"What do you mean you don't want the crown anymore?!" Maharani (Queen) Hansa Bai's voice echoed in the room.
"I said what I said," Yashvir shrugged, as maids massaged his body with different oils. He was lying shirtless on his stomach on a charpoy (a bedstead of woven webbing stretched on a wooden frame on four legs), his forearms supporting his head like a pillow. Yashvir did not even bother to open his eyes and look up at his mother, too relaxed and lost in Ahankara's thoughts.
The beautiful Princess of Adibar.
"Leave us," the Queen ordered the women, and they instantly stood up, bowed their heads in respect and exited the room.
Yashvir sighed, now opening his eyes.
"I am asking you something, Yashvir. What nonsense did you just utter, and that too in front of all those servants? How dare you?" Hansa Bai scolded.
Yashvir clenched his jaw, now standing up from the charpoy, and stood before his mother.
"I will not take the crown until you get me what I want, Maa (Mother)," Yashvir declared, looking her in the eye.
"You are not a child anymore, Yashvir! And what you are demanding is not some toy I can get you. You wanna get married to a random Princess belonging to a small kingdom? How will she become the Maharani of Kalang? If you want, you can marry her later on, after you're King. The way your father married Rani Aaradhya," she suggested, trying to knock some sense into her son.
"Ahankara is the only woman I will marry, and she alone will rule beside me," Yashvir stated.
"Yashvir, you do not understand. Your father promised Rani Aaradhya that her younger sister will eventually become the Maharani of Kalang. You are supposed to marry her, so she can bear you an heir. An heir from a pure, and supreme bloodline. Besides, Rajkumari Ananya is your childhood friend too, Yashvir. How can you break her heart like that?" Hansa Bai questioned.
"Maa," Yashvir said in disbelief. "I feel nothing for her. Absolutely nothing. And I won't do her any good by marrying her under your orders. Yes, she is my childhood friend, and that is why I do not want her to marry someone whose heart already belongs to someone else."
"You have gone mad, Yashvir. If Rani Aaradhya finds out about this, she will create a huge scene," Hansa Bai warned him.
"If Rani Aaradhya has any problem with me, she is welcome to leave the Palace once I am crowned. I won't stop her," Yashvir shrugged, and Hansa Bai's eyes widened in rage.
"For the last time, Yashvir! Stop uttering nonsense! Rani Aaradhya is like a second mother to you. Do not say words of disrespect for her," Hansa Bai scolded. Yashvir rolled his eyes, and stepped away from her, grabbing his white angarkha (a traditional Indian jacket that fastens on the right side) from the table.
"She is no one to me, and I will never respect her," Yashvir stated, unfazed by his mother's words. "And secondly, I'd suggest you ask Kakusa (Uncle) to arrange for our trip to Adibar. I want him to accompany me as the elder member of the family, to ask Karan Singh for Ahankara's hand in marriage. I want Rajkumari Ahankara by my side, as my wife, before the coronation. Or, I swear on Data's (father's) name, Maa, I will not show up to take the crown."
Hansa Bai gaped at him in shock, left completely speechless by her son's words. Yashvir had taken an oath upon his father's name, which made it clear to her: he could not be manipulated into forgetting about the girl.
Yashvir put on his angarkha (a traditional Indian shirt), and walked out of the room, leaving his mother alone with her thoughts. He went straight to his bedroom, outside of which Kabir was waiting for him.
"So?" Kabir raised an eyebrow, following Yashvir into his bedroom.
"So what?" Yashvir asked in a bored tone.
"What did your mother say?" He asked.
"Why do you care?" Yashvir frowned. "Did you fall for one of her maids?" He mocked.
"Neharika was cute, but no. I'm asking out of concern for you, Yuvraj," Kabir replied.
"There's nothing to say. She will have to listen. They don't have a choice," Yashvir shrugged, combing his fingers through his silky hair, as he looked at himself in the mirror.
"So you'll actually give up the crown for her? For a woman?" Kabir asked in disbelief.
"No," Yashvir replied, picking up his sword and throwing it to Kabir. "Get this sharpened," he ordered, as Kabir easily caught it.
