62.Mahira Dastoor.

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Raina got ready and came in the front porch of the fort where everyone was standing waiting for Vasudha's brother arrival.

Again the front garden was chaotic. Instead of going any further, she decided to stay back, even the elder ladies suggested that because brides are kept a bit hidden.

Leaning back on a pillar, she looked around the garden and happy faces of people. Vasudha can be seen giving orders to the staff for smooth work.

She didn't know why but she was nor feeling happy neither sad for that ritual. Maybe because nothing was planned at bride's side.

She looked down to her hands which were tainted yellow from morning's turmeric.

Mahira Dastoor. A ritual where maternal uncle of groom or bride makes a grand entry in the house with loads of gifts , signifying that they are ready to bear the responsibility of their sister's daughter's or son's marriage.

She was missing her parents, no matter what but....

Her further thoughts were stopped when suddenly a packet came in front of her. She looked up in surprise to see a man of her age or slightly older was standing there with a smile and forwarding a packet towards her.

Seeing the questions twirling on her face, he smiled and said, "These are the local fruit candies made by the villagers. Have it,who knows it will help in relaxing your wedding jitters."

She smiled back and looked inside the small pack. Many colourful candies were lying inside it. Now, she was not a child and neither he was some kidnapper in the fort who will abduct her. He was looking decent enough not to do that.

She took one orange candy and kept it inside her mouth, a sweet and sour taste hit her taste buds and the balance of few spices made her close her eyes in delight.

At the back of her mind, she felt that she had eaten those candies earlier but where.

She opened her eyes to see the man standing there and staring at her with strange look,it was not creepy but it was different.

She was going to ask if he was any cousin of Adhiraj but before that loud music of Dhols attracted everyone's direction.

Few cars stopped and at least ten persons got down. Raina can make out a man looking elder then Vasudha along with a woman by his side. She guessed him as her brother. The sounds of Dhols and other instrument intensified as they stepped inside the porche area.

The environment turned lively as they started dancing on the tunes. It felt like festivity, Raina smiled seeing Vasudha hugging her brother and people around them dancing on the beats.

But after ten minutes, she heard the music beats intensifying when few more cars entered.

She felt someone holding her hand, looking at her right side she found the same man tugging at her wrist.

Before she could ask something or protest, that man pulled her outside in garden.

She saw Akshit and Dia smiling at her.

That man left her hand and gazed at front where a man got down from his car . Khan Sahab went forward and welcomed him. She saw that new man dressed in traditional attire and with a moustache on his face asking something from Khan and Khan Sahab pointed at her.

She looked at him and he looked back at her.

He walked towards her and Raina felt weird, something not bad but not good. With his both hand placed behind his back and a big moustache on his face, he was giving Hitler vibes.

The young man beside her chuckled, "Still scared of him?"

Raina was in pit of questions.

He stopped in front of her, ducking his head a bit down to match her eye level.

"Don't you recognise me, Ladesar?", he asked softly with a smile playing on his lips. His tone was contracting his posture.

"Uhhh...",Raina looked at him in confusion.

"Hurry up. Answer him fast otherwise forget these candies.",the young man said, showing her the transparent pack of candies with a goofy smile.

She glared at him, her mind was already mess.

Why these men were behaving so strange, she looked around.

Rathores were at a good distance from them,like other end of garden and Akshit and Dia along with others were standing aside looking back at her.

That man sighed again seeing her lost. Bringing back a smile on his face , he held her shoulders.

He pointed at his left eyebrow where a small scar was present,"Ria, you can't just forget me. See this scar, it was you only who gave me this. I have been carrying it on my face for whole my life. You can't forget me like this."

He said last part dramatically.

****

"Uttam, catch me."

"Ria, no. You are not jumping from there. Wait. NO."

She jumped on him ignoring his warnings and with a thud they both fell back.

"Ahhhh!!!"She was safe but he hit his head against the floor.

*****

Raina looked at him in shock and then back at the elder man. That man was just simply standing and observing her.

