SIYAASAT - Chapter 34: Chapter 34

Swadheenta.
I gasped as the whole plate of sindoor fell over me.
" Rehan what did you do!" I said angrily looking at him.
" Humne?" He asked.
" Yes you, look at what did you do," I said pointing towards myself showing him how the whole sindoor fell over me.
" I didn't do anything, ok? It was your fault you were not looking where were you going" he argued I was going to say something when I remembered.
" Excuse me " I called a maid and she comes, first looked shocked but didn't say anything.
" Bring new thaal of sindoor and place it in the temple before Rajmata's arrival " she nodded taking the plate from my hands " go fast".
" And remember it was not me " I yelled at her as she runs off.
Then I turned and look back at his highness who is responsible for everything.
" Pehle hi tumhari family mujhe bohot pasand karte hai, ab toh sab mere fan ban jayenge," I said sarcastically to him and turned to leave.
Room
" I looked like I just come back after playing holi," I said as I look myself in mirror, fully covered in red colour.
" Believe me you're not looking that bad" Rehan chuckled standing behind me and I glared at him from reflection.
I rolled my eyes and picked up wet wipes from the table wiping my face with them. He takes steps towards me and takes the wipe from my hand wiping my cheek himself as I look at him.
He slowly wipe my cheek sliding down towards my neck and I shivered. He continued sliding down his hand from my neck to collarbone then shoulder all way down to my hand.
Isn't it? He became more touchy since that kiss incident.
" Rehan..." I said with mischief, he hummed.
" Don't you think your Brother was right"
" About what?" He immediately looks up, I raise my eyebrow and smirked a little.
" Yahi ki aap Rajgarh ko Rajkumari ke liye dewane ho gye hai, kahi tumhe sach me toh pyaar nahi hogya mujhse"  I raise my eyebrows in question, he smiles sarcastically.
" Have you seen your face?"
" Ha bohot sundar hai" I flip my hair and red colour blows in air from my hair.
" Look again, bandariya se kam nahi lag rahi" I frowned and look myself in the mirror and gasped when I saw red colour on my nose.
He wiped my face but not my nose.
I glared at him and he chuckled.
" You.... Wait I'll see you" I run inside the washroom.
I come out washroom after bathing and wearing a new lehenga.
What colour of bangle would suit this white colour lehenga.
I sat on the seat and start looking when my gaze fell on the glass bangles which Rehan bought for me. He made me wear whatever bangle come in his hand.
After adding some bangles in between it looks beautiful.
I move my hand a little and they made melodious sounds and a smile come on my face as I trace them.
Snap out of it Swadheenta why are you looking at them like it's not glass bangles but a diamond.
" I was right" I heard his voice and whirled in my seat and found him half laying on the edge of bed using his phone.
" About?"
" Yahi ki tum pagal ho"
" Rehan" I groaned.
" What! I was not wrong you were smiling looking down without any reason" he said not looking up from the phone.
I just ignored him and when I remembered something.
" Shehzaade why you didn't marry Lavanya?" He looks up from his phone and moves his jaw.
" Is it? She talks too much" I chuckled a bit " I want the most beautiful Princess as my wife," he said, I smirked.
" You're indirectly saying I'm most beautiful"
" No" he replied plainly.
Jaise meri tarif kar dega tob iske pet me dard ho jayega. Huh.
" You know there is nothing like someone is more beautiful and someone is less beautiful everyone is equally beautiful" he look up from the phone and raise his eyebrow.
I get up and go towards him I get down to his level.
" Sab aadaoo ka khel hota hai" I move my hand in front of his face " someone likes something and someone likes something"
" What do you like?" He asked grabbing my forearm pulling me closer to himself. I forgot to breathe for a second as his face is so closer to mine dark midnight eyes stare at me.
" You know" I try to pull my hand out of his grip looking down at my hand try to avoid his gaze.
" Why no one ever proposed you? Or they knew that you're pagal?" He said teasingly.
" Rehan " I straightened up and pointed at him " ab agar tumne merko ek or baar pagal kaha na toh.."
" Toh?" He asked sitting straight.
" Toh dekh lena tum" I shouted at him.
" You don't know how many boys are behind me but I never glance at them," I said proudly looking up.
" That's why you went to meet with someone for arrange marriage" he chuckled getting up from bed.
How does he know?
I sit on the bed.
" Mohabbat jismani hoti hai Swadheenta" he looks at the curtains which are blowing from the wind.
" Don't know" I shrugged " but I know one thing" I get up and picked my eyeliner for the table and stand in front of him.
" Apne khawonbo se bahar aa jao. You won't get your beautiful princess ever and even if you're a king you can't marry again" I take his left hand and in which he was wearing an expensive watch.
" Because I won't go anywhere leaving you"
I open the cap of eyeliner by my mouth and write my name beautifully on his forearm.
" What did you do!" He snatch his arm looking at my name, I flashed him a smile.
" Made tattoo of my name, everyone has Maharani, Bhabhi even Rajmata so I made it on your arm too"
" It was ritual for wives"
" Equality ka jamana hai Shehzaade and moreover Bhaiya too has a tattoo of Bhabhi's name, " I said clasping my hands sighing dreamily, he made his way towards the washroom.
" The effort is in vain it's waterproof" I yelled and hear a groan from inside.
" How will it remove?" He asked standing at the door of the washroom.
Knock
" Yuvraj, Rajkumari, Rajmata has asked your presence on the fourth floor," a maid said and left.