"Then? What if they refuse to get her married to you?" Kabir asked, removing the sheath from Yashvir's sword, eyeing the blade.
"Like I said, they won't. They know how stubborn I am, Kabir. They know that I will stop at nothing to have that Princess beside me, as my Queen. So they won't risk it. Plus, my coronation has already been announced, and if I choose to sit it out," Yashvir chuckled, "let's just say Maa will never hear of it."
"Hmm, using your wit in all the wrong places are we?" Kabir smirked.
"Who is anyone to decide what is right and what is wrong? Anyone except me? I am the Yuvraj of Kalang, and my word will soon be law. Besides, Ahankara is worth it. I've never seen beauty like hers, Kabir. And that's saying something. As the Crown Prince of Kalang I have been introduced to many princesses of many different lands, adorned in the finest of clothes, jewellery, ornaments. But none of them are any match to Ahankara's charms, her grace, her elegance. Even in such simplicity," Yashvir mused. A smile crept onto his face, as he reminisced his meeting with her.
"Her laughter is still echoing in my ears. And oh, the fire of rage in her eyes. The more I talked to her, the angrier she looked. It was amusing, honestly, yet impressive at the same time. How she thought she could scare me with her little glare, and her title, while looking so naive and fragile. Like a wild little kitten," Yashvir smirked.
"Okay, before you start talking about the ways you have planned to tame her, I'm gonna leave," Kabir mocked, giving him a fake smile.
Yashvir bit his lip, still smiling.
"I don't want to. She will be the one taming the beast that resides within me."
- - - -
"Bhai Sa (brother) you know how stubborn Yashvir is. He will actually give up the crown if we don't get him married to that Princess," Hansa Bai sighed, holding her head.
"But bhabhi sa (sister-in-law), have you thought of the kind of consequences this will have? We have already announced his engagement with Rajkumari Ananya. Getting him married to someone else will be declaring war against the Kingdom of Kisharpur," Mahavir frowned.
"You think I do not know that?" She asked in disbelief. More in dismay, actually. "Not just against Kisharpur, but also against Rani Aaradhya. She won't let this go. She'll start a whole riot within the walls of the palace."
"Something has to be done about this. Do you think he'll really refuse to take the crown? What if he is only bluffing?"
"Bluffing," Hansa Bai chuckled. "I thought his father was only bluffing when he told me he had married Rani Aaradhya. I'm sure your wife thought you were only bluffing when you told her that you're having a son with her maid. Your bloodline does not bluff, Bhai Sa" she rolled her eyes.
"Tch, why did you have to mention that maid?" Mahavir cringed. "Anyway, don't worry Bhabhi Sa. I have been like a father to Yashvir ever since Bhai Sa passed away. He listens to me, and respects me. I will talk to him. I'm sure he will not deny me this request."
- - - -
"No."
"No?" Mahavir frowned. "What do you mean 'no', Yashvir?"
"I will not marry Ananya, and that's final, Kaku Sa (Uncle). I will, also, not take the crown unless I have Ahankara by my side," Yashvir stated, before taking a puff of his hukka (an oriental pipe for smoking tobacco). Kabir held back his chuckle, quietly watching the scene unfold, whilst smoking his own hukka.
"Yashvir you are going to be the Maharaja (King) of Kalang. You need to stop being so stubborn," Mahavir scolded.
"I get this from my father, and he made a fine King. I will too," Yashvir replied.
"Even your father married your mother, didn't he? Even though he loved Rani Aaradhya. Even he gave in to your grandmother's wish," Mahavir insisted.
"Yeah, he did," Yashvir blew smoke into the air. He placed the pipe of the hukka onto the charpoy, and stood up, stepping into his slippers. "And that is exactly why I never saw my mother happy with him. I do not want to do that to Ananya. I will not. Besides, because he married my mother first, Rani Aaradhya never got the honour that the King actually wished to give her. I won't do that to Ahankara either. Plus I know for sure, that Ahankara will never become someone's second wife. She won't be a second choice, Kaku Sa. She is my only choice."
