Sikva, Kavish

While Nakshathra seated at the top of the bell tower fantasizing about the man who had considerably stolen her heart, the man whom her father had decided to get her married was welcomed in a glorious fashion. Showers of fragrant flowers, traditional music symphony, a quick puja at the palace temple and lunch feast were arranged as a part of prince Abhimanyu's welcome ceremony.

The young lean man, tall in height, famously known for his attractive and arresting features swanked his way to greet his hosts. Flashing his toothy smug at his sister waiting for him with a tray of small oil lamp, vermillion and coloured rice, he spread his arms wide before bending down to Ahalya's feet for her blessings. "Akka!" He beamed.

"Welcome to Sikva, Abhimanyu." Ahalya circled the tray before him, smeared a line of thillak on his forehead and showered a little of coloured rice. She smiled ear to ear as she gestured him to seek the blessings of the king and the queen.

"I hope your journey was a smooth one, Rajakumar Abhimanyu," Bavaneswaran enquired as he engulfed Abhimanyu in an embrace.

"All well, Your Majesty. All well. With mama by my side nothing could possibly go wrong on my way," Abhimanyu winked at Parthiban and went on to greet the rest of the family.

It was not a lie when he said he had a smooth journey to Kavish with Parthiban by his side. Nevertheless, without his brother-in-law's presence outside Kavish he sure did encounter a couple of hindrance on his way. Abhimanyu's entities would have known the hidden meaning behind his response to the king.

On his journey towards Kavish passing through the forest of Lalitavanam, they were first ambushed by unidentified party. The entire procession was hurled and whipped by an invisible thing. Some of them called it a strong wind directed to them while some said it felt exactly like a whip but the only thing was, there were no whips.

Their second attack greeted them no sooner than four days after the ambush. In the gloomy, cold and swampy forest, Abhimanyu and his entourages set out to continue their journey after a heavy downpour. The procession was forced to take a diversion back to the jungle trail from the usual route due to a fallen tree. The invisible assault earlier had left them all in shock however, they progressed further. Despite their vigilant look-out for danger for two days, they eventually encountered another mysterious event. The elephant Abhimanyu was mounted on acted in a strange way even its mahout wasn't able to control it. It ran amok and finally got itself fallen into a pit.

The recovery process ate a few more days of their travel and their energy as well.

Famished from all the attacks, fears and without a long break enough to eat for the last two days, the Pareen entities gobbled every little dish left on their platter.

Ahalya watched Abhimanyu wince every now and then and when she enquired, he filled her with the events.

"Falling in the pit seems natural but getting beaten up by an invisible force... It doesn't make sense. What could that be?" She murmured as she gave him warm daps with towel on his back. "You are bruised everywhere, Abhi." She clicked her tongue.

"I know.... it's the invisible thing. But maybe ... a good company for the night will help me...." His eyes darkened, staring up the ceiling.

Ahalya's eyes flickered with rage and she swatted his back with the wet hot cloth, not bothered about his already bruised back. "Shut up, idiot!" A couple more swats made his way.

"Ouch!" He yelled and dodged an incoming hit.

"You better keep yourself in check, I warn you. You will not call any woman to your room while you are here. Get it!" she seethed, her voice turned lower, eyes burning in wrath. "And stopping calling anyone from now on."

Ahalya tossed the wet towel into the bowl of warm water, splashing its content out. She cared less about it for she had more pressing matter to focus on. One was her brother and second was her husband. The former's immoral activity had set many in the palace of Sikva to watch Abhimanyu closely. One wrong move and doomed everything she wanted for her brother. Of course, she need not do anything for him, Abhimanyu was a born charmer but again, his activity had been a hurdle for him to ascend the throne without any courtier raising it as an issue.