Yeah, it was just in her mind. She remembered them. She knew them. Candies, those colourful candies, she had tasted them. The smile, that comfort, it was very familiar.

"Narendra Mamo sa?",she winced as she remember one name with a sting of pain in her head.

A full blown smile came on the face of Narendra Singh Kumawat after listening that.

He nodded and involuntarily his eyes became moist as he saw the replica of his late sister standing there. No more a small little bubbly girl, there was standing a grown up lady.

He hugged her tight, she was feeling very hesitant but hugged him back.

Thay broke apart. He asked in a hoarse voice, "How are you?"

It felt new to Raina, she tried to say something but she felt a lump in her throat, "I- I am.."

"Let's complete this ritual,first.", the saw Vasudha standing there.

"Of course Rani sa.", Narendra smiled.

Dia, Akshit, Gaurav, Mr. Nagar and Mrs. Nagar also came forward and greeted the Kumawat clan.

"We are also here.",two identical teen girls came and said.

They turned to queen and greeted simultaneously, "Pranam, I am Avnisha."

Other girl introduced,"I am Sirisha."

Two were photo copy of each other. Just one had hair till shoulder and other girl had till mid waist.

"Sorry Ria, I couldn't bring your Mami sa and Nano sa here as he wasn't in condition to travel and someone was needed back there to attend him.",he said.

Vasudha came forward and put tilak on his forehead along with his son's and fed them sweet. She hugged those girls sweetly .

Since she was doing that ritual in place of Raina's mother, he gave her a Red chunari along with shagun.

After that, Akshit starts dancing along with Uttam to vibe up Mahira Dastoor and they were joined by everyone.

Uttam gestured the staff to bring the gifts as they moved inside and soon the main hall was filled with gifts.

Avnisha and Sirisha were handling those things efficiently along with Dia and Mrs. Nagar.

Vasudha went back to other side of fort as she had guests too.

Everything felt like rush.

🔅🔅🔅

It was past dinner time. Fort was silent now,tired by having two functions same day.

Narendra Singh Kumawat were seating in garden when Uttam came and give him his medicines.

He gulped them and asked, "Did you talk to her? "

"I didn't get the chance. She was looking so confused when we came.",he shrugged.

"Because we are nothing more then faded memories for her.", Narendra Singh Kumawat sighed painfully.

"Papa, everything is going to be fine. Moreover we will develop that bond again, I assure you about that.",Uttam pacified him.

"Ahmm!!",the father son duo found Royal couple standing there.

Uttam stood up and greeted them. His father signalled for much needed privacy and he obliged without any questions.

"Please Rana sa and Rani sa.",he told them to take a seat.

They sat their quietly, moreover they came to him but now initiating a conversation was looking a tough task.

"I hope I am forgiven now Narendra ji.",Rana sa said after mustering the courage.

****

Narendra Singh Kumawat saw the burning dead bodies of his beloved sister and her husband. It was like someone has snatched the emotions from his eyes.

"My sister and her family paid the price of your power Rana sa. A happy family is destroyed because you couldn't control your enemies.",Narendra said in a cold voice.

Uday Singh couldn't form a word, guilt was hovering his whole existence. Even he knew, this whole thing was out of Jayant's will, it was impossible for him if Sarvesh would have stayed out of this.

And Sarvesh didn't have anything to do with Chauhans, Rathores were his concern.

And top of that, Ria was nowhere to be found. Police were unable to find her whereabouts.

"I will never forgive you for this.", his words echoed in his mind.

****

"Who am I to forgive you Rana sa? I don't hold that much power."

Uday winced slightly, he didn't taunt him but those words reminded him of his failure.

Again silence fell over them.

Vasudha tried to break the silence,"I assure you Bhai Sahab, we will keep her happy. She is already a family member."

"I believe you Rani sa. I believe you.", Narendra smiled at them making them relieved a bit.

Maybe things weren't that bad.

🔅🔅🔅

Uttam thought for a moment but then knocked on her door.

"Hey!", it was opened by his over enthusiastic sister.

