Himprayag, few kilometres away from the Royal Palace
"The old man has really outdone himself tonight. I wish that I could steal him and take him to my chambers with me," Rudradev was enjoying the midnight feast of mouth watering desserts ranging from hot gajar ka halwa* to motichoor laddoos* to the cold khoya mithai* which were ready to melt on his tongue.
Both Shaurya and Bela wore a wary expression on their faces. Neither of them had touched the sweets laid in front of them and were waiting for the young minister to get down to business.
After some time, almost when Shaurya's patience was about to give way, Rudra got up and gave a smile to both of them.
"I accept this dessert feast tonight as a token of thanks from you. I am really satisfied," he said with a smirk.
Shaurya who couldn't hold back any longer, snapped, "And what should we be thanking you for exactly? Wasting our time?"
The minister's face changed from the flippant expression to an utmost serious one in a fraction of a second.
"I did what you and your precious princess hasn't been able to achieve in the past so many days of being here. You should be hearing from the palace soon. Are you both ready?" his voice held a hint of challenge.
Bela scrutinised the chameleon like man in front of her. She obviously knew that he wasn't as easy going as he appeared to be but the scarier bit was that she had zero insight into his psyche. Not many people could achieve an aura like this and that too at such an early age.
"We are ready. The military drills have been taking place during the days and strategic planning during the evenings," she replied calmly.
Shaurya looked at her in surprise. He didn't expect that she would tell him about their activities so forthrightly.
The next moment, Rudradev shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and reacted, "Hmm, my sources told me the same. Considering what the king said to me tonight, I think it is safe to send out the message back home about your success by tomorrow."
Prithvi had sent Bela here on the mission to convince the otherwise neutral Himprayag to choose to become an ally of Chandragarh. He knew that this was the only window they had when the political scenario at Himprayag was unstable as the younger generation fought between themselves for the throne. Once an heir was decided, the long-standing policy of being a neutral country won't be easy to sway. It was a good thing that Chandragarh backed a queen on the Himprayag throne. An alliance between two female ruled countries would and could change the dynamics in the region especially with the increasing incursions and ambitions of Saptsindhu which laid sandwiched between the aforementioned countries.
"Though if I were you, I would pay more attention to what's happening inside the country than outside at this moment. But then I leave that upto you and your teacher to decide. Something tells me that this may be our last meeting before you leave so I shall bid you adieu. Safe journey to you," Rudradev addressed Bela cryptically as was his habit, before taking his leave.
"Why do I get a feeling that he is extremely dangerous whether as a friend or a foe," Bela muttered, almost to herself.
"Prepare a message for Prithvi, updating him about the situation here and send it first thing in the morning. Ask him what does he want us to do next," she instructed Shaurya.
He had a surprised look on his face. Did she not want to wait to hear from the princess before sending out such a message? But having worked under Prithvi for long, he reigned in his curiosity and followed her order.
Chandragarh
The next round was coming up in a day's time. Even though there were three stages, the results along with the round wise breakup would be declared at the end of this stage. But ever since she had attempted the multiple choice exam, Vindhya was feeling extremely uneasy. Not knowing what to do, she sent a message to her brother to come look for her. Since Vidyut was a part of the emergency medical services during this time, he was mostly in the nearby vicinity. Upon receiving her message, he hurried to meet her. At the Gurukul's entrance gate, he ran into Mriga unexpectedly, making his eyes crinkle with happiness.
Mriga gave a small bow to him in acknowledgement but didn't know what to say. So she politely made a move to walk past him.
"Do you know that in an alternate world, we could have had a chance at togetherness?" his softly spoken words made her stop in shock.
Her round eyes gazed at his with a questioning look. His words had been blatant enough for even someone like her to not have any doubts about the meaning.
Not bothered by her shocked look, he continued in the same whispery tone, "I wish you all the luck."
She stood rooted to the spot while he entered the Gurukul with a rueful smile.
"Why am I so popular these days? Have I turned into a beauty and I am not aware of it myself?" she wondered aloud.
"Apart from being brainless, you are also becoming narcissistic. Well done," Chiranjeev's mocking voice made her turn embarrassed.
She gave a mental knock to herself for speaking without taking a look at her surroundings. She slowly pivoted and gave him a sheepish smile.
"I am on my way for a run. Do you want to join in?" she asked him sweetly, pretending as if the previous moment hadn't happened.
"No, I don't think I can stand the torture," Chiranjeev said before going past her.
*Gajar ka halwa - Carrot based sweet pudding
*Motichoor laddoos - Sphere shaped sweet made out of flour
*Khoya mithai* - Rectangular sweets made out of condensed dairy products