Getting Married to Sultan Rafiq

Gulaab POV

After the last ritual, we were announced as the married couple. The weather was slightly chilly, so do my eyes were frozen. They were expecting me to cry but nothing they could understand about my concern. The person sitting beside me didn't know what vermilion really means and nor do the nuptial chain.

"Now, you two take the blessings of your elders," The priest said.

I stood up and walked towards my parents. I couldn't see clearly as I was wearing the long veil. My mother hugged me and I could hear her crying. My tears were nowhere to be found. All I was worried about was something big.

My father, The former King of Mahabaleshgarh blessed me with some beautiful words, that I heard almost after two-three years.

"May God bless you with all the happiness, My child"

'My child' Those two words used to be precious for me but not anymore. They were faking their love for the one last time.

I moved towards my brother, The newly crowned King of Mahabaleshgarh 'King Rajvardhan'. He was my lifeline. He pulled me in his embrace and hugged me. My heart warmed and the flood that I was holding on from so long at the edge of my eyes broke.

"Bhai Saheb!" I cried.

"Gulaab, you don't have to do it. Please tell me why you doing it. I know you are hiding something. I can kill him right away. Tell me why you doing it." He muttered close to me.

I cried more as I couldn't tell him the reason. I chose to get married to him. Sultan, 'Sultan Rafiq' was the person whom I never saw closely, who I never talked calmly, Whom I didn't know either became my husband just now.

"I am alright, Bhai saheb! everything is fine." I muttered.

I moved towards my Sister-in-Law 'Bhabhi Saheb'.

She hugged me tightly and pulled my veil up. "This is still your home, Princess"

I chuckled a little and she kissed my cheek. She hugged me again and I cried a little. I could see tears in her eyes too.

"Princess, I would never forget this favour of yours. I don't know what you believe is right or wrong but I would pray that everything gets normal and you live a happy life." She muttered slowly and kissed on the back of my hands.

"Bhabhi Saheb, I don't care about my life anymore. My Bhai Saheb saved my life, and I would love to die for him whenever needed." I said slowly.

I met everyone one last time and I could see Bhai Saheb talking to Sultan something.

I didn't know yet why he wanted to marry me but I was trying to understand his evil Plans. He didn't like me at all, forget about love. He was planning something big against my Empire and I couldn't let him do it at all.

Suddenly a man in dark brown clothes showed up heading towards sultan with a letter. He opened the letter and read it quickly. 'Defeat' was clearly visible on his face even without the fight and I was happy because I was the reason for it.

He saved my Bhai Saheb's life from the dacoits and in exchange he asked for marriage with me. He expected that my father and brother would deny straightly and then he finds a good reason for a huge war. But, luckily I heard this conversation about him with his friend and I had to do something.

The best thing to do was to accept his marriage proposal and delay the war the much I could. He didn't expect and that's how he faced his defeat even without the war. He was an evil person of another continent. I didn't know about him and the thing I knew was I agreed upon something whose end was disastrous. I chose someone for me who might kill me at any moment. I met everyone wholeheartedly because I knew, I might not meet them ever again. My life was changed all of sudden but I was ready to suffer anything just for my Bhai saheb. He loved me more than any brother could. He never thought twice before doing anything that I ask for. I have seen that love for me in him. He was like my father, brother, friend, teacher and whatnot.

All I knew was, I was ready to destruct the one who thought to kill my brother or get finished at all. He didn't know whom he married to. He didn't know about my behaviour. I was not the princess with a golden heart and a beautiful soul. I was a princess with the hate for all, I was the princess who was broken, I was the alive bleeding Rose.

"Ijajat chahte hai, Hamara kaafila sham tak uttar-paschim me pohuch jaega"

"I request your leave now, Our convoy will reach the northern-western plateaus by evening," Sultan said looking at my father and I could see the helplessness on my brother's face.

I didn't know where my life was taking me too and neither I could expect better because I chose venom by myself.

I met everyone and I knew it was the time to leave my home, my Bhai saheb and everyone. After some time, we all walked towards the huge entrance of our Palace and there I could see so many people and attendees ready to departure. While sultan and his friend were only one. I wasn't sure if his family and empire knew about his marriage or not. This was something that happened very sudden and unexpected. All our fellow kings and empire was unhappy because an inter-religious marriage but they didn't have any right to be so because no one wanted a bride like me either. Sultan married me because he was checkmated in his own game and Little did he knew about me was nothing.

"These all will accompany you till you meet your convoy," My father said in his rough voice signalling towards a huge crowd of attendees, servants and soldiers.

I looked at sultan from the corner of my eyes as he nodded. His face was proof of his disagreement in this marriage and somehow it was making me happy. He wanted to kill my brother and here he had to marry a disaster.

