Sikva, capital city of Kavish

When she walked out of Ahalya's chamber and headed to her own, Nakshathra noticed curious gazes of the palace workers following her. Awkward. This never happened before. It's not like it's the first time they see her dressed elaborately. She had worn heavier sarees on her brothers' weddings yet none gawked at her like they did now. Unconsciously, her hand reached for her hair and slide down to the one piece of necklace resting on her neck in a width of a thumb. Had she let Ahalya to overdressed her than she had expected?

The last time I check in the mirror before leaving, I did not look that ornated.

The gazes were growing intense as she entered the south wing. Nakshathra took note of those who were looking at her and called out one of them.

"Why are you'll gawking at me? Do I look different that I was before?" Nakshathra asked trying not to be too intimidating with her hands on her hips.

The young lady she had called bowed low. "Apologies, Rajakumari. I believe this is the first time many are seeing you dressed as a princess after a long time. It's been a while since you had adopted minimal dressing style... that is why... Apologies, Rajakumari. We will not do it again."

"Oh, that's the reason." Nakshathra then thanked her for the compliment and made a quick dash to her chamber before she headed to the Durga temple. Walking pass the mirror in her room she caught her reflection, her conversation with Ahalya earlier flooded back to her.

"Anni, are you aware of what's happening in the palace?" She had asked simply to check if Ahalya was aware of the marriage preparation. If she could coax Ahalya to help her stop the marriage talk before it grows serious, Nakshathra would be the happiest yet she doubted.

"A lot is happening, my dear. What are you referring?" Ahalya started to work on Nakshathra's luscious black hair.

When Nakshathra had pointed out at the changes in the palace in terms of the decorative swamped in blue, Ahalya smile widen. She noticed her sister-in-law nodded in agreement through the reflection on the mirror in front of her. She was then filled in with bits and pieces of information of the alliance that will be announced soon after Abhimanyu reaches Kavish.

It was only then she learnt, the matter of marriage was initially raised by the king to the queen and later they reached out to Ahalya seeking her opinion. The joyous sister was overwhelmed to learn it was Abhimanyu they had chosen for Nakshathra.

Ahalya had also told Nakshathra, she would be the perfect wife for her brother who will not only make him a better man but also as a favoured and loved future king of Pareen. Nakshathra flinched when Ahalya told her so. She hated the man; how would she make him a better person when it would be him to probably do the opposite to her—turning her into a mad woman. Nakshathra spoke less and let Ahalya do the makeover she intended to do on her. If she were to argue it would go on for days but she had other agenda for the evening that she simply let it slide.

*-*-*-*-*-**-

The synchronised mantra chants by the priests in the temple, the smell of fresh flowers, burning incenses and prayer bell eased her perturbing mind. A sense of calmness washed over her as soon as she stepped into the most peaceful sanctuary in Sikva, the Durga temple by the river. Her mind had been racing with endless imaginary scenarios of how she would deal with Prince Abhimanyu and with the end of each episode, Nakshathra ended up indignant with herself.

She took in a lung full of fresh air and let go of all that troubled her out of the temple and wore her pretties smile as she stepped into the loving embrace of her revered goddess. Nakshathra, Arunya and a number of palace guards marched up the stairs with huge pots of food covered in yellow cloth to be distributed to the devotees for the day.

While she was halfway through serving food, Arunya had pulled her out to rest from the long hours of standing. "Get rest for a bit, we will take care of the serving. Sometimes you forget who you are," scolded Arunya, dragging her away. They sat by the small steps where the city's most accurate and respected palmist, Achi Mangalam, the petite and aged lady sat in meditative posture with her eyes closed. The palmist's wrinkled lips stretched into a smile as soon as she sensed Nakshathra's presence by her side.

"Look at our Kavi," she beamed and cracked her knuckles to ward off evil eyes. "Glowing in amma's blessings." Achi Mangalam's happiness seen visible through her smile flashing her gapped yellow teeth.

"Have you had dinner, Achi?" Nakshathra asked and gestured Arunya to fetch some for the lady even before she could answer.

"I will soon, Kavi. I will once my work is done. Now show me your hand and let me see what good news I can offer you today." Achi Mangalam stretched her hand out for Nakshathra. "Might I add, I see guardians of the flowers surrounding you this evening."

Achi Mangalam and Nakshathra's relationship was forged long ago when the young princess had saved the lady from being washed away by the rapid current of river Smiti. When people at the river side ignored to help the old woman who they called madwoman, Nakshathra lunged into the water to save her. Her guards followed suit and retrieve the young princess and the palmist, Nakshathra had held tight that day.

