“Ranaji said that he and Prince Ranvijay will have to return to the kingdom to send the invitations and look after a few things. They’ll leave tomorrow and be back by the day after tomorrow. He said the rest of us can stay here,” she informed and sat beside Princess Aishwarya.
“You tell, Aishwarya,” Nandani asked Princess Aishwarya.“Do you want to go with Prince Ranvijay or stay here? Well, I think you should avoid travelling. It’s about just one day, so you can stay here, right?”
I just stayed silent.
“I’m actually really enjoying it here,” Princess Aishwarya replied with a smile.“I’ll stay here with everyone.”
“Aishwarya is my favourite,” suddenly Daadi-sa interrupted.“She’s such a well-behaved child. You should learn something from her, Nandani.” She grumbled under her breath by the end, and all of us broke into laughter.
Nandani made a face, but said nothing.
“Alright, then,” Queen Trisha rose from her seat.“I should go, look after the arrangements of the guest chambers and see to the preparations for the dinner.”
“Wait, Bhabhi-sa,” Nandani stopped her, standing up.“Let me come with you.” That’s when Princess Aishwarya stepped forward.
“I’m coming too,”
“No,” Nandani cut in quickly.“You should rest,” she said firmly.
Princess Aishwarya smiled at her.“Oh ho, Jiji, I’m fine; this weight gain is making me insane; I need to walk.”
I chuckled at their affectionate banter, fading into the distance as they left the place. I stayed with Daadi-sa until evening, after which everyone retired to their allotted chambers.
Once I had returned to my chamber, I flopped onto the bed, exhausted from the day. My stomach growled even more. I placed my hands on my stomach.
Yes, I felt the hunger in my body, but not in my heart. It was rather content. I had never thought I’d find such a wonderful family ever.
A group of attendants had followed me. I sat up, seeing Reva stepping into the room with a broad smile.
“Congratulations, Suman,” she said, hugging me. I tightened the hug and exhaled.
“Thank you so much, Reva,” I murmured and pulled her beside me.
“You know how this feeling is?” she asked softly.
I furrowed my brows.“How?”
“Um… It’s like a dream,” she sighed contentedly.“Climbing the stairs of the royal palace, walking through the corridors as a prince’s wife—people wouldn’t dare raise their voices at you. They wouldn’t dare hurt you. And when one of us is climbing that ladder, it feels like a personal win,”
I smiled at her weakly.
“It’s not a win, Reva,” I said, biting my lower lip.“It is rather a challenge—a test of walking with naked feet on the burning coal, where at every step I’ll have to prove myself worthy enough to sit among the royals,” I paused, looking away.
Then added,“These people here, they’re my family, from the beginning. They never made me feel like an outsider. The actual battle will begin after marriage, when I’ll have to attend many events, not just as his wife, but as this kingdom’s princess, and meet other royal princesses. It’d be a death trap.”
I held Reva’s hand and sighed shakily.“To be honest, I’m scared, Reva. What if, after marrying me, Kunwar Agastya became a subject of mockery? What if people ridiculed him at every step for falling in love with a common maid like me? And what if he realises it was actually a mistake? I fear that, Reva, I fear exactly that.” My voice trembled by the end.
She smiled, shaking her head.
“Do you think Kunwar-sa cares about what people have to say? If someone would try pointing out your one flaw, he’d show the world your thousand virtues. And you know him better than anyone; he’s got a sharp tongue. No one can win a debate against him,” she said, making me chuckle at the end.
“Yeah, I know that very well,”
“Hey, love,” Suddenly, his voice from a distance alerted us, and Reva immediately rose from the bed.
He stepped into the room with a plate in his hand.
“Your dinner, Your Highness,” he said chivalrously, bowing slightly.
