The Royal Redemption

3.

Inside the walls of Awadh, the grandeur of a royal wedding unfolds in preparation for Princess Lekha's nuptials.

Intricate tapestries in vibrant hues adorn the halls, while the air is filled with the scent of jasmine and rose petals. Servants bustle about, attending to every detail with meticulous care, ensuring that every aspect of the ceremony reflects the majesty befitting the royal family.

The palace gardens are transformed into a fairy-tale setting, with cascading fountains, fragrant blooms, and shimmering lanterns illuminating the night sky.

"Everything looks perfect." Maheen said looking outside her bedroom window into the inner courtyard. "Exactly like I want it for our daughter."

"I expected nothing less from you Mahi." Aditya said kissing the top his wife's head. "Just make sure you don't exhaust yourself before her wedding."

"I'll take care of the wedding and you my king take care of me, just how it always is." She said lovingly.

"Abeer and Gehna will be here in the next three days, I'm so excited, everyone I love will be under the same roof after so long."

"I can't believe it's been thirty-three years since Mohini got married and Dev decided to leave," Aditya mused, exhaling deeply. "After three decades, I'll finally have both my siblings back home with me."

"We should sleep." Maheen said kissing her husband. "We both have a lot of reasons to look forward to tomorrow." She smiled as the two lay in bed in each other's arms.

The silence before the storm envelops Awadh in an eerie stillness, a prelude to the imminent chaos that looms on the horizon.

The stars blanket themselves in the darkness of night, the moon hides behind the clouds, they fear for what the sun was going to bring up with him, how his presence was going to change Lekha's life completely.

The sound of conch was the last thing Lekha had imagined to have woken up to, never in her twenty one years of life had she truly experienced the panic that set in as the shrill sound from the shell pierced the air.

The doors of her room burst open and Lekha's wide eyes relaxed as she notices it was her best friend Aabha who had entered, she too was clearly frazzled by sound.

"Princess we need to rush." She said moving towards Lekha's bed.

She pulled Lekha out of bed and threw her dupatta that was lying on the chair at her.

Lekha slipped her feet into her shoes and walked behind Aabha whom she trusted with her life.

The sound of conch reverberated through the walls.

"Aabha what is going on." Lekha's voice quivered. "Where is Maa and Papa."

"Lekha keep moving." Aabha said pulling her through the corridor towards the safe room meant for such situations for the royal family.

Aabha was not just Lekha's friend or lady in waiting. She was Lekha's bodyguard, trained since the age of ten to protect the most precious treasure of the royal family.

"I'm scared Aabha." Lekha said her voice cracking as she tried to keep up with the pace her friend pulled her with.

"As am I." Aabha said honestly as she approached the safe room.
She pushed the door open which were being guarded by the royal guards and pulled Lekha in.

"Lekha, Aabha." Maheen's panic stricken voice called out.

"Maa." Lekha rushed towards her mother. "What is going on, I was so scared, I ..I .."

"Shh my love. Your father and brothers are taking care of it, you don't have to worry." Maheen said pulling her daughter further into the room.

As hours ticked by, the room seemed to shrink with each passing minute. Within the chamber, noblewomen and children, relatives of the royal family and high-ranking officials, gathered with a collective sense of unease etched upon their faces. Amidst the palpable tension, uncertainty hung heavy in the air. Behind the closed doors, the unknown unfolded—a mystery that left them all wondering whether the situation was contained or if chaos reigned unchecked beyond those walls.

The sound of the lock jiggle had everyone hold their breath. As natural light entered the room along with the Prince of the kingdom a collective sigh of relief spread on all their faces.

"Hey ladies." Prithvi smiled looking at everyone. "Sorry to have kept you all waiting." He said winking.

A few chucked, some with relief, some at the antics of their flirtatious prince.

"Prithvi !" Maheen called.

"Maa." He smiled, his eyes scanning the crowd.

He moved in towards them as the rest were now assured that it was safe to move out. Standing in front of the three most important women in his life.
His mother, sister and the love of his life.

"What happened Prithvi ?" Aabha asked holding her arm which was tied in the scarp of Maheen's dupatta . "The conch ?"

"Are you okay ?" He asked her, for the first time his eyes had no playfulness. "Are you hurt Aabha ?" He said taking her face in his hand.

"I scraped myself, nothing I won't survive, Maa took care of it don't worry." She said smiling at Maheen.

"Bhaiya the conch ! Are we under attack ?" Lekha asked her eyes moistening.

"We aren't under attack." He said with a small smile looking at his sister.

"But ?" Maheen egged.

Prithvi looked at his mother and then at Lekha, she wasn't Maheen or Aabha, she was delicate, she had a soft heart and he didn't want to worry her.

"She is old enough to be a part of this conversation Prithvi, we need to stop treating like she would break any second. She needs to see the world for what it is." Maheen said firmly and Aabha nodded.

"We aren't under attack but we are surrounded. The banner belongs to a king of an independent kingdom of Srinagar, Kabir Mirza, there are a few banners of support from the Jadhav's, his maternal family." Prithvi sighs.

"Threat ?" Aabha asked.

"Anyone on our soil who is armed against us is a threat my love." Prithvi replied. "From what little I know about this king is that he is fierce, took hold of Srinagar with a mere army of 900 foot soldiers, his kingdom has flourished and expanded since his rule."

"What brings him here !" Maheen exclaimed. "We share no boundary with his region, nor with the Jadhav's. We have no family animosity with either."

"That we are figuring out too Mahi." Aditya said as he entered the now relatively empty room with their oldest Vayu.

"Maa should we send Lekha back to her room with Aabha ?" Vayu pitched in.

"Yes." Aditya said.

"No." Maheen interjects. "No."

"But-."

"Lekha stays and so does Aabha. As members of the royal household they needs to know the complete truth." Maheen said as she sat down on the sofa kept against the wall.

"But maa -."

"Enough with coddling Lekha, we aren't going to be with her when she moves out of this house." Maheen said and Aditya nodded.

"Now fill in your mom and sisters about this King of Srinagar." Aditya says.

"Hey !" Prithvi screeched. "Aabha is not my sister, she is my bride to be."

"I was talking to Vayu now please, can we ?" Aditya looks at his son sternly and Prithvi shrugs.

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