently.
He first showed her around the room and told her about his reading habit and his fascination for paintings; every painting in the room held some meaning, whether from the artist’s perspective or from his. Then he took her towards a gate that was adjoining their room and took her inside, opening the door.
There was a beautiful garden with different kinds of flowers. The garden was covered with walls on all sides, but there was only half of the roof above the garden, allowing sunlight only above the area where flowers grew.
That place was big, and only below the no-roof area were plants. The rest area had a small fountain and someplace to walk around it, there was some space between the fountain and the door where a mattress was kept on the floor with round pillows and a blanket.
It was just like the one Katha had at her place, and it didn’t take her long to show her happiness upon seeing the place. She was very happy, and Mrityunjay could clearly notice it. He was continuously gazing at her as she walked around the place to see it.
It made Mrityunjay happy to see Katha happy. She was happy, and Mrityunjay could not help but notice the way she smiled with her red rose-like lips, the way she walked beautifully, and the way her face glowed when that smile appeared on her beautiful face.
It was all as if a dream had come true for Mrityunjay as he looked at Katha. The moments were broken when suddenly the couple heard a knock on the door.
“Come in”, said Mrityunjay as he turned around, only to find Devika entering.
“Rajmata has asked to get Maharani-sa ready for the day as she is waiting for her in her room.”
Mrityunjay nodded, turned to look at Katha, and smiled, “Hum bhi dekhenge ki aap sirf sundar hain ya bhojan bhi bana leti hain.“
“I will see whether you’re only beautiful or even know how to cook food.“
This made Katha blush at his words, something that had never happened before, much to her surprise.
Mrityunjay left, giving Katha one last smile, and Devika walked towards Kath, asking her to come with her.
After Some Time
Katha got ready with heavy ornaments adorning her. Her neck held a heavy necklace, her head with a beautiful headpiece, and her hands with two rings in each hand. She wore the anklets given to her by her Hukum and wore heavy earrings matching her necklace.
She went out of her room straight to the hall along with Devika and a few more ladies, where everyone was admiring how beautiful their queen was.
Katha saw her mother-in-law coming in her direction, and she bowed down to touch her feet and get blessings. To her hopes, her mother-in-law blessed her to live a long and happily married life.
Making her now stand straight, she said,
“Aiye, bahot sundar lag rahi hain aap, bass aapko kisi ki nazar na lag jaaye, ab pehle hum aapko sabse milwayenge aur phir aap hamein apne haathon se bana bhojan khilayengi. Hum bhi toh dekhein ki aap sirf apni sundarta se hamein mohit kar sakti hain ya phir annapoorna bhi hain.“
“Come, you’re looking very beautiful, I hope the evil eye doesn’t catch you now. Firstly, I will introduce you to everyone, and then you will make food for us. We will also see whether you’re capable of only impressing by your looks, or if you can do that with the food also.“
She held Katha’s shoulders from both sides and introduced her to everyone, including Ratan and all the ministers and their wives.
Katha greeted Ratan with adjoining hands and bowed down a bit. Ratan also joined his hands and made the same gesture to Katha.
Katha was then taken to the kitchen where she cooked food, and everyone ate it. Her culinary skills captivated the taste buds of everyone in the household. With each meal she prepared, flavors danced harmoniously on their tongues, and the aromatic spices and delicate balance of ingredients in her dishes brought a sense of joy to every palate.
As Katha observed the expressions of delight and heard the chorus of praises from her family members and some ministers, a radiant smile illuminated her face, as this was the first time anyone had appreciated her for her skills other than her brother and Guruji.
The warmth in their eyes and the genuine appreciation for her cooking filled her heart with a deep sense of fulfillment. Knowing that her culinary creations had earned the love and admiration of those around her was a source of immeasurable happiness for Katha.
