The Legend Of Bharatkhand

- s i x -

The ceremony of Siddarth's youngest daughter went well, she was named as Dviti, meaning bright. Siddharth didn't sit to eat, as he was fasting along with the whole Maurya Family. Fasting for the day was reasoned as paying a tribute to the Gods for giving them a daughter, but everyone knew, the actual reason was Aadrika's fast. It was obvious, how could they eat the food when their daughter would sleep with an empty stomach?

Surprising thing was, Lakshanya and Kaustubh too didn't eat a single grain of food. It was certain that they won't be able to eat even a morsel knowing an innocent child was hungry because of their pride.

Gunav, the name meant one with good qualities, more precisely the epitome of perfection. But this man, he was completely opposite. With his words, it seemed like his motive was to disrupt the event. His chauvinist thoughts voiced out in open court were accepted by majority of people, and those who didn't accept were termed as Impotent, their manliness was questioned by many.

"Ye toh sabhi jaante hai, naari choti hai, aur purush bada hota hai." Gunav said, earning nods from a few kings. Siddharth however wasn't pleased, how much he wished he could just take out his sword and behead this man. The King of Kalinga, Saarthak just sat there with a face which screamed 'I am disappointed' but he was glad that the event had Gunav's disturbing rant rather than Lakshanya and Kaushtubh's fight.
"Everyone knows that women are inferior, and men superior."

"Asatya, satya ye hai, naari hoti hai, purush hota hai, shakti hoti hai, bhay hota hai, sampatti hoti hai, deen hota hai, buddhi hoti hai, murkh hota hai. Aur Maa Adishakti, jinke hiranyagarbh se samast brahmand ne jamn liya hai, woh bhi ek naari hai." 
"That is not true. The truth is, power is feminine, fear is masculine, wealth is feminine, poverty is masculine, wisdom is feminine, fool is masculine. And the whole world is born from the womb of Mother Adishakti, she is also a woman."

The assembly of Kings turned to look at the source of the strong feminine voice. The Maharani of Vinita Nagari stood there, her face morphed into an emotionless pretence. Her eyes held a fire, that could burn these Kings, she took a few steps ahead, like a Lioness walking to it prey.

"Naari yadi shanka tyaag de, toh woh swayam Shankar." She spoke, standing in front of him, looking straight at him. Her strong gaze made him squirm under pressure.
"If the woman leaves her hesitation, then she herself becomes the destruction,"

Gunav had no words to counter her, he stepped back accepting her statements. Nalini softened her gaze as he hastily moved back. Gunav saw her softened face, he looked at her assuming she went weak. 

"Nahi Maharani Nalini, naari choti hi hoti hai, aur naari ka kartavya hai purush ko prasann karna, man se, vachan se, aur tan se, naaki purush par prashn uthana." Gunav's word had Lakshanya, Kaustubh, Siddharth and Samprati almost on the verge of killing him. But everyone was bound by the shackles of social norms, two couldn't do anything because he was their guest and two because they were the guests.
"No Queen Nalini, women are inferior, and the work of women is to please men, my thoughts, by words and by body, not to question men."

Nalini however wasn't bothered by his words, in the world of chauvinist men, she would have been more surprised if he hadn't retaliated back. As she received the expected answer, she made a practiced move, her hand moved towards her waist where a dagger was placed, at instance it was out drinking a few drops of blood from Gunav's neck.

"Chinta na kare Maharaj Gunav, chot itni ghehari nahi ki mrityu par, par itni badi awashy hai ki aapko ye yaad rahe." No one dared to speak in front of her, those who were boosting their masculinity, now stood in fear of Nalini's fierce femininity.
"Worry not King Gunav, the cut isn't deep that it would kill, but surely it is deep enough to remind you of this."

"Yaha upasthit sabhi Maharaj, ye sunn le ki, aaj yaha baith kar jis naari ka apmaan kiya hai aap sab se ne, ek din wahi naari aapki mrityu ka karan banegi. Ye shraap nahi, ek naari ke samman par prashn hai, aur naari ke samman ka khayal toh swayam ishwar bhi karte hai."
"Every King present here, hear this, today the women you have insulted, she will be your death tomorrow. This isn't a curse, but a question to the respect of women, and women's respect is cared by the Gods too."

The normal was discussion was bearable, the women tolerated the words of men, even though they hurt like sharp arrows in their heart, burnt their respect like fire, drowned them in oceans of sorrow, but this point was the calling point. They wouldn't just listen and bear everything silently.

Now it didn't matter that they were guests, their self-respect was worth more than that. The out-burst of Nalini didn't insult Pataliputra, but instead saved the King from committing the sin of harming the guests.

Nalini looked at her husband with a look of disapproval, she knew he respected women, then why did he not speak? Things weren't good between them but that didn't stop her from showing her how upset she was with his silence. 

"Saarika," one whisper from the King who sat down, ignoring every other thing happening around, the King of Kalinga, Saarthak recognised his sister as the Queen of Vinita Nagari. She was dead, wasn't she? But seeing her alive, his mouth was left wide open.

Among the silence that prevailed following Nalini's words, Saarthak's one whisper was audible to the whole room, that went turbulent and obstreperous as the new revelation. Well why won't they talk? They had a new hot topic to discuss.

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Done with the chapter. 
So yes, Saarika is Nalini-
And that's what Lakshanya meant when he wanted Saarika as Queen, aka showing the world that Suryavanshi Kingdom has Chandravanshi Queen-
But she reacted quite negatively-
God knows why?

How did you like this twist?

Also, lots of Drama is yet to be done-
You can say, "Abhi toh party shuru hui hai"
Meanwhile Mauryas be like: Ek naamkaran main itna drama? Inko toh shaadi mein bhi nahi bulana hai maine-
And tbh, even at school picnics, we as kids were better than these people are as KINGS-

People thinking Lakshanya doesn't deserves Nalini/Saarika-
STOOPID, he is the best for her...Future mein dekhna, okay?