13 Prince's Order
Part 13 Prince's Order
"Welcome back Prince Aparajit," The woman said.
Khushi got the shock of her lifetime. Was Arnav Prince Aparajit? Was she roaming with none other than Prince Aparajit? Oh God, she teased him like hell unaware of the truth. She was blankly staring at him. She didn't even sense, all of them looking at her.
"Khushi" Arnav called her.
She jerked and gulped down. He nodded his head, like, come here. She moved towards them with slow steps. She came to them and stood silently. Arnav controlled his smile, seeing her stunning face.
"Are you Prince Aparajit?"
Arnav smiled not answering to her. It was not necessary to answer though. Arnav looked at the woman. She circled the thali and kept vermillion on her forehead.
"Welcome to our Kingdom" She smiled.
"She is my mother, Queen Medha" Arnav introduced her to Khushi.
Getting her sense back, Khushi touched Medha's feet.
"Stay happy"
"Anyone will be happy if they are with Khushi. You can't find such a lively person anywhere" Arnav said, making the women wonder because Arnav never got mingled with any girl after his Prince's coronation and completely stopped talking to any girl after Chandrika's alliance.
Khushi smiled awkwardly.
"Mother, have you arranged for Khushi's stay?" Arnav asked.
Before the Queen answered him, a girl did who came from behind the crowd.
"Of course... how could we ignore Prince Aparajit's order?"
Arnav smiled.
"She is my sister, Princess Padmaakshi"
Khushi smiled at her.
"We did all the arrangements immediately after getting your message," Padmaakshi said.
Message? When did he send it? Did he do that from the camp... or, from Ganga's village? Khushi didn't know.
"Listen, she is not only our guest but also MY FRIEND. She should be treated great. Understand?" Arnav said strictly, making them stunned. No doubt, they didn't believe Khushi was JUST his FRIEND.
"Understood, Brother," Padmakshi said, looking at a particular girl from the corner of her eyes.
Khushi noticed it and looked at the girl who was looking upset. She might be Princess Chandrika. Khushi guessed it right.
"Take her to her room" Arnav passed the order.
"Yes, Brother"
"Khushi, you go with Padma. I have to meet my father" Arnav said.
Khushi nodded ok embarrassingly. Everyone moved in. Arnav looked at Padmakshi who was standing close to them. She stepped back, seeing his gesture.
"By the way Khushi, what happened to you? You talk non-stop and teased me like hell..." He asked teasingly, showing her that he too could tease her.
"Are you Prince Aparajit?"
"What do you think?" he folded his hands.
She sighed.
"We will talk later. Go and make yourself comfortable"
Arnav gestured Padmakshi.
"Let's go, sister" Padma said.
Khushi nodded ok again. She could not talk to Arnav in this open place. Let him come after meeting his father.
A maid took Khushi's backpack from her and walked. Khushi followed her with Padma like a robot. She was in the palace as Prince Aparajit's not only guest but also his friend.
Khushi was taken to the luxurious room. Khushi was stunned, seeing the room.
"Baap re... is this a room? No... this is looking like a five's football ground. What am I going to do in this room? Will play football?" She murmured.
"Kiran, keep the bag in the bureau," Padmakshi said.
Keeping Khushi's bag in the bureau, Kiran came to them.
"You stay with Khushi sister and look after her needs," Padmakshi said.
"Ok, your highness," Kiran said.
"You can call me anytime if you want anything. Kiran will be with you for your help. She owes to obey you from hereon"
Khushi could not believe anything happened to her.
"Are you all right?" Padmakshi asked.
Khushi nodded yes.
"By the way, which is your country?"
"Dolakpur" Khushi maintained the lie that she told Arnav.
"Oh... your dress is so nice"
"Thank you"
"Shall I meet Arnav... (Padmakshi raised her eyebrows awestruck hearing ARNAV from Khushi. Khushi composed herself even though she didn't know the meaning of her expression) I mean Prince Aparajit... will he come here? I want to talk to him" Khushi said hesitatingly.
"He went to meet the king... I mean, our father. It will take time for him to return back because he came to the palace after a long time. He will recite everything to my father. Then only he came to his room" She chuckled.
"Where is his room?"
"The next room is mine and the next room is my brother's. usually, this room would be given to our father's friends who are also kings. This is the first time a foreigner is going to stay here because it's Prince Aparajit's order" She said contently.
Khushi was surprised. Was Arnav respecting her to that extent?
"Her name is..." Padmakshi was about to tell Kiran's name,
"K...K...Kiran..." Khushi said stammering.
"Why do you stammer? Are you scared?" Padmakshi asked.
"No... I'm not..."
Padmakshi and Kiran spared a glance. Khushi sighed inwardly.
*Hold on Khushi...* She tried to get composed.
"Actually, I didn't stammer. There was a Saint in our country. His name is Shah Rukh Khan. He calls the name like that..."
