FF:Maurya- The Samrat [Part23 updated on pg 56] - Page 24

Very well written!!! Update soon!! Main mari jaa rahi hoon!

Part 18

Don't mess with Cornelia

The same day after the engagement ceremony, Cornelia was taken back to her palace by her maids. Though her mother Apama was present there but didn't accompany her to her room as she had to prepare for further ceremonies. It was the time for the next rituals…. In which sacrifices were made. But not of any animals or so.. but of something very strange!!!

In Cornelia's huge room

Agatha: Raajkumaari ji!! Ye kya kiya aapne?? Unhe sab kuch bataaya kyon nahin? Accha avsar tha! Ye kya ho gaya tha aapko?

Cornelia: Mujhe nahin pata! Ki main kyon nahin bol saki… pata nahin… par ,ohhh!!… mujhe ab pareshan mat karo.. aur sochne do ki ab kya karna chahiye?

Agatha: Waise jab aapko vo anguthi pehnaayi gayi.. aap badi prasann pratit ho rahi thi!!

Cornelia: [hesitates] Aisi koi baat nahin hai… main toh sirf kisi ko shanka na ho isliye muskura rahi thi.. Waise tumhe kaise pata ??? mera chehra to dhaka hua tha… phir tumne kaise dekh liya?

Agatha: [smiling] maine nahin dekha tha..abhi abhi aapne bol diya.. maine to sirf aise hi puch liya tha… ek baar mujhse sach bolvaane ke liye aapne bhi to aisa hi kiya tha na?? yaad aaya? Bachpan mein??

Cornelia: Kya??? Meri chaalein mujh hi par ???? tumhe to main chodungi nahin… [leans forward to catch Agatha by hand to teach her a nice lesson, but Agatha escapes]

Agatha: Sach sach boliye raajkumaari!! Aap man hi man chahti hain na ki ye vivaah ho jaaye? Isiliye aapne unhe kuch nahin bataaya is dar se ki kahin vo shaadi ke liye mana na kar dein??

Cornelia: Aisi koi baat nahin… agar vishwaas na ho to… dekh lena.. aaj hi raat… kuch aisa karoongi ki e swayam hi vivaah ke liye mana kar dein!

Agatha: Sab kuch karengi! Parantu unhe satya nahin batayengi!

Cornelia: Karya hone se matlab rakho!! Kaise hota hai.. uski chinta tum mat karo!

Apama[entering]: Kaun sa karya? Aur kaise hoga??

[Seeing the queen coming, both of them became silent. Cornelia prompted Agatha to remain silent about the conversations between them]

Cornelia: Mana! Aap yahan kya kar rahi hain?? [In greek ascent, People used to call Mother, Mana, so did Cornelia]

Apama: Ye kaisa prashna hua?? Tumhaara vivaah hai!! Meri putri ka vivaah hai.. vo itne bade samrat se! Agar main nahin rahoongi to kaun rahega? Pata hai?? Main bahut prasann hoon!! Is vivaah se… Tum Bharat ki samragi banne jaa rahi ho!! Vo bharat jiske aage khud Alexander bhi nahin tik paaye. Tumhaare pita bhi keval apne us putra mein leen rehte the! Mujhe toh tumhaari chinta hone lagi thi.. parantu ab koi darr nahin!

Cornelia: Aap chahti hain ye vivaah ho???

Apama: Haan!!! Kyon nahin?? …chodo in sab baton ko…Chalo ab baaki ki rasmein bhi karni hai!

Cornelia: Baaki ki?? Ab kya shesh reh gaya hai??

Apama: Bahut kuch… [smiles and calls her maids and servants who came one by one and start lifting the objects from Cornelia's room which she has been using from childhood]

Cornelia: Ye sab kya ho raha hai? Kya ye sab aap mere saath Bharat bhejengi??

Apama: nahin!!

Cornelia: To phir inhe kyon le jaa rahi hain??

Apama: Jalaane ke liye!!

Cornelia: Kya?? [listening this, Cornelia went numb for a moment. All her objects, the toys she used to play in childhood, her old jewelleries, even the comb, and almost everything was being taken out in the Sacrifice ceremony to burn them all] TUM!! Daasi!! Main kehti hoon abhi ke abhi mere vo vastra waapas rakho.. [ the daasi got scared listening Cornelia's high tone]

Apama: Daasi! Tum inhe bhi wahan lekar jaao!!

