" Only king can attract a queen and only a queen can keep a king focused."

                             ******

After feast, kheer was being served in a mitha, inside sitting area in bigger hall, where we were seated on takhatposh which were covered with silk covers, i was seated beside yuvraaj with a big bowl of kheer in my hands, i am enjoying it very much.

It is typically flavoured with saffron, cardamom,raisins, cashews and almond, which is my favourite sweet dish.

Everyone was silent enjoying the sweet flavour, Maharaj and rajmata were sitting on adjacent takhatposh, few elites were sitting on opposite to us.

No one is speaking, maybe this is their royal rule to stay silent during feast, good one, atleast i am saved from unwanted interrogation.

But i'm not that lucky because everyone done with sweet dish and now looking at me, curiously now, i am the only one left with this large bowl, did they just gulp it all at once, maybe afterall they are male species,ofcourse except me and rajmata who still hold the bowl in her hands.

My fiance also looking at me, i just saw him through my peripheral vision, like how come i still not finish this bowl. Did they gonna find out that i am not like one of them ?

I start taking big big spoons of kheer inside my mouth, i am not that fast like male species in finishing the food.

Ahh...finally i am done with this.

I look around, still their gaze attached on me.

Didn't they ever saw any beautiful young girl....uhm boy ?

Atlast rajmata also finished her bowl.

Then sewak came with bigger bowl of water and dry cloth to me and rajmata look like everyone already washed their hands except us, i washed my hand and dried it with cotton cloth, and sit straight.

"Yuvraaj, hope you enjoyed today's feast in our kingdom"Maharaj asked me suddenly in his old icy voice.

He look like a older version of the one who seated beside me, same tall height, with beautiful turban like a crown settled on head and same little spiral of moustache like him, equally handsome to him.

Handsome huh !

" Yuvraaj " younger icy voice whisper in my right ear.

I looked at him and around, look like i spaced out.

"Yes, yes i really enjoyed today's feast in your kingdom " i answered maharaj, with a light chuckle but no one laugh look like i am the only audience to my humour.

Maharaj just nodded.

Then he looked toward his elites and introduced them to me "Balram mahajan ji our treasurer" i looked at the the old man with grey hairs with same style of moustache, they all have identical design of single spiral.

"Zoravar singh our senapati " the same strong built man with zero emotions on his face who welcomed me first in guest quarters, i guessed right he was truly a senapati.

"Sarfaraz khan our head gardener of our orchards " i looked at the stout man only who had a perfect smile, i also smiled at him, i like him.

Like this maharaj introduced few other nobles and scholars, one of them was persian traveller Abnus ahmed.

I nodded at all of them... sarfaraz ji was still smiling at me widely, atleast here is someone who actually smiled.
And i looked at zoravar singh whose eyes were travelling whole over the hall without stopping anywhere, without moving his neck, i think he still think this is warzone, i mentally laughed at his seriousness.

Then i looked at treasurer balram mahajan ji, who was lost in his own thoughts, maybe he still counting the gold coins in his head.

They are really gems of this kingdom always indulge in their work.

Then i looked at the young strong man who was now dangerously seated close to me, when did he scoot toward me.

I looked at him and he was looking ahead dangerously toward elites, i didn't point out particularly on whom.

Then rajmata stood up and came toward us settled beside me, she looked at me lovingly, like mother admired kids.

I also gives her my beautiful smile, then she took my hand in her hands and frown and looked at me " Yuvraaj, how was your kingdom, is everything alright there".

How sweet !!

No one asked me about my kingdom till now.

"Yes rajmata everything is alright and all are good, and your daughter-in-law too" i teased her a little, she giggled.

And i heard like a throat groaned toward my right ear, what's his problem?

"Yuvraaj i never thought you were still young , i thought you were also same aged like my taaz"

"Uhm no...i'm still younger than your taaz " i replied her looking at my right who was now shooting spears, dagger at me through his dark eyes.

Did i say something wrong ?

"Alright then, its already midnight you should take some rest yuvraaj, you were tired from this long journey, taaz took your brother in law in his quarters, if you want you both can sleep together to stronger your bond" she spoke looking at both of us lovingly without knowing the real me.

Did she know or she's just casually saying, did she want my reaction ?

Yuvraaj just nodded at her.

I too nodded at her, greet her and maharaj shubh ratri, and stood up.

Elites also stood up, then maharaj and rajmata leaves the hall and then elites start leaving one by one.

