the darkness started to wither, a dim daylight arose as I gradually opened my eyes. My head was ticking and I had intense pain in my limbs, slowly opening my eyes I saw red curtains swaying along the cinch, and tall pillars stood off at the far end of the room. As I gained consciousness I instantly got up from the bed. The atmosphere was not friendly at all, it had a royal glimmer. There were walls embodied with golden and silver paintings, and a huge balcony overlooked the extended garden as far as I could see it was all green.
An enormous king-sized bed with silk blankets was being set up and I was sleeping on the same for several hours or days. I had no idea. There were exquisite flower vases kept along the corners of the room that had beautiful roses, Jasmine's and Lavenders in them that scented like heaven.
I looked down at myself to look at an unidentified weight I was carrying, It was two silver anklets embodied with green stones probably emeralds. I turned around to see the habitat I was in, It was lovely yet bizarre.
"Where am I?" I said all bewildered. Wandering around the grand room I was in.
"Rajkumari Nihira." I gave attention to a voice that came from behind. It was sweet and mature at the same time. As I veered around I saw a girl, she was lovely. She had long black hair along with fishery eyes that had heavy Surma in them, her clothes were very old-fashioned. They were orangish, and she wore tiny ornaments around.
"Who are you-?" I doubted. Getting away from her. She reacted with a strange comeback. And ran back to call some other girls who were almost identical to her.
"Mata Rukmani !" She shouted out loudly.
I was terrified. Why were all of these girls running around, I stood still, incapable of understanding the situation. They had joyful smiles when they called out. "Mata Rukmani." But what she has to do with me, and first of all where am I?
Before anyone came I walked towards the immense balcony that confronted a stunning garden. It was all verdant and trees were planted in a straight cord, presenting a ravishing work of craftwork.
"Sakhi." I heard a voice from behind.
As I veered around, I saw someone standing in front with pitambari clothes and morepankhi in his mukut. He had minimal jewellery around his neck and a captivating smile upon his lotus-pink lips. Overall his ambience was mesmerizing, soothing and alluring at the same time.
"Krishna!" I answered back with water filling my eyes. I instantly fell onto his feet, unable to adapt to the habitat. I was feeling stuck. It was making me nervous, people were not normal here, and they spoke a language I could never emit. It was distinctive Hindi. Moreover, they had a lot of jewellery and laboriously coloured clothing. Was I teleported to somewhere ?? In the Mauryan empire presumably. It seemed like I was in the history textbooks.
Eventually, Krishna kept up my arms and picked me up. I was sodden in tears.
"You are not in Mauryan era sakhi." He said in a scathing tone. But how did he know I was thinking about it?
"How do you know Krishna-?" I said weeping my tears.
"Hmm, so sakhi nihari listen to me carefully." He said in a tense yet relaxed tone.
I shook.
"You have travelled back about five thousand years from your present life. In dwaper yuga." He said with an extensive gap, which was required. I needed to breathe. I was probably dreaming, I had worse dreams than this. I will survive.
"You are not dreaming sakhi." He responded.
"How do you-" I made an effort to say once again, but then I remember he is the Supreme soul of the universe he knows everything. So I should shut up.
"From now this is your life, a new life. I know it will be hard for a while but trust me, it will all be worth it," he said.
"But why me-?" I let out.
"Because-" I took a break in between and made a sardonic face.
"You were someone who was needed here, your story was incomplete. And now this your time to complete it sakhi. Do what you feel right, and remember to be on the right path." He said.
"I didn't get you Krishna," I said because I was all perplexed. What did he mean honestly?
"Nihira, you were already someone who was destined to be here. But life was unfair to you for the first time. You faced a lot of troubles when you were young, you belonged to a Brahman family in dwaper yuga, but life was not fair to you. Your parents abandoned you." He said. I was listening to him in a strange retort.
"You were almost dead when the king of Kambhoj found you alongside the river Saraswati. And adopted you. Now it's your turn to be grateful and change your destiny. They don't know what or who you are. You are their daughter now. And someone's wife in future. Your story began here when you were brought first time into the Mahal of Kambhoj. Write your destiny nihira."
"So my name's nihira here-?" I said getting excited all of a sudden.
"yes-sakhi," he said with a giggle.
"And what about my family back in Kaliyuga?" I said.
"You will get back there when you are done living here and trust me it will be worth a chance." He said reassuring me, with a serene smile.
"Nihira-" I heard a voice that came up from behind.
It was a woman, who looked extremely beautiful. She wore a red and yellow lehnga, with a heavy amount of jewellery. She had a gorgeous face with very decent features. She had a mole on her chin just beneath her red lips. She came and gave me a tight hug kissing me on my cheeks.
"How you've been beti Nihira." She said cupping my cheeks in her warm palms.
I gave her an admirable smile and she probably was my mother in this era.
"Come have rest", she said while clasping my arms and fetching me to sit on the sofa kept aside.
"Dasi bring the best food, juices and clothes of Aryavarth for my daughter." She instructed a girl who stood at the entrance and now I understood all of these pretty girls were the dasies, and she was the queen. The puzzle was solved now.
"Your father would be so happy to see you back." She said. While making me drink some kind of drink.
"My father-?" I said. It reminded me of my father back in Kaliyuga which made me emotional almost on the urge to cry.
