Shashi's POV
I am definitely dreaming. This can never happen in real life. In a few minutes, Mom will wake me up. I am sure.
"What? Are you saying the truth? He wants Shashi to marry the Prince?" Mom asked shockingly.
"Yes dear, he has even sent the shagun for her", he said smiling.
(Shagun is the gift that the bride receives from the groom's family, once the marriage gets fixed. This is a tradition of North India.)
Radha hurriedly opened the boxes and to my surprise, those boxes were filled with lavish clothes and sparkling ornaments. I have never seen such expensive things in my life.
"King Vishnu is a very polite man. He treated me with so much respect. He told me that he came to know about Shashi from his secret detectives. And he thinks that she is the perfect bride for his son. He even said that it is not a king's command; it's a father's proposal. The decision is yours. If you accept this proposal, we will become a family. If not, I will never bother you again."
"What did you say?" Mom asked excitedly.
"How can I say no to such a nice proposal? We can never get a better son-in-law than Prince Raghavendra, but still the final decision will be hers", Dad said pointing to me.
"Tell us your decision, Shashi", Mom asked me.
My lips are trembling; I don't know what to say. He is my crush, I have always dreamt of marrying him. But I have never met him. I have seen his portraits, but he doesn't know anything about me. I don't even know whether he loves me or not.
'What are you thinking, stupid? If he hadn't wanted to marry you, his father would have never sent the proposal. But what did he saw in a common girl like me? I'll ask this whenever we will meet. '
"What are you thinking, Shashi? Tell us", Mom started getting anxious.
Radha said, "No need to ask her. I know that she loves Prince."
"No Radha, I want her approval", Dad interrupted.
I was blushing profusely. I mustered up all courage and whispered, "I accept this proposal."
Everyone started rejoicing the moment these words left my mouth. Mom and Radha hugged me from both sides whereas Dad was shedding tears of joy.
Radha exclaimed, "Now my sister will become a princess and live in the palace of Awaleshgarh. Wow, I will tell all my friends about this. They will be so jealous. I will visit the palace whenever I want, under the excuse of meeting you."
"My daughter is so lucky. I have never imagined this. But how will we manage the expenses of the royal wedding?" Mom started worrying.
Dad calmed her, "Don't worry; King Vishnu said that he will take care of all the expenses. He just wants our daughter, nothing else. I should go and send him a letter that Shashi has agreed to the proposal. Then he will talk to the priests and decide the wedding date."
I still can't believe all this. It's like a dream coming true. After few days, I will be in his arms. He will love me like I do. And we'll stay together forever. Thank you so much God.
Raghav's POV
"Did you call me, Dad?" I asked.
"Yes Raghav, come inside. I want to discuss something about your marriage."
"Dad, I had already told Mom that I will marry the princess, whom you choose", I replied softly.
"I have selected a girl for you. Her family is also ready; and I just received her father's letter stating that the girl has also accepted our proposal. See her portrait, Raghav", he said with a sparkle in his eyes.
I took the scroll from his hand and opened it to see the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. I was astonished for a moment. I have seen many princesses before, but she is different. Her eyes don't have that attitude and arrogance. Instead, she is looking so simple and charming. No heavy jewelry, no lavish clothes, still she is looking so beautiful, so pure, so innocent.
"What are you thinking, son? Don't you like her?" he asked.
"N…No Dad, I…I respect your choice."
'Why the hell am I stuttering?'
"But she is the princess of which kingdom? I have never seen her before", I asked.
"She is not a princess, son. She is the daughter of a common merchant. His father sells medicines."
My whole world shattered after hearing this.
After few hours.....
I was lying on my bed, lamenting over my fate, when Krishna barged into my room, as usual.
"Bro, congratulations; finally I am going to get a sister-in-law. You know, Mom is so happy that she is distributing sweets since morning. I have seen her portrait. She is so beautiful, just like an angel. You are so lucky."
"SHUT UP, stop your nonsense", I shouted angrily.
"What's the matter? Aren't you happy?" Krishna asked. He was clearly looking worried.
I want to pour out my feelings, and Krishna is someone who always understands me. I know, he is childish and immature; but he is the person with whom I can share all my secrets and he always gives me the best advice. He will surely save me from this disastrous wedding.
"Krishna, sit here and listen to me."
He sat beside me and his brows furrowed as he tried to decipher my reaction.
I said, "Listen to me, I need help. Do something and cancel this wedding. Please, I beg you."
"But why are you saying this? As far as I remember, you had no problem with getting married. You even asked Mom to find a suitable bride for you", Krishna said. He was completely shocked by my revelation.
"I do want to get married, but not with this girl."
"Why? She is beautiful and kind. What is the problem with her?" he asked.
"The problem is that she is a mere commoner. I consider the people of my kingdom as my family, but that doesn't mean that I will marry someone who is one of them. So many princesses are dying to marry me, and what will I answer when they will ask me 'For whom did you reject us?' My friends will laugh at me when they will hear that I married the daughter of a medicine seller", I let it out in one go.