The Cinderella Of Rewa

14. Nakul

Nobody in the city seemed to talk about anything except the betrothal of Akshat Mittal to the princess of Bhopal. It was the first bethrotal ceremony after many years in the elite circle of Rewa.

Attendants ran in and out of Mittal Mansion carrying jewels, flowers and garlands. The mansion was being repainted and refurnished. Countless statues of deities in bronze and marble, diamond and pearl necklaces and gold coins had already arrived in Akshat's chamber as gifts from the other aristocrats of Rewa.

Nakul watched with bored eyes while his brother chose his engagement clothes. Cloth merchants had arrived from as far as Bengal and Kashmir to make Akshat look like a Rajkumar on his engagement to a Rajkumari.

Nakul knew that the words Rajkumar and Rajkumari had long ceased to hold power in India. There were just monikers now. He also knew the marriage was just a deal of honour. Someone had already abandoned the Princess of Bhopal at her wedding alter. Of this, no one knew in Rewa though except the Mittals.

The parents of the princess therefore had locked the deal of their daughter's marriage with the Mittals in Rewa - a city where their daughter could live away from her scandalised past.

Of course, the dowry was coming in like an avalanche, which was the only reason why Harsh and Sunaina Mittal had agreed to marry their son off to Bhopal's Rajkumari.

All this troubled Nakul though his brother seemed completely unbothered. He had been shown the potrait of the Princess only once and he had nodded his agreement, seeing that she was a syrupy beauty.

"Don't you want to meet her and talk to her atleast once?" Nakul had asked "What if she's totally different from you?"

"Who cares?", Akshat had retorted "She's good enough for you-know-what and that'll do. It's not like she's going to be my only female companion anyway. But we're going to bath in diamonds after this wedding brother. Think about that!"

And with that Akshat had walked out of the room leaving Nakul mortified.

•••

Back to the present, Nakul watched as Akshat tried on his fifty sixth suit and strutted around the room while the servants murmured the same elaborate flatteries for the fifty sixth time.

Again, this did not seem to bother Akshat. He in fact, seemed delighted at all the fake adulation. He finished his strut and gave an audacious bow. The servants clapped automatically while Nakul cringed.

"Bhai, hurry up and choose one no?", Nakul begged.

"Patience little brother, patience", Akshat said as he dismissed the waiting merchant whose clothes he was wearing, without saying a word. He then gestured for the next designer to enter the chamber.

Nakul sighed. At this rate, his brother would only finish choosing his engagement clothes after the engagement ended.