Uttam peeked inside only to find Raina, Dia and Avnisha seating on the bed whereas Akshit and Gaurav were settled on the couch and Shirisha standing in front of him with a wide smile.

"It seems I was only absent here.", he said entering.

Akshit patted the place beside him. Uttam gladly accepted his invitation and sat beside him.

"Sorry, we were busy not to introduce ourselves in evening. I am Uttam Singh Kumawat, Ria's cousin. And these two chipmunks are my younger twin sisters.", he introduced himself.

"Bhai!!", Avnisha and Shirisha whined as whole room  were filled with laughter.

And after that all of them indulged in gossip. One topic came and then second topic, and then another and other.

After an hour, Akshit stood up and streched his limbs, "Uttam,it was nice meeting you. We will talk later as we have enough time. My body is badly needing a sleep. From tomorrow,you will have to share my work load."

"Absolutely.", Uttam smiled.

"We should also go.",Gaurav pointed at Dia whose eyes we're drooping in sleep.

"Hmmmm.",Raina hummed.

Now it was only Raina and Kumawat siblings in the room.

"It's feeling so weird. Right?",Uttam said as nobody initiated the conversation.

Raina chuckled nodding her head.

"How is Mami ji? And what happened to Nana ji?",Raina asked.

"Mom is fine and Dadu. Well,he was suffering from typhoid,his condition is good but a sudden change in environment is not tolerable for him."

Raina nodded. She vaguely remember a lady who used to welcome her with a warm and tight hug.

"Nani maa?", she asked.

"She was devastated with what happened to Bua sa and Phupha Sahab. Couldn't tolerate it and passed out three years later after that accident. After that we shifted to Shimla from Ajmer.",Uttam said and pressed his lips in thin line.

Raina felt a pang in heart even when she didn't have many clear memories of her Nani Maa.

"Shimla?", but something caught her attention.

"Yeah , we shifted our business there. We couldn't focus on our life back in Ajmer when everything was reminding us of our loss.", he took a breath.

"And once you are settled in your new life,you have to come to Shimla along with your husband. This is an order by Dado sa.", he smiled.

"We got to know that this marriage is happening away from spotlight so we couldn't inform about it to our extended family in Ajmer. So I decided that when my child will be born, we will arrange a huge party along with puja in Shimla. And at the same time, you will come there. Dado sa told that it would be good if you will enter home at the time of good news.",he explained.

"Child? You are going to have your own kid? When is the due date?", Raina asked with excitement.

"Yeah, one and half months away."

"Uttam,you got married?", Raina asked.

"Obviously.",Uttam said in a bored tone at her stupidity.

"Wow. I missed so much.", her tone lost its charm in end.

"Forget it Ria.",Uttam went near her and hugged her lightly.

"Why getting upset Jiji sa. You can still enjoy in our marriage.", Avnisha pointed at her twin and said excitedly.

"Hahaha!! Sure.", Uttam rolled his eyes whereas Raina laughed.

"You don't know how we felt when couple of months back we got to know that you are alive and all okay. We wanted to meet you but your condition was not good and after that Dado sa was suffering from illness. Then we thought to surprise you on this day only.",he cupped her cheek and said.

"All these years, I lived alone. I just forgot that I had people back here. I was so much traumatised that all these things got locked inside somewhere deep under my mind.", Raina felt pathetic on her fate.

"Now, let's keep these sentimental thoughts aside. Tell me, how is Jija Sa Hukum? It is love marriage.Right? Rana sa told us that about it that Adhiraj likes you and you agreed to his proposal.", Uttam tried to change the topic and he was successful as slight redness crept on her neck.

"Ahhh...", Raina squirmed not knowing what to say.

"Look who is teasing.",Avnisha teased her brother.

"One who is crazily in love with his wife.",Shirish laughed.

"She is my wife, I will be obviously crazily in love.", Uttam rolled his eyes.

Did you like the Kumawat clan?

Hope this twist was upto your taste. I was really nervous about it.

Target - 630 votes.

And please vote in the last chapter too.

See you soon my loves.