Part 18 Hemadri
Khushi was staring at Arnav unbelievably.
"Why did you take such an oath, Arnav? What's the necessary?"
"How could I be quiet when he blamed you?
"You don't have to be quiet. It doesn't mean you should take a vow to relinquish the Prince post"
"What I do if I could not prove myself worthy of it?"
"You won't be unworthy if you don't prove it"
"Maybe... but I will prove myself... by hook or by crook"
"How?"
Arnav nodded his head from left to right.
"I have no idea but I will have to..."
*God... what will I do... There are no CCTV cameras or, hidden cameras in this palace... How could I help Arnav now? * Khushi murmured.
"What are you murmuring?"
"Could you make anyone an approver?"
"Means?"
"We should drag Hemadri's man to our side. We should make him give a statement against Hemadri. Won't it be a good proof?"
Arnav kept his hands on his hip and looked at her unbelievably.
"You are so cunning; you know," he said with a weird expression.
"Let me be... could you do that?"
"It's not as easy as you think. His men are so loyal to him"
"I don't know how people are always loyal to VILLAINS," Khushi said wearily.
"I asked Viraj to get people from the border village. If he gets someone, then we can prove him guilty"
"You have only ten days... could he bring the witness before ten days complete?"
Arnav was silent.
*What have to done Khushi? You should not have come to this palace. You made Arnav's condition miserable. No matter whether anything can be changed or not. Save him and immediately leave the place* She said to herself.
Arnav looked at her oddly.
"What are you blabbering?"
"I'm thinking about how to prove him wrong"
"Don't be stressed. I will take care of him" Arnav said confidently.
Khushi didn't know how he would prove it.
Night
Khushi was tossing on the bed not getting sleep. She was thinking about Arnav and his oath. As she didn't get sleep, she came out of the room. The palace was getting light from the large size lamps. She admired the night view of the palace. Suddenly she heard a mild noise. She was horrified, seeing someone moving towards Arnav's room. He was covering himself with a black sheet. She hid behind a big size vase and watched it. She didn't know who was he. What was his intention? Would he hurt Arnav? He slowly opened Arnav's room door. Khushi slowly moved towards him.
"Damn, why the hell the rooms of this palace are so big? It seems I need an auto to reach his room fast" Khushi thought.
He opened the door and slowly got in. In no time, Khushi pounced on him from behind.
"How dare you enter Arnav's room? Who the hell are you? Why are you here? Are you going to harm him???? Arnav... Arnav, where are you? Come on..." She shouted, looking here and there.
"Khushiiiii"
Khushi was stunned hearing the voice coming from the man she was holding. She pulled the sheet from his head. She was shocked as he was none other than Arnav himself. he removed the fake beard.
"Arnav... you?"
Arnav nodded yes.
"But why are you in disguise?"
"To get to know people's mindset and about the happenstance of our kingdom"
"Did you go for procession?"
He nodded yes.
"Will you go daily?"
"Not daily but often"
"Will you take me with you next time?"
"You?"
She nodded yes excitedly.
"I too will come with you in disguise as a man"
Arnav rolled his eyes.
"Please, please..."
"Ok, I will take you next time"
Khushi smiled with satisfaction.
"By the way, why did you pounce on me? What if it was someone, not me?"
"Of course, I thought it must be someone who wanted to harm you. That's why I pounced on him"
"What if he had harmed you?"
"It's not a big deal... I'm a commoner but you are a Prince. You are the future of the kingdom. This kingdom needs you"
"Did you want to save me only because I'm a prince?"
"Not only that... You are my friend. How could I let anyone hurt you?"
"This is why you are so special to me... You are selfless. That's why I want to stand for you"
"There is nothing to get sensitive... anyone in my place would have done the same... be it, Padmakshi, or, be it, Chandrika"
Arnav stared at her not saying anything.
"Whaaat? Did I say anything wrong?" she asked.
"How could I explain, it's not an easy thing to take the risk that can take your life?"
"You are unnecessarily exaggerating"
"Oh, really?"
"I'm going... I'm sleepy"
"What are you doing at this hour? Don't you get sleep?"
"How could I sleep peacefully if you take an oath?"
"I said, don't stress yourself. Leave it on me. I will take care of him"
Khushi sighed and said,
"Good night" she walked out.
Arnav stood all smiling.
