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Chapter - 3
She woke up with a leaden feeling in her heart and couldn't guess the cause for it for sometime. Pushing her long midnight hair out of her face, she slowly opened her dark brown eyes, staring at the roof done in elaborate designs dispassionately.
Prince of Saharan!
She sat up as the memories from last eventide invaded her thoughts and put her hands with a groan on her face. What had she got herself into? How would she explain things to her father, her people? She would shame her family in front of their peers!
But Ayesha did not care…she had gleefully explained the whole plan to her last night. Instead of the eldest daughter under the veil, it would have to be the younger one and by the time the people realized who the Prince was actually getting married to, the deed would have been done and the King would have no option but to accept it.
Well, that's what Ayesha thought, Prachi knew differently. This plan of theirs could well cause a war! The King would demand retribution for having been tricked…he could demand her father's life…
Her blood became cold at the thought. She pushed herself off the bed and hurriedly performed her duties. She would explain things to her father and offer herself instead of Ayesha as the bride of the Prince of Saharan. Surely, her father would relent like he had always and surely the King of Saharan wouldn't raise much objection given a valid reason.
She caught her father just as he was going for his usual hunt every morning. "Papa…mujhe aapse kuch…kuch baat karni hai," she whispered, her heart beating furiously at what she was about to suggest. It was considered an insult to reject an offer of marriage for one girl and then offer another instead, especially when the purpose was for peace.
King Inder Shah gazed tenderly at his younger daughter, and putting an arm around her shoulder, led her to his throne room. He loved this child of his…he loved her courage, admired her wisdom and the way she carried herself with grace and dignity. She was a Shah through and through and if he wasn't afraid about the traditional notions people harboured against being ruled by a female, he would have made her his successor. She would have been the Queen of Shahjahanpur…
"Kya main…main Prince of Saharan se shaadi nahi kar sakti?" she asked, biting her lower lip and clasping her hands together at the waist in nervousness.
His deep brown eyes, so like Prachi's, snapped up to her face and his brows came together in a thoughtful frown. "I had no idea, Prachi, ki aap shaadi ke liye itni eager hain. Ya phir iss request ke liye koi aur wajeh hai?"
She hesitated, debating whether to tell him about Ayesha's reluctance and then decided against it. It would be better if her father thought she was personally interested in the Prince. Inwardly cringing at the thought of lying to her father, she said softly, "Main…main Prince se mili thi during one of our annual tours…and mujhe acche lagte hain…"
"Prachi…" her father's grim voice halted her explanation. "You, I gather, are well aware of the repercussions were I to make such a request to the King of Saharan. There will be no more discussion on this subject. Ayesha will marry the Prince and you are to accompany her to the castle…tomorrow."
With that, he walked away, leaving Prachi to gaze after him in mounting despair, knowing in her heart that her father hadn't believed a word of what she had said and small wonder that, she thought sadly, she was just too bad at lying!
_______________________________________________________
"Milind, mujhe iss baare mein kuch baat nahi karni," said Neev, resisting the urge to break something, possibly the priceless vase in front of him. He leaned on the huge table on which it was kept with both hands.
"Neev, stop acting like a sulking child," Milind said mildly, sitting on the comfortable chair facing him.
Finally giving into the urge, he flung the vase towards the wall on his left with his right hand. Then he turned to glare at his brother. "Act like a sulking child? Act like a sulking child? You'd be acting like one too if you were caught in this predicament! Oh, ofcourse, I forgot you're the great Prince Milind, an epitome of sacrifice!"
Milind, instead of reacting to his scoffing tone, raised a brow at him. "Perhaps you'll consent to tell me what you find so abhorrent in marrying the most beautiful female in five kingdoms?"
"I just don't wish to marry any female and I don't need to either," he said angrily. "I don't need a heir as I'm not the one whose going to be King one day."
Milind sighed in exasperation. "Yes, par tujhe shaadi se problem kya hai? Especially when you'll have such a beautiful maiden for a wife?"
"If she's so beautiful, Milind…" he said sarcastically. "You marry her!"
There was silence after that statement, both brothers knowing what was going on in the other's mind.
"No, Neev, no way," Milind replied warily, knowing the reason for the excitement in his brother's eyes. "No way will I go along with what you have in mind."
Neev grinned at him and sat down quickly next to Milind in the small place left in the chair, putting an arm around his brother to stop him from rising. "Bhaiya…you're mind-blowing, too good! Itna accha idea toh main bhi nahi soch sakta tha."
"Neev!" said Milind sharply. "You can get that idea out of your head right this instant! You don't realize ki agar King Inder Shah ko pata chal gaya toh…"
"Toh? Toh kuch nahi!" he cut him short. "What objection can the King have to having his daughter marrying the next King of Saharan instead of merely a Prince? His daughter would become Queen, Milind!"
