Princess Fighter: Search for the Throne

XIX

After praying for him, Gauri took steps to leave from there.

"Where are you? Join us for breakfast, if you haven't eaten yet" Vindhya invited him generously.

Gauri fought a hard internal battle.

He has two options - spend a comfortable time with the person he likes, it looks like a sleepy monster wearing ragged pajamas OR running from there now and saving his face but eliminating himself from his precious company.

Finally, he took a deep breath and said, "Uh, that's .. I have an important task to do now. See you tonight at the party."

With that he said goodbye to them and walked away muttering, "It's better not to scare her with my unwashed teeth and unbrushed wild hair. Otherwise, he would never have given me another chance to come within fifty meters of his presence."

"Vindhya, I came looking for you early in the morning because I wanted to talk to you about something serious. Are you aware that your marriage is being planned with the son of the head of South Zilla?" vindyut asked as soon as they sat down for breakfast at a famous restaurant near Gurukul.

"Yes, I know. They had talked to me about it the last time I came home" he said, without further ado.

Vidyut traveled extensively to various zillas as well as to other countries, gathering knowledge and herbs from various sources.

She had only returned home a few days ago and was recently told of her upcoming sister's engagement which was more of a political alliance.

"Don't you think that you're too young to think about marriage now? Even if they don't get you married soon, you realize that you won't be able to date another man in the future once you're engaged. Why do you want to shackle yourself so early? There are so many interesting people in the world to meet" he asked.

Vindhya shook her head before she even finished speaking.

"Haha, you want me to stay single like you, right? Between you and me, you are well aware of my future aspirations. I have no desire to be chased or pursue many men. Given my final goal, he seemed to fit the situation, "he explained, shrugging his shoulders.

"Vindhy! I know your dream is to sit on the most coveted throne in the country and I believe fully in your abilities. But life is more than just being a queen. What will happen if you don't end it? Been chosen? Don't let your career goals determine the rest of your life" he argued vigorously.

Vindhya gave him a superior look and replied confidently,

"Do you think I haven't found any potential girls who could be my rivals in the competition? I have judged them all and without trying to sound impolite, I can assure you that none of them have nearly met the basic criteria to become Queen."

Vidyut sighed in frustration. He was just not ready to see the big picture.

Judging his reaction, he changed his tone and spoke in a calming manner, "Look, he attended my birthday party today. Why don't you judge him yourself and give your honest opinion? Let's discuss this after you meet him, hmm? Now, can we not argue and enjoy the delicious spread?"

As it always happened, she granted her brother's request and shook her head in agreement.

After they were full, they went to the inn where their parents were staying.

Vasudev, the head of the Western zilla and his wife, Rukmani had just prepared to welcome a long line of people who had gathered to meet them.

As a strong couple, they are known for their deep connection not only in their own zilla, but also in the capital. Vasudev has been head of Western zilla for five years now and every alternative generation of his family has qualified for the position. Politics is the only thing the family knows.

Luckily for Vidhyut, as he was unable to apply for any administrative position due to the rule of skipping a generation, he was free to pursue his career options in medicine.

For them, this was the first time they had a girl in the family who had the potential and the chance to become the next Queen. Understandably, the entire family including distant relatives had high hopes from Vindhya and it seemed like she would fulfill them all.

"Happy birthday, my daughter. You're almost a woman now. God bless you!" Rukmani exclaimed in excitement as she saw her daughter walking towards her after greeting her father.

"It's nice to meet you, Mama," she smiled and hugged her mother.

Surveying him critically, his mother commented, "You look good, as always. But we still have to wear a saffron sandalwood mask on you. Mom told them to put it in rose water. Ah, and your bath has been prepared with jasmine flower extract. Be sure to soak it for at least twenty minutes."

Although water wastage is prohibited by the government, it is, but some innkeepers have gathered and petitioned to build their property around a natural spring or waterfall that can be used as a private bathing area by guests of the inn.

The maintenance and cleanliness of these water bodies is the responsibility of their owners and they are happy to take large amounts of money from rich clients for the same. Most high-end travelers like to stay in such places and do not mind the expensive rates.

The Vasudev family lived in one such place. Although the cottage was located a bit far from the main city, they were willing to commute every day just to enjoy the luxury of the place. Vindhya's birthday party is also held in this spacious cottage garden.

