Rameshwari was in the garden, playing with her ball. Throwing it up and catching it. She was occasionally entertained by the birds who flew to her and sometimes sat on her shoulder, other times on her head.

"Rajkumari ! Rajkumari !" A plump girl around the same age as Rameshwari hurried towards her.

"Kya huya Ulka ?" Rameshwari asked her pramukh sakhi.

"Kya Maharaj ab shaashan nahi karenge ?" Ulka asked.

"Nahi toh. Kaun bola ?" Rameshwari asked with a frown.

"Mantrivar." Ulka said.

"Mantrivar ?" Rameshwari asked confused.

"Ha. Woh keh rahe the ki Maharaj aapke karan shaashan nahi kar payenge." She said.

"Aisa kyu ?" Rameshwari asked.

"Kyuki woh ab nirbhar hojayenge anya logo par, aapka dhyaan rakhne hetu. Mantrivar keh rahe the ki Raja ko anya logo par itna nirbhar hona shobha nahi deta." Ulka said.

"Oh...." Rameshwari muttered, pondering over this valid doubts by the ministers.

"Rajkumari, aap Maharaj ko kehna ki woh shaashan par dhyaan de. Aapka dhyaan rakhne hetu mai hu." Ulka said.

"Accha ?" Rameshwari asked with chuckle.

"Ha." Ulka said with her head high.

"Yeh accha sujhaav hai, meri Priya sakhi !" Rameshwari said pinching the chubby cheeks of Ulka.

"Aah ! Rajkumari !" The plump girl whined.

-----

The rays of the rising sun entered the room of Rameshwari, and although she'd pull the covers up, this time she let them touch her body. In fact, she abosorbed more sun light than regular, just to increase the temperature of her body.

The ministers were doubting Shri Ram's capabilities as a king and a father, an answer must be given to that. And the answer needs to be a practical one.

Just like daily Shri Ram, entered her room. A small smile on his face vanished seeing a frown on his daughter's sleeping face.

Beads of sweat were rolling down her temples, and her cheeks were red. He touched her forehead and it was heated. She had gotten a fever.

"Ramey ?" He gently shook her.

She opened her eyes, and unlike everyday, they had lost their gleam, by which she used to look at him. Even though she looking at him, her eyes looked unfocused.

"Ramey, putri tum thik ho ?" He asked.

"Nahi." She said in a sob, as she hugged him close. He could feel her immense body heat next to his.

"Tumhe toh bahut tez bukhaar hai." He said taking her on his lap, she snuggled in his chest.

"Kanjuki !" He called.

An old trustworthy man, usually incharge of several gateways of palace, entered the room. This one was in-charge to the princess's door.

"Ji Maharaj ?" He asked.

"Kripiya, Raj-vaid ko bulayiye." Shri Ram said.

"Jo aagya." The Kanjuki nodded and didn't waste another moment to go to the royal vaid.

Hearing that the princess had gotten a fever, before the Raj-vaid, her grandmothers and aunts had reached the room out of worry.

"Rama, putri yaha aao." Kaikeyi said.

"Nahi nahi." Rameshwari shook her head snuggling into Shri Ram's chest.

"Majhli chachi ke paas toh aao." Urmila said.

"Nahi." She again shook her head.

Soon the Raj-vaid entered the room, with a bundle hanging on his shoulder, carrying various necessities.

"Maharaj, mujhe chikitsa karne de." He said.

Shri Ram nodded but as he was about to keep her on the bed she tightly held his angvastra.

"Nahi Pitashree Nahi !" She said in sobs, causing him to hold her close again.

"Raj-vaid, kya aap aise hi chikitsa kar sakte hai ?" Shri Ram asked.

"Jaisa aap kahe Maharaj." The Raj-vaid nodded.

He began checking her body temperature, and pulse rate. He gently pulled her eye, to get a close look.

"Chinta ki baat nahi hai Maharaj. Yeh tulsi patte Rajkumari ko dede, unhe prahar bhar mei accha lagega." Raj-vaid said handing him the leaves of tulsi.

"Dhanyawad." Shri Ram said taking the leaves.

"Ab aagya de. Mai ek baar sandhiyo ko aake punah chikitsa kar dunga." The Raj-vaid said and left.

Shri Ram fed the tulsi leaves to Rameshwari, who chewed it with a twisted expression on her face.

Suddenly Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan entered the room to take Shri Ram to court.

"Bhaiya, Raj-darbar mei jaane ka samaye ho gaya hai." Bharat said.

Shri Ram nodded and looked at his daughter, curled up like a ball in his arms.

"Ramey, Pitashree ko jana hoga putri." He said.

"Nahi." She said.

"Pitashree shigreh aayenge." He said.

"Nahi Pitashree !" She shook her head.

"Ramey, humare paas aajao." Kaushalya said.

"Hum acche vyanjan khilayenge, Rama." Mandavi said.

"Nahi mujhe Pitashree chahiye." Rameshwari said sobbing, while tightly holding her father's angvastra.

Shri Ram sighed, she was refusing to let him go, but he also has to go the court. The duties of a father and king were clashing but at such a situation he cannot avoid either of them.

"Urmila, kripiya Ramey ki sajja kardo." He said.

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A/N

*Sighs* Rama being stage 5 clinger ✨

Fantastic chapters coming ahead 🌝