"Neev, ye mazak nahi hai!" saying this, Milind got up suddenly. "I will not do this."
"Bhai…" Neev said, getting up and making his face innocent though he knew his brother wasn't fooled. "Aap mere liye itna nahi karenge?"
With a snort of disgust, Milind left.
"Aah, bhai ho toh aisa," Neev sighed happily, letting himself fall on the bed, knowing that his brother could not deny him anything.
____________________________________________________________ _________
"Maa…"
Queen Premlata looked proudly at her eldest daughter, taking in the way she looked in the deep blue off-shoulder gown, her red-gold hair parted at the centre and falling down her back where they curled delicately at the ends. Her face glowed with health and her eyes were the shade of molten steel.
"You look…" she blinked back her tears. "You look beautiful!"
Ayesha smiled and engulfed her in a tight hug, as the soldiers who were to accompany them to Saharan waited patiently, along with their father. Her sister was yet to come down.
"Beta, aapki kuch dinon mein shaadi ho jayegi and I had so hoped ki I would have some more years…aapko apne paas rakhne ke liye," her step mother said, hugging her tighter.
She closed her eyes, returning the hug, wondering if this love would still show in the Queen's eyes when she got to know what had been planned or would it be replaced by anger and scorn…
She couldn't bear that! This woman was the only one she loved in this world. The only one…
"Prachi, aap aa gayi!" the Queen exclaimed, gently disentangling herself from Ayesha and going to her, noting the lack of joy and excitement in her unusually pale face. "Kya baat hai beta?"
Knowing that Prachi would give herself away if she tried to lie, Ayesha quickly stepped in, putting her hands on her sister's shoulder and lowering her face to it as a partial hug. She raised twinkling eyes to the Queen, saying, "Oh maa, aap ko toh pata hi hai ki Prachi mujhe kitna miss karegi. Hain na, Prachi? Aakhir mere jaane ke baad tujhe tang kaun karega?"
The Queen laughed and tousled their hair affectionately.
A horn was blown to alert the guards that the Princesses were ready to leave. The King and the Queen stood till the royal carriage was out of sight. They both would reach Saharan the day after the Princesses did… on the day of the wedding.
____________________________________________________
hope u liked it!
She woke up with a leaden feeling in her heart and couldn't guess the cause for it for sometime. Pushing her long midnight hair out of her face, she slowly opened her dark brown eyes, staring at the roof done in elaborate designs dispassionately.
Prince of Saharan!
She sat up as the memories from last eventide invaded her thoughts and put her hands with a groan on her face. What had she got herself into? How would she explain things to her father, her people? She would shame her family in front of their peers!
But Ayesha did not care…she had gleefully explained the whole plan to her last night. Instead of the eldest daughter under the veil, it would have to be the younger one and by the time the people realized who the Prince was actually getting married to, the deed would have been done and the King would have no option but to accept it.
Well, that's what Ayesha thought, Prachi knew differently. This plan of theirs could well cause a war! The King would demand retribution for having been tricked…he could demand her father's life…
Her blood became cold at the thought. She pushed herself off the bed and hurriedly performed her duties. She would explain things to her father and offer herself instead of Ayesha as the bride of the Prince of Saharan. Surely, her father would relent like he had always and surely the King of Saharan wouldn't raise much objection given a valid reason.
She caught her father just as he was going for his usual hunt every morning. "Papa…mujhe aapse kuch…kuch baat karni hai," she whispered, her heart beating furiously at what she was about to suggest. It was considered an insult to reject an offer of marriage for one girl and then offer another instead, especially when the purpose was for peace.
King Inder Shah gazed tenderly at his younger daughter, and putting an arm around her shoulder, led her to his throne room. He loved this child of his…he loved her courage, admired her wisdom and the way she carried herself with grace and dignity. She was a Shah through and through and if he wasn't afraid about the traditional notions people harboured against being ruled by a female, he would have made her his successor. She would have been the Queen of Shahjahanpur…
"Kya main…main Prince of Saharan se shaadi nahi kar sakti?" she asked, biting her lower lip and clasping her hands together at the waist in nervousness.
His deep brown eyes, so like Prachi's, snapped up to her face and his brows came together in a thoughtful frown. "I had no idea, Prachi, ki aap shaadi ke liye itni eager hain. Ya phir iss request ke liye koi aur wajeh hai?"
