by Sara Greene
There was a pin drop silence as she stepped out of her room accompanied by Madam Azeeza and her assistants. All eyes turned toward the top of the staircase as Vanessa appeared looking exquisite and beautiful. Riza could not take his eyes off her as he had never seen her look so beautiful.
On a cue from Madam Azeeza, Vanessa began to descend slowly and gracefully taking her time with every step she made. Every step that led to her beloved Riza. How much she loved him only she knew.
Riza moved to the bottom of the staircase as he awaited his bride.
When she reached the last step, she held out her Mehndi designed hand, as Riza covered it with his own.
He then led her to the specially constructed dais and helped her up the steps. “You look so beautiful, my darling,” he whispered and Vanessa smiled nervously.
Reffai and Nazreena stood at the far end sulking like children who had been reprimanded for something they had done wrong. Azam was with his grandmother and grandaunt and was happily playing with his new soft toy “Barney” which Margaret had brought with her.
Suddenly the main door opened and everyone’s trained their eyes toward it. There were gasps of surprise as a heavily pregnant Mumtaz walked in on the hand of her husband Rafeek. Nazreen’s eyes grew large as saucers as she watched her sister move toward the dias with Rafeek.
Vanessa and Riza were full of smiles as they watched Mumtaz waddle toward the dais. Riza got up from where he was seated and taking Vanessa’s hand he moved to greet Mumtaz and Rafeek.
“It is so good of you to have come Mumi,” he said as he clasped her hand in his and Vanessa shook hands with Rafeek. After that both women hugged each other much to the surprise of everyone present. Shafeek could not believe what he was seeing.
Mumtaz then moved toward her sister and brother-in-law, but Nazreena walked away pulling Reffai after her. Mumtaz smiled sadly as Shanaz rushed to place a chair for her to sit on. “It is so nice to see you Your Highness,” whispered Shanaz. Mumtaz turned and smiled at the other girl.
The ceremony was a short one as both Riza and Vanessa did not want to prolong it. A footman clad in flowing robes walked serenely up to the dais carrying on a golden cushion a crown worked intricately with diamonds and rubies. Vanessa gasped when she saw it and looked at Riza, who smiled and nodded taking the crown from where it lay on the golden cushion. There were the sound of trumpets as he reverently placed the crown on Vanessa’s head and turned to the guests. “I now present to you Her Royal Highness Queen Vanessa Al Ahamed, you new Queen.”
There were cheers and clapping as Vanessa arose from her chair and took Riza’s outstretched hand. She felt as she had been presented the Miss World title as the stepped down from the dais.
Shanaz who was standing to Mumtas’s right looked at her former mistress and smiled. “She looks so beautiful,” mouthed Mumtaz and Shanaz nodded.
The celebrations began almost immediately after Riza and Vanessa were wed. Everyone was in great spirits, but somewhere deep down Vanessa knew that she was not worthy of the crown. She felt nervous as she looked around expecting goblins of her past appears through the walls of the palace.
“What are you thinking of?” asked Riza as he watched beads of perspiration line Vanessa’s upper lip. “Oh nothing Riza. It is just that I am overwhelmed by all this,” she said with a sweep of her hand. Riza nodded and smiled. “You will get used to it habibti,” he said loving. He was determined to make this marriage work.
Mumtaz walked toward Vanessa and both girls hugged each other again. “You look extremely pretty Van,” said Mumtaz.
Shanaz who had walked up to Vanessa with Mumtaz jumped when her mobile vibrated in her pocket. She excused herself and moved to a side to take the call. “Who is it?” she asked. “Is that Shanaz?” “Yes it is and who are you?” asked Shanaz. “Sister, I am William your brother.”
“Oh William where are you. How far I looked for you only I know. Before Mama died she told me everything about you, but I could not locate you. My brother where are you?” she asked tears pouring down her cheeks.
Vanessa looked in shock at Shanaz. “William, who is William,” she thought to herself. “How come Shanaz is speaking with a man who has an English name and whom she calls brother?. The beads of perspiration reappeared on the top of Vanessa’ s lip.
The only William she knew was from her past and not a very colorful past either. Can it be the same William that Shanaz was speaking to? Vanessa shrugged. “Silly me. How many Williams would there be roaming this earth and I am worried about one skeleton from my past,”: she thought as she turned and smiled at Mumtaz who had been watching Vanessa’s for a long time and wondered why she was so nervous.
Why was she nervous? Was it nerves of a first time bride or was it nerves that appeared from her past.
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Make sure to catch up with book 1 and 2 in this series if you haven’t already: click here for book 1: The Sheikh’s London Love Child, or go to http://amzn.to/1LU4X3c and click here for book 2: Of Bastards and Kings or go to http://amzn.to/1pnkymY
Sara Greene