"Which name?"
"K...K...Kiran..."
"Is it?" they wondered.
"Yes..." Khushi gulped down.
"What else did he say?"
"What else... (she thought) Haan... Dil to Pagal hai..."
"Means?"
"Means... Our heart is crazy... we should not go with it. We should listen to our MIND"
"Wow... It seems he must be a great saint," Kiran said.
Khushi nodded yes, grinning like an idiot.
"What was the slogan?"
"What slogan?"
"Didn't you say, Dil... or something...?"
"Dil to pagal hai"
"Yeah... Dil to pagal hai"
They memorized it and Khushi controlled her laughter.
"It seems we can learn many interesting things from you," Padmakshi said.
Khushi smiled.
"Kiran, go and bring something for her to eat. She must be hungry" Padmakshi said.
Kiran bow down and left the place.
"There are many places in this fort to visit. I will get my brother's permission and will take you there"
Khushi nodded ok.
"Tomorrow, we will go to the temple"
Khushi again nodded ok.
They saw a few girls marching into her room with many plates. There was a variety of fruits, sweets, and snacks, in those plates.
"You must be hungry due to the long journey. Have them. You can ask Kiran if you want more"
Khushi's eyes popped out. MORE? Like really? Seeing them itself, her stomach became full. What would happen if she ate all of them? But, should mention, what a smell...! That hit Khushi's nose that made her dizzy.
The room became silent when Arnav entered. All the maids silently left the room, except for Padmakshi.
"Didn't you meet our Father? You came so quickly"
"He is with Ecclesiast. So, I backed off"
Padmakshi sighed. She didn't know why Arnav didn't show interest in Ecclesiastes matter.
"Ok, you guys carry on" she left.
Arnav looked at Khushi with a smile. She clutched her ears and said,
"I'm sorry..."
Arnav was panicked.
"Why are you sorry?"
"Unaware of the truth, I played with you, teased you, and moved so casually... I'm sorry Prince Aparajit"
"Arnav... call me Arnav"
"But... it's not your name..."
Arnav smiled.
"Do you think I lied to you?"
"Didn't you?"
"No... Arnav is my birth name... After I won a few wars, I got the name Aparajit which means..."
Cutting him,
"Undefeated..."
Arnav nodded yes.
"Everyone has forgotten Arnav which I liked the most. And very few people have the right to call me Arnav. I don't like them call me Prince or Aparajit"
"But, when you introduced yourself to me, did you expect me to call you Arnav?"
"Certainly not... in fact, I didn't expect, you will call my name. I thought you will call me commander just like others do"
"Then why do you want me to call you Arnav? After all, you are Prince..."
"Not for you... just be like how you were with me..."
"But..."
"Please... I'm fed up, with receiving an extreme level of respect from people. Let me feel free with someone at least"
Khushi looked at him wondering.
"Are you really not upset with me?"
"Why should I be? I'm really happy to find a girl who treats me as a friend"
"Is not it about your reputation in your country? Won't people mock you if I call your name?"
"No... you are a foreigner... from a different culture... so, no one would take it seriously. So, don't feel bad about it. Just feel free"
"These guys are respecting me a lot," Khushi said embarrassingly.
"Then? You are Prince Aparajit's friend after all" he smiled.
"Actually, Arnav, you said your prince has no girlfriends..." She came back to teasing mode.
Arnav chuckled.
"Yeah, he didn't have a girlfriend, but now, he got one..."
"I hope you don't accept me as your girlfriend just to escape from Princess Chandrika"
Arnav was stuck for a while and laughed.
"Oh yeah... how did I forget the super possibility?"
"She already started glaring at me" She chuckled.
"Is it? That's nice to hear"
"God, save me from her... she should not kill me by poisoning my food," Khushi said looking up.
"You know what, you are so mean... you think from every angle... that's your specialty"
"You too would think if you watch Indian movies..." she murmured.
"What?"
"I too don't know how I think like that" she managed.
"By the way, won't your father, I mean the king beheads me for calling you Arnav?"
"No one will dare touch Prince Aparajit's friend... not even the King..."
"I just am kidding... Didn't you meet your father?"
"I think I should meet him with you"
"If you are Prince, Hemadri is your uncle, right?"
"Yeah, he is my mother's brother"
"Are you going to tell your father about Hemadri?"
"Of course, yes... anyone should be punished no matter who he is"
"Won't your mother get upset with you?"
"She should not... being a queen, she should treat every girl in this kingdom as her own daughter. If she gets upset with me, let it be. I don't care and won't talk to her anymore because she won't deserve to be a Queen" he said furiously.
Khushi saw the sudden change in him. The man who was talking with her was not Arnav but Aparajit, the Prince. He stood for RIGHT no matter who was against him. What a great quality...! She liked it very much... she liked HIM too.
To be continued...
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