Gurukul, Chandragarh
As Abhirath moved away, Yash took this moment to speak in a low tone with Mriga, "I know that you don't care about it. But I want you to remember that if you find yourself in a combative situation with Vindhya, let her gain the upper hand on you for some time before launching a counter attack. She is extremely capable in most fields. Her only downfall as I know it, is pride or rather overconfidence. Facing such an opponent, you will get only once chance to surprise her and you must make the most of it. Timing will be the key there."
Even though Mriga wanted to tell him to not share such insights about the other girl with her, looking at his earnest expressions, she just gave him a reassuring smile, indicating that she had taken his words seriously.
It was really late by the time Mriga went back to the dorm. Her entire body felt brittle. It was as if even a small push will shatter it into a million pieces. After a long bath, she crawled into her bed, only to find someone else sleeping there.
Shaking the gently snoring girl, Mriga complained in a tearful voice, "Get up. I need the whole bed to sleep on, right now and I am too tired to walk to yours."
Ishani yawned and sat up.
"So, you are back, finally. Wait for me here. Don't you dare sleep for the next two minutes," saying so, Ishani got up from the bed and went to the wall storage where their things were stored.
In the fear that Mriga won't pay attention to her words, she ran back quickly after retrieving a small pouch from the cupboard.
"Here, take these herbs. I crushed them and kept them ready for you. This morning, I had gone to the Vaidya to get these for your fatigue. But I forgot to give them to you at the breakfast table. He has assured me that your body ache and mental strength will be restored by taking these for the next three days," she said in a sleep laden voice.
Mriga hugged her friend showing her gratitude. Her girlfriend was the best in the world. She placed two fingers on her nose to shut it and then poured the strong-smelling herbs into her mouth.
"About this morning…" she started only to be hushed by Ishani.
"Don't worry your head about the idiotic guys around you. We have more important things to concentrate upon right now, no?" she patted her back and got up from her bed.
Five days later
The air in Chandragarh was crackling with energy. Even the trees and the birds were caught up in the festivities. Selection of the QIT was an event which happened once in twenty-five years. It was not just a matter of national interest but an occasion to celebrate the values and culture of this unique matriarchal queendom. The tale of Chandragarh's transformation had been passed down from one generation to another in a detailed way, through folk tales, dramas and songs, making sure that people never forget the reason and manner in which this small country grew to its glorious stature!
For the people, the Queen was not just the one who sat on the throne but was the icon of hope and positivity.
Royal Palace, Capital
The normally taciturn Rani Samyukta had turned the palace upside down since dawn. She wasn't supposed to be involved in any activity regarding the administrative conducting of the competition but the event itself was a reflection of her and the palace and she wanted everything to be perfect. This competition was not only attended by the top bureaucrats of Chandragarh but also attracted the presence of a lot of foreign dignitaries, some officially, others covertly. It was a matter of great concern for the neighboring countries as to who finally became the successor to this throne!
Prince Mithilesh had accepted the formal invite of staying back till the end of the event. The queen suspected that he probably believed that he could change her mind about the financial project.
Indrani was in a frenzy because she was being crushed from both ends, an autocratic superior and so many grumbling subordinates.
"I can't wait for my retirement period to start," she thought to herself.
Just like the QIT, a girl will be chosen to be the queen's executive assistant, the role which Indrani had been carrying out for more than two decades now. The selection was done at a much smaller scale but had equally stringent rules and criteria for selection. While the queen would train the chosen successor, Indrani would be doing the same to her counterpart.
The arena where the event was to take place was not far from the Gurukul. It was located well within the distance of the local market as well. The idea was to help the capital city's economy receive the boost from the increased footfall. In anticipation of the event, preparations had begun early in the month with many inns undergoing renovation and new eateries opening up, along with shops stocking up extra goods to meet the increased demand.
Everyone wanted to put their best foot forward!
Prithvi walked slowly across the vast arena which was built in an amphitheater style. Food and beverage tents had been put up between various sections which would remain here for the next fortnight. A new structure had been built on the side which included a big communal washroom for all the visitors. Prithvi moved his eyes across the whole place, taking in the entrance and exits into account with regards to different contingencies. His walking stick made a scratching sound as he dragged it across the uneven ground.
A part of him wished that Ramanujam was here to take over this tiresome task of surveying every inch of the place but his subordinate was busy with a very important task in the Eastern zilla right at this moment!