"But do you not see how good that was for the Kingdom? Maharani Hansa Bai gave birth to you, the perfect heir someone could have blessed the Maharaja with. Plus, do you think Rani Aaradhya could have been as good a Maharani as your mother is?" Mahavir argued.
Yashvir clenched his jaw, and balled his fists, his eyes narrowed dangerously at his uncle.
"Do not dare to compare my Ahankara with Rani Aaradhya, Kaku Sa," Yashvir warned through gritted teeth. "This is the first time someone has dared to question my choice, and this should also be the last time. Rajkumari Ahankara has no match. I know what my Kingdom requires, and I have seen it all reflect in that Princess. My decision is final. I am marrying Rajkumari Ahankara, and no one else."
Mahavir looked at him silently for a few moments, then at Kabir, feeling humiliated in front of him. He clenched his jaw, now looking back at Yashvir.
"Alright. Do as you please, but complain to us later, if the girl does not turn out to be as perfect as you think she is," Mahavir replied, taking a step away from Yashvir. "I will arrange for our journey to Adibar. We leave tomorrow. Early in the morning."
"Perfect," Yashvir smiled victoriously. "Khamma Ghanni (Many blessings)."
"Ghanni Khamma," Mahavir replied, looking at Yashvir in disappointment. He then turned around and walked away, leaving Kabir and Yashvir alone again.
Yashvir turned to look at Kabir, huge grins playing on both their faces.
"Congratulations, Yuvraj," Kabir smirked.
"It's soon going to be time to bring her home," Yashvir smiled, walking towards the edge of the balcony. He looked up at the night sky, and the silver moon shining down upon him.
'Very soon, you will be by my side, as my wife, and eventually, as the mother of my heir. No man will ever dare to look at you again, as you will belong to me. My wife, my Princess, and my Queen. My beautiful, unique rose."
- - - - - -
"Rajkumari? What are you doing here?" Neharika asked, walking up to Ahankara, who was silently staring at the night sky."Hmm?" Ahankara hummed absent-mindedly."What are you..." Neharika paused to yawn, trying to keep her eyes open. "What are you doing in the balcony at this time of the night?""Do you think the Moon ever feels lonely?" Ahankara questioned, blinking up at it."What kind of a question is that?" Neharika frowned."It looks really lonely to me.""Well," Neharika sighed. "It has a million lovers staring up at it in the darkness of the night. The Moon is their only light in the sea of black.""But they are just people who stare at her from far off, they only use her as a source of light, to drown their own darkness," Ahankara frowned, now looking at Neharika."That may also be true, but they do admire its beauty," Neharika pointed out."But that's not enough. They just use her, for her light. Deep down they want to s
"You look beautiful, Rajkumari," Neharika complimented, while helping Ahankara wear her last bangle."I don't want to," Ahankara sighed. "I had to dress up-""Because your brother will scold you if you don't. I know. You've repeated that sentence a hundred times already," Neharika finished for her, and Ahankara sighed again."What if-" Ahankara began, but she was once again interrupted, this time by a knock on her door. "Who is it?" She rolled her eyes, standing up from her chair."Rajkumari Ahankara? It's Meena," the person replied. Ahankara took a deep breath to calm her nerves, before gesturing at Neharika to let her in."Khamma Ghanni Rajkumari," Meena greeted as soon as she entered the room, a huge smile on her face."Ghanni Khamma. What is it?" Ahankara questioned."You look stunning, Rajkumari Ahankara! This royal blue lehenga looks so beautiful on you!" She beamed at her."Thank you, Meena," Ahankara offered her a small smile.
"I know," Yashvir smirked, making Ahankara's eyes widen. Her brother would kill her if he found out that they had met before, and Ahankara had not even bothered to inform him about it."You know...?" Karan Singh frowned."I mean that's what I guessed," Yashvir replied. "Khamma Ghanni." Yashvir smirked at her, and even while her brother was standing right beside her, she found him giving her a once over. Ahankara clenched his jaw, glancing at her brother to see if he noticed, but he looked too busy in talking to Kabir.'Of course,' Ahankara thought to herself, feeling extremely annoyed."Khamma, Ghanni, Rajkumari Ahankara," Yashvir repeated each word slowly, slightly leaning in towards her. She startled when he did that, and stepped back, blinking at him in shock. Ahankara could see the glint of mischief in his eyes, and the ghost of a smirk upon his lips. Immediately, she felt her blood boil.
