Thank you for your warm comments on the last chapter. I haven't replied to all comments yet. But I have read all of them and I will try to reply to all the comments.
I saw a few readers asked for regular updates.
Well...talking about it...I think I cannot update regularly. Because -
1. My eyes aren't allowing me to stare at the phone screen for a long period of time. I have to use eye-drops to keep my eyes in normal condition. Otherwise, they will hurt like hell.
2. I am having frequent headaches these days. Even my mother hid all the paracetamol tablets as I was using them in a huge amount😅😅. Still, I managed to steal 4 tablets from her. So, if I stare at the phone screen for much time, then my headache occurs and it feels like someone is hitting my head with a hammer. It's really painful.
3. I am preparing for a lot of entrance exams. If I don't secure a good rank, then I am so done. My father will directly bury me in the ground. (Hehe, I don't know what he will do)
4. I am updating 4 books together. So I need to update them as well because my readers of those books are asking for updates too.
5. Moreover, the chapters are a bit longer than I expected. So it's taking much time for me to write a single chapter. And my eyes aren't helping me to do it quickly.
I am really sorry for not being able to update regularly. I will try to update with a gap of 3 to 4 days. I am really sorry for the inconvenience. Please bear with me.
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"Are you sure you will do whatever I say?" Karthik narrowed his eyes while looking at Lavanya mischievously.
"Yes," Lavanya said in a determined tone.
"It will be a very tough one, sister-in-law," Karthik said in a warning tone while his facial expressions turned into a serious one. "If you fail to do so, then I won't ever talk with you. Do you still agree?"
"Yes." Lavanya nodded vigorously while her hands formed fists
"Are you sure?" Karthik intently looked at Lavanya while her eyes were glued to the floor.
"Yes. Go ahead and ask." Lavanya said in a low voice.
"Well..." A big smile appeared on Karthik's face. "Then you have to cook today's lunch for me."
"Huh!?" Lavanya immediately lifted her head and looked at Karthik as if she had seen a ghost.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Karthik tried to look serious but Lavanya's total dumbfounded face made him lose his control. "Now you cannot go back on your word." He crossed his arms across his chest.
"That's it? You just want me to cook for you?" Lavanya still couldn't believe that Karthik asked for such a mere thing.
"Yes." Karthik smiled while Saanvi chuckled silently.
"As you wish prince." Lavanya smiled. "Do you want me to cook anything special for you?"
"Sister-in-law!" Karthik stood up while a frown formed on his face. "Why are you calling me prince?"
"You are the prince and that's why I am calling you prince," Lavanya replied innocently as she couldn't understand why Karthik suddenly stood up.
Karthik huffed and turned towards Saanvi. "Saanvi, did our brother do something wrong to her that she started to behave so strangely with us?"
"I don't know." Saanvi shrugged her shoulders while trying to control her laugher. She couldn't stop laughing at the way her brother was teasing her sister-in-law.
"H-he didn't do anything." Lavanya quickly replied.
"Sister-in-law..." Karthik sat beside Lavanya. "You used to call me Karthik. Why are you suddenly calling me a prince?" He asked in a polite tone with hints of disappointment in it.
"Prince, we aren't kids now." Lavanya tried to explain. "Moreover it's th-"
"Okay. I won't apply medicine to my wounds." Karthik crossed his arms across his chest and looked away from Lavanya.
"Prince, don't be so stubborn," Lavanya said in a gentle voice. "Your wounds need to be treated. Otherwise, it will get infected."
"I don't care." Karthik huffed and walked towards the window. "If you don't call me Karthik, I won't apply the medicine."
"Prince, try to understand-"
"I don't want to." Karthik cut Lavanya's words. "I don't what to apply to any medicine." He mumbled like a kid throwing tantrums over a toy.