[the daasi moved ahead without even giving attention to Cornelia's order]

Cornelia: [shouting]Ye kya ho raha hai?? Humaara kya itna bhi adhikaar nahin?? Aur waise humaari vastuon ko aise kyon le jaaya jaa raha hai?? Vo bhi jalaane ke liye? Hum in ke bina kaise rahenge..?? [she had tears in her eyes but the anger on her face covered the tears]

Apama: Putri! Ye to niyam hai.. Jab bhi kisi kanya ka vivaah hone waala hota hai… aisa karna padta hai!

Cornelia: Mere vivaah ka meri vastuein jalaane se kya sambandh?

Apama: [smiling on seeing her daughter's childishness] Ye to is baatka pratiit hota hai ki ab tum ek ladki nahin rahi! Jo apni manmaani karti thi!! Ab tumhe thoda zimmedaar banna hoga!! Ab chalo… ye rona band karo.. aur neeche chalo… abhi ek aur vastu ki bali dena baaki hai!

Cornelia: Meri hi bali de do!!! Saari duvidhaayein hi khatm ho jaayengi!!

Apama: Dhat!!! Kuch bhi bolti rehti hai!!

[they then moved to the hall where the ceremony was going on… there was a huge bonfire in midst where Cornelia had no option but to see her valuable objects burning in front of her eyes!]

Apama: apne kesh aage karo putri!

Cornelia: Kya??? Main apne baal nahin katvaaungi!!

Apama: Saare katvaane ko kaun keh raha hai! Sirf thode se kaatenge! Kisi ko pata bhi nahin chalega!

Cornelia: Mujhe to chalega na??? Mujhe apne kesh bahut priya hain!! Main nahin katvaaungi!

Apama: Ab hatth mat karo… varna mujhe khud lene padenge!!

Cornelia: Jo karna hai kariye!!

Apama: Agatha?? Zara meri sahayata to karo!

Agatha: Jee!! Maharani!!

Cornelia: Kya 'jee maharani'?? tu sakhi meri hai ya inki??

Apama: beti!!! Maan jaao na!!! mere liye? Kripa kar ke saari rasmein acchi tarah se nibha lo!!

[And the emotional blackmailing of Apama worked! Cornelia herself took the sharp dagger and cut the end of her smooth and shiny locks and gave it to Apama. Apama threw it in the bonfire and ordered for the sacred water to be brought from the sacred fountain known as "callirhoe" at that time. A small kid came with the water in a special kind of double handed vase which was known as "loutrophros" in ancient Greece. Cornelia was then bathed with that sacred water while other ladies were making loud sounds to keep the evil spirits away. While all this was going on, Vishakha, the second Vishkanya was present there all the time as Dakshita told her to have a look on the ceremonies for the sake of the New Queen's security. ]

Vishakha [in mind] : Kyon? Kyon?? Main hi kyon?? Pure vishwa mein dakshita ko main hi mili thi ye sab vichitra ghatnaayein jhelvaane ke liye??? Sar mein dard ho raha hai in dhwaniyon ko sunkar… Par ek baat to manni padegi ki humaari nayi Maharani, saudarya ki devi hai!! Inka sirf tejaswi mukh dekhkar hi to main ab tak yahan khadi hun… varna ab ka bhaag chuki hoti!

[The ceremony ended with happiness on everyone's face except Cornelia's. She straight went to her room which was by now, full of new things, new clothes, new jewelleries, new bed, new chairs.. as if she has entered some other room or so]

Agatha: kya soch rahi hain raajkumaari?

Cornelia: Yahi ki… jis vivaah ke hone se pehle mujhe itna kuch jhelna pad raha hai… us vivaah ke hone ke paschyat meri kya dasha hogi??

Agatha: parantu ye sab to tab bhi hona tha agar apka vivaah kisi Greek purush se ho raha hota!

Cornelia: Kam se kam tab ye ek bemel vivaah nahin kehlata na? samay aa gaya hai… is vivaah ko rokne ka! Omegas ko shighra hi bulvaao aur usse kaho ki humaara ashva.. taiyaar karvaaye!

