RATHORE PALACE
(Situated in Mewaad)

A young man in his early 20s is sitting in his chamber.

Suddenly, a man in his late 40s entered in his chambers.

The young man stood up and bowed in front of the man to pay his respect.

"Suprabhat, Maharaj. (Morning, Maharaj)".  The young man greeted his father,Tej Singh Rathore, maharaj of Rathore Kingdom. Tej Singh Rathore nodded his head.

"Shivaay, hume aap pe garv hai, jaise apne iss rajya ko sambhala hai. ( Shivaay, I'm proud of you for the way you handled the kingdom.)" The king praised his son.

Shivaay bowed his head in front of him in order to thank him.

"Dhanyawad Pita shri. (Thank you, father.)" Shivaay thanked his father.

"Kintu ab hume lagta hai ki yeh sahi samay hai ki aap bhi vivaah kar lein. Har Raja ko uski rani ki zarurat hoti hai, jo aapka sahara bane aur aapki himmat badhayen. (But I think it's the right time for you to get married. Every king needs his queen, who can support you and boost your courage.)" Tej explained to Shivaay.

Shivaay knew where all this was leading and he nodded his head.

"Pita shri, hume shama kar dijiye kintu hum Rajkumari Ragini se vivaah nahi kar sakte. Hum apna sampurn jeevan, ek samjhaute ke rishte mein vyatit nahi kar sakte. (Father, I'm sorry but I can't marry Ragini. I don't want to spend my life in a marriage of settlement.)" Shivaay mentioned his dilemma to his father and Tej nodded his head in understanding.

"Hum samajh sakte hain, Shivaay aur hum aap par koi dabav bhi nahi dalenge Ragini se vivaah karne ke liye, kyunki ye sahi nahi hoga. Kintu hum bas itna chahate hain ki aap shigra hi vivaah kar lein. ( I can understand, Shivaay and i won't even force you to marry Ragini because it won't be right. But i want you to get married soon.)"

Shivaay nodded his head and Tej left him alone in his thoughts.

After few moments, Ragini entered Shivaay's chamber and greeted him, "Pranam Raja sa. (Greetings, King)"

Shivaay maintained a stern face and looked at her.

"Pranam Rajkumari Ragini. Aap ke yaha aane ka kaaran? ( Greetings, Princess Ragini. What is your purpose of visit?)" Shivaay greeted her with a stern face, which of course did not bother her.

"Humne abhi Maharaj ko yaha se jate hue dekha toh hume laga ki woh aapse hum dono ke vivaah ke vishay mein baat kar rahe honge. (I saw Maharaj leaving from your chamber and I thought that he must be discussing about our marriage.)" Ragini mentioned while blushing and Shivaay rolled his eyes.

"Rajkumari Ragini, humne kabhi bhi aapko vivaah ka prastav nahi diya toh aapne ye kaise soch liya ki humari vivaah ki taiyari hogi?(Princess Ragini, I never proposed marriage to you then how can you think that there will be our marriage preparations?)" Shivaay questioned her and Ragini looked at him shocked.

"Hum aapse Katu shabdon mein baat nahi karna chahte par hum aapse vivaah nahi karna chahte hain. Jaisi rani hume chahiye, aap mein waise koi gun nahi hain. (I don't want to talk to you rudely but I don't want to marry you because you don't have those qualities which I want in my queen.)" Shivaay explained her.

Ragini looked at him angrily but she controlled her anger.

"Aur kya hum jaan sakte hain ki aapko apni Rani mein kya gun chahiye? (May I know that what qualities do you need in your queen?)" Ragini questioned while seething in anger.