"Don't be stubborn Karthik!" Lavanya harshly grabbed Karthik's right arm and yanked him as she was enraged because of Karthik's childish behavior. "You will apply the medicine now!" She dragged him towards the couch and made him sit on it before sitting beside him. "Being stubborn won't cure your wounds. If you keep being this stubborn then no woman will be willing to marry you like your brother." She said while dipping her fingers into the turmeric paste and scooped out a generous amount of paste.
"Thank you, sister-in-law," Karthik said with a gentle smile on his lips while his eyes stared at Lavanya.
"Hm?" Lavanya at once looked at Karthik.
"It has been a long time since you called me by my name," Karthik replied. "Sister-in-law, please don't call me a prince. It makes me feel like I went far away from my sister. Though you became my sister-in-law, still you are the same sister I knew since I was 5 years old."
"You are still the same." Lavanya smiled. "Still now you manage to make me listen to your words."
"Ahm." Saanvi stood before Karthik and Lavanya. "Brother, will you even give me a chance to befriend with sister-in-law?"
"Who is stopping you?" Karthik looked at his sister while Lavanya chuckled at their interaction. "Go ahead and befriend her."
"How can I talk to her if you keep talking with her?" Saanvi pouted.
"It's not my fault." Karthik shook his head. "I meet sister-in-law after 13 years."
"Brother you-"
"Saanvi, Karthik doesn't fight like kids." Lavanya stopped them while a gentle yet happy smile was plastered on her face. "Saanvi, we already talked with each other before, right? Your brother returned to the palace after a long time."
"But sister-in-law..." Saanvi whined.
"Come here." Lavanya patted the seat beside her, signaling Saanvi to sit beside her. When the latter took her seat, Lavanya spoke. "I will cook whatever you want. Now tell me what you want to have for lunch." She said while gently applying the medicine on Karthik's wound on arm.
"Coconut sesame rice," Karthik said.
"Only coconut sesame rice?" Lavanya glanced at Karthik and Saanvi before applying a second layer of medicine.
"Sister-in-law, I want baby eggplant curry," Saanvi uttered while watching how Lavanya applied the medicine.
"Can you make coconut chutney?" Karthik asked while gazing at Lavanya.
"Yes, my Prince." Lavanya smiled as she finished applying medicine to both of the wounds. "I can make almost all of the dishes. Now please feel free to ask."
"Sister-in-law, can you make lunch for brother Virendra as well? He loves your coconut chutney very much." Saanvi uttered while looking at Lavanya with big doe eyes.
"Does he love the coconut chutney made by me?" Lavanya blinked as she couldn't remember when Virendra tasted the coconut chutney made by her. "When did he taste it?"
"Did you really forget?" Karthik and Saanvi said in unison before looking at each other.
"Sister-in-law, back then you made coconut chutney for us. It was the first time you learned how to make it. So you wanted us to taste it." Karthik explained.
"Really?" A faint smile appeared on Lavanya's face. "Your brother still remembers that day?"
"Mn." Saanvi nodded. "Sometimes he says that nobody can make coconut chutney as tasty as you made."
He still remembers that day. Lavanya smiled internally. Was the coconut chutney really that tasty that he couldn't forget it?
"Sister-in-law? What are you thinking?" Saanvi's words pulled Lavanya out of her daze.
"Nothing." Lavanya glimmered. "I think I should go to prepare lunch."
When Lavanya was about to leave, Saanvi again called her.
"Sister-in-law, can you please bring Akshara? I want to meet her." Saanvi said.
"I cannot go there whenever I want, Saanvi," Lavanya replied to her in a soft voice. "I am ma-"
"Your highness." Jyotimani's voice made three of them look at her. "The Queen has chosen a maid for you."
"A maid for me?" Lavanya narrowed her eyes, feeling something was fishy.
"Yes." Jyotimani smiled. "Charu." She wailed and a young girl entered the room with her face covered with the pallu of her saree while the saree ended a little below her knees. She was wearing a pair of bangles, a simple chain around her neck, and simple anklets.
