Saavdhan. Vajji ke Yuvraj evam Vajji ki Rajkumaari padhar rahe hain!
" Pranipat Samrat Dhritarashtr. Pranipat Maharani Gandhari. Pranipat Mahamahim Bheeshm. Pranipat Mahamantri Vidur. " The brother and sister greeted on the door of the arrival. They were welcomed warmly into the mahal, and given the finest rooms.... Which leads us to an interesting problem.....
" Rajkumari Karunika. I am Meenakshi, sister of Yuvraj Adam. " She said, touching her feet.
" Arre! Rajkumari! What are you doing. You are a guest. Why do you touch my feet? " She said, bending down to raise her up.
" Kumari, you will soon marry my brother, and then, you will become my bhabhishree. Hence I did so. " She told her joyfully.
" But Kumari. Till I am not married to your brother, it does not befit the princess of another kingdom to touch my feet. "
" Alright. But I can touch the feet of my guru can't I? "
" Huh! Your guru? Meaning? "
" Matlab yah, priye. That she warned me, that if she does not get to make you her guru for shastr vidya, aste vidya and vastu vidya, I have not the permission to even propose marriage to you. " The Yuvraj said, walking upto the two.
" Arre bhratashree. Why do you twist my words. I didn't threaten you."
"Acha.... You didn't threaten me? Abhi batata hoon. " He said, and was chasing the young woman around Karunika, who was laughing so badly, but then, Meenakshi using her as a human shield said, " Bhabhishree. Please tell him to back off. You will protect me won't you? "
" Haan. Avashy. Yuvraj. Stay away from my priy nanad. You touch a hair on her head and I will punish you. " She said, laughing all the while.
"Vivah mein ek se karne aaya. Apni hi behen ko aapne premi se hi kho betha. " He muttered, and the two roared with laughter, joined by Nakul and Sahdev, who were passing by.
" Arre. Najul. Sahdev. Come. Meet the Yuvraj and rajkumaari of Vajji. " She said, but before she couldn't say anymore, the two jumped across her, to hug their jijashree, sorry to be jinashree.
"Arre. Kumari is also here. Show some respect. " She said sternly.
"Ji. Pranipat Raajkumari. My name is Nakul, and he is my twin brother Sahdev. " Nakul said introducing himself.
"Is your youngest brother unable to speek bhabhishree? " Meenakshi asked suddenly.
Both Sahdev and Karunika looked up with her questioningly, while her brother kept telling her to back off. Everyone knew Sahdev was a rather reserved person.
" Nahi. It's just. He didn't introduce himself on his own that's all. "
" The one who has brothers like Nakul don't need to speak for themselves Raajkumari. He speaks enough for both of us. " He said softly.
"You're funny. Come. Show me around the palace. " She said, dragging him away by the hand.
" Yuvraj. I feel, you'll leave here with me, and leave someone behind. " Karunika whispered.
" Hmm. I accept. Come we must move to the Rajsabha. I need to propose properly this time. As the Yuvraj does to a
Raajkumari. " He said, walking hand in hand, while Nakul stood there confused. Who to go after?
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
" Please speak Vajji Yuvraj. " Mahamantri said.
"Maharaj Dhritarashtr, I Yuvraj Adam of Vajji have come to Hastinapur, to propose marriage to the Raajkumari Karunika of Hastinapur. " He said.
" But Yuvraj, her marriage has already been decided. She has been elected to marry Raajkumar Suyodhan's Mitr, Angraj
Dandik. " He announced, while the three agents of chaos, Mamashree, Suyodhan and Dandik looked on.
" What? " She whispered. Shook. The Yuvraj turned to look at her. He knew she loved him, and she knew he loved her. So what was this madness?
" Maharaj! In the absence of her father, you cannot decide or arrange the marriage proposal of a rajkanya, that too without her own permission. " Yudhishthir said clearly.
Meanwhile in the gallery above, the princess was fuming. She was just barely kept back by her bhabhishree, Devika and Draupadi. They looked at her, worried what would happen.
"My decision is fina-"
" Maharaj Dhritarashtr ! Who gave you the right to decide my future for me? I may be the princess if Kururashtr. But even princesses have the right to choose their own husbands. With whose permission did you decide this for me? " She asked calmly, walking down the stairs to stand by her brother and the Yuvraj.
" Maharaj. This Raajkumari is insulting you in front of the guests of your kingdom, while herself being an impure person. She lived in the forests with an unmarried man for so long. How can you be pure. Be happy that my friend is still ready to accept you as his wife. I wouldn't.She deserves to be imprisoned for the same. " Suyodhan said, haughtily.
" Suuodhan! " The brothers yelled, while Arjun stood up and ran infront of his sister. The Yuvraj was broken. This was his fault. Had he not come to meet her those days, this would not happen. Karunika however was worried right now about her own respect in this room.
" Maharaj, this young prince has raised his weapon in your presence, he deserves to be killed off. " Gandharaj said coyly.
In the balcony, Kunti couldn't stop her silent tears, while both Devika and Draupadi looked at their husbands, worried about her life.
" You can't order his death Maharaj. If you don't punish those who planned to poison the Raajkumar of Hastinapur, if you cannot punish those who created the Lakshagrih. If you cannot punish the man who insulted his own sister in front of you. Then you have no right to punish the brother who stood up for his sister's rights. Stand back. "
" Raajkumar Suyodhan. As for being pure, I would gladly prove my 'purity' to you. After all. I'd rather become someone's wife than become someone's mercy. "
" Raajkumari, what are you talking about? Purity? How? Would you also sit on top of the flames like Sita mata to give Agnipariksha? " Gandharaj asked again, trying to instigate the raajkumars.