The grateful Achi Mangalam since then, always been her well-wisher and been an advisor she never anticipated. It had been Achi Mangalam who had advised the princess to dive deep into spirituality to calm her troubled mind. If not for the palmist, the princess of Kavish would have been suffering with mental health longer.

Nakshathra held her hand out to Achi Mangalam. Thus far with the chiromancer, Nakshathra had witness many of her prediction turned true. A natural phenomenon of which she warned would come through water, the change of river Tutti's course from east to southeast and the constant disappearance of living being. Her prediction had often been subtle and required a lot of thinking but what she told tonight had been surprisingly blunt.

Pressing her thumb on the middle of Nakshathra's palm with her eyes closed, she spoke. "Ahh... another celestial visit today. Ananga. Kamadeva is here. He is here to bind two souls, two hearts. He is here for you, to unite you with the man who would be your life. A destined union." Achi Mangalam was all smile as she opened her eyes to meet the distressed princess.

"Achi? This reading is it for me or is it going to happen to someone else?" Nakshathra asked, although she did not miss the line 'he is here for you'.

"Whose palm lines am I reading?"

"Mine."

"Then whose future would I have predicted?"

"... Mine."

Nakshathra looked around if she could get a glimpse of the celestial being waiting to pierce an arrow into her heart or the supposed man who would get a hit of the same arrow. "But achi, I need no man in my life right now. I have enough trouble to look into and I want not another." This time the princess whispered.

"Hush, Kavi. I sense this union would lead and lit the path to the direction of something you are in search of ... This man would bring you to your destination."

Nakshathra picked up a fallen wilting jasmine flower laying on the granite floor. "I'm not sure of what I am searching nor the destination you are talking about. I don't see anything ahead for me other than... chaos," she said referring to prince of Pareen.

Achi Mangalam took her hand into hers. "You don't need to know everything now, Kavi. What you need at the moment will slowly unravel itself. Amma Durga will always be with you." She placed her hand on Nakshathra's head and turned to Arunya who was returning with two plates made of lotus leaves filled with food.

*-*-*-

The unanticipated session with Achi Mangalam had her mind preoccupied with the prediction she did not wish to happen. She neither participated in the aarti nor joined to serve food to the attendees after that. Nakshathra excused herself from the crowd and stayed by the short wall close to the steps overlooking the crowded sanctuary. When the palmist predicted an entry of a man in her life, she instantly had only one man in her mind. Did she mean Abhimanyu? Is he going to be my life? How on earth is that going to happen? For all she knew, Abhimanyu was on his way to Kavish to seal the alliance. Is it really him, the one to lead me to my destination?

In the midst of her rambling mind, she snapped out, brought back to the present by a voice that called for her. The voice came from a hallowed distant space yet she heard it so close, so divine. The celestial's voice? Achi's prediction coming true, so soon, she thought.

Nakshathra searched for the owner of the ethereal voice but instead she caught the sight of the most beautiful pair of eyes staring back at her. She had seen them numerous times yet this would be the first time the pair of eyes looked beguiling, captivating. They were speaking to her in a language she did not master though they had conversed in a tongue they both were familiar.

Dhruva.

Had he always possessed such beguiling look or did she only notice them now. Her gaze followed him as he bobbed into a curtsy to her and made his way down the steps of the temple until she snapped out from the trance.

A tap on her shoulder tore her sight off him. "If you are ready, we can head back, Your Highness." Arunya motioned her head to the nearly empty temple with only a few workers cleaning and two awkwardly looking weak men putting off the huge fire pits. Nakshathra nodded and sent Arunya to pack the remaining food offering to be distributed to the needy.

As Arunya headed back to do the needful, Nakshathra sauntered to the steps and found him and his companion at the bottom of the steps indulged in some conversation. What and why now? After so many days why now, why this attraction? Am I looking for a way out from Abhimanyu? Questions raised as she watched him from far.

What she did not remember was Achi Mangalam's prediction and will not be remembered either hereafter. Achi Mangalam did exactly that for Nakshathra that evening, told her the future and took it off her memory as soon as it happened. If she ever attempts to remember, she wouldn't an inkling of it.

Nakshathra was caught off guard when the man she was gawking turned to her. A sweet shuddering sensation rush through her as heat embraced her, in flames. It took her a moment to realise the heat wasn't from the unspoken exchange between Dhruva and her but from the fire caught on her skirt. A real fire.

It was all orange, yellow and horror around her.

The horror of being burnt inside out reflected in her scream. With every second the fire grew eating up every bit of her dress and cooking her flesh. She knew she stood at a dangerous spot yet she moved in pain, screaming for help. She knew she would slip and fall off the long steps, rolling down like a glowing orange ball. She heard voices calling and the pain, the burn grew yet only the two new faces in the temple emerged just before her vision went black.