Queen Kaushiki entered the chamber.
"I want to talk about something important, Vishnu."
"Hmm, say it."
"It's about Raghav. I think we should discuss about his marriage now."
"You are right, Kaushiki. I was also thinking the same. Once Raghav gets married, I'll declare him the king and take some rest, finally. Tell me, how your daughter-in-law should be?"
"She should be beautiful from inside, because she has to fulfill the responsibilities of a Queen. And a queen should be modest, kind and full of compassion for the people of her kingdom", she replied.
Something clicked in Vishnu's mind and he immediately opened the scroll.
"What else, Kaushiki?"
"Raghav needs a sweet and caring wife, who can love him forever", she said.
"Hmm, what about her family?" he asked, his eyes still glued to the scroll.
"They should be decent. It's not necessary that she should be the princess of a large kingdom. I only want a nice daughter-in-law, irrespective of her financial status."
King Vishnu stood up with excitement and exclaimed, "I've found her Kaushiki."
"What? You've already found her?" Kaushiki asked surprisingly.
Vishnu showed the scroll to her, which contained a portrait of her as well.
"She is the one, Kaushiki. She has all the qualities which you desire in your daughter-in-law. Do you remember the day when I went out in disguise to see the people of our kingdom? That day, I went to Varanasi and saw this girl. Her kindness drew my attention. I think she is the right girl for our son."
"She is the princess of which kingdom?" Kaushiki asked.
"She is not a princess by birth, but by heart. She is the daughter a common merchant, but her qualities are remarkable. And that's what we want in our daughter-in-law. I can never identify a person wrong. "
"But, are you sure Raghav will not have any objection to it?" she asked.
"I know our son, Kaushiki. He can never say 'no' to our wish", he said proudly.
After some more discussions, Kaushiki happily agreed and said, "Now, you should call her parents and know their opinion too."
"You are right, that's what I am going to do now."
Shashi's POV
"This girl never helps me in the household chores. Go and see your friends, how they help their mothers. What will you do after marriage?" Mom was scolding me for not cleaning my room, as usual. Hehehe
It's not that I am lazy, but I have more important works to do, like reading romantic novels and imagining myself in scenarios that will never really exist. My imagination world is so beautiful, where I am romancing with a handsome prince, like Prince Raghavendra.
'Oh Shashi! Stop thinking about that man. He will never be yours. These novels are ruining my mind.'
A knock at the door broke my chain of thoughts.
"Go and see who's there", Mom commanded.
I went and opened the door. There were two soldiers in their uniforms. They were looking dangerous with their armors and swords.
'How did they know that I don't help mom? And is it such a big crime that they have come to arrest me? Aaaaaaaaaaaa'
"Does Padmaksh live here?" one of them asked.
"Y…Yes, he is my father. I….I'll call him in a moment."
I quickly ran inside and told Dad that two scary soldiers are standing outside and asking about him. He immediately went to the doorstep to meet them.
Meanwhile, I was standing in a corner with my mother and Radha. We all were wondering why they are here.
"Sis, don't worry. If they will try to harm Dad, I will throw pepper powder on them and then we all will beat them."
"Shut up Radha. Let me listen what they are talking", Mom scolded her.
"The king has called you. You will have to accompany us to Awaleshgarh", the soldiers said.
I am terrified would be an understatement. What has Dad done? Why is the King calling him? Please God, save us from this trouble.
"Okay, I am coming", Dad replied and turned to us.
"Anupama, take care of yourself and our daughters. I will be back very soon after meeting the king."
Mom had no option other than saying 'yes' but it was the first time I have seen my mother scared. We have faced a lot of tough times, but she was always strong in every situation. It's not normal for the King to call a commoner to his palace. What will happen next?
Next Day…..
Today is a weird day for our house. Everyone is silent. We all are thinking about Dad. Mom is continuously praying to God to bring him back safely. Radha is preparing to fight with the King if he does any harm to him. And I am trying to assure myself that everything will be fine.
'Shashi, stop worrying. He has gone to meet the King, not any monster who will eat him up.'
But why has the King called him? I wish that he is not falsely accused of any crime. I know my father very well; he is a very noble man.
Suddenly, the door knocked. Mom rushed to open it, and to our relief, Dad was standing outside. A few soldiers were standing behind him holding big boxes. The soldiers came inside and kept the boxes respectfully. Dad bid them farewell and came inside. He was looking expressionless. We couldn't decipher whether he was happy or sad.
'Please say something Dad, I cannot handle this suspense anymore.'
Mom brought a glass of water for him and asked, "What happened? Why did the King call you? What is inside these boxes?"
He said, "The K…..king asked for Shashi's hand in marriage."
I felt like the earth slipped below my feet. Am I dreaming or what? How can this be possible? Why is the king asking for my hand in marriage? I am not any princess.
Mom started shouting, "Is King Vishnuvardhan mad? How dare he say that? He is the King, so he thinks that he will control our life; but he is wrong. I WILL NEVER MARRY MY DAUGHTER TO AN OLD MAN LIKE HIM."
Radha also supported, "Yes Mom, you are right. The King is such a pervert. He wants to marry a girl of his daughter's age. Shame on him!"
Dad said, "Stop this drama, both of you. He has asked Shashi's hand for Prince Raghavendra, not for himself. Am I clear now?"
There was complete silence now.