Dil To Kehta Hai

6. The Coronation



Prithvi surveyed the dress lying on his bed with a dispassionate gaze. The off white coloured dhoti and the kurta with maroon trimmings looked back at him innocently.

He knew he would have to change into the dress. His coronation was about to begin. Rajmata Roopsundari Devi had almost pushed him back towards his room.

Prithvi was frustrated with this. All throughout the last evening, he had tried to meet with Nandini and talk to her. But something or the other had kept him busy. If it was not his grandfather who wanted to have a word with him, there were various ministers who wanted to inform him about different things related to the kingdom.

All throughout the evening, he had a feeling that he was being watched. But try as might, he could not find her. Had this lot been his ministers from Ajmer, he would have left them to find her. But here, in Dehli, he couldn't do it. In front of his grandfather, his aunt and the other ministers, he had to maintain certain decorum.

When he had finally been relieved of the numerous conferences, it had been so late that he could not meet her. And finally, when he was going towards her room, Rajmata of Kannauj had promptly packed him back to his room to get ready.

"Aap abhi tak taiyyar nahi hue, Prithvi. Rajyabhishek bas hone wala hai."

"Wo Mai bus ja hi raha tha."

"Idhar kahan ja rahe the? Jaiye kamre me, hum kisi ko aapko taiyyar karne ke liye bhejte hain."

Prithvi had no option but to turn back.

He had put on his dress and was about to fix the long dupatta over his shoulder when he heard the sound of anklets. Thinking it to be of one of the maid servant, he dismissed the sound.

Her sweet voice however, disrupted his assumptions.

"Hum madad kar den?"

He turned around in a flash, almost dropping the cloth in the process.

"Nandini!"

"Dadi Maa ne kaha ki taiyyar hone me hum tumhari madad kar den. Warna samay rehte tum darbaar nahi pahunch paoge."

He smiled secretively at her words as she glided closer to him. She put forward her hand and he dropped his ear rings in them.

Smiling, she adjusted the cloth on his shoulder and then going around him once draped it over his right arm. She fixed his ear rings and then picked up the bajubandh lying there on the tray.

"Aaj ke baad tum Dehli naresh kehlaoge, hai na?" She smiled at him.

"Usse kya farq padta hai? Mai Prithvi tha aur wahi rahunga."

"Tum Dehli se dhire dhire Bharat ke samrat bann jaoge."

"Nandini, kya tumhe usse farq padta hai? Mai tumhare liye wahi Prithvi hun jisse tum yatra me mili thi."

"Hum jante hain, Prithvi. Hume tumpar pura bharosa hai." She fixed his bajuband and picked up the bejeweled belt to put it around his waist.

He waited till she finished and came to stand in front of him. Taking the chains, she fixed the clasp of it around his neck. He noticed the necklace which he had gifted her around her neck. That she always wore it was a testament to how much this small thing meant to her.

"Agar vishwaas hai to batati kyun nahi tum kahan ki Rajkumari ho?"

"Kya ye janna bahut zaruri hai, Prithvi?"

He held her hands in his and pulled her a little bit closer to him. "Maine aisa nahi kaha. Par agar mujhe pata nahi hoga ki tum kahan ki rajkumari ho, to mai tumse milne kaise aaunga? Ab to tum Maya Maa ke ashram me bhi nahi ho. Aur agar zarurat padi, to tumhe bhagake kahan se le jaunga?"