" Your ideas are just as small as your brain Gandharaj. One of the smartest men of Aryavart, yet you don't know that mata Sita did agnipravesh, not to prove her chastity, but to show the world what is means to be a righteous woman. But alright. If that is how you'll be satisfied then let it be so.
Maharaj Dhritarashtr. I have a very clear statement. If you accept, then you will find yourself a raajkumari who is going to marry the Vajji Yuvraj and if you don't, you will have my brothers as well as the King of Kuntibhoj, Karn, standing in front of you to challenge you to a fight, if need be. " She announced, while the Yuvraj just looked at her. She was going to have to sit in the fire to prove herself. What had he done.
" Bolo putri. "
" Maharaj. In the sabha I am a Raajkumari. Not your putri. If that was so I would address you as Tajshree. Respect my position as I do yours.
Maharaj. If I am not 'chaste' as the Raajkumar has said, then I will stand on the burning fire. If I am not, and the fire begins to burn me, I will readily marry Angraj Dandik. " She said, while her brothers looked at her with so much pain and she looked straight ahead at the Maharaj.
" Do you accept Maharaj ? "
" Y-yes. I accept. "
"Alright. Sainik! Arrange for a pyre to be readied in the lawns. Today either someone will lose themselves, or win the right to be the princess that I am awarded the title of. " She said, walking out of the sabha, followed by her brothers and the Yuvraj.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
" Putri? Putri what have you done? Why are you doing this? " Kunti said, walking into the room with her vadhus, Draupadi and Devika.
" Mata. Have you ever thought why a lover doesn't tire? "
" Putri? "
" When a lover gives hope, the world refuses to fight for them. But when both parties are equally fighting for their love, then no power in the world can defeat them. My love cannot speak in this sabha. He is not part of it. But I am. So I will speak here. I will fight for us here. He deserves that much. For a man who followed me into the forests, looking for me in the forests, I can stand on the fire for sometime. " She said.
" But jiji. When you are right. Why do you need to prove yourself? " Draupadi asked.
" Because Krishnaa, sometimes, life does not play by our rules. It is meant to test us. Narayan tests me every chance he gets, just as he tests every human on earth. This is also one of his tests. I will pass no doubt. Don't worry. "
" But Jyeshtha, that presents a wrong example. We are princesses and royals. We can fight for ourselves. But what about those women who can't. What about the common
people? " Devika asked.
" Which is why it is immensely important for your husband to be the Yuvraj. He needs to become the Yuvraj. The one who will look after those who can't look after themselves. " She told them reassuringly.
" Send my brothers over. I am sure they are going to have many questions for me. " She said, going back to stand in the balcony. She saw her Yuvraj walking in the gardens. He looked up at her, and she smiled, thought the tears, and reassured him. They would be fine.
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
" Raakjumari, the Pandav brothers are standing outside. "
" Invite them in. "
They walked in silently.
" Arre. You've come. Aao. We'll eat laddoos. Come Bheem. I prepared a fresh batc-"
" Jyeshtha. You are facing such an important fight, and you are all ready to eat laddoos? " Arjun asked angrily, not at her no, but at the world.
" Arjun. Worrying about something which is going to happen anyways doesn't make much of a difference to the problem does it. Just like today I will stand in the fire, similarly I will loose my first child one day. It's decided. I made my choice. I can't worry about the future and not live the present. "
" But Jyeshtha. What have you done to deserve this? " Nakul asked, crying silently, walking up to her, putting his head on her shoulder .
" Arre idiot. Who does anything to anyone. We are Narayan and he is us. He is the one doing and he is the one who's being acted on. We are just carriers of sould ready to act according to them, to satisfy their aims for Dharm. " She told him, holding his face on her shoulder, while the other twin sat on the other one.
" Jyeshtha. There are other ways to fight. You should have told me. I would have ripped Suyodhan's head off his body. " Bheem yelled.
" That's why Bheem. This is my fight. If any of you fought it for me, we would have a much bigger problem then this. I need to do it so that no one can question another woman in the future. It's why Yudhishthir you must become the Yuvraj. We can't let this happen to anyone else. " She told them, while Bheem walked around fuming in rage.
The eldest Pandav brother however was silent. He wouldn't even look at her.
Arjun, so angered, sat down by her legs, putting his head in her lap. " Jyeshtha. But why you? "
" Would you rather it's someone else? Someone who doesn't have six great brothers to protect
her, someone who can't protect herself ? " She asked them, moving her hands through his hair.
" Jyeshtha. I understand why you have agreed to do this. But just because we know the thorn will pain, doesnt mean it lessens when it actually stings." He said repeating his words from the cave.
" Avashy. I understand. But-"
" Raajkumari. The woods have been arranged. "
" Alright. Go inform the members of the royal family. "
" Come brothers, we will fight for love today. " She said, holding the younger ones hands walking out with them, when she crossed paths with her Yuvraj.
His eyes were moist, lined with red, as if he had been crying all this time. The blue met the brown, with a reassuring gaze from the latter, and a flash of trust crossed the blue. They understood. No words were needed now.
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Well.... That was interesting wasn't it. Still have no idea about the stalker do we?
Alright. Please as always share your love through comments and votes. Thank you all so much.
Radhekrishn ❤