...****************...

That afternoon

Many guests had already arrived by the time Vindhya came down from the stairs separating the residential area and the party venue was open.

He knew that the party was not just a simple celebration of his 16th birthday, but it is also a way to introduce it and show off its pedigree and potential to the various influential people living in the capital.

Invitations have also been sent to Rani Samyukta. But as was his policy, he did not attend any celebrations unrelated to the state. Not that it matters to Vasudev.

Although the Queen's election process has not been announced, the opinions of all these influential people will also have no effect at the same time, but Vasudev wants a general consensus to start supporting his daughter as the most viable candidate.

That would create a psychological advantage for Vindhya over her competitors.

Wearing burgundy-colored silk lehenga* and soft golden choli* with matching dupatta*, Vindhya's skin shines in the sunset.

Her shoulder hair had been styled into an elegant bun and had jasmine flowers intertwined within it.

He wore a simple silver bracelet on each hand, showing his stature and a pair of fully decorated anklets demanding that attention be paid to his beautiful legs.

Kohl's laden eyes added a bit of maturity to her face, enhancing her pretty features.

"I can see so many matrons grading you for their boys. How does it feel to be the center of so many people's attention?" his brother whispered in his ear.

He had walked over to accompany her to where their parents were standing, interacting with the guests.

She shrugged her shoulders gracefully and replied, "It feels the same. I've been used to it since I was a kid."

Vidyut laughed at his brother's complacent answer. People turned to look at the striking pair of siblings. They were both very handsome and accomplished in many fields.

Their parents are truly blessed to have such a child and anyone who marries them will be very lucky.

Vindhya met everyone politely and gracefully. Her smile remained intact the entire time but her eyes continued to search for the one person she had been trying to dress up for.

In the past week, he has been quietly inquiring about Yashvardhan's academic and extracurricular performance from various sources.

The impression he eventually received of him was a wise, kind-hearted but timid man who excelled in lessons and sports. His expertise is in finance and he only has a few close friends with him.

One thing that everyone seems to have confirmed is - she DOESN'T have a boyfriend.

Then why didn't he approach her? For Vindhya, it was already a pride now. She wants, no, she needs him to fall in love with her.

Not too far.

Mriga woke up some time ago and found that the sun had already set.

Looking around, he saw that Shaurya was not around but there were many bananas stored next to him.

He had been taught not to go to work with a full stomach. Not only does it make a person feel sleepy but it also causes a desire to have a bowel movement that can be annoying in the middle of reconnaissance!!

That morning, he needed three false tries before finding the right path back to the dilapidated hut from the ground.

Shaurya did not even give any clues to help him guess whether they were on the right track or not. They had walked for a bit before he realized his stupidity at any moment and turned around.

As a result, the sun had roasted his head as they returned. Shaurya told her to bathe in a nearby river while he went to look for food for them.

Mriga cursed himself for not realizing that the river was flowing right next to their hut. He could easily follow that voice and find his way back.

By the time he removed sweat and dirt from his body and washed his clothes, Shaurya had returned with a large wooden box.

They had a sumptuous lunch consisting of fruits, puri*, and some delicious vegetables.

"I'm surprised you managed to get such food here, on the outskirts," he said that afternoon.

He replied with a grin, "I'm lucky. Apparently, there was a fancy preparation going on for someone's birthday and they were kind enough to give me some of them in exchange for fixing the shoe of one of their horses. Fill your stomach better now and go to sleep. You have to be ready and energized when we're out at night."

'Ah, someone will spend his birthday lavishly. And then there was me.' he thought for a moment about it, felt gloomy but then did not contemplate those things anymore and started eating quickly.

Now he was happy that he had eaten to the full at lunch. He got up and started getting ready quickly. He doesn't know what time Shaurya will be back but doesn't want to be the reason for the delay.

Although he was not competing with anyone directly in this task, he was aware that his classmate would also be doing the task tonight. He does not want to disappoint Shaurya and Prithvi because of his performance.

...----------------...

After another half an hour, Vindhya starts to get upset and tension may start to show on her face as her mother approaches her and asks if anything is wrong.

He hurriedly assured her that everything was fine and widened his smile. He would never admit to anyone that he was agitated because of someone else.