She hesitated, debating whether to tell him about Ayesha's reluctance and then decided against it. It would be better if her father thought she was personally interested in the Prince. Inwardly cringing at the thought of lying to her father, she said softly, "Main…main Prince se mili thi during one of our annual tours…and mujhe acche lagte hain…"
"Prachi…" her father's grim voice halted her explanation. "You, I gather, are well aware of the repercussions were I to make such a request to the King of Saharan. There will be no more discussion on this subject. Ayesha will marry the Prince and you are to accompany her to the castle…tomorrow."
With that, he walked away, leaving Prachi to gaze after him in mounting despair, knowing in her heart that her father hadn't believed a word of what she had said and small wonder that, she thought sadly, she was just too bad at lying!
_______________________________________________________
"Milind, mujhe iss baare mein kuch baat nahi karni," said Neev, resisting the urge to break something, possibly the priceless vase in front of him. He leaned on the huge table on which it was kept with both hands.
"Neev, stop acting like a sulking child," Milind said mildly, sitting on the comfortable chair facing him.
Finally giving into the urge, he flung the vase towards the wall on his left with his right hand. Then he turned to glare at his brother. "Act like a sulking child? Act like a sulking child? You'd be acting like one too if you were caught in this predicament! Oh, ofcourse, I forgot you're the great Prince Milind, an epitome of sacrifice!"
Milind, instead of reacting to his scoffing tone, raised a brow at him. "Perhaps you'll consent to tell me what you find so abhorrent in marrying the most beautiful female in five kingdoms?"
"I just don't wish to marry any female and I don't need to either," he said angrily. "I don't need a heir as I'm not the one whose going to be King one day."
Milind sighed in exasperation. "Yes, par tujhe shaadi se problem kya hai? Especially when you'll have such a beautiful maiden for a wife?"
"If she's so beautiful, Milind…" he said sarcastically. "You marry her!"
There was silence after that statement, both brothers knowing what was going on in the other's mind.
"No, Neev, no way," Milind replied warily, knowing the reason for the excitement in his brother's eyes. "No way will I go along with what you have in mind."
Neev grinned at him and sat down quickly next to Milind in the small place left in the chair, putting an arm around his brother to stop him from rising. "Bhaiya…you're mind-blowing, too good! Itna accha idea toh main bhi nahi soch sakta tha."
"Neev!" said Milind sharply. "You can get that idea out of your head right this instant! You don't realize ki agar King Inder Shah ko pata chal gaya toh…"
"Toh? Toh kuch nahi!" he cut him short. "What objection can the King have to having his daughter marrying the next King of Saharan instead of merely a Prince? His daughter would become Queen, Milind!"
"Neev, ye mazak nahi hai!" saying this, Milind got up suddenly. "I will not do this."
"Bhai…" Neev said, getting up and making his face innocent though he knew his brother wasn't fooled. "Aap mere liye itna nahi karenge?"
With a snort of disgust, Milind left.
"Aah, bhai ho toh aisa," Neev sighed happily, letting himself fall on the bed, knowing that his brother could not deny him anything.
____________________________________________________________ _________
"Maa…"
Queen Premlata looked proudly at her eldest daughter, taking in the way she looked in the deep blue off-shoulder gown, her red-gold hair parted at the centre and falling down her back where they curled delicately at the ends. Her face glowed with health and her eyes were the shade of molten steel.
"You look…" she blinked back her tears. "You look beautiful!"
Ayesha smiled and engulfed her in a tight hug, as the soldiers who were to accompany them to Saharan waited patiently, along with their father. Her sister was yet to come down.
"Beta, aapki kuch dinon mein shaadi ho jayegi and I had so hoped ki I would have some more years…aapko apne paas rakhne ke liye," her step mother said, hugging her tighter.
She closed her eyes, returning the hug, wondering if this love would still show in the Queen's eyes when she got to know what had been planned or would it be replaced by anger and scorn…
She couldn't bear that! This woman was the only one she loved in this world. The only one…
"Prachi, aap aa gayi!" the Queen exclaimed, gently disentangling herself from Ayesha and going to her, noting the lack of joy and excitement in her unusually pale face. "Kya baat hai beta?"
Knowing that Prachi would give herself away if she tried to lie, Ayesha quickly stepped in, putting her hands on her sister's shoulder and lowering her face to it as a partial hug. She raised twinkling eyes to the Queen, saying, "Oh maa, aap ko toh pata hi hai ki Prachi mujhe kitna miss karegi. Hain na, Prachi? Aakhir mere jaane ke baad tujhe tang kaun karega?"
The Queen laughed and tousled their hair affectionately.
A horn was blown to alert the guards that the Princesses were ready to leave. The King and the Queen stood till the royal carriage was out of sight. They both would reach Saharan the day after the Princesses did… on the day of the wedding.
____________________________________________________
hope u liked it!