The next day
Khushi opened her eyes and saw Kiran waiting for her to wake up. She sat on the bed jerking.
"Everything is ready for your bath," She said.
"Bath?" Khushi murmured.
She was taken to the next room. Khushi widened her eyes, seeing a big-sized marble tub filled with rose petals.
"How could I take a bath in the rose petals?" She asked weirdly.
Kiran chuckled.
"There is water under the petals"
"Oh..."
She ran her eyes where there were many powders kept in the golden bowls.
"What are they?"
"This is for your hair, this is for your body and this is for your teeth"
"Oh, thanks..."
Khushi saw Kiran still standing.
"I will take a bath"
Kiran tried to remove Khushi's clothes.
"Hey, what are you doing?" She jumped back.
"Helping you..."
"No thanks... I used to take baths without anyone's help... please, you can leave"
"The friend of the prince also be like the prince" Kiran murmured.
"What did you say?" Khushi asked as she heard what Kiran said.
"I mean, Prince Aparajith also won't allow anyone to help him"
"Is it?"
"Yeah, he is dearly called by the people as Prince of Simplicity" Kiran left the place.
Khushi smiled. She felt bad for putting him on the fire. She had to do something to save Arnav. Knowingly or unknowingly, she became a reason for his state. She took a bath with the fragrant powders while thinking about Arnav.
She came out getting changed. She looked at the mirror and thought something. Taking her mobile from her bag, she switched it on. She captured a few selfies in various poses with various backgrounds.
"Before leaving this palace, I should capture a selfie with Arnav" she talked with herself.
Suddenly she heard a footstep. She looked at the entrance of her room and saw a man standing. She looked for Kiran but she was not there. Khushi frowned at him who smiled at her. She didn't know who he was. His appearance told her that he was an authority of the palace. Before she asked him anything,
"I heard Prince Aparajith brought a foreigner to our palace. I just liked to meet her" he said.
Khushi was silent. She didn't like the way he grinned ear to ear.
"May I know who are you?" She asked.
"No one in our kingdom dares to raise such a question at me but you are our guest... don't know why, I could not get angry with you," he said cheesily.
Khushi frowned. Even the King of this kingdom seemed polite. But this man flaunted too much. By the way, who was he?
"I'm commander in chief of this kingdom..."
It was not hard for Khushi to get who he was. She wanted to say, YOU ARE NO MORE A COMMANDER NOW. Yet, she acted like she didn't get it.
"Oh... I see... let me call Prince Aparajit"
"He is not in his room. He would be in the wrestling practice every morning if he stayed in the palace"
"Oh... I don't know that"
"Yeah... not everyone can be said about Prince's schedule. It's about his security"
"I can understand... by the way, why do you want to meet me?"
"Hemadri ought to meet our guests"
"Hemadri?"
"It's me..."
"Is that you?" Khushi asked as if she was surprised.
Hemadri nodded yes.
"I can believe this"
"Why?"
"I thought the uncle of the Prince would be an old man but you look so young" She smiled.
Hemadri's face turned like a cat that saw the basket full of fish. Neither he saw fear in Khushi's face nor did he see loath in her eyes for him.
"What do you mean?"
"You look handsome. I would not have agreed to put an allegation against you if I had seen you before" she said with a slight blush.
Hemadri was gazing at her unbelievably.
"I was confused before meeting you about how can an old man play in bed with girls... now, I understand... You are muscular" she blushed a little more.
Hemadri looked outside gasping. He made sure that his men were guarding there. he could not believe a girl could talk so openly like this.
"Didn't you come here to put allegation on me?" he asked restlessly.
"Prince Aparajith called me... how could miss the chance to visit the palace? I accepted his invitation. That's all" She shrugged his shoulders.
"Prince Aparajith says you are his friend"
"I'm at his place. So, he would have told so..." She questioned.
"Are not you his friend?"
"See, I'm a foreigner... I'm going to leave this kingdom in a week. Till then, everyone would be my friend. Now, you are also..."
"Why do you want to leave our kingdom? Don't you like it?"
"Of course, I like it very much. If I get a chance to stay here, I will surely do it"
"What if I give you the chance?"
"You? How?"
"I'm ready to marry you... What say?"
Khushi looked at him shockingly and then bit her nail blinking her eyes blushing.
To be continued...