Author's POV:

The gates of Rathod palace opened wide for the car driven by the princess of the palace and to be queen Niharika Rathod, declaring her arrival. An exhausted Niharika came out of the car, handling the keys to the personal valet of the palace. She took her hand bag along with her ivory silk blazer.

Entering through the main entrance her eyes caught the ladies of the house gathered in the drawing area of the huge hall. Her eyes scanned the drawing area and caught a females sight who sat with a baby bump, which might be of 7 months.

" Niharika! Fresh ho kar jaldi aaiye, Khane ka waqt ho chala hai! " A high pitched yet soft voice came into attention.

" Ji dadi sa! " She spoke before climbing up the huge stairs of the royal palace.

Niharika came in her room and without and further ado she barged in the washroom, to freshen up. She came out wearing a mulberry silk night fit. She did her simple skincare before descending the stairs. The whole family was present at the dining table.

Dadi: Niharika kal aapko dekhne ladke wale aa rahe hai!

Niharika: Par dadi sa~

Dadi: Alwar k hone wale raja hai aur khud ka jewelry business bhi hai! Aapko koi aitraaz toh nhi hai na?

As her grandmother ended up saying those line she looked at her sisters and her younger brother who already knew about Shubman and Niharika before hand. They even talked to Shubman few times.

Niharika: Nhi dadi sa!

Niharika ended up agreeing to her grandmother. If not from her own will she agreed to this for her family, for her dadi sa who is one of the most essential decision maker after her parents death. After what Niharika faced 5 years back, she couldn't believe in love anymore.

After having dinner with the family she came to her room and directly walked in the balcony. She sat on the hammock chair placed in the corner of the balcony, drifting in the past. To be honest, she could never move on from Shubman, she kept looking for him in every guy she ever met. It was as if he was a standard unit. 

After sitting for an hour or so, she went inside and slept, thinking how it would have been if Shubman would have been with her. If he didn't leave, if he didn't cheated. Teenage is indeed a crucial age, one experiences so many feelings at a time that he/she gets confused and sometimes end up making wrong decisions.

Niharika got up with the sound of her alarm. It was 6 in the morning, she had a habit of waking up early to workout and take a walk in the garden with her dadi sa.

She went to the house gym that they had in the 1st floor. After working out for an hour she went to the garden and found her dadi sa already waiting for her. After her parents passed away, her family did everything they could do to make her feel loved, safe and home. After walking for half an hour in the garden they sat in the couch placed in the garden, feeding the birds.

Dadi: Niharika aap khush toh hai na humare faisle se?

Niharika: ji dadi sa!

Dadi: Agar aapko koi aur pasand hai toh aap bata sakti hai aapki khushi se badh kar kuch nhi hai hamare liye!

Niharika: ab koi nhi hai dadi sa!

dadi: matlab pehle tha!

Niharika: ji!

dadi: bachhe aisa kya hua tha? aap hame bata sakti hain!

She ended up spilling the whole story in front of her dadi, who was now determined to reunite Shubman and Niharika.

dadi: Niharika ab aap jaa kar taiyaar ho jaiye ladke wale 11 baje tak aa jayenge! Taiyaariyan bhi toh karni hai!

Niharika: Ji dadi sa!

maid: ma'am! rani sa ne aapno bulwayo hai!

Avantika: hum aate hai!

Avantika: Ji maa! aapne hume bulaya?

Dadi: Avantika yeh Shubman kon hai?

Avantika: Shubman toh mere padosi ka beta hai maa! Punjab mein humare ghar k paas hi unka bhi ghar tha!

dadi: tha? Ab kahan hai woh?

Avantika: Ab toh woh dusre jagah shift ho gaye!

dadi: aapki baat hoti hai unse?

Avantika: Ji maa hoti hai!

dadi: toh unhe Niharika ka rishta bhejiye!

Avantika: par maa aaj toh ladke wale-

dadi: humari bachhi se badh kar kuch nhi hai humare liye!

Avantika: Ji maa!

*phone call*

Shubman: hello mumma!

Keart: beta tu wapas kab aa rha hai?

Shubman: bus thodi der mein mumma!

Keart acha tu ghar aaja fir baat karte hain!

*At home*

Shubman: mumma aap samajh kyun nhi rahi main yeh shaadi nhi kar sakta!

Keart: Par puttar galat kya hai isme? Woh Niharika hai tere bachpan ki dost!

Shubman: bas nhi kar sakta yaar mumma main!

Keart: Kab tak Sara par hi atke rahega? Us baat ko 3 saal ho gaye Shubman ab aage badh zindagi main!

Shubman: mumma main nhi kar rha yeh shaadi!

Keart: Toh tu bhi sun le main kisi aur ko apne ghar ki bahu nhi banane wali!

Shubman: mumma-

Shahneel: maan ja na kaka! Kyun zid kar raha hai?

At last Shubman had to agree to his mother's choice.

At Udaipur:

Dadi: Khamma ghani! Aaiye aaiye! Ahana, Garima, Niharika ko le kar aaiye!

Ahana/Garima: Ji dadi sa!

Niharika came down wearing an ivory organza saree, her neck adorned with a kundan necklace and her ears beautifully shining with the huge kundan studs. She came and touched the feet of the parents of the guy and sat on the couch next to her dadi.

Mother of the guy: Niranjana

the guy: Rudra 

Niranjana: Bohot pyari hai aapki poti rani sa!

dadi: usme toh koi shaq nhi hai Niranjana ji! Bilkul apni maa pe gayi hai!

Hearing the word maa, tears brimmed in Niharika's eyes. After talking for a while Niranjana suggested for the duo to go and spend some time in alone. They came to the Lawn of the palace.

His actions were not of a gentleman for sure. His eyes travelled through Niharika's body in such a way that made her uncomfortable. A woman has an extra ability to sense if the person's intention or the person himself is good or not. They talked for a while knowing about each other's likes and dislikes which he barely was interested in and it was clearly visible.

They came in and saw the elders talking on different topics.

Niranjana: ji hume toh yeh rishta manzoor hai!

Dadi: hm aapko soch kar batate hai Niranjana ji!

After bidding them farewell and leaving the till the doorsteps, everyone came back.

Varsha: maa sa aapne aisa kyun bola ki hum soch kar batate hain?

dadi: Niharika kal aap se milne koi aa rha hai taiyaar rahiye ga!

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written on: 03-06-24
posted on: 18-06-24