Ahalya wanted nothing but to get her brother's mind set straight as the future king of Pareen and Nakshathra be by his side as his moral compass. If she ever finds a woman in the entire Lambodara, Ahalya may not find someone as stern and pointed as her sister-in-law whom she believed would bring him to the right path. His habit of bedding different woman every other night sickened her to the core, if only Nakshathra lends her hand to help her... They can fix him.

"But akka... who is going to question the crown prince of Pareen?" The proud prince asked. He turned to face her and ran through his fingers through his dark wavy hair.

"Nakshathra will. Parthiban will. Everyone will." Her eyes widen as she mentioned each one of them. "Have you forgotten nothing is fixed yet. Not until it is announced and you both are engaged officially." Ahalya hissed with her fuming eyes fixed on her brother.

"Good." She averted them only after his deliberate nod and let him go back to his chamber.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Gajdant

The grimace on Dhruva's face grew prominent and so did his silence with every passing minute, hours and days. Dhruva had never been quiet during any of their trip before, as a leader he often participated in their conversation fitting himself among them like a glove. But for the last three days Dhruva did not even try to make conversation with any of them, he stayed away deep in his thoughts.

"Did something happen in Kavish?" Sudarshan, one of the Yujyagana asked Arasu as they went to fetch some water from a nearby well at one of their stops.

Arasu looked over his shoulders to get a glimpse of Dhruva, sat on a rock slouched with his arms on his knees. He held a dagger in his hand twisting it mindlessly, Arasu recognised it. The dagger belonged to Dhruva's mother. It was an emotional attachment for the prince, everyone in the troop knew about it. "He looks as if he is trying to find a bearing on whatever troubling him. Guess he is lost, the dagger twisting says that much," Arasu shrugged and continued to pulled the pail up with the rope.

"I know that but what could possibly be disturbing him? Did the prince of Kavish hurt him, verbally? He is being like this since we left." Sudarshan asked, his eyes were on Dhruva all the while.

"I just hope it's nothing serious and he comes out of it soon."

"Can't wait until he is out of it. He is going to torture himself by dwelling in those disturbing thoughts. Someone has to go talk to him." Sudarshan pushed himself off the well and marched to Dhruva. Everyone around heard him.

Despite their conversation with each other, every Yujyagana's eyes were on Dhruva and Sudarshan who had quietly joined the crown prince. They anxiously waited for Dhruva's reaction, unsure if he would snap at Sudarshan or would remain silent. The wait lasted for some time eventually the Yujyagana relaxed when nothing unwanted happened, yet they kept their eyes glued on them.

Too engrossed in his own world, Dhruva didn't realise Sudarshan's presence near him, he continued to twist the brilliant blue sleeved dagger in his hands. To claim he was not affected by the news Parthiban shared about Nakshathra would be a lie. He was shaken and heavily disturbed by it that only Nakshathra was in his mind.

As a pass byer in her life, he should not be troubled by any event taking place in her life but he considered her more than a pass byer. As a friend, Nakshathra's alliance with Abhimanyu wasn't something to be happy about, in fact, his heart screamed to tell Parthiban to call it off.

Are you jealous? His mind whispered. Dhruva shook his head as to answer his mind. He wasn't jealous but any sane man who knows Abhimanyu and Nakshathra would react the same way as him. Nakshathra, the epitome of grace and passion while Abhimanyu was everything opposite to her, they can never go along—despite the saying opposite attracts.

Abhimanyu was opposite to her in all the wrong way. His addiction to women may not be known to most of the subjects but the royal members of Navarajya would have known about him. King Bavaneswaran would have known. Why didn't anyone advise him otherwise? How could the king agree to get her married to Abhimanyu?

Dhruva tapped the hilt of the dagger on his forehead, thinking of Nakshathra. She would be devasted to learn about Abhimanyu but ... what if she knew it already and agreed to accept Abhimanyu? Dhruva growled. What if he was simply overthinking? Nakshathra could be happy about the wedding unlike how he thinks.

"It's possible," he murmured, "but what if she isn't."

"Your Highness."

