Part 5
Chapter 10: The Undercover Temple Protocol
Just as Rajas—now permanently dubbed Rajjo—was processing the reflection in the mirror, Kamal Aai dropped a fresh bomb.
"The Pandit ji gave one more strict instruction," Kamal announced, adjusting the folds of Rajjo’s newly draped saree. "To absorb the positive energies, Rajjo must walk to the village temple every single morning for darshan and a special mantra recitation. It has to be done daily."
Rajjo’s eyes widened in the mirror, the heavy gold jhumkas swaying against her jaw. "Walk? Outside? In daylight?!" her newly softened voice cracked in panic. "Aai, no! The whole point of keeping this a secret from the village was so I wouldn't become the laughing stock of the district. If anyone looks closely, they'll know!"
Ignoring Rajjo's concern completely, her brow furrowing with worry, Kamal said, "I want to go with her every day, but with the fishing season starting and your father’s accounts to manage, I won't be free every morning. If she goes alone, she might trip or slip up."
"Don't worry, Kaku," Ira interjected smoothly, a brilliant, wicked gleam in her eyes. "I take full responsibility. My studio doesn't open until noon anyway. I will accompany Rajjo to the temple every single morning. And Ria is also there to accompany us. Right Ria?"
"I will always tlbe there for Ira and my Rajjo tai!". Ria declared mischievously.
"Absolutely not!" Rajjo protested, turning around too quickly, the heavy silicone breasts shifting under her tight blouse, making her stumble in her unaccustomed footwear. "Everyone will stare!"
"Oh, relax, Rajjo Tai," Ria piped up, completely amused by her brother's plight. "You're a girl now, remember? Just do what all the college and corporate girls in your Pune do when they want to hide from relatives or sun & dust damage. Cover your face with a scarf!"
Before Rajjo could argue, Ira picked up a newly purchased soft, floral-print cotton stole from yesterday's shopping bag. She stepped directly into Rajjo’s personal space, her fingers deftly wrapping the fabric over Rajjo’s long wig, crossing it tightly over her head, hair, nose and mouth, leaving only her large, dramatically lined eyes visible.
"See?" Ira whispered, her breath warm against the fabric just inches from Rajjo’s face. "Wrapped tightly like a proper, mysterious town girl. No one will suspect a thing. From now on, whenever you want, you can use this as your shield."
Looking at Ira’s intense, playful gaze so close to her own, Rajjo felt a heavy wave of heat rush to her cheeks, blushing fiercely beneath the veil.
The frankness between Rajjo and Ira couldn't be hidden from the mothers. Vandana looked at Kamal with smirk like she's asking to Kamal if she's also thinking the same as what Vandana was thinking.
Chapter 11: The First Public Walk
The walk to the temple was nothing short of a physical trial. The five women—Kamal, Vandana, Ira, Ria, and the newly christened 'Rajasi' for the public—stepped onto the red soil of the village path.
For Rajjo, every step was a battle. The tight nylon panty and restrictive bra straps chafed against her newly waxed skin. The heavy silicone breast forms bounced with an unfamiliar, dizzying weight, forcing her to consciously brace her posture. The long, synthetic strands of the wig kept blowing below her stole behind her, while the rows of glass bangles clinked loudly with every movement and the anklets kept making the cute chiming sound with her every step. To make matters worse, the stiff pleats of the saree restricted her stride, and the simple flat ladies' sandals she wore felt completely unstable compared to her old sneakers.
When they reached the temple, the morning crowd was already thick. The ladies' queue stretched long across the stone courtyard.
Feeling hundreds of eyes around them, Rajjo froze, her heart hammering against her fake chest. Suddenly Kamal Aai leaned in and whispered sharply, "Rajasi, remove the stole from face at least while taking the darshan. And pull the pallu of your saree over your head. Act like a proper, sanskari girl. Don't look around so awkwardly."
Fumbling with her bangles, Rajjo removed the stole and handed to Aai, then pulled the green silk drape over her wig, bowing her head submissively.
Beside her in the queue stood Ira and Ria, both dressed casually in modern jeans and short kurtis, looking thoroughly modern and unbothered. Ira turned her head, taking in the sight of the elegant, pallu covered sanskari version of her secret boyfriend. A thrill of pure affection and possessiveness shot through her.
Glancing around to make sure the mothers were looking ahead, Ira leaned into Rajjo’s covered ear. "I must say, Rajasi... this submissive, sanskari look suits you perfectly," she murmured in a teasing, private whisper. "You look beautiful. My beautiful Rajjo Rani."
Rajjo’s eyes darted to Ira, wide and flustered, her fingers gripping her saree pleats in sheer, helpless embarrassment.
The torment didn't end with prayers. On the way back, face still tightly covered behind "her" stole, Rajjo was forced to carry the heavy basket of fresh vegetables from the local market, learning how to sway her hips to balance the load.
Back home, her first official lesson in the kitchen began. Under Kamal Aai's strict supervision, Rajjo spent hours sitting on the low wooden stool, learning how to properly knead dough with bangles clinking against the brass vessel, and sweeping the red-tiled floors without letting her pallu slip from her shoulder.
