Nandini had risen around the second Yama. It was still nighttime and darkness covered her room.

  For the past few weeks, servant maidens helped her dress up fully due to her “illness” and it’s “recovery”. From today onwards though, Nandini pnned on getting ready for the day by herself.

  Dozens of candles spread a yellow light in the room and hence began a getting-ready session that would st 5 whole hours from now.

  Her bath was prepped carefully adding herbal scents into the water, made pastes to apply on her body and hair, used oils, and vishly drowned in the fragrant bathtub.

  Then was the terrible part, the only reason why she woke up that early in the first pce.

  Nandini swung open the Almira doors.

  Sweat gnds broke out furiously at the mere surveying of the entire cupboard. She leaned, one hand at the wooden door of the closet, and the other scratching her still-damp hair trying to solve the obstacle in front of her. She had never seen such vibrant shades and richness of clothes ever before.

  Nandini saw a golden light slowly peeking into the night sky. The morning was coming.

  She didn't know how to get ready by herself. A myriad of silks lined up in her cupboard and brain-wrecking ways of tying them up into graceful pieces of skirts and blouses.

  Nandini bent down and reached to pull a drawer attached below to the Almira. In it was a not too rge wooden box, carved patterns of flowers and leaves all around it. She pulled up the tch to find herself in absolute awe —a treasury of precious ornaments; hair pins, brooches, chains, neckces, anklets, nose rings, bangles, jhumkas, ear chains, and two waist belts.

  (All of this…..is mine??)

  In the moment of a jackpot-hitting experience, Nandini gnced over to the fragrance of jasmine in her room. A small wooden basket with a garnd of jasmine flowers y on her desk.

  Last night a maid had come knocking with the flowers and revealed, “Somebody asked me to give this to you, my dy……”

  “uhm who?!” Nandini’s cold gaze fell into the maid’s eyes.

  The maid pulled her head down, afraid of the higher authority questioning her, “They….. told me not to answer that.”

  “eh…..?” she smmed the door shut. She didn’t give any fucks.

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  Nandini drifted down the stairs, huffing and cursing at her skirt. The silk was a task to walk in and strands of hair stuck between the earrings, tugging at her scalp, destroying an hour’s worth of hard work put into her ink-bck hair.

  (FUCK all this pretty crap…….)

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  Advaitha, Varuna, and Anuvrata stood outside the Suvarna Ghata, possibly waiting for Nandini. It had been quite long since the fourth gong resonated within the royal residence.

  Advaitha was also dressed in blue like the sky poured its light hue into his shawl. The breeze pyed on his hair, covering Advaitha’s eyes, like a translucent curtain covering bck diamonds; enough for a common man to savour from afar, lest he tries stealing them.

  If just a sight of this man from metres away could make Nandini blush the deepest shade of pink and smile ear to ear, forget the pain of each hair being pulled away from her bloody scalp…..

  Nandini would rather not think about an entire life. She didn’t want to die of a heart attack this soon.

  “Hey…” Varuna waved at her, motioning to come faster, ”You are te again….”

  Nandini jogged a little and then began to notice how beautifully Varuna was dressed as compared to herself. Varuna’s golden blouse tucked perfectly against her voluptuous chest, Her shawl pleated into neat stacks, its silk borders stamped onto to each other and fell on her shoulder so naturally, only enhancing her angur body. Nose ring that would bring all eyes to her lips and hair chains blending into pleats of thick hair falling to her buttocks.

  Nandini desperately wished to hide under a table. Even a lowlife beggar in Virata would serve a face card better than her. If an orangutan tried to be a swan……. that’s all she felt like……

  Advaitha smiled at Nandini with a hint of adoration, “Why did you skip breakfast..?”

  Nandini’s eyes widened at the snap of realization…. a small growl in her stomach.

  (fuck…..)

  She gnced behind Advaitha, two servants pushed the golden doors of Suvarna Ghata inwards…. locking it shut…

  (My foooodddd…..)

  Nandini turned to a weight on her right shoulder, Varuna looked into her eyes sincerely, “Don’t skip eating just because you want to lose weight and all that….” She pressed into Nandini’s shoulder again, “It’s not healthy alright?….. Besides you are beautiful the way you are…”

  Advaitha nodded along, agreeing to her words a hundred percent.

  Who’s trying to lose weight? what the fuck?

  Nandini stared bnkly at Varuna, “I won’t repeat….”

  Spping lightly on her arm, “That’s good then…” Varuna smiled again.

  “Can we go to the practice ground or will you three keep talking here?.…”

  Nandini’s eyes involuntarily rolled at the mere sound of that grumpy figure she had literally forgotten about.

  Anuvrata stood with her arms crossed, her rge round eyes staring at the trio huddled up in a circle, sharing concerns. She barely had time for such unwanted stuff. She had duties to do and matters to look after. But the spoiled kids of royalty would never understand that.

  Nandini turned to the grumpy girl, “You could try and join a conversation with us…” She’d had enough of this bratty girl’s attitude, ”You are acting mean here, you know…”

  “Whoever or whatever you are, one should do their duties on time…..”

  “Yeah do your duties….but….” Nandini bit her teeth, feeling her face getting heated up. The more Anuvrata looked like a bnk stone tablet, the more she felt like chewing her out, “Do you not value people around you?! Are you so proud of your mere status and skills that you think you are above everyone….?!”

  A face so tranquil, but words so ignorant said, “I never said that….”

  Nandini piqued at her words, almost ughing with rage, “Really?!…. but your actions differ from your words General….”

  Walking up to Anuvrata, Nandini gnced down at the shorter one, her mouth waiting to bite into the over-smart General’s assaint actions.

