Published on:- 13/1/25 [Monday]
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"इक नूर से आँखें चौंक गईं
देखा जो तुझे आईने में
कोई नूर किरन होगी वो भी जो
चुभने लगी है सीने में"

...

It was a beautiful morning. The soft sunlight filtered through the glass walls of the Sheesh Mahal, making the room sparkle. She stretched her body, feeling the silk sheets beneath her.

Slowly, her eyes opened, but confusion hit her like a wave. She wasn't supposed to be here. The last thing she remembered was being locked in the cold, dark dungeon.

Her heart raced as she sat up, taking in the grand bed she was lying on, the golden decorations, and the shimmering mirrors that covered the walls.

'How did she end up here?'

Suddenly, she felt sticky and Sweta covered her body. Her body was extremely warm as if she slept around the flames of fire.

'Itni garmi akhir kaise?'.

Before she could make sense of it, the door creaked open. A young servant entered the room, her head bowed low.

Without lifting her eyes, she spoke softly, "Rajkumari, Ab ap kaisa mehsus kar rahi hai? Kya ye dasi apka saririk tapman janch kar sakti hai?"

Samanvitha's head buzzed with confusion as she tried to piece together what had happened.

Her brows furrowed, and her voice came out uncertain and heavy. Looking at the servant, she asked,
"Kya hua tha Hume?"

The servant kept her head bowed, hesitating for a moment before replying softly, "Rajkumari ji, Ap ko bukhar tha. Taapman atyadhik hone ke karan apko thand lag rahi thi. Ish dasi ko bas itna hi pata hai. Humein aadesh mila tha ki aapka dhyan rakhein".

Samanvitha's chest accelerated. Her mind raced as she was trying to recall how she had gone from the cold darkness of the dungeon to the shimmering beauty of the Sheesh Mahal.

But no matter how hard she tried, the memory eluded her.

"Hume, yahan wapas kaun lekar aya?", She asked and the other servants with an old maid entered the bed chamber.

"Ji! Rajkumari Ji," the old maid replied, bowing her head respectfully, "ye dasiya aapko kalkothari se lekar aayi thi. Aapki tabiyat bahut bigad gayi thi. Vaidya ji ki aushadhi ne apko thik kiya."

These maids did not dare to recall the last night scene and the matter of Shivaal spending the entire night in the chamber of Sheesh Mahal with Prison in war, The crown Princess of Rajdhara Kingdom.

Those intense scenes haunted them and they quickly shook their heads as they were threatened by Shivaal not to say a word about these things to Samanvitha.

Samanvitha listened in silence as her confusion was deepening. The old maid moved gracefully and started preparations for her bath, pouring fragrant oils and arranging fresh flowers in the water.

Samanvitha's sharp eyes scanned the faces of the maids around her, their expressions a mix of nervousness and respect.

After a moment, she broke the silence, her voice firm but curious. "Naam kya hai tum sabka?"

The two young girls, who seemed to be around twelve, startled at Samanvitha's question as their wide eyes were reflecting a mix of fear and shyness.

However, the old woman remained composed and a warm smile spread across her lips.

"Rajkumari ji," she began gently, bowing her head, "ish dasi ka naam Ganga hai. Aur ye dono choti sevikayein jo apke liye layi gayi hain, inka naam hai Kanchi aur Mala. Hum teeno apke seva ke liye hain, Rajkumari."

Samanvitha observed them carefully. Ganga's calm demeanor reassured her, but the young girl's nervousness tugged at her curiosity. She nodded slowly, acknowledging their introductions, though her mind remained clouded with unanswered questions.

"Thik hai," she said softly, her tone less stern than before.

"Lekin kya Kundarastra ke Yuvraj ne, hume kalkothari se bahar lane ki anumati di thi?" Samanvitha's sharp question cut through the air as her gaze shifted from Ganga to the younger girls.

"Ji... woh..." Kanchi stammered nervously and her hands were trembling as she tried to find the right words.

Before anyone could respond, a deep and commanding voice echoed through the grand chamber, sending a chill down Samanvitha's spine.

"Kitne prasn puchti hai aap, Rajkumari," Shivaal's voice held a mixture of amusement and authority as he stepped into the room.

His tall figure and piercing gaze immediately commanded attention, silencing the maids, who quickly bowed their heads in submission.

Samanvitha was startled as he talked too calmly to her. However there were no changes in his tone and choices of words but still there was a constant switching on between formal and informal tone that perplexed her.

She shook and her eyes narrowed as she turned to face him.

"Aur kitne jawab chupaye hain aap, Yuvraj Shivaal?" she retorted and her tone was steady despite the storm brewing in her mind. She also switched her tone of frame from formal to informal tone.

Shivaal smirked and his eyes were gleaming with an unreadable emotion.

He couldn't shake off the lingering warmth of her touch, the phantom heat of her body that seemed to sear into his skin, refusing to fade. The sensation crawled over him like a persistent flame and ignited a restlessness he couldn't quell.

Her scent was intoxicating and maddening which wrapped around him like a silken noose and it was both a torment and a lure.

It drove him to the edge of reason, awakening desires he couldn't suppress.

Yet, there was something undeniably captivating about it, a pull he couldn't resist.