Why?
I look at Rehan he also has the same expression. He went out of the room and I also went behind him.
Well one thing is nice I want to look for that Queen's portrait but I don't have the courage to go alone.
I climb the dark stairs and come to the fourth floor. But this time we went in another direction and entered a hall where all are already present there and Rajmata is standing in middle.
" I called all of you here because tomorrow is the Shukla paksh Padama the auspicious day decided for the coronation of Maharaj of Madhavgarh," Rajmata said.
" Yuvraj the crown is Madhavgarh is waiting for you" she step aside, there is a table on which two things were placed inside a glass box one was the crown of Madhavgarh and another one was a piece of my heart.
I mean a diamond necklace it is so beautiful, so beautiful that I never saw something like that ever. Rajmata was saying something but I didn't hear anything as my feet automatically take me to the table. It has emerald on it which was surrounded by diamonds. I was going to touch the top of the glass.
" Stop right there" I heard and look up to find everyone is looking at me and it was Rajmata who stops me.
" It was only for the Queen of Madhavgarh and you haven't become a Queen yet," she said with attitude, I narrowed my eyes so what I can wear once I'll become Queen.
She turned to leave with everyone but I just stand there looking at the necklace.
Why does it look so familiar?
I fell my wrist was grabbed.
" Leave me Shehzaade" I said to him as he starts taking me with him.
" For you to steal the necklace, no"
" I won't steal it I'll just wear it once"
" I know your obsession with necklaces I don't want to take a chance not when everything is going well," he said as we continue walking.
" You know I didn't think that Rajmata will agree to my coronation after whatever happened" I see how his face glows in happiness, how his eyes shine and how his lips curved in a smile.
" Well you should be thanking me see my name is so lucky for you I write on your arm and everything starts happening well"
" Yeah sure," he rolled his eyes.
When we walk past the room in which all portraits were.
" Shehzaade" I stop and he looks at me.
" You go I'll come" I remove my hand from his grip, he gave me a look.
" Go na" I insist a little.
" Fine but you'll come fast" I nodded and he goes.
Finally, Let's find out the mystery of Queen
I look around the portraits from starting.
Where is her portrait?
I reach towards the end. I close my eyes and try to remember her face her lehenga, her eyes. No, I was not wrong there is no portrait of her.
I went towards Maharani's portrait and touch it. Why there is no glass on it? Maybe it got a break.
' Maharani Meenavati Pratap Singh' I trace the name which is written on the bottom of the portrait. When something stuck on my nails.
" The hell" I snatch my hand and the side of the portrait comes out.
" Ohh shit" I see the corner of the portrait come out. It's ok I just need glue then I can fix it. I try to stick it back but it comes out more.
I won't tell about this to Rehan ever.
" C'mon on" I stick the photo back but it stuck on my hand and as I pull my hand back it come out fully and fell on the floor and I look at it horrified.
Now he won't spare me.
I look up my eyes get widened and gasped.
Maharani Ratnagarbha.
It was written on the bottom of the portrait and as I look up it was the same picture which I saw just in big size.
What the ----
" How can this be possible?" I shouted.
This means she was really Queen as I look at the necklace on her neck which I just saw.
" I didn't do this" I look down at Maharani's portrait on the floor.
Let's get out of here before anyone sees me.
Corridor
Why there is her portrait behind Maharanis.
Should I tell this to Rehan?
I was walking back to my room thinking about what just happened.
No, then I have to explain to him everything that I went to the underground floor even though he told me not to.
Then I have to tell him that I destroyed her mother's portrait.
No. I shook my head.
Maybe there is no place for the new portraits that's why they put Maharani's portrait on top of it because the Queen was old as per Rehan's story.
Yeah, that's the reason, maybe their are old portraits behind every portrait.
" Rajkumari" a maid called me and I stops.
" Yes"
" Rajmata is calling you in her room"
" Ok"
Why does she want to meet me? Don't she know I'm scared of her. Oh god, what if she knew about what I did?
Nah there is no way she gets to know this fast.
I shook my head and made my way towards her room.
Room
I entered the room and saw all the ladies are present there.
" Come Rajkumari," Rajmata said as I stand in front of her.
" Let's get to the point you know what is today, right?" She asked raising her eyebrow.
" Yes"
" You knew if Yuvraj becomes Maharaj you'll become Maharani" I nodded.
" But I can't let it happen" I knitted my eyebrows.
" You're Princess of Rajgarh and I'll never accept you as Maharani of Madhavgarh," she said with anger and disgust as her eyes shows hatred.
" That's why I want you to give your mangalsutra to Lavanya and she'll be declared as the Queen" she ordered and I look her in shock.
I looked around Bhabhi and Lavanya was also looking shocked but Maharani was smirking.
" If you say no I'll cancel the coronation of Yuvraj and announced Nilay as Yuvraj"
How can you do this?
" The choice is yours Rajgarh's Princess" she spated.
Now, what do I do?
On one side there is Rehan's happiness and on others side truth.
He did so much for me, he take me to a palace and also I promise myself that I'll fulfil his wish.
If I say no his dream will break.
It's not a big deal it's not like Lavanya will become his wife if I gave her mangalsutra.
I raise my hand towards my neck and with shaking hands, I open the lock of it. I can feel the tears form in my eyes so I just close my eyes and remove them placing in the palm of Rajmata.
My tear fell as I saw her dropping my mangal sutra in Lavanya's palm.