  “Nandini…”, spoke Advaitha, his voice calming the tense atmosphere. He pced a hand over her shoulder, a gentle squeeze, “You know she doesn’t mean it that way…..”

  Nandini protested louder, her anger taking over, “She is rude and acts brash….. You might not care about it Prince, but I do….”

  Varuna abruptly captures Nandini’s hand and starts walking together, away from Advaitha and Anuvrata, “We’ll meet you there in the ground….”

  Anuvrata sighs under her breath, but loud enough for Advaitha to catch it.

  “She’s changed somehow….”

  Advaitha let’s out a huff, “You are the one acting like a jerk here, Vrata…..”

  “I did nothing. She just finds ways to pick a fight with me, At the dining hall that day, now here….

  Anuvrata looks at the couple walking off, her head tilting in curiosity, “Also why is she dressed so extravagantly…?”

  A tight flick nds on Anuvrata’s forehead, “Ahaaa~…..stop picking on others will you? And please develop some social skills.”

  Anuvrata looks down, her lips still pouting….

  “Ai! stop acting. I know your antics well….” Advaitha pulls her face to him, flicking her again.

  She scrunched her eyebrows in response to the afflicted pain, “Ow!, prince….”, but quickly regained the stoic-ness within.

  Advaitha couldn’t help but ugh at her face, “Aww…. sorry….”. He pats Anuvrata’s forehead, in comfort.

  Still patting on her ‘wound’, Advaitha gazes at her drawing neat circles in the soil with her foot. Anuvrata’s full concentration on the never-ending circle

  Advaitha stepped in closer to her, inspecting her train of thoughts and movements like he was trying to get into her brain.

  Anuvrata looks up, her mouth half open to say something. Not a thought behind those eyes. In the white daylight, her eyes look like pools of crystal clear water. Her hair let loose and fluttered in the wind. Advaitha inhales a breath and swallows hard, hoping to get a hold of himself.

  There was a moment of absolute stillness. His heart bet out of it’s cage and every part of his body aroused. He felt the world around him pause.

  This…..he could…..

  Anuvrata’s head fell to the ground again, creases folding on her forehead, lightly agitated at Advaitha whose foot had now nded on her precious soil circle, “Prince, you…..”

  “Ah! I…I am sorry “ Advaitha smiled sheepishly as he looked at Anuvrata, her face betraying the disappointment.

  He took a step back, almost immediately at her words.

  If anything, he didn't want to get caught slipping into feelings for a brawny military captain.

  “Please don’t be mad…”,Advaitha reached out his hand, gently rubbing Anuvrata's hair.

  Anuvrata, rather known as the infamous ‘Bck Rogue Warrior’ has never been praised for her beauty, much unlike the other women of Meghaghr. Nor did she ever hold the face of Virata’s esteemed General’s pride or valour.

  To be fair, once, the then-commander, Nandapaal, and the army visited the eastern part of Virata. She was 15 and still new to her position, tagging along with Nandapaal everywhere, trying to understand her position and duties.

  Despite the ‘Rising Sun’ etched into her chest of gold-pted armour and the ‘Celestial’ Vajrakshu across her shoulder, an old shepherd walked up to Nandapaal, bowed down with due respect, and asked, “Esteemed warrior, I'm curious, why is a lowly beggar boy carrying the Kingdom's armour?….. And why does he have the divine bow….? The one which only the worthy shall hold…??” “Is he your Highness’ sve by any chance?…”

  Nandapaal looked at the ‘boy’ and back to the shepherd, dismissing his words with a grin,” Old man, this ‘boy’ here is Anuvrata, Virata’s next Military General….”

  The shepherd gnced down at the ‘weak boy’, afraid of punishment, quickly bowed down again and ran without a word.

  For months from then, and still sometimes, the courtesans, and the King, joke at the ‘Virata’s esteemed sick boy’

  Advaitha never cared about all of this. …...In fact, he despised anyone who ughed at Anuvrata. He’d kill for her. It’s always been like that.

  “I can’t be mad at you…. You are literally my master.”

  Advaitha puffed out, “Yeah! Right! YOU ARE NEVER mad at me.”

  “Practice ground”, Anuvrata said still gncing at the now destroyed circle for hers.

  She looked up at Advaitha, like a lifeless creature, and blinked a couple of times, trying to make sense of this closed space between them.

  “Oh! Yes… I forgot...” Advaitha spoke as he put an arm around her shoulder. “We should go to the town today…. To eat something good….”

  Anuvrata walked along trying to tie up her hair, “Anything…. is good”, her expression still distilled.

  Advaitha drooped at the half-hearted response, “You rarely spend time with me these days….”

  “We can go.”

  Annoyance gathered around, trying to get Anuvrata and her mind.

  “You could at least show some interest Miss Ma’am. This feels like I’m forcing you to go out with me”

  Maybe Anuvrata realised her fault, or maybe she just didn’t care enough; but she did mutter something under her breath. The prince for sure had heard that something too.

  Advaitha burst into ughter at Advaitha, “I heard you say something about wanting dosa right now…. Maybe I have some hearing problems, but who knows……”

  Anuvrata just stared at him again, like her gaze would turn Advaitha into ashes, “No.”

  Advaitha sighed, throwing his other hand in the air “Haa….! Fine dosa it is for the little general”

  “I’m not little.”

  Advaitha scoffed, “You should probably see your height. You are a shorty.”

  And as they kept walking by side, Advaitha did measure her height with his. Like he'd never done it before yesterday, the day before that, and 10 years ago. He whispered, hoping she would accept it too, “You are quite short……and….perfect for me…..”

  Anuvrata snapped to look at Advaitha, “Perfect? for what?……we should go to the shop at Market’s entrance gate.”

  “Hmm….but practice first, Vrata….”

  Was love always as oblivious as Anuvrata?

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