"Are you sure the Queen selected her for me?" Lavanya asked again while eyeing the girl from head to toe.
"Yes, your highness," Jyotimani replied.
"Come inside first," Lavanya said in a low voice. "Close the door." She ordered once both Jyoti and Charu entered the room.
"Why are you covering your face?" Saanvi asked innocently.
"My face got burnt when I was young. It's hideous. So I covered it, your highness." Charu replied politely.
"Charu, it's your name right?" Lavanya asked with a smirk on her face.
"Yes, your highness." Charu bowed to Lavanya.
"Akshara you can remove your pallu from your face now. You disguised well but unfortunately, I caught you." Lavanya said in a confident tone.
"Akshara!?" Saanvi's jaws slacked while her brows almost disappeared into her hairline.
Charu immediately removed her pallu which was covering her face, revealing that she was Akshara. "Sister! This isn't fair." She whined while gazing at her sister. "Why do you always recognize me!? I even worked so hard, wore this saree up to the knees, wore simple jewelry so that you cannot recognize me but st the end you found me." She pouted while looking away from Lavanya.
Before Lavanya could say anything, Saanvi hugged Akshara. "Thank you for coming Akshara. I was missing you so much." She broke the hug and smiled. "I was just asking sister-in-law about you."
"I too wanted to meet you." Akshara smiled while holding Saanvi's hands.
"Did you greet the prince and the princess?" Lavanya interfered when she saw Akshara had no intention of greeting the royal siblings.
"She doesn't need to-"
"Greet the prince and princess first," Lavanya ordered, cutting Saanvi's words. "I think you came here as a normal handmaid and a handmaid greets the royals first."
"Sister-in-law, she doesn't need to bow to us," Karthik said while he stood up.
"Akshara..." Lavanya said in a cold tone. "Greet the prince and the princess first."
"Greetings your highness." Finding no other option, Akshara lowered her head and bowed before Karthik and Saanvi.
"But sister-in-law, how did you recognize her?" Saanvi asked.
"Though she said she worked hard to disguise, she committed some major mistakes and it made it easy for me to catch her." Lavanya smiled confidently. "First of all, the simple pair of bangles which she is wearing are my bangles and I gave them to her. Secondly, she didn't bow to me when Jyotimani introduced her to me. Normally a maid greets and bows when she is introduced, but Akshara didn't so it. Thirdly, our maids wear a bit simpler anklets than she is wearing." She walked towards Akshara and looked straight into her eyes. "Don't you think three points are enough for me to guess that it's you?"
"You are such clever." Akshara rolled her eyes before looking away.
"Now don't sulk like that." Lavanya laughed at her sister's facial expressions. "I am going to cook. Stay here with Saanvi." She turned her head towards Saanvi. "She came as a handmaid. Don't call her Akshara in front of everyone. Call her Charu."
"Rest assured." Saanvi smiled and nodded her head a bit.
"Akshara, why did you come here?" Lavanya said, looking at Akshara with lots of complaints in her mind.
"I wanted to see you and princess Saanvi. So I came here." Akshara replied in a playful manner, making Karthik smile at her cuteness.
Lavanya let out a deep breath. "Alright. Since you came as a maid, don't forget your job. Otherwise, the King will catch you."
"Rest assured, sister." Akshara smiled.
Lavanya smiled. "I will be going to the kitchen then. By the way, help prince Karthik to wear her jewelry. He is injured."
"Sure." Akshara and Saanvi said in unison while Lavanya smiled and walked out of the room.
"Princess, the aroma is so mouthwatering," Jyotimani uttered while helping Lavanya in the kitchen.
"Jyoti, I have just cooked baby eggplant curry, jackfruit curry, coconut sesame rice, and vegetable hotchpotch." Lavanya chuckled. "We still have to cook a lot of items."
"What are you going to cook?" Jyoti asked while grinding the ingredients for the coconut chutney, using mortar and pestle.
