"Rajkumari Sahithya has regained consciousness!"

Sahithya's head throbbed, and those were the first words she heard as she gained consciousness. She failed to process her surroundings. Her eyes adjusted to the light around her as she saw an army of women moving in and out of the room; the walls had intricate carvings similar to the ones she saw before being pulled by that golden light. Gold artefacts adorned the chamber and were placed with great care to make the room appear brighter; artefacts made of precious metals and stones complemented the gold ones. The floral scents were dominant as she felt at home in a place she was unaware of to date

The chamber was well-lit by the sun as the curtains fluttered softly by the cool breeze. Her heart was calm, but the natural bewilderment took her by surprise. It was just another day here instead of being her first time. She failed to pinpoint why it was so as she saw the people go about their jobs.

"You should have asked if you needed help getting up, Princess," said a young girl in her early twenties as she helped place pillows behind Sahithya's back.

Sahithya was taken aback by the level of care she received. Although she was used to relying on herself, the people here seemed to go above and beyond in their pampering. Each time she attempted to reach for a pillow, the young girl swiftly took it from her hands, tucked it behind herself, and offered her assistance.

"I'm self-sufficient," Sahithya pouted, looking at the young girl with her large, innocent eyes.

"Those eyes are not going to save you from your Mata and Pita, Rajkumari," the young girl chuckled.

"Why are you calling me Rajkumari? I'm no princess," Sahithya huffed as she played with the quilt that covered her, and the girl chuckled.

"How else am I to address the Princess of Kuntibhoja, Her Highness," the girl raised a brow at Sahithya. "You have lost it after that hunting trip," she laughed more.

Sahithya hid her shock behind a facade of an expressionless face.

Princess of Kuntibhoja?

Hunting trip?

None of those words made sense, yet she swallowed them like the bitter pill one swallows when sick. She had no choice but to accept, she did not dare to say, but I'm not from here, and I was at a temple and not a hunting trip (she did not dare to lose what was served on a platter - a new life and identity; Dharmaraya was too kind to her.)

"Forget it; maybe stress made me say nonsense," Sahithya brushed off the maiden's doubts and smiled softly.

She barely knew anything about this place, yet she suddenly found herself crowned the Princess of a kingdom. This was a hard truth to accept, but she embraced it nonetheless.

"Whatever you say," the young girl shrugged. "Anyways, rest up for now. Maharaj and the other royals will be here in a bit," she said, walking out of the chamber.

As she saw the maids leave the chambers, Sahithya was alone. She sat straighter, looked over the room, and sighed as the reality of the place sunk in—the luxury was as real as it could get. This was the first time she noticed her attire—a simple antariya paired with a uttariya and sthanpatta in the shade of lavender. She wore simple silver and diamond-set jewellery. It was different from the clothes she was used to seeing in the shows based on history.

The soft, silky material was comfortable on her skin and felt like it was made for her. Getting up from the bed, she found her way to the dressing room and admired the way the silk accentuated her curves. The jewellery made her tanned skin glow more in the soft evening sunlight. She had never felt as beautiful as she did at this moment in her life. 

How beautiful did she look?

A princess, she heard her grandmother's voice and smiled to herself.

A celestial nymph, it was the voice of Siri. My hot baby girl, you're slaying it; she could practically hear Siri squealing from another corner of the universe.

"You indeed look gorgeous, Sahithya Shyma Krishnan," Sahithya smiled more to herself. "Wonder why Kuntibhoja, though? The name seems familiar, the famous kingdom from where..." she pondered as she sat on the stool and grabbed a random necklace placed on the table.

Kuntibhoja was ruled by a king of the same name. She was told she was a princess, but who did she have to call her family? Was she all alone again? Why did she feel directionless yet wanting to stay here?

 None knew who she was in reality other than her.

To the people of this place, she was Princess Sahithya of Kuntibhoja, while in truth, she was a nobody.

A while ago, she was trying to move on in life. Now, she was given a new lease of life, yet she felt the same lack of purpose.

"I thought we would almost lose you again!" - the voice of a woman brought Sahithya out of her thoughts as she narrowed her eyes at the woman who wore clothes similar to hers in the shade of orange and pink and had an army of people behind her.

It was perhaps the family the young maiden from earlier spoke about.

She was stuck. She didn't know who was who, and now she would have to act as if she had known them all her life.

Hey, Dharmaraya, save me from these people.

"Why would you lose me?" Sahithya forced the words out of her mouth as she anxiously looked at the family.

"You've really outdone yourself this time, haven't you? Climbing that tree while hunting was quite the adventure! It's a good thing Jyeshta was there to help you escape from those hungry lions and tigers!" The girl exclaimed again, this time with a touch of concern in her voice.

"I'm all good, I guess," Sahithya smiled sheepishly and looked down.

"Of course, you have inherited these qualities from your mother," Shankar huffed and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Yeah, as if I hunt down everyone, she's got it from you. Sahithya, ask your father to take some responsibility," Jayanti blazed at Shanka as Sahithya looked between the couple.

The banter within the family illuminated a striking contrast between past experiences and present interactions. In the past, she was accustomed to her parents' disputes escalating into heated arguments fueled by alcohol consumption. However, the present scenario presented a playful squabble instead of a volatile confrontation.

She felt a jolt of electricity flow down her spine, and all of a sudden, she knew who was who and the time she was in. 

Sudden changes had become a norm in the past few hours - that it no longer surprised her. She, however, had made up her mind not to talk about her truth when the family had no clue about her and believed she was one of them.

It was strange how she could place her trust and belief in a group of strangers, treating them like family, yet she struggled to trust her own family in the past.

Love and care were the answers, but that shall never be admitted.

"Mata, Pita, please. Please bicker another time, I want food, I'm hungry," Sahithya diverted the topic. "And the next time I go hunting, I will take my brothers along, alright," she assured.

Sahithya did not digest the words she uttered. Not only were they filled with love for her new family, but they were also in a language she rarely used (except probably on Saturdays when she was in school): Sanskrit. Her utterance left her in a state of bewilderment.

The ancient language rolled on her tongue as if it were a tongue she had known for a millennium and a native speaker. Her attire did not feel alien; it made her feel more at home than she was used to in the twenty-first century. Most importantly, she had a family she never knew she wanted.

She embraced the change with no second thoughts. She was fine with letting go of her previous identity and beginning a new life - after all, that was what she planned. She may make terms with letting go of her beautiful friends like Siri and Ajjamma, whom she met before coming here. Her prayers to Dharmaraya and Draupadi Amma finally bore fruit - she was far away from the land she came in, the safe abode of her found family.

She gained a new identity in another time.

An identity that allowed her to rise and shine whilst leaving the past behind.

She finally could have the life she dreamed of.

******

And that's the second chapter!

Hope it was an enjoyable read.

Until then, take care and see you guys in the next chapter.

Love Siya