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the Decision

***

This was what the Maharaja had planned. He'd send a letter of war to the Kingdom of Samarkand warning that they'd attack the place if their Prince doesn't show up. And when the Prince of Samarkand would show up, they'd behead him. He had gotten his best armies and best weapons ready; all to kill the man whom their daughter had married not even twenty-four hours ago.

"I'm so sorry, Guru".

The Guru turned his face towards me slowly. He looked solemn, but he spoke firmly, ignoring the reasons behind my apology "It's time for us to change back into our realities now. Let's leave".

Was the Guru angry at me? If he was, I couldn't tell; not with the face of his which was as emotionless as a blank piece of paper.

His blank face only etched more questions in my mind, "What happens to Vedika?" I asked.

I wondered if I had stepped out of my line by asking a question. I had done enough of that in the court room.

The Guru's eyes although were tired, but his voice was patient, "A moral dilemma asks who would you give your gallon of water to? To one person burning in a fire, or to those 50 people, who had dehydrated their way to reach death?"

I lowered my head. The kingdom of Bisnagar had no other choice but to decapitate the newly wedded Vedika's husband.

"I can't help but feel guilty" I spoke, although my voice was barely audible, "I shouldn't have helped her escape" I stated.

"I told you, if you hadn't helped her escape, I would've" He was unapologetic. And I didn't know how I felt about that.

***

"Today seems like the day of all farewells" Rati exasperated a sigh, "One princess will have to say goodbye to her eloped husband, and another will have to bid farewell to her royal life"

My last hours in Bisnagar was nothing short of minutes wrapped in guilt. I knew that whatever destruction Bisnagar was facing; I had a part to play in it as well.

Rati had always known about my truth in the palace. I had accidently blurted it all out when I had relentlessly asked her the whereabouts of the Guru during my stay there. It helped that I had someone in front of whom, I had no fear of secrecy.

"And, you can stop calling me a princess" I said. "I already loathed it enough that you were addressing me as that during my stay here".

"Hmm" Rati nodded, "perhaps I had been calling you a princess back then purely out of respect for the Prince Akram's magic" She said. "But I think you've earned the title today. You stood up tall in front of the Emperor and saved Bisnagar from a great devastation".

"I didn't do anything, Rati", I exaggerated a sigh. "I think I made things even worse. The Emperor's now going to relish on the fact that he sent a father to murder the spouse of his own daughter".

"A moral dilemma asks--

"Who would you give your gallon of water on? To a burning man or to 50 dehydrated men" I repeated the numerously used term. "I know Rati, I've heard this a thousand times by now".

Rati lowered her face meekly, "That's the only way we can solace ourselves from the grave sin of killing a son-in-law".

Rati changed her solemn face to a chirpy one, maybe as a way to digress my tainted mood, "What else would you like to take from here as your memory? Perhaps this Pashmina shawl would come in handy to you. I've heard Agrabah has cold nights. Or maybe, this beautiful jewel embedded lehenga".