"what? She agreed!?" His furious green eyes met the eyes of his trusted man, Aarush.
He nodded vigorously. Yuhaan's hand turned into a fist.
|DAARIKA'S pov|
"What's all this??" She asked seeing her room filled with enormous red boxes and some maids standing there with some accessories and dress.
"Greetings your highness.....today you have to go to temple and worship God as per the king order....please get ready and I will be your personal maid and my name is Diya" she said
"What temple???? Why??" I asked her
"Before marriage you have to worship the god.and do some rituals....now please get ready in this blue lehanga" she said handing over a beautiful navy blue lehanga which had a peacock embedded In it and also golden border gives it a mejestic beauty.
I touched it and felt it so soft and smooth. In my life I have never saw it touched a lehanga before.
I always used to wear men dress as only that was provided in the military academy.
"Please come this way princess....we will help you bath" she said
What!?! Help me in bath!!!? Me!? Naked infront of other girls??!? A BIG NO?!
"N-no.....i c-can m-manage myself' i said in awkward
She looked at me and smiled assuring
"Please don't feel shy princess........we will help you" she said and dragged me to the bathing area.
I tried many times to stop her but she didn't listen.
I changed my dress into a towel and got inside the water.
As the cold water touched my wounds which I got four days ago started paining a lot and a sight hiss left my mouth.
Hearing it, Diya ran and came to me asked
"Are you ok princess??? " She asked me
"Um....nothing" i said
She looked at me with a doubtful look but she nodded and turned to leave when she noticed blood on the towel on my back
"Oh my god.....what is this princess?? Wait I will bring some medicine" she said and went from there.
I just closed my eyes and relaxed myself when I felt someone applying something on my back.
I turned around and saw her applying gently on my upper back wounds.
I screamed as that liquid touched my back sending me unbearable pain.
"I am sorry princess but can you please remove the hair from the back slightly?" She asked.
I just removed my hair from my back Allowing her to see my bare back
She gasped seeing the wounds on my back.
I looked at her and she looked at me with a sympathy.
Then she started applying and painful moans left my mouth.
"You must have gone through a lot princess" she said while applying the medicine
"I am used to it now" i said and she can feel my pain.
After taking bath, Diya and other maids helped me wear the lehanga.
The worst thing is that the lehanga is backless ............... Only a knot was available in my back.
This lehanga feels a little uncomfortable as it was my first time to wear a little open type clothes.
The lehanga top fits correctly just about my hip.
I removed the clip from my hair which I had made a bun. It fell freely covering my back.
"Wow princess you look like a maiden from heaven" Diya complimented.
"Thank you" i said.
Then she called the other maids and those maids entered the room with so many accessories.
Some where gold and others were diamond.
Never in my life I had seen these type of accesories....the only one she gets is her hair clip and the bracelet Krish gave her.
She looked at the bracelet and carressed it.
Diya made me sit on the dressing table and made me wear three layers of golden necklace, a long earrings, hand full of bangles, waistband and anklets.
I looked at the mirror and for the first time.....i love myself.
I look like a woman for the first time.
"You are heavenly gorgeous.... believe me.... everyone will be jealous because sultanate king is going to get you as his wife" Diya complimented
I smiled slightly but the next moment I remembered that I am going to get married to that unknown king soon.
Diya fixed a Vail on my head which covers my face.
"Shall we leave to the palace princess?" Diya asked.
I turned to her and nodded. She holded my hand and helped me to get up. Then we both made our way to the court palace.
|Yamini pov|
"What was that di?? I thought you hate her....but you were conserned towards her?" Hasini, yamini's sister asked.
Yamini who was applying khol in her eyes laughed
"That was all fake.....do you think I like a b#tch like her?? She came here as a replacement in my daughter's position and that's why I am treating here with little kindness......she didn't deserve those" yamini said
Hasini nodded and spoke
"Di, do you got any news about sarika??? I am worried for her safety" she said.
"She is more than safe" yamini said
Hasini got up from her chair and spoke in shock
"T-that means you know where she is!" She said
Yamini stopped applying the khol and smirked at her
|Court|
"The bride has arrived and we can proceed the marriage as per our plan Yuhaan" chandra shekhar said with a huge smile.
Yuhaan who was standing with a mixed emotions looked at him and spoke with a smile
"As you wish....but where is the bride?? I haven't seen here even once" he said in curiosity
"Oh, she will be going to the temple to worship the goddess and some ritual before wedding today.....tomorrow it's haldi, then mehandi, Sangeet and at last the fourth day wedding " Chandra Shekhar said.