By the time evening rolled around, Rajjo finally managed to slip away into her bedroom under the pretext of resting. She collapsed onto the bed, completely exhausted from the sheer physical toll of being a woman for a day.
Chapter 12: At Night Too?
After helping with the heavy dinner preparation, serving the family, the physical toll of the day felt heavy to Rajasi, but the true depth of the ritual's constraints wasn't realized until it was time to prepare for bed.
Inside the bedroom, Rajjo & Ria stood by the mirror, ready to strip away the entire exhausting illusion, when Kamal Aai stepped into the room with a firm, uncompromising expression.
"Hey you girls, stop right there," Kamal said, stopping Ria's hand as she reached for the wig pins. "The Pandit ji was very clear. The female path cannot be turned on and off like a light switch. The female energy must remain constant."
Rajjo stared at her mother through the mirror, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Aai, you can't be serious. I have to sleep in all of this?"
"The saree can be changed for something comfortable like cotton nightgown etc," Kamal conceded, "and you can take off the heavy jhumkas and the nose pin so they don't tear your skin while you sleep. But the prime essentials of a woman, like her hairs and ...," Kamal getting slightly awkward while talking to her "new daughter", gesturing towards her heavy chest, finally managed to say "... stay on. A decent girl does not shed her womanhood the moment the sun goes down."
Before Rajjo could protest, Kamal started again. "And these bangles, the bindi, and the silver anklets? They are mandatory. They do not leave your body for the entire month. They are the marks of a proper girl, and they must remain intact day and night."
While all of this was going on, Ria was having the time of her life enjoying every second of her new Tai's funny torment.
Rajjo dropped her hands in silent defeat. The clinking of the glass bangles and the soft, rhythmic chime of the silver anklets against her feet felt like permanent shackles to her new identity.
With Ria’s assistance, the heavy, suffocating silk saree was carefully untucked and draped away. But the tight, restrictive foundation garments remained molded to her frame, holding the heavy silicone breast forms securely against her chest. The long, dark wig remained pinned tightly to her scalp, cascading over her shoulders.
When the change was complete, Rajjo stood in a long, flowy cotton nightgown. The reflection in the mirror was still undeniably feminine—soft, curved, and heavily framed by long hair—even if the heavy outer jewelry had been laid to rest on the vanity.
Chapter 13: The Midnight Glow
Late that night, the house settled into a deep, coastal quiet. The only sound was the rhythmic hum of the crickets outside and the occasional, delicate *chink* of silver anklets whenever Rajjo shifted beneath the sheets.
Sleeping with the heavy silicone chest forms and the long wig was an entirely new form of torture. Her body aching from the waxing, the tight garments, and the miles of walking. She touched her nose, the small diamond stud still stinging slightly. She lay flat on her back, staring at the ceiling, feeling the unfamiliar weight resting on her chest, completely unable to find a comfortable position in her own bed.
Her phone buzzed, casting a soft, blue glow across her face.
Ira: Is my beautiful Rajjo Rani finding it hard to sleep? Or is she still practicing her feminine grace? 😉
Rajjo rolled carefully onto her side, a soft smile breaking through her exhaustion. The glass bangles on her wrists clinking softly against the phone screen as she typed back.
Rajjo: I’m losing my mind, Ira. Aai wouldn't let me remove the wig or the breast forms. I’m wearing a nightgown, but I still look exactly like a girl. And these anklets make noise every time I move.
Ira: Of course she didn't let you remove them. A girl has to maintain her grace 24/7. Personally, I think it’s wonderful. It means you’re still my beautiful girlfriend even in your sleep. ❤️
Rajjo felt a sudden, fierce heat rush to her cheeks, blushing deeply into the darkness of the room. She clutched the blanket closer to her chin, the soft cotton brushing against the diamond stud in her nose.
Rajjo: You’re enjoying this way too much. Just wait until I’m allowed to be Rajas again.
Ira: Oh, Rajas is gone till the next month, sweetie. Right now, I only care about Rajjo.
Rajjo: Haha, very funny. But it's not funny for me. My entire body is broken, Ira. The tight bra straps leaving the red marks, and... and I think I forgot how to walk like a man on just day 1 of being a woman. And the pallu part? Oh my god, I can't even express how I was feeling under the heavy pallu amongst all the women in temple.
Ira: You have no idea darling how attractive you looked today holding that pallu. Who knew my quiet techie boyfriend would make such a stunning bride?
Rajas: Stop teasing me. My mom almost caught you calling me Rajjo Rani in the temple.
Ira: Let her catch us. Then I can tell her I’ve already chosen the 'female energy' she wanted in your life.
Sleep well, my dear Rajjo Rani. Big day tomorrow. More kitchen lessons await. ❤️ And don't let your hair get tangled. 🤫✨
Rajjo stared at the screen, a helpless, blushing smile breaking across her face despite the sheer absurdity of her situation. She locked the phone, pressing it against her heavy chest, listening to the quiet chime of her anklets and realizing with a sudden, blushing shock that the dread of the ritual was slowly, beautifully turning into something else entirely as she finally drifted off to sleep.
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