Chapter 4
A few days later, the door of new animal was slammed open. He was living in the guest room in prince's mansion. It woke him up, madly. The servants were there with the holy sticks to spread its fragrance in the whole mansion.
"Why are you so loud in the early morning?" Pralay said aggressively, getting his upper body up.
"His highness is back from the temple. Here, some prasad." The other servant said and offered him the sweet. pralay just stared at him with furrowed eyebrows. The servnt withdrew, "Seems like you still don't trust us, that we do not intend to poison you. Its fine, the right time will come." He stepped backwards, "Its just that..." He turned to leave, "His highness had asked me to specially give you the prasad. Who knows, it could cure you faster. Its okay, I'll tell the prince that you didn't want it."
"Stop!" The man said with no patience.
The servant turned. His name was Adarsh, and although he was from Stambha country, a peaceful and innocent one, he still had some cunningness in him. Of course for good pruposes only. He aspired to become the temple assistant of His highness. He was actually very favored for this work by the prince. In few months in future, he might really become one. He was a short, sweet boy with short hair which reached his shoulders. He smirked in victory and turned towards pralay, making a surprised face as if he had not planned this himself.
"Why did you ask me to stop? Hm?" Adarsh asked innocently.
Pralay looked away. He hesitatingly said, "Give that sweet to me." Although, his eyebrows were still furrowed.
"Oh, really? Fine then." Adarsh said. He just played along and walked towards him to give him that sweet, "Don't hurt me okay. Here, take this." He extended the sweet towards Pralay.
Pralay took the sweet by one hand and devoured it straight.
"Hey, you don't take prasad with one hand! You use both! Have you forgotten that as well?" Adarsh scolded.
"Get out!" Pralay frowned
"Alright, alright!" Adarsh said and walked out of the room. Th other servants then opened the cuurtains of the room. It was still dark outside.
"These people are really loud here. I hate it." Pralay said with a serious tone and returned to his sleep. That's when the door was slammed open again. He sweared he would kill whoever it was. He had to struggle his body to get up everytime, since he couldn't use his legs. Also, he was weak because of inner injuries, it was hard for him to use his upper body strength after every minute. He aggressively looked towads the direction of door. He was actually ready to shed blood. But turned out, this time, the person entering was the prince, followed by his maids and guard. But today, there were some other servants with him as well. And today, there was something else special as well. The prince was wearing a more beautiful robe than usual. Although, every cloth he wore was a pure piece of heavenly art, but today something was different. Pralay looked at him from bottom to top, actually admiring the beauty.
"His highness is so charming. His face says it all." Sita said and giggled. So did others.
"Nonsense!" Pralay was ready to throw hands. He looked away with furrowed eyebrows.
"Alright alright, stop teasing him." Kuber said and walked towards Pralay. Pralay didn't look at him. He was still mad for being woke up at such early hour. The prince was being careful. He could be attacked anytime. But this time, he successfully sat beside him, without being attacked. He let go of a sigh in relief. Others were surprised as well. But thats when their dreams were shattered.
"Get up." Pralay said with a straight face, without even looking at the prince.
Kuber sighed and shook his head, "I knew it." He said in grief and just got up. He didn't want to force him. Feeling him getting up, Pralay immediately looked at him in surprise.
"You----" Pralay was about to say something, but he stopped. He coughed and aggressively looked away again.
"What's wrong with him?" Avadh wondered.
"I don't really care." Nakshatra replied with squinted eyes. He was trying to analyse his behavior.
"Why are you here?" Pralay asked.
Kuber was standing at a disance from him, "Well, its a special day today and you will, come along with me." He confirmed.
"Did I say yes?" Pralay protested and looked at him.
"You will like it a lot! I promise. You trust me now, don't you?" Kuber replied while smiling, waiting for Pralay to nod in agreement.
Pralay looked away in annoyance, but his eyebrows went normal. His face still showed ignorance though. He raised his chin. The prince was filled with pride again, because Pralay also did not disagree, which basically meant a yes. He and his gang celebrated.
"Not fully though." Pralay mumbled.
"Servants! Get him ready!" The royal prince proceeded to leave with his maids and guard, "Today, everyone shall meet my new friend." He announced while smiling.
Pralay squinted his eyes looking at everyone in the room as if he was telling them to dare to come near them. The servants who had stepped towards him withdrew in fear.
"The moonflower submitting to the night, shall one day be exposed admist the great admirers under blue sky." Pralay could hear kuber say a poem.
After some time, Kuber made his entry in Pralay's room again. He was welcomed with water on the floor. He almost slipped if Angad hadn't held him.
"What is this again?" Angad analyzed the room. The prince asked him to stay calm by gestures.
"Take a deep breath. Deep breath, Angad." His highness tried to simmer him down. Angad did as he was told.
The room was in chaos again. Everything was on the floor again.
"What do you think? These precious imported bedsheets belong to the floor?" Kuber asked the present owner of that room.
The servants let go of a sigh in relief. They could finally breath after struggling to get Pralay ready. They wiped the sweat over their forehead as they greeted His highness. Kuber could see how much those servants had to struggle. They had put so much efforts in putting clothes on his body. The tension on their face was clearly visible becaue the hair were still yet to be combed. The prince sighed and decided to put an end to their struggle. He told them to just leave and rest for their own goodness.
Pralay was seated on bed, wearing the new piece of expensive and imported clothes. The clothes were light colored, different than his usual ones. He looked like a heavenly lord. Kuber had chose this color for him keeping in mind that certain reason. It was pre-planned by him. But seemed like, the guest wasn't much fan of light colors.
