Part 11



A lie can travel halfway around the world,while the truth is putting on it's shoes.

-Charles Spencer

Maya volunteered with the answer."She is Meenakshi Nair's wife!"

And the rest was a blur. Meenakshi stood dumbfounded but Nair found his voice soon enough. He said many-many things, tried persuading the women with every trick to gain attention he knew. Hollered the truth over and over again but no one listened, none was prepared to believe him. It was too big a gossip to let go like that.

And despite the hundred and one protest from Nair, Chameli chachi blessed the newly wed couple with all her heart, kissed both their foreheads and even gave her three layered pearl necklace to the new bride in the family.

Meenakshi refused to accept it, tried to tell her the truth. Nair shrieked furiously that he had no relationship with Meena whatsoever. But the necklace was tied into the docile neck of the supposed bride, given many a congratulations and wishes for her new life, that wasn't her at all. And Nair was flung aside, his words were ignored as much as possible and was told to have patience and not to LIE!

In the snap of an instant, Nair pranced across the steps of the palace, towards the twins. Gripped their arms and flung them amidst the bickering maids. "SPIT THE TRUTH!"

T

his time the sisters were positively alarmed. Nair's eyes were spitting fire, something they saw for the first time and his grip was so tight on their arms that it left a deep mark.

"I said, OUT WITH IT!"His voice was so mencing they involuntarily shuddered. Maya looked at Mohini helplessly, they knew it was too big a lie to be carried on forever, they would be eventually caught. But right now what were they supposed to do?

'We are sorry. We lied.' saying that would be so embarrassing in front of so many people. No ! they could not take their words back at least not in front of so many people and dare to accept that they- lied. People will call them liars! So for the time being the twins huddled together at their spot, opting silence over truth.

In the few moments that followed, rumoures arose like dead from their graves, gossips escalated like wild fire spreading across the maids, to the guards and servants and into the towns and villages before someone was brave enough to put it into the ears of the Queen.

The meeting with the foreign king was abrupty adjourned. The dancers and performers were urshed into the royal guest chamber to entertain him for the rest of the evening while a livid King and Queen took their leave to attend to the most scandouls and disgraceful business at the entrance of their palace.

I

n the meanwhile though, Chameli chachi had already prepared for what seemed like a small welcome pegentry of coronation with all the splendour, pomp and fanfare!

Two luxuriant garlands of roses and Jasmine had been brought in and were almost being forcefully thurst into the throats of the supposedly newly weds, despite their protests, when Aunt Chameli ordered the maids to sing the welcome songs.



Meenakshi had tears in her eyes as she cried over them for the hundredth time. "It's not true!" The maids almost believed her out of pity when Aunt Chameli jumped into the conversation. Wiping the tears away of the new bride, she spoke in the softest voice possible. "I know why you both are lying, that you aren't married. It's because of Nair's parents, isn't it? You think the King and the Queen would not accept this union? Isn't it?" She smiled soothing at her nephew and his wife. "They would be displsead, yes! But they would come to accept it eventually. I am sure." And every ounce of doubt of them not being married to each other were wiped away from the minds of ladies.

"We're not lying Aunt Chameli!" Nair cried out once again but none listened. The welcome songs started.

Midway through the stanzas of the welcome melodies though, it unexpectedly ended. A strange lull followed before the King and Queen were announced and the everyone strained their ears to listen to what seemed to be the most entertaining conversation in the era!

They were going to be displeased no doubt, furious even but how would the crowned prince deal with his parents was yet to be seen! Murmurs arose and people wondered how the king was going to react. "Do you think his Highness would shout at his son? Or threaten to disown him?" A young maid wishpered to another. "Perhaps, he will!" The other woman nodded. "After all the Prince had married God knows whom without a single notice to his parents. They ought to be angry!"

"Father!"Nair leaped forward through the crowd as soon as the royal couple descended through the steps.

"Get away from ME!" It was a thunderous loud order that boomed through the premises of the palace. So loud and so menacing that it had everyone taking a step back out of fear.

"Father please listen to-" And Nair was slapped across his face as the King charged forward. "Keep your month shut! You scoundrel!" Nair was left speechless, humiliated in the worst possible manner but out of all the things he was terribly hurt! He wasn't given the benefit of doubt by his own parents! Not even a chance to speak.

He looked up at his father, who now walked towards the twins, while Aunt Chameli stood beside the new bride trying to soothe her, who was in hyristics.

While the his mother as expected glared at him and Meenakshi with utmost hatred.

'Everything is out of his hands now! Completely out of control!'Nair felt powerless and vulnerable at the hands of fate. But more than for himself, he feared for the innocent young widow beside him. 'God! How painful it must be for her! To go through such ordeals one after another!'

For she was indeed waking up from one nightmare to end up in another!

'No!' Nair straightened up. 'He can't loose like this and let them all humiliate her!

He had bought her here with the promise of a safe future and now it was HIS duty to keep that promise.