"Vegetable hotchpotch, coconut sesame rice, plain rice, lentils, baby eggplant curry, jackfruit curry, sweet porridge, and coconut chutney," Lavanya replied while adding sugar in the huge pot of porridge. Suddenly her facial expressions turned into a serious one as she suddenly remembered something. "Jyoti, why did you help Akshara to get inside the palace?"
"Huh?" Jyoti at once raised her head and looked at Lavanya. She didn't imagine that Lavanya would ask that question to her. "Well...your sister wanted to meet the princess and you, so I helped her."
"Jyoti, I am married now. She cannot come to her in-laws' house whenever she wants." Lavanya shook her head in disappointment while mixing the porridge in a pot with a big spoon. "Forget about it."
"Sister, why are cooking food in such a huge amount? It's more than enough for the princes and the princess." Jyotimani exclaimed.
"I am cooking for the king and queen as well," Lavanya said. "Since I am cooking for the sibling, I thought of cooking for the King and Queen as well. Since I am cooking for royals, I thought of cooking for you and Mahesh as well."
"You are so generous, sister," Jyotimani asked while talking in the mouthwatering aroma of the dishes.
Lavanya giggled at Jyotimani's words. After cooking for 4 hours, the entire dishes were ready.
"Let's go." Lavanya smiled as she arranged the plates and dishes in it. "Take these three plates," Lavanya said putting three plates on the table while arranging dishes on another plate. "Serve this to prince Karthik, princess Saanvi and Charu. I will send the food to prince Virendra and then join you. Okay?"
"Mn." Jyotimani nodded. With the help of two handmaids, Jyoti left the kitchen and went to Karthik's room as Saanvi and Akshara were chatting in his room.
On the other hand, Lavanya arranged dishes in two plates in a beautiful manner. Then with the help of handmaids, she sent those plates to the king and the queen. After returning from the Queen's chamber, Lavanya went to the kitchen to arrange dishes for Prince and Mahesh.
I still cannot believe that he remembers the taste of the coconut chutney. She smiled to herself while adding more coconut chutney on the plate. I hope you will like today's food too. I made the coconut chutney especially for you. Wait! Lavanya suddenly shook her head. Why am I thinking so much about that spoiled prince!? Karthik too liked the chutney. No no! I didn't make it for spoiled Prince. I made it for Karthik, Saanvi, and Akshara.
Lavanya shook her head, trying to push all her thoughts aside. She took the plate which she prepared for Virendra in her hand while a handmaid held another plate before walked towards Virendra's room. As they reached Virendra's room, a Lavanya asked a handmaid to call Mahesh.
"Greetings Your Highness." The handmaid bowed before Virendra making him look at her, holding few documents in his hand. "Prince Karthik wants to meet Mahesh Ji."
"Sure," Virendra said and Mahesh nodded before going out of the room.
"Princess Lavanya!?" Mahesh exclaimed when he saw Lavanya was standing outside, holding food in her hand.
"Don't be so loud, otherwise he will hear you," Lavanya whispered. "I cooked the food today. This is Prince Virendra's food." She said in a low voice while extending her hands which held the plate of food. "Don't tell him that I made this." She said when Mahesh took the plate in his hands. "Here, it's your lunch." She gestured her maids to show the plate to Mahesh.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Mahesh bowed to her.
"I will be taking my leave. Karthik and Saanvi are waiting for me." She smiled and lowered her head a little.
"Sure, Your Highness." Mahesh nodded before Lavanya walked away from there.
"Mmnnnnn...sister-in-law, the eggplant curry is just amayeshing," Saanvi exclaimed while her mouth was full of food, making it impossible for her to talk.
"Eat slowly Saanvi." Lavanya chuckled. "It's not that food will run away from you."
"Sister-in-law, you are really the best." Karthik smiled while putting food in his mouth. "I sometimes feel that Akshara is really lucky to have you as her sister."