"Why are you pulling a long face? You look absolutely stunning in this color." Kuber tried to distract Pralay with compliment as he kept walking towards him. He quietly grabbed the comb. Pralay had his face towards the window. It was still dark outside.
"What do you really intend to do in this early morning? Are you sure this isn't still night?" Pralay doubtedly said.
Kuber laughed, "How is that possible? Of course we know it's not night. Come on now, be a good man and let me comb your hair." He said and quietly sat beside him. He noticed that this time, he wasn't protested against. He looked at others and told them to leave to get ready as well. Nakshatra didn't want to leave His highness alone with that beast. Of course, he was pulled out by Angad.
Pralay kept staring at the darkness outside. Kuber felt like he was missing his hometown. He didn't interrupt him. It would be good if he remembered something about his past. He just silently look some part of Pralay's hair and started combing. Pralay could feel he wasn't even good at that. He just sighed while still looking at the sky outside.
'Why is your hair so strangled?" Kuber showed concern, "Its okay, we'll fix that later." He smiled.
Suddenly some faces emerged in Pralay's mind. He closed his eyes and saw a woman with oil in her hand. Again, her face wasn't clear but he knew what expressions she made. It was really weird. As if it came right from his past. He tried to recall, but instantly failed as the woman's image fainted in no moment, leaving only her shadow behind which disappeared too soon after. He sighed in defeat.
Kuber was done combing the hair. Now, he wanted to accessorize Pralay's hair with flowers, but Pralay seemed to protest. They both stared at each other. One with furrowed eyebrows and furious eyes, another with ambitious ones and a smile. The conflict was hard.
Outside, Ridhi and Sita had reached there, wearing their most favorite robes, gifted by His highness. They looked exactly like fairies. Gentle and bautiful. Soon after, Angad reached as well. He was also wearing the most beutiful pair of clothes he owned. They all praised each other's looks and get up.
That's when Adarsh got there too, "Oh, where is His highness?" He asked.
The three of them, Angad, Ridhi and Sita turned to him. Both sides smilingly greeted each other.
"Well, he's getting our guest ready." Angad replied.
"Which guest?"
"The one inside." Angad informed.
"Oh, that one?" Adarsh pretended to remember as if he didn't just bully him an our ago. That's when a gentle voice replied:
"He's a friend,not just a mere guest."
It was His highness, opening the door. He had a satisfactory smile on his face. He got aside and behind him, everyone saw a sight, they had never imagined. Their jaws dropped.
Behind the prince, was Pralay, wearing light colored clothes, accessories that matched the outfit, earings, neck and arm jewellaries. His hair were combed neatly and were adorned with beautiful pieces of flowers. Seemed like he lost the battle. Today, even his eyebrows weren't furrowed for that moment.
The man, who wore dark colors, had furious expressions for most of the time as if he'd kill anyone anytime, his hair strangled as if they were not combed since a long time and had aura of a hunter, was today, wearing heavenly light colored clothes, which gave him extremely soft look, his accessories enhanced his beauty even more and his hair, were shining brightly and were decorated with beautiful fresh flowers right from the garden of prince's mansion, chosen and plucked by himself. Even his expressions matched his get up today. His eyes looked soft for the first time and his body seemed relaxed. It didn't seem like he was attacking anyone anytime soon.
"Is that the same person?" Sita said in shock. She was also, overjoyed. So was Ridhi.
"This can't be possible..." Angad himself was astonished.
Adarsh looked at Pralay with his eyebrows raised, as if in pure shock. He had a smile on his face, admiring him.
That's when Nakshatra and Avadh reached here too. They both had already got the news that His highness was taking his new animal along with him. That's why, Avadh had got there running. He was totally captivated when he saw the new look of that animal. At some point, he had imagined him wearing light colored clothes, but it wasn't as beautiful as the reality. Although, Nakshatra didn't really like Pralay, but today, even he was looking at him with praise and approval.
"This is the version of him I'd rather prefer than the one before." Nakshatra said
Avadh looked at him and smiled.
"Senior fiinally accepts im." Avadh giggled. "But sadly, that is the real him." He pouted in disappointment while thinking.
"His hair looks so smooth today..." Ridhi, totally mesmeriized, said.
Nakshatra made a "tsk" sound, "Of course, it will. I had a rough time tying him while the servants were washing his hair last night."
Avadh laughed on this.
Everyone was astonished, enjoying the beautiful sight of a man, who was looking like a heavenly immortal lord. The only thing sad was the wheelchair. That man was sitting on wheelchair. He couldn't even walk by himself. But he did get himself a freind, who was ready to support him anytime.
Kuber carefully, and gently pushed the wheelchair down from the room. He looked so proud of himself. As he rose his chin in pride, he said, "I told you, didn't I? That my friend here, was going to blow your minds away."
"I can truly sense that, your highness!" Sita supported.
"Absolutely yes!" Ridhi joined.
That's when three royal guards from His majesty's mansion made entry. They got there and greeted his highness by kneeling down. The prince smiled at them and told them to rise up.
"Your higghness. His majesty has sent the carriage for you. He urges you to depart as soon as possible." The senior guard of his majesty's mansion, Sehdev informed. He was sent by the king himself, to accompany the prince to the destination.
"Alright. Let's go then." Kuber exclaimed in joy. He was excited to introduce the world his new friend. He smilingly pushed Pralay's wheelchair forward. Although he was having hard time pushing it forward with Pralay's weight, he was still ready to learn it for his friend's sake.
"I can do it my self." pralay protested.
"Don't ruin your beauty today, my lord. Let this servant do it for you." Kuber teased.
"Shut up." Pralay rolled his eyes. His eyebrows were furrowed again. This time, he wasn't feeling what he showed though.