Shivaay smiled a little and said, "Hume aisi Rani chahiye, jo ek rani ke kartavyo ke saath ek raja ke bhi daayitva sambhal sake. Humari anupsthiti mein humari praja ko raja ki kami mehsoos na hone de. Jiski aankhon mein bhay ka ek bhi katra na ho, phir chahe mughal khud unki aankhon ke samne upasthit ho. Jiske haath mein kangan toh ho par talwar bhi utni shobha de. Jo ghar ke aangan aur ranbhoomi, dono ki shobha badhana janti ho. Jo humare kadam se kadam mila kar chale, na ki humare piche, aankhen jhuka ke. Aisi rani chahte hain hum. (I want a queen, who has qualities of a queen but can also manage king's responsibilities. The queen who doesn't let my kingdom feel my absence. She shouldn't have fear in her eyes, even if the Mughals are standing in front of her. The queen, who wears bangles but should increase the beauty of the sword while holding it. She should increase the beauty of both palace and war field. She should walk with me, matching step by step but not behind me with her lowered eyes. I want a queen like that.)"

Shivaay explained all the qualities of his queen and Ragini burst into laughter.

"Shama kijiye, Raja sa kintu hume nahi lagta ki aapko kabhi koi rani mil payegi agar aap unme yeh gun dhoondenge. Koi bhi stree murkh hi hogi jisme yeh gun ho. Koi bhi stree kyu purusho ke barabar banna chahegi? Hume nahi lagta aapko aise stree iss rajya mein kya, poore vishva mein bhi milegi. (I'm sorry, your highness but I don't think that you'll ever find a queen with these qualities. The woman who wants to be equal to men, would be a fool. Why would a women try to be equal to a man? I don't think that you'll get such woman in this kingdom or the whole world.)"

Shivaay glared at her and Ragini was about to leave when Shivaay stopped her, "Rukiye."

Ragini turned to look at him with a smirk and asked, "Ji rajasa. Aap hume vivaah ka prastav de rahe hain kya? Itni shigra hi haar maan gaye aap? ( Yes your highness. Are you proposing marriage to me? Did you accept your failure so soon?)"

Shivaay rolled his eyes at her over-confidence.

"Nahi. Humare vitt mantri ne hume suchna di thi ki aapne rajya ke khazane se 356 sone ki ginni li hai, koi beshkimati haar ke liye toh hum aapse yeh kehna chahte hain ki apne shauk poore karne ke liye humare rajya ke khazane ko jal ki tarah vyarth karna band kijiye. Aap sirf yaha pe athithi hain. (No. My finance minister told me that you took 356 gold coins from royal treasury, just to buy a expensive necklace, so I want to tell you that stop wasting royal treasury like water, to fulfil your wishes. You're just a guest here.)" Shivaay told her sternly.

Ragini sighed in anger.

Ragini left the chamber while being in her thoughts, "Yeh sari sampatti aur khazane ki maalkin hum honge ek din. Hum bhi dekhte hain ki aap hume apani rani kaise nahi banate hain. ( One day, all the property and treasure will be mine. I'll also see to it that how will you not marry me.)" Ragini smirked at her thought.

Few hours later, a soldier entered Shivaay's chamber.

The soldier greeted Shivaay, "Pranam Raja sa. ( Greetings, your highness.)"

Shivaay nodded his head to acknowledge him.

"Kahiye senapati. Humne aapko jin stree ke baare mein khabar laane ko kaha tha, aap layein hai? ( Tell me, did you get the information of the woman, which I asked you too?)" Shivaay enquired the soldier and the soldier nodded his head in affirmation.

"Ji rajasa. Woh Rajkumari Anika Rajput hain, Maharaj Prithviraj Rajput ki suputri. Unke pita ke rajya ko Mughalon ne ghera hua hai. Unhone sare rajyo mein madad ka nyota diya hai kintu koi bhi rajya aage aane ko taiyar nahi hai, mughalon ke bhay se. Rajkumari Anika, har karya mein nipun hain. Yeh hain unka chitra.( yes. Your highness. She's princess Anika Rajput, daughter of King Prithviraj Rajput. Currently, king is surrounded by Mughals and he has demanded help from all the kingdoms but noone is ready to help him because of fear of Mughals. She is perfect in every work. This is her painting.)" The soldier informed Shivaaay while forwarding Princess Anika's painting to him.

Shivaay opened the painting and was smitten by Anika's beauty. She was so beautiful and the sparkle in her eyes was attracting him towards her.

"Unke rajya mein yeh sandesh bhijwa dijiye ki hum unki sahayata karenge yadi woh apni suputri Anika ka vivaah humse tay karenge toh. (Tell then that we will help them if they agree to fix his daughter Anika's alliance to me.)" Shivaay ordered the soldier and the soldier nodded his head.

The soldier bowed his head in front of Shivaay and left from the chamber.

Shivaay looked at Anika's painting and smiled to himself.

2 DAYS LATER

RAJPUT PALACE
(Situated in Devgarh)

King Prithviraj is sitting in the royal meeting (sabha) and is listening to the problems of the people of his kingdom.

After the sabha got over, his head minister followed him to his chamber.

"Rajyamantri kahiye, kya khabar hai? (Give me the news, Minister?)" Prithviraj enquired his head minister.

The  head minister bowed his head to pay his respect and started, "Maharaj, ek shubh soochna hai aur ek ashubh soochna hai. Ashubh suchna yeh hai ki Mughalon ne hume yuddh ka nyota diya hai agar hum unhe yeh rajya nahi denge aur Shubh soochna yeh hai ki Raja Shivaay Singh Rathore, humari sahayata karna chahate hai kintu.... ( Your highness, There's a good news and a bad news. The bad news is that Mughals have challenged us for a war if we don't handover our kingdom to them and the good news is King Shivaay Singh Rathore is ready to help us but.....)."  The head minister  took a pause and the king gave him a questioning glance.

"Kintu kya? ( But what?)" Prithviraj questioned him.

"Kintu woh rajkumari Anika se vivaah karna chahte hain, humari madad ke badale mein. (But he wants Princess Anika to get married to him in exchange of our help.)" The head minister put forward Shivaay's condition and at the same time, Queen Subhadra entered in the chambers.

"Unhe jawab mein haan likh kar bhej dijiye, RajMantri. ( Send them 'yes' in answer, Minister.)" Queen Subhadra gave her approval for the proposal and Prithviraj looked at his wife in shock.

"Rani sa aap......? (You.....)"

Before Prithviraj could complete his sentence, Subhadra interrupted him and said, "Kya galat keh rahe hain hum? Rajkumari Anika vivaah ke layak ho gayi hain aur Raja Shivaay toh bahut pratishthit raja hain. Agar iss vivaah se humara rajya bhi surakshit rahega aur humari putri ka ghar bhi bas jayega toh isme galat kya hai. Kahiye aap? (Am i saying anything wrong? Princess Anika is eligible for marriage and King Shivaay is renowned king. If this marriage keeps our Kingdom protected and our daughter gets settle down, then what's wrong in it? Tell me.)"

Prithviraj didn't know what to say. His wife was right but he knew his daughter had only one dream of being a warrior.

"Kintu, Anika toh sena mein jaana chahati hai, humare saath Mughalon ke khilaaf yuddha ladna chahati hain. ( But Anika wants to be a part of army. She wants to fight with me against the Mughals.)" Prithviraj put his daughter's wish forward and Subhadra rolled her eyes.

Subhadra put on a fake smile and explained her POV to her husband, "Hum aapse pehle bhi keh chuke hai ki stree sirf ghar ke aangan mein shobha deti hai, ranbhoomi par nahi. Aur Anika jitni jaldi yeh baat maan le unke liye achha hoga. (I've told you before also that women are suitable only for household not war fields. The sooner, Anika accepts this fact, it would be better.)"

Prithviraj just shook his head in disappointment at his wife's shallow thinking but he could not go against his wife.

"Humara jawab un tak pahuncha dijiye. ( Tell them our answer.)"  Subhadra ordered the head minister  and he nodded his head.

The head minister payed his respect to the King and Queen and left the chamber to do his assigned task.