"We will leave your Palace tomorrow morning. After that you have three days to decide, whether you want us to become relatives, or enemies," Yashvir declared."You can't do that, Yuvraj!" Karan Singh replied, almost shaking with rage. Meanwhile Yashvir looked awfully calm."Says who?" Yashvir smirked. "I am the crown Prince of Kalang. I can go to war with any Kingdom I want, for whatsoever reason. No other Kingdom will dare to stand against us.""What... What will you achieve by this?" Karan Singh frowned, sighing in defeat as he looked at him in question.Yashvir smiled, and his eyes softened."Ahankara."- - - -"Rajkumari?" Someone knocked on the door multiple times, sounding extremely agitated."Come in," Ahankara frowned, exchanging a bewildered look with Neharika.Meena entered the room and closed th
"Rajkumari?" Neharika asked with wide eyes, running up to her. She gently turned Ahankara around so she would face her, and wiped away her tears. "What happened, why are you crying?""I don't wanna marry him, Neharika," she sobbed."Just calm down first," Neharika replied, leading her to her bed and making her sit down. She then knelt on the ground before her, taking her hands in his. "Now tell me what happened."Ahankara related the whole incident to her, whilst tears continued to roll down her cheeks, and Neharika kept wiping them away from time to time. Finally she poured a glass of water and handed it to her, while Ahankara calmed down a bit and drank from it."Now, what are you gonna do?" Neharika asked."I don't know, Neha," Ahankara sniffed. "I don't want to marry him, but I don't want to be the reason my Kingdom goes to war. So many innocent people will lose their lives. And over w
Ahankara quickly ran to her room, and closed the door behind herself, also proceeding to lock it. She took deep breaths, trying to calm her nerves, as her heart hammered away in her chest. She realized she was shivering, and she held her shawl closer to herself as she was feeling something completely foreign.Never before had any man came that close to her, or talked to her that way. And the worst part was, she did not even feel utterly disgusted by it. She sighed, still catching her breath, and made her way to the large mirror in her room, throwing her shawl aside. Ahankara stared at herself, as his words echoed in her mind."How can the Moon be in the sky, when it is standing right in front of me?"Heat crept up her cheeks, before she scowled at herself.How dare he say that to her? As if it was the most normal thing to say to a Princess? Had he been taught no morals, no etiquettes?
With every passing minute, the burden and pressure on Ahankara's mind and heart seemed to get heavier. She had delayed the decision as much as possible, but it was now the last day, the third day after Yashvir had left her Palace. This was the day she had to make her choice, whether she would destroy the lives of thousands of her soldiers, or just her own.She stood in the balcony, watching the sky, as the clear blue gradually morphed into shades of orange and pink, making her heart feel heavier and heavier with every passing second."Ahankara?" Maharaja Karan Singh walked up to her, his eyes sullen.She quickly wiped away her tear, turning her face away from him."Yes, Bhai Sa?" She forced a smile."It's time. If we don't send a messenger by nightfall, he won't reach the Palace in time, and that Yuvraj will return with an army. So unless you chose war, you need to let me know what it will
Ahankara took in a deep breath, as she stepped out of her litter. Her heart was hammering in her chest, as she felt intimidated by the huge castle walls and its extravagant beauty. She had lived in a Palace too, but it was no match to the Palace of Kalang. She looked down and frowned when she realized her pathway was covered with rose petals, to welcome her inside. She stepped off of it, not wanting to trample the flowers beneath her feet."This Palace is so beautiful, Rajkumari," Neharika commented, ogling at her surroundings with her mouth parted in awe."Indeed," Ahankara muttered, looking around, when she caught the eye of the man waiting for her at the door. She froze as her eyes met with Yashvir's, and she gulped, before looking away from him."Let's go, Ahankara," Karan Singh told her, and she nodded.They began walking towards the main entrance, and Ahankara made sure she did not step on any of the