Now only two of us left behind in this large spacious hall.

I looked toward my right side,he was not standing i found him still sitting on his same position lost in his thoughts, did he want now special invitation.

I fake throat..he still spaced out.

"Yuvraaj..."

No response.

"Did you want to sleep here tonight ?"

Still no response...i think he is deaf.

" Yuvraaj will you going to give me company towards my quarters."

Okay, now he is actually deaf .

" Yuvraaj shubh ratri, i am leaving now."

I start walking toward exit, my mithu must be waiting for me, when i just about to leaving this hall..

" Do you want to sleep with me tonight ?" Ice melted behind me and i frozed on my place, did i hear right or i am listening out of nowhere, because last time i checked he was deaf, right.

I turned around to check the ice mountain moved or not from his place, but he was actually standing dangerously close to me looking at me through his dark night eyes.

So, he was not deaf, actually deeply thinking that__Did i hear right ? He want me to sleep with him before marriage.

NO..Big NO.

Heat reached my cheeks making them burn, thinking about us.

NO..no..no.

"Uhm.. no yuvraaj i will be alright, why to give you trouble ? I am fine__i am already fine, no need to worry you,it's okay you sleep in your place, i'll on my own, no need to even come with m..." he cut me off in between my words.

" Alright i understood, you sleep by own, i actually don't have any problem sleeping beside you, but i am going to give you company to your quarters." and start moving ahead of me.

I nodded and followed him outside where tanga was waiting for us.

We settled inside and stay silent in night journey, tanga halt at before royal guest quarters, i greet him and get off from tanga and walked inside quarters without looking back.

When i reached inside the safe walls of  my bedroom, i breathe freely, this plan is getting more and more sacry.

I feel like i did some crime coming here before marriage, and i am deceiving everyone like this specially him. But i can't back out from this i promised to my friends.

'Yes, everthing is alright, i am strong ; everything is alright, i am strong; everything is alright, i am strong.'

I repeated this mantra in my head again and again until i feel peaceful, when i feel again energized.

I sat on confortable bed and remove the turban from my head and free my long hairs from tight bun.

Then i sprawled on bed, instantly i stood up.

Mithu..

Hurriedly i opened the balcony door and walk out of bedroom in a large spacious balcony like room, covered with starry night, flower pots were filled the space around railing. Chill breeze was blowing making me shiver.

Where are you mithu ?

After a while i heard the chirping of my pet parrot..mithu in a dark space and in a blink of eyes he sat on my left shoulder.

"Mithu..Mithu  Aaab...Aaab"

We immediately moved inside the safe walls of bedroom and i changed into a comfortable cotton kurta pyjama in a attached shower room.

And we both lay on comfy bed in a tight sleep after a long journey.

*

In morning when i wake up after a good sleep, i found mithu was missing.

immediately i went toward open window, when mithu hurriedly fly inside and sits on my left shoulder and start jumping.

What happened to him early in the morning ?

"Mithu... what happened ?"

"Aaab..Aaab  rani..rani  shak..shak"

What ? Did rajmata had a doubt on me ?

" How did you know ?"

Then he told me what he heard.

***

"Hath janana, Payr janana
   Par pta kuch lagda ni. "

( Hands of woman, Feets of woman
  But still didn't get anything.)

Rajmata was talking with taaz while walking in a royal garden, when mithu heard their conversation.

" Now how could we find out the truth" Yuvraaj Sartaaz singh asked his mother gayatri devi.

"I have a plan."

************************************************************************

Good afternoon dear beauties and gentleboys.

Hope you like today's update.

**

Mitha -- desserts.

Kheer  -- Rice pudding.

Senapati -- military commander.

Shubh ratri -- Good night.

Persian traveller -- Iranian traveller.

**
Tell me how you like this book till now.

here persian traveller is fictional too, no one of his name visit our country.

*
One word about..

Mehtaab aka Aaab.

Yuvraaj Sartaaz singh.

Maharaaj Sangram singh.

Rajmata Gayatri devi.

Mithu.

Senapati Zoravar singh.

Treasurer Balram mahajan.

***

Thanku silent and violent readers...stay tuned.

Please give support to this book through votes and comments. If you want early updates, because these updates are free of cost, you have to just give me a vote and comment how you like for my hardwork.

Special thanks to lucky marriage readers who joined me in this journey too❤❤.

*

Stay safe and wear your masks properly, this pandemic is still hanging around.

6th june'2021

~Preet.