"Nihira-why are you crying." She said getting up from the sofa and patting me.
"No-No I'm just missing my father," I said weeping my tears.
"He's coming soon don't worry." She said.
We were joined by a bunch of girls who too were incredibly pretty. Aarya, Kirti and Devpriya. two of them were my paternal cousins whereas Devpriya was my real. Aarya and Kirti were almost identical and had immense love for jewellery and clothes, every girl's basic need.
Devpriya was my elder, she was about a year or two older than me. I was seventeen and aarya and kitty were fourteen and fifteen
"oh my god, look at these dresses bought for Nihira Jiji," said Aarya with so much passion in her eyes. She was very impressed with the dresses and jewellery.
"Aarya you can take whatever you like to," I said with a delightful smile.
"Really? Thank you jiji," she said shouting in utter joy.
Krishna smiled back at me, and I was trying my best to hold back my tears. I missed my family back there, missed my mom and my brother. Devpriya reminded me of Yashika and how my life was back in Kaliyuga. I didn't have the slightest idea how this life would treat me. I had maa, all of these cousins yet I would feel alone here. But how much time I have spent with them? not even a day. I thought. They might be the best family of all time.
"Sakhi, don't worry I am always there for you. You can always call me whenever you feel puzzled or stuck. For I never let my friends stay alone. I'm here for you."
I heard a voice in my mind and suddenly my gaze met with Krishna's who nodded a little to assure me.
* * *
Days had passed and now everything was getting in place. As I roamed around the large gardens of our palace, with Aarya Kirti and Devpriya I felt happier, things looked more positive now. I was given all princess treatment. And today my father was about to come from Hastinapur. He had been there for a meeting or so and today was the day he'd return.
"Nihari Jiji, come here there are butterflies," Aarya shouted calling me into an area filled with with marigolds. It looked incredible as we ran through the fields of marigolds. Life seemed happier. As we ran through the fields that stretched to a far place from the palace, we could hear a river flowing nearby. It had a calm flow.
"do we have a river here-?" I questioned Devpriya Jiji. Plucking a flower from a plant. And smelling it.
"oh yes, we do. River Saraswati," she said bowing her head in front of the river in respect. I did the same.
"Can we go there?" I questioned.
"No, that's beyond the boundaries of our palace, and we are not allowed to go there," said Devpriya Jiji.
"But we are not alone, we are all together. I just wanna see it for once Jiji." I said pleading to go there. Aarya and Kirti stood speechless, I waited for a reply.
"if you want to go there, you may go. But three of us won't accompany you," she said in a harsh tone.
"Didi, it's alright to go there. The flow isn't fast." I said, once again trying to make her agree.
"What if the river currents get high when we go there-?" she said once again in a loud and harsh voice.
"how is that even possible That's illogical," I said swinging my hand in the air to the point she made.
"fine then. You are free to go," she said fetching the hand of Kirti and forcing her to come along with her, I stood there looking at what just happened. Aarya too followed them giving me an apologetic smile.
"Did they just ditch me over a small thing-?" I said to myself water filling my eyes and a sudden feeling of guilt arose in my gut. I was taken aback by her rude behaviour. I did nothing to her, why was that rude to me? I thought everything was fine here. But it wasn't.
I took a deep breath and began walking towards the end of the garden which was marked by a massive wall around fourteen to fifteen feet high, I walked towards it looking for a space to go out, as I turned around towards the garden I could see the entire palace from there, even my balcony was visible too. Walking along the wall I found a small gap, about three feet high. That might have been an escaping gate for someone in the palace. I used it to get out.
It was small but I could easily fit in. As I got out of the small entrance I was awestruck by the view. It was indeed an incredible scene. Saraswati flowing in a calming fashion, and pine trees covering the entire area. A clear sky and butterflies were flying around. The sun was shining pleasantly and the water was crystal clear when stroked by the sun it shined like pearls.
I immediately smiled at seeing the scenery. I ran towards the water, and there were pieces of crystal rocks, of different colours.
"What is this place," I said to myself. Going round and round while picking up the long skirt I was wearing. Suddenly my eyes caught the attention of someone coming up from the water. A man.
He came up from the river as if having a bath. He had a perfectly shaped body and long and dark hair. His hands were joined and his eyes were closed. The water shredding off his body looked surreal. He gradually came up to the river bank, wearing an orange dhoti. He shakes off the excessive water from his hair. And I was numb.
I was numb at the sight I just saw. I don't know who that man was. But he imitated art, something so perfect and extraordinary. I had never seen someone like him ever. He turned around, his hands were still joined. He opened his eyes and I almost failed.
He had a janev upon his bare chest and something shined upon his head. Something like a diamond.
He looked at me, from the other bank of the river Saraswati and I stood at either end, looking at him with every inch of my body devoted to him. My hands were trembling and my eyes were not getting away from him, he was not real. I can assure you. For a moment we stood there looking at each other from a distance.
Until he turned back and disappeared into the pine forest, and I once again stood there hoping for him to return.
But he didn't.
Hello, cudies! I hope you liked this chapter too. And did you guess who was he? At the other end of the river? Comment your answers!!!
Also, do you guys want to face claims?
Thank you so much for reading 💌