A voice close to him interrupted his thought process. Beside him sat Sudarshan, he wore a mud-coloured tunic with a red shawl wrapped around his head. The scar on his left cheek ran down till his chin appeared prominent than ever.

"Is everything alright? Something disturbing you?"

Dhruva noticed his companion's eyes trailed down to his hand before snapping back to his. The simple action had him realise, he had gotten them all worried of him and then like the fog around him dissipating, the concern looks of all his Yujyagana sent him into a path of guilt.

A hand laid on his shoulders. "Can I or any of us help you?" Sudarshan's gruff voice took him to a short trip back to Nakshathra.

Dhruva blinked. Then he blinked again, his gaze wandered to the sky before sweeping it back to the ground. "If someone you know is getting married to the wrong person but you don't know if they are happy about it or not ... What would you do?" He asked as he unsheathed the dagger and started drawing on the ground.

"If I know the person, they are to get married isn't right for them but unsure whether they being forced or agreed to do it willingly...," Sudarshan dragged, scratching his stubble.

The rest of the Yujyagana had assembled around them curiously to get a glimpse of Dhruva's art. Only to be disappointed at his three simple circles and nothing else.

"I'll ask them but if I can't then I'll try to speak with other family members. If I can't do that as well then, I'll simply be present, ready to offer my help if need arises," Sudarshan said.

Help? That's right, I can do that. Pay her a visit, find out if she is really into the marriage and help her if she needs. That's it.

His face glowed, he smiled for the first time in the last three days. Dhruva rose on his feet in a jiff and tucked the dagger in his waistband. The solution was straightforward but he had no idea why it took him so long, until someone had to throw light in his darken mind to state the fact.

He pulled his shoulders back. "I'm heading back to Kavish, something important needs my attention. And," he paused, "you need not have to follow me. I'll be on my own this time. Carry on to Durja. I'll see you there."

"No chance. We will wait for you right here till you come back." One of the Yujyagana waved his hand. "Safe journey."

All of them gathered as they watched Dhruva jumped on his mount and the horse galloped in its fastest speed toward Kavish as if the horse too had been waiting to take on a ride back to the country. The spirit of the team ignited as their crown prince set on a mission to change something they had no idea about.

"I bet he will come back happier and more glowing." Viswanathan commented, walking back to their tent, sipping water from his waterbag.

"Something happened back there?" A number of eyebrows raised at Viswanathan.

"Indeed."

"Care to share?"

"Our man has fallen for a lady," Viswanathan declared in delight.

"Really?", "Unbelievable.", "The God of Love have finally struck his arrow." Each one beamed in excitement as they shared look of bewilderment with each other.

"Can't be happier for Dhruva. For our prince. He would now at least have someone who would love and care for him more than any of us. Now I'm even more eager for him to succeed in his mission. Make it happen." One of them squealed with palms joined together in a prayer.

Viswanathan whistled and grabbed their attention once again. He posed a question with a smirk on his face. "Guess the lady, boys?"

They turned to each other for answer and gave up after a short while.

"The Princess of Kavish." Viswanathan announced.

"What?!", "You got to be kidding me.", "Are you sure?" Some bombarded him with question and some stood with mouth agape.

"Positively sure about Dhruva... but, she doesn't know who he is yet. And things can go pretty volatile from here, now that he is going back to Kavish. Let's pray even stronger."

Each one nodded as they took in the new information of their crown prince and his love interest. Despite them having various opinion over the new development, they had promised to be with their leader through thick and thin. One of them suggested they should go with Dhruva in case he needed them, maybe as a moral support.

Viswanathan disapproved it immediately, "I think it's his quest and he should be the one to face it. Let's wait for him here."

"Or... We can travel to Ambikeya to find Maithili..." Arasu and Dhandapani giggled. They did not even want to beat around the bush instead they announced it aloud. The brigadier wasn't pleased with them at all and while they played catch, they waited for their crown prince to arrive.

Hoping for good news.

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