His friend Gauri had walked into the party some time ago. After handing over the parcel, he seemed to disappear in the crowd. Vindhya tried to look for him in the crowd that was milling about.

"Uh, hi. Happy birthday," a tentative voice spoke from behind Vindhya.

He turned around in surprise and smiled at her. He finally arrived.

"My parents sent their best wishes along with a small sign of their blessing," Yash gave him a carved wooden box.

"thank you. My parents are waiting for you. Let me take you to meet them" he said in a hurry.

It was the first thing he could think of, while fighting the red hue on his face. He was shocked to see the ferocity of his joy upon his arrival.

"I just felt confused because of the heat and the party that was too crowded. I always knew he was coming. I'm not worried about that" he told himself.

While Yash greeted his parents, Vidyut slid beside him and whispered, "Well, at least, he doesn't look that bad. You plead, I won't let you continue this alliance."

"Huh, I don't care one way or another" he replied with false courage.

Vidyut grinned wickedly, "Is that so? Then who was the person whose eyes kept drifting to the entrance every three minutes? I even counted the times."

She gave him a hard push on her stomach with her elbow and threatened, "I'm not looking for him at all. Regardless, do not dare to say it in front of anyone, even joking. I'm gonna kill you."

He winks at her and waits for Yash to be released after greeting the elders. Before Vindhya could intervene, she patted the younger man on the shoulder and introduced herself.

"We're going for a little walk, birthday girl! See you in a minute," he waved at his sister, ignoring her murderous gaze.

Vindhya loves him very much and he understands his parents' aspirations for him, but he will not let them be his happiness in the process. He spent about twenty minutes chatting with Yash.

At first Yash is a little wary and stiff but soon Vidyut pulls him into a lively conversation about everything including current policies, school studies, sports, new opportunities, and a, his vision is for himself and the country and more.

At the end of the journey, he concluded that the man was not only learned and polite, but also someone kind. The only hindrance in his mind was that Yash seemed too gentle.

Her aggressive little sister might eat the poor man!

Vindhya is agitated despite telling herself that it doesn't matter to her, whether her brother likes Yash or not.

Even if the alliance doesn't happen, it doesn't mean she's in love with him, or anything. But her heart remained in her mouth until she did not see her brother walking back to the party with Yash.

"Why do you look so depressed?" Gauri was unable to trace Vidyut's whereabouts for the last ten minutes and finally remembered that she was here for her friend's birthday and did not stalk and glance at her brother.

"I'm not stressed. But where have you disappeared since you came in?" Vindhya asked him while sulking.

"I. uh. oh look, there's this guy from Gurukul, whom I've given his invitation to. It seems like he's the only person other than me who showed up for your party," he tried to distract Vindhya by pointing towards Yash who was walking towards them with Vidyut.

"Hi, you're Vindhya's friend right? Last morning we met at the princess's dorm" Vidyut greeted Gauri with a smile, who tried hard to hold the red hue on her face.

Coincidentally, the birthday girl also faced the same difficulties.

Gauri nodded her head excitedly, excited as she remembered it. But it was also disappointed that he was able to recognize her as the same person since this morning. That means all her attempts to dress up have failed!

Thankfully, the two boys were either too preoccupied with their own thoughts or just didn't know anything to notice the girls' rosy cheeks.

Yash has been very upset for the past few days. He hoped Mriga might contact him and try to make up before leaving for his duties. But since last night, his anger has reached new heights.

'I'm not on his priority list. He could at least try to see me before he left. But she left without telling anyone, ' she thought to herself, wallowing in self-pity.

She was not in the mood to attend the birthday party.

This morning he regretted saying yes to Vindhya's friend the other day for the invitation. But as determined by the norm, he could not back down after agreeing to attend. Also, her mother would make a hue and cry if she tried to miss it.

So, she finally made it to the party, albeit reluctantly.

......................

*Lehnga - Indian long skirts worn by Indian women all over India. Secured at the waist with the middle left open, the lehenga is usually worn on ceremonial occasions

***** - Blouses charged with lehnga

*Dupatta - A piece of cloth, draped over a lehnga as an accessory, sometimes like a scarf or scarf or a cloak

*Puris – round fried bread made from flour