Agatha: aap kya karne waali hain?

Cornelia: Behes mat karo!! Jaisa kaha hai waisa karo!

[Agatha did as Cornelia told her to. After that Cornelia took a Belpatra and wrote something on it in Indian language! And then came out of her palace with the letter near the place where Omegas was standing with her horse]

Omegas: Raajkumaari ji!! Kya hua?? Itni raat ko?? Koi apatti hai kya??

Cornelia: haan!! Usi apatti ka naash karne jaa rahi hoon!!

Omegas: Arthat? [Cornelia didn't answer and sat on horse and rode it with full speed towards the palace where CGM was residing. Omegas followed her]

[After reaching there she asked for a bow and arrow from Omegas. Omegas was first shock to see it but then gave it to her. She hooked the letter in that arrow and shot it with bow. Her aim was perfect so it entered the CGM's room through window just near his bed]

CGM: [shocked] Ye kya hai?? Koi Hamla to nahin kar raha mujhpar!

[then hearing the horse steps going far, he went to the window, in that darkness he saw two horses, on one of which he saw a man, on the other , a girl… He couldn't see the faces but even he didn't know why, he felt that she was Helen! And coming back to his bed, he saw the letter hooked in the arrow, taking out the letter from it, he read it, surprisingly it was in Devnagiri script! Which confirmed his doubt of that girl being Helen. After reading that letter, he was shocked, in it Princess Cornelia was abused in the worst manner one could! It was written how rude, arrogant, selfish and stubborn she is, how much disrespect she shows to youngers and elders, how is she conspiring against India , which was not true ofcourse…. And much more.. It was even written that marrying her will not only ruin CGM and Bindusara's life but also India's fate! CGM was speechless for a few moments after reading it as how could it be the same Princess who was praised by everyone till now.. though no one saw her! He was not ready to believe it till the time he saw the sender's name at last… It was Helen! She wrote the whole process how can he refuse to marry her the next day which was their wedding! ]

CGM: ye kaise ho sakta hai? Kya sach mein raajkumaari itni buri hain?? Parantu, ye patra Helen ne likha hai… vo to raajkumaari ko sabse acchi tarah jaanti hain!! Ye sab kya ho raha hai??? Main ye vivaah karoon ya nahin??? Acharya se puchna chahiye!

[then suddenly seeing the letter, the thought of that letter which he found in the jungle occurred to him! His steps stopped! And he called Mehir]

CGM: Mehir! Tumhe Greek bhasha aati hai na??

Mehir: Acchi tarah se!! Kyon??

CGM: Mere liye ye patra padh kar bataaoge ki ismein kya likha hai??

Mehir: Avashya!! [takes the letter, reads it and translates:]

"Raajkumaari ji!! Main is baat se bhali bhaanti parichit hun ki is samay mujhe aapko vyartha ka hi pareshaan nahin karna chahiye,,, parantu baat hi kuch aisi hai… Aapki yahaan aapke pita ko aur usse bhi adhik aapke Bhaiyon ko aapki aavashyakta hai! Main is patra ke sath apne vishishtha sainik bhej raha hoon.. ve aapko yahan tak surakshit le aayenge!

Omegas"

Samrat?? Ye patra to Omegas ne Raajkumaari ko likha hai… aapke paas kaise??

[Hearing the contents of the letter, a bright streak of light shone in CGM's eyes. One by one, each and every moment he shared with Cornelia came in front of his eyes.. which indicated only one thing.. Helen is Cornelia! And now he could understand why did Helen write that letter!!]

Mehir: Samrat??

CGM: Dhanyawaad Mehir!! Tumne meri bahut badi pareshaani ka samadhaan padh kar sunaaya hai!!

Mehir: Arthat??

CGM: [smiling] Arthat!! Kal ke vivaah ki taiyaariyan jaakar dekho!! Koi kami nahin rehni chahiye!! Kal kuch bahut badi ghatna ghatit hone waali hai…

Part 18 done guys!!!

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Precap for the next part: What would be CGM's next move???

Next part:

PART 19: The REFUSAL...