One last time I met everyone and moved with our convoy towards the destination. I didn't know the destination, I didn't know where my life was taking me. I knew my life was at risk with him but I was ready to take any kind of risk for my Bhai Saheb. For me, this was the only way to protect him.

We all started walking and I was asked to sit in the palanquin. I sat comfortably and at the moment my mind was stuck on the safety of my Bhai saheb then the wedding. For all, I was a wedded princess and wife of the King Sultan but inside I knew I was on a mission.

The convoy started moving and I washed my leftover tears away. It was a bright sunny day and I knew that the destination was about a month away from us. My heart was feeling heavy and I was afraid because I was away from home and family. No one would be around me familiar to me. I didn't know what would be my life with new people, new place and with an evil King.

I haven't seen him yet properly. All I saw was his dark eyes with dark eyebrows. He had a small mole over his jaw and a dangerous smile that was hard to predict. What I liked about him was nothing.

I didn't expect anything from him, neither a relation of husband and wife nor love. Love was something that ruined me and I didn't have any emotion left in me.

Thinking and reminding all my life the day almost came to the end. We had covered a long path in the day and I shivered suddenly when I heard someone calling my name. I parted the curtains of the palanquin and looked outside.

The sun was dawning and the darkness was flooding over the surroundings.

"Come outside, your highness" I heard his rough voice again and I stepped out of the palanquin. I was wearing the veil and because of it, I couldn't see his face. He was very tall than me and I was like a small frame in front of him.

"You convoy is waiting to see you before going back to your father's empire." He said it sarcastically and it somehow afraid to no extent. Until now I was feeling slightly safe and secured because my people were with me but the time came to cross the area of our empire.

I passed him and walked towards our enemy. I pulled my veil a little up and stood in front of our army. I held my breath and greeted them one last time by bending a little with adjoined hands.

"Aap log wapis ruksat ho, Aage hamara kaafila hai saath aane ki jarurat nahi"

"You all now, go back to your empire, we have our Convoy now you don't need to come along." He ordered and I saw my army going back. I felt goosebumps over my skin not because of the weather but feeling alone. I didn't know what would happen to me now.

I held my breath and tried to calm down, I turned and my sight fell on a huge crowd, They were holding huge fire sticks in hand and then I heard the loud voice that sends shiver all through my body.

"Kaafila yahi rukega... taiyaari karo"

"The convoy will rest here... Get ready," He said in a loud voice and I could feel the anger in his voice.

I stood frozen, I was alone between a huge army of a different Empire. I saw him signalling to a man and he walked to him.

"Jii Huzur..." He asked.

"Hamari nayi begum ke sone ki taiyaari hamare kheme me kari jaaye... Inse kuch guftgu karni hai or vese bhi aaj raat bhi haseen hai"

"Arrange my new wife's bed in my tent... I want to talk to her and after all, tonight is romantic"

His words knotted my stomach and I felt afraid.

He walked away leaving me alone and I could see everyone hurrying up. In no time, they made a huge tent ready of dark brown colour. It had big fire sticks outside to keep the area lightened.

"Begum Sahiba"

I shivered suddenly when I heard some girl calling me. She seems an attendee and I asked.

"Jii" I was feeling scared all alone and to increase my fear she said something that I didn't want to hear.

"Sultan asked for you... You are supposed to rest in your tent Begum Sahiba"

I couldn't help but nod. A few more ladies came around wearing a different kind of dress. I started walking holding my breath. I reached the huge tent and stepped over the red knitted carpet. The attendees parted the curtains for me and I entered inside.

"Begum Sahiba, You can take off your veil now," One of them said smilingly.

I felt a little comfortable at least seeing women around me. I took my veil off let the dupatta fell behind.

"Mashallah!!! Noor ki khaan maalum hoti hai hamari choti begum" One of them said to others. They were talking about me in front of me as I wasn't even there.

I saw them making a huge bed there were light lamps inside the tent. There was a small table too in front of the bed where a basket full of fruits were kept and then my sight fell on another basket which seems like food. It had some fried things and when I saw them closely. They seem like meat. Non-veg.

I quickly took a few steps back as I felt afraid.

What if he eats me just like this.

"Begum sahiba... tassali se rahiye hamare sultan behad hi khushi pasand insaan hai"

"Begum Sahiba... Be comfortable! Our sultan is a very fun-loving person"

"Takliya" I heard a loud voice that sent shiver in my body.

Everyone stood frozen when I heard him standing at the entrance and my stomach twisted.

"I said, Privacy," He said again in the low tone with the sarcastic face.

The women in the tent moved quickly outside and he said again.

"Don't disturb us tonight"