They were chatting about the wedding rituals and a guard came and announced
"Princess Daarika is waiting outside to get your presence your highness" he said.
Yuhaan's eyes immediately looked outside. He wanted to see that so called warrior princess whom he got to know by his men.
"Ask her to come in" chandrashekhar said
"Yes your highness" the guard said and went away.
Soon some maids along with princess came inside.
Everyone in the court got shocked seeing princess with traditional female dress.
Yamini along with hasini and her maids were also present in the court.
Yamini looked at her and rolled her eyes.
She walked inside and bowed the king.
Someone's eyes was looking at her without blinking.
"Yuhaan, this is my daughter......Daarika" he said
Daarika's eyes met his green orbs through the semi transparent Vail.
Daarika broke the eye contact and looked at chandrashekhar
"If you allow....let me take the leave to the temple your highness" she asked politely
"Let the queen and her attendees come with you to the palace Daarika" he said and daarika face lose its colour
"I-it's kind of your -your highness but I want to worship the goddess personally so let me take my leave" she said
Chandrashekhar looked at her and spoke
"As you wish you may leave" he said and daarika went away.
Her sudden face change and voice was not gone unnoticed by Yuhaan
|Yuhaan pov|
Daarika.......a so called daughter of chandrashekhar and a warrior. Intresting.
I think there is something this princess is hiding from everyone and today she confirmed it when she denied queen accompaning her.
Something is strange...............
I called Aarush and wispered in his ears
"Follow that princess and inform me about her moves"
He nodded and went away slightly.
|Daarika's pov|
"Diya......can you get me some hind coins?" I asked her and she looked at me confused
"Is there any need princess?" She asked me
"U-um.....a-actually i want some coins so that If needed I can use it when you are not around....just a precaution and also the coins I have can be used in west city only" i said
She nodded and went somewhere.
God she should bring some money now as it's was needed.
I was walking here and there with sweaty hands.
Diya entered my room and I looked at her standing with a small sac in her hand
She came to me and handed it over to me
"Here princess.....it has 50,000 hind gold coins" she said which made me happy.
"Thanks Diya, now can we move to the temple?" I said
She nodded and a bunch of maid along with her followed me.
I sat on the palaq and we started moving
I looked at the money sac and then the bracelet in my hand
"I am going an step ahead now"
|In temple|
Daarika and everyone came to the temple which was very near to the river.
Daarika got down and looked at the devine place.
"So beautiful" she wispered seeing the beautiful scenery infront of her. A temple situated infront the mountain 🗻 and a waterfall right beside it.
"This temple was worshipped by royal families and especially before marriage so that their married life will be prosperous and happy one princess" Diya explained
Then we went inside and saw a golden statue of goddess Durga.
We worshipped and some rituals took place.
A big agnikunth(holy fire) was lit and the panditji (the one who does pooja) started chanting while I was sitting infront of the holy fire
|Daarika's pov|
I looked outside impatiently looking for someone.
My eyes roamed at every corner while I was sitting infront of the holy fire.
All the eyes of the maids were on me.
Then my eyes spotted them standing near the back of the temple signalling me to come.
I looked at the maids who were standing like statues.
If I move now they will inform me meeting some other people to him.
I slowly took the sambrani(doop) powder which I stole from the palace and hit it in my saree pallu end.
And poured it all slowly and steadily inside the holy fire.
Soon the whole place became cloudy and everyone started coughing.
I waited for the whole place to became full cloudy so that my absence won't be noticed and finally the full place became cloudy.
I stood up from there and went to the back side of the temple
I spotted them waiting there and went to them
"Nishant, Harish......i am here" i said removing my Vail Allowing them to see my face.
"Daaru you are here............" Nishant said
"You are fine right?? What happened to rudra and Krish?? They went missing From the military academy since your leave" Harish said
"they were captured by the king and he threatened that he will kill them if I don't marry the king of Sultanate" i said
"How dare he?! He thought he can do anything as a king!" Harish burned in anger
"Calm down....i have some plans to save them and myself now listen............here, 50,000 hind gold coins. You know what to do with it. Right?" I said handing it over to them
They nodded
"Good, inform me soon and sent me a letter as soon as the work is done, now I don't have any time left so I am leaving" i said and they nodded.
I went inside and saw them leaving from there.
I went inside and sat down like nothing happened
"P-princess....a-are *cough* y-you t-there" Diya asked
"Y-yes.....*cough* " i said with some act to make her believe.
Then soon the smoke started getting cleared and Diya ran and come to me
"Princess are you alright" she asked me
"Y-yes...can we go back to the palace?? I am feeling nauseatic" i said holding my head
She nodded and prepared for our depart.
_________________________________________