"Don't be jealous of me, Prince," Akshara said proudly. "I really got the best sister in the world."
"Don't talk while eating," Lavanya said in a gentle voice. "Otherwise you won't be able to enjoy the food."
"Won't you eat with us?" Saanvi asked when she saw Lavanya was sitting beside them without a plate of food.
"I will eat with Jyotimani," Lavanya replied in a gentle way. "Otherwise she will have to eat alone."
"Princess, you can have food. I won't feel bad if I eat alone." Jyotimani quickly asserted.
"I want to have my food with you. Do you have a problem with that?" Lavanya turned her head towards Jyoti and gazed at her.
"N-No, your highness." Jyoti shook her head.
After having their lunch, Lavanya sat on the couch while Karthik sat on another couch, and the two girls sat on the bed.
"Akshara, you shouldn't come to me whenever you want," Lavanya said.
"Why? I missed you. So I came to meet you. What's wrong?" Akshara asked as she stopped talking with Saanvi.
"I am married now Akshara. You cannot come here whenever you want." Lavanya tried to explain. "Even I cannot go home whenever I want."
"Why cannot you go home?" Akshara asked, getting a little irritated at Lavanya's words.
"After marriage, a girl has a lot of responsibilities. I cannot leave my responsibilities and come home." Lavanya replied in a calm way.
"Why cannot girls go home after marriage, sister-in-law? Men can stay at their homes after marriage but we have to leave. I don't agree with it." Saanvi huffed and looked away.
"Things are different. You both need to understand it." Lavanya continued before taking a deep breath. "Now I cannot do whatever I want or whatever I like."
"Why sister?" Akshara stood up at once. "Why did you marry the prince then? I thought that I can visit you whenever I want to. So I was happy but I didn't know that this would happen." She sounded as if she lost her hope.
"Akshara...try to understand," Lavanya uttered.
"Why does she need to understand?" Saanvi opposed. "Why do we girls always have to sacrifice? Did we take birth just to sacrifice ourselves?"
"Saanvi, what are you saying? We aren't sacrificing our lives." Lavanya's eyes widened at Saanvi's words. "You shouldn't say these words. You will be soon married to prince Harshik."
"I don't want to!" Saanvi yelled. "I don't want to marry him."
"But why? I have heard that Prince Harshik loves you a lot." Lavanya sounded confused.
"Simple sister," Akshara replied in a rude way. "Who wants to leave their family and go with some unknown person? I too don't want to ever get married to anyone." She yelled before walking away from there.
"Akshara...wait." Lavanya stood up to stop her but before she could stop Akshara, Saanvi too stood up and left the room. As they left the room, Lavanya let out a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. "Why are behaving like that Karthik?" She looked at Karthik with disappointment in her eyes.
"I think they need some time." Karthik tried to pacify Lavanya.
"No Karthik. Akshara still has time but Saanvi doesn't." Lavanya shook her head before looking away from her brother-in-law. "Saanvi is already engaged to the prince of Avantipuram but still she isn't accepting it. She is still talking like a normal kid." She averted her gaze to Karthik. "Why doesn't she like Prince Harshik?"
"I don't know. He is so in love with her." Karthik replied. "I don't know why Saanvi doesn't like him."
"I don't know why our sisters are like this." Lavanya sighed in disappointment. "Maybe we pampered our sisters too much that they aren't ready to take responsibilities." She looked at Karthik. "Take rest, Karthik. I will go and talk to them." Lavanya said before walked out of the room.
3572 words...
I wrote a total of 5006 words. But still, there was a lot to write to continue this chapter. So I decided to break it because it was becoming too long and many of the readers don't like long chapters.
Currently, I am working on the next chapter. I hope I will update soon.
Coconut chutney:
Baby Eggplant curry:
coconut sesame rice:
Vegetable hotchpotch
Raw jackfruit curry: