I could hear people talking in a different dialect around me, even before I opened my eyes. I thought that some locals must have found me. I slowly opened my eyes to two pairs of eyes looking down on me. I was right. They were dressed up in proper Rajasthani poshak (dress).

"Have you seen the other girls who had come with me... I mean didn't anyone come for me?" I asked hesitatingly in whatever rajasthani dialect I could manage, as I was still feeling a bit disoriented.

Their eyes widened." Are there others too with you?".

"Ah...the girls and I have come from the orphanage," I said as I wondered why they still stared at me with odd expressions.

While they seemed to be contemplating the answer, I sat up, and as my eyes roamed around to observe the place they nearly popped out. It seemed that they had done a marvelous job of restoration in the palace. It all looked quite authentic.

"Is this the Jaipur city palace?" I asked because I knew that all the furniture had already been removed from the fort a long time ago, but this room was fully furnished that too with classic antique pieces. Why they had moved me here from the fort I had to still figure out.

They looked at each other confused and one of them asked "Which place is that? We have never heard of it".

I felt even more confused by their answer, so further elaborating on my query I asked "Am I in Rajasthan ...I mean am I in Jaipur?".

"You are in Amber qila(fort). Didn't you know this when you entered?" one of the girls asked surprised.

"I know its Amber qila where I fainted but it seems so new. Is it a newly renovated section?" I asked still a bit awed by the grandeur.    

I could feel that they did not understand what I was saying. My first thought was that these people were illiterates from the nearby villages and had come for the first time to the city and therefore were unable to understand the changes that had taken place. I asked again and this time paced out my words using pure Hindi terminology but got stuck on the right term for the word renovation in Hindi. I started gesturing trying to explain to them what I meant. 

The red dress girl finally said, " It has always been like this, but they have refurbished the furniture because jija sa hukum is getting married".

I understood jija sa meant elder sister considering the fact that I had read lots of books on Rajasthani culture. I guessed that some local royalty might have hired the fort for a royal wedding but what did she mean by saying it was always like this.

"Can I move around a bit, I want to see what kind of preparations are being made, since I have never seen a royal wedding before" I requested.

She smiled at me and said, " Come along I will show you but then you have to tell us all about yourself".

"You have to change your dress. How come you are wearing this... What is it called? I have never seen this kind of dress before" she said as she walked around me appraising my salwar kameez (an Indian outfit but unlike the one worn in those times). 

An example of salwar kameez

"What were you doing in the alcove... and how did you get entrance to the palace passing through all the security. Have you come here with some family...?"

"Which Jageer (a division of the kingdom) have you come from? ".

"I know all my cousins, so are you a guest or a maid here".

"You look too pretty to be a maid I suppose... but one never knows... forgive me for my impudence, I am simply curious" she laughed embarrassed having spouted out so many questions in a flow without giving me time to answer any. Her questions had actually put me in a shock. It seemed that there was a huge gap as wide as the Grand Canyon regarding our understanding of the situation I was in.

I simply gaped. The other girl too looked at me with varied emotions running through her face. They both tried to figure me out.

"I am Lekha and I am from Delhi. I stay in an orphanage since I lost my parents two years back. I had come here on a tour " I said putting forward the purest form of Hindi I could remember from my school days.

With the kind of Hindi English mix, we spoke in our daily lives I had a hard time figuring out the translation of a few typical English words which now seemed an integral part of our mother tongue. It was actually mind-blowing to think about how many English words we use while talking in what we considered as Hindi. I smiled at my translations. I was sounding weird even to my own ears. 

The next question boggled my mind when the red gal looked at me weirdly and asked "Were you traveling with the Emperor's entourage? ... but how come you have arrived so early, from what I have heard they have only reached mid-way and will be reaching by tomorrow and that too they won't be coming here.".

Now it was my turn to stare.

I asked, "Emperor who? ".

She looked at me as if I have lost my mind.

She said " He is getting married to our jija sa hukum Heer Kunwari, she is actually our cousin".

" What!" I exclaimed taken aback.

I had read about the famous marriage of Heer Kunwari from Amer, but that was part of the history chapter. I was too stunned for words; I could not assimilate my thoughts with all this information. My mind went into a tizzy with questions like how, when, why popping up.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at my situation, this sure was some long historical dream I was dreaming about. I had read some fiction stories where a heroine time travels to the past, I had seen the movie "Back to future" all parts so many times, but this was the weirdest of weird and also the fact that I didn't possess any time machine. 

 After a lot of contemplation, I decided that if it was a dream then I should enjoy it while it lasted and when I woke up I would definitely write a book although the theme I felt was quite stereotypical.

The second logical explanation I could think of was that it was a historical documentary or drama which was being shot and there were hidden cameras around. I was being pranked by the actors. Whatever it was, I being an optimistic person decided to handle situations as they occurred whether it was a dream or a drama. It was sure to turn out interesting.

I decided that arguing about the authenticity of whatever seemed to be happening around me was not going to get me anywhere, so it was for the best that I manufactured an identity for me. If it was a prank, then full marks for my ingenuity and if it was a dream, then it might just turn into a nightmare with just one wrong step taken by me.

I didn't want to spend my dream or whatever I had fallen into, twiddling my thumbs sitting in a dungeon which I was sure that they had. Continuing with my theory, I could not tell these people no matter how friendly they seemed to be, about what had really happened. The best way out I thought was a temporary memory loss. 

 The next big question was that since I had opened my mouth without considering the consequence, I had to somehow build a story to fit around the information I had already provided for my amnesia scheme to succeed. I immediately held my head and acted as if I was suffering from immense pains, trying to buy time to figure out a convincing storyline. The concerned looks I got, made me feel guilty but it was all for a good cause which was to save a life and at present, life was mine.

"My parents were travelers and as a child, I had to travel a lot with them. As I grew older I had to stay hidden from prying eyes being a girl, so I don't know much about the places I had been too. The last thing I remember is my parents getting murdered in a mugging incident while passing through a jungle." Here I shuddered for effect casting my head down as I got sympathetic glances.

"Since I was hidden the dacoits (robbers) didn't know that I was there too... I somehow managed to escape. I knew that I had to get away from those horrendous criminals so I ran blindly not knowing which direction to follow"

Talking of dead parents refreshed my memory of losing them and with that came the pain associated with it. My eyes welled up with tears. They hugged me tight while requesting me not to cry. Calming myself a little I tried to continue with my story, but got choked with self-pity. Too many factors clouded my mind, the loss of my parents, my life, and also the hopelessness of the current situation.

"We must have been very close to Dilli (Delhi) because just after half day's travel I was informed by a couple I met on the way that I had reached the outskirts. I was too exhausted to move further as I had been running like mad. They had already set camp there so when I told them my story and asked for food, they were kind enough to feed me and also offered their cart to sleep in. They told me that they took care of many orphan children and would take me with them. When I woke up, I was here with both of you peering down on me."

Both of them had listened to my story with rapt attention and gave me a puzzled look when my story ended so abruptly. Not being a habitual liar, this was the only thing I could come up with at such short notice.

The girl in red said "What an odd story... but things like this have been heard to happen to travelers. I have heard that some people put sleeping drugs in food and kidnap little children and later sold them off in faraway lands. Don't worry things like these doesn't happen in our Rajwara. People here are very brave and live with valor. They will never think of doing such lowly underhand deeds here. You are safe here. We will take care of you... Oh!... you can become my companion. I will ask maasa (mother) if I can keep you. She is a very kind woman, will never send back a needy person. Oh ... how forgetful I am. I never told you my name. I am Vasundhara and this is my cousin Gayatri. We have all come for the wedding. Though it will not take place in the palace, we will be having the pre-wedding rituals here."

Vasundhara gave me a ghagra (skirt)and kurti(a small shirt) to wear. The odhni (veil) was another big problem as it kept slipping from my shoulders, so if we went by my story, I should have been an expert by now. Well, Vasundhara being the kind of person who always had a solution found an ornate clip to pin it to my head. I was relieved that nobody asked me any loaded question regarding my dressing habits, though Gayatri still looked at me thoughtfully, causing butterflies in my stomach.

 I refused the generous offer of the gold jewelry made by Vasundhara. After much back and forth debate in the end, I had to settle for silver anklets, glass bangles, and a silver choker. If I had lost anything gold, I would never have forgiven myself, although the silver jewelry I had been gifted would have also fetched a tidy sum in an antique shop of 2015. The slight hostility I saw in Gayatri's eyes had receded a bit considering I had refused the gold jewelry, I guessed. I had a feel that earning Gayatri's trust would not come easy and this was only the beginning of what is to come ahead, in this world dream or not.

I felt as if I was going for some fancy dress or dance competition, expecting the music to start at any moment and the guards although fierce-looking, break into a dance as the music started just like in the Bollywood movies. I couldn't stop a giggle escaping at the thought and again got odd looks from Gayatri. I rolled my eyes in my mind. I was awestruck by the grandeur of things around me. The carvings, the paintings, the furniture, the ambiance, I was like a child in a toy shop. My dream had finally come true, though in a weird form. 

Passing through various galleries at last we reached a room bigger than the one I had been found in. It was grander not only in ambiance but also the furniture was bulky, it screamed wealth and power, not to say it wasn't beautiful. It was awesome. My eyes popped out and my mouth opened involuntarily. Both the girls must have understood the awe I felt considering the sob story I had told them. 

A beautiful lady entered totally decked up like a queen or what I had imagined a queen would look like. For a second I was in a dilemma whether to curtsy or do what. From the corner of my eyes, I saw the girls fold their hands and bow. I imitated them and stood with my head bowed down staring at my feet not knowing what to say.

The queen lady turned out to be Vasundhara's mother. While I stood with my head bowed, Vasundhara retold the tale I had told her. I could feel the eyes of the mother looking at me from time to time. My heart started beating fast with apprehension and might have just burst with fear when I heard a soft voice calling my name. I looked up and saw the beautiful lady smile kindly at me, reminding me of my own mother. 

"Lekha" she began "After hearing what my daughter has told me, I am indeed sorry for your loss. I will talk to my husband about your predicament. Till the time the mystery behind your sudden appearance has not been sorted out you are most welcome to be a part of our family. Don't be afraid dear, I can understand what you must be going through, but you must understand it's very important for us to know the details as it concerns the security of the palace. You may be asked to give the details in front of the Maharaj (king). Don't worry I will be there. Just remember, that you have to be truthful... Always remember dear nothing is greater than the truth and we Rajputs are very particular about it. It will be very difficult for us to protect you if you ever lie to us .... you will live as a companion to my daughter till then. Whatever your situation you seem to belong to a good respectable family, so we accept you wholeheartedly as a family member. Welcome daughter. "

 I don't know what came over me but I rushed to her and hugged her. After a second of surprise, she hugged me back. It was as if I was her real daughter. I suddenly felt guilty. I owed her the truth, which was the least I could do considering her loving acceptance of me.

Vasundhara broke the silence " Let's go Lekha, let me show you the palace."

I bit my lips still undecided. The question was, will she believe me or will I be put in a mental asylum that is if they have one, or worse still put out in the streets unprotected in such dangerous times. I wished someone could guide me. I gave one undecided look at the lady and followed the girls out after the pranam (the bow was done with the palms joined).