The realization that his scent clung to her, marking her as his, only added fuel to the storm raging within him. It was a heady claim, one that made him burn with both possessiveness and yearning.

"Jab samay aayega, saare jawab mil jayenge, Rajkumari," he said, stepping closer. While discarding all the images of last night.

"Abhi ke liye bas itna samajh lijiye ki yeh sab Shivaal ki anumati se hua hai.", He said, gazing at her small face.

The room fell into an uneasy silence and maids stayed rooted in their places as they were unsure whether to stay or leave.

Samanvitha, however, held her ground and refused to let Shivaal's presence intimidate her.

"Kyun? Akhir kis liye? Chhod dete hume kalkothari mein. Mrityu toh paas thi hamari. Hum mil lete apni maa aur pita ji se. Hum mil lete apne rajyon ke logon se." , Samanvitha's voice trembled with both anger and pain as she glared at Shivaal.

Her words echoed in the grand chamber and each syllable was heavy with sorrow. Her chest heaved as she fought back tears and her eyes were glistening with defiance.

Shivaal's smirk faded and his face hardened into a mask of controlled emotion.

He stepped closer as his gaze was locked onto hers with an intensity that made the maids retreat a step back.

"Mrityu aapke bhagya me nahi thi, Rajkumari," he said in a low, firm voice. "Aur na hi yeh faisla lene ka adhikaar Shivaal aapko deta hai."

Samanvitha scoffed while her fists were clenched at her sides. "Aur jeene ka adhikaar? Kya woh bhi aapke haath mein hai, Yuvraj?"

For a moment, silence hung in the air like a blade. Shivaal exhaled deeply and his tone softened just a fraction.

"Rajkumari Samanvitha Gayasen, Ap Shivaal Samaiyar ka tohfa hai. Aur Shivaal apni har cheez ko sambhal ke rakhta hai. Chahe wo jeevan ho ya mrityu, Bina meri ijajat ke apko chu bhi nahi sakta", He said in a cold tone and had hidden meaning behind it.

His words struck something deep within her, but Samanvitha wasn't ready to let her guard down.

"Toh yeh samajh lijiye, Yuvraj," she said coldly, "hume aapki daya nahi chahiye. Aur na hi kabhi chahiye hogi. Apka ye gurur hum ek din jarur todenge."

Shivaal didn't respond immediately, his expression was unreadable. He simply turned and gestured to the maids. "Rajkumari ke aaraam ka poora dhyan rakha jaye. Inhe bhojan aur aushadhi sahi samay pe diya jaye" he ordered before striding out of the room, leaving Samanvitha to wrestle with her turmoil.

All three maids stood in silence, their heads were bowing low and were aware of the heavy truth that hung in the air.

They knew Samanvitha had no idea what was unfolding around her, unaware that her fate had already begun to take a drastic turn.... one that was now irrevocably tied to the Crown Prince of Kundarastra Kingdom, Shivaal Samaiyar.

Samanvitha was lost in her thoughts and hadn't yet realized the depth of the situation she found herself in.

The maids, however, understood all too well.

An unmarried woman staying at night with a man, especially of such high status, was a grave sin in their world-- One that had already been crossed the previous night.

The Crown Prince, Shivaal, had breached that line, and with it, had changed the course of everything for Samanvitha.

Kanchi glanced nervously at Ganga, her anxiety evident in her trembling hands.

Ganga's expression remained calm, but her eyes spoke volumes. "Samay sab batega".

Mala, the youngest, remained quiet, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and curiosity. She knew the stakes were high, but she could do nothing but wait.

Samanvitha was still unaware of the weight of her situation. She lay back on the bed, her head spinning as dizziness took over.

She felt a wave of weakness wash over her. She closed her eyes and was trying to steady her breath, but the images of her parents and her kingdom flooded her mind.

Her heart ached at the thought of her family, of the kingdom she once ruled over.

"Maa... Pita ji..." she whispered softly to herself.

She longed to feel their presence, to hear their voices again, to understand what had led her to this unfamiliar and unwanted fate.

"Rajkumari ji! Itna mat sochiye. Apki tabiyat fir bigad jaegi?" Ganga's voice was filled with concern as she bowed her head, worried about Samanvitha's worsening condition.

Her gaze lingered on the young princess, knowing how fragile her health had been after the ordeal.

"Hum thik hain! Hume akela chhod do," Samanvitha replied sharply. Her voice was cold and unwavering.

Despite her physical weakness, her mind was sharp, and a ruthless plan began to form in her thoughts - one born out of desperation, fear, and the need to reclaim some semblance of control over her life.

Ganga hesitated for a moment, sensing the change in Samanvitha's demeanor. She could feel the shift from vulnerability to something darker in Samanvitha's demeanor.

But, as always, she respected the princess's wishes and nodded.

"Jaisa aap kahein, Rajkumari ji," Ganga said softly before retreating, motioning for Kanchi and Mala to follow her out of the room.

Once the door closed behind them, Samanvitha sat up slowly, her eyes narrowing with a growing determination. She couldn't afford to let her emotions rule her any longer; her next steps had to be calculated.

She would take matters into her own hands. A plan was forming, one that would shift the balance in her favor, no matter the cost.

"Yuvraj Shivaal, Yuvraj Samanvitha apko dikha degi ki ap kitne galat the".

....

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ShineeSunshine ♥️