The Cursed Princess of Suryagarh: Book 1

14. Sumedhnagar

Once the four-wheeler was safely on the highway, Adya forced Shreya to switch off her mobile device, for she had done the same. Aarush had begun calling her incessantly, and she feared the crowned prince would be able to track their location if the phones were to remain on for longer than necessary. Shreya advised her to exercise caution, for it was stretching the limit a bit too much, but the liberated princess of Suryagarh paid no heed. She was finally savouring the taste of freedom, away from the watchful gaze of her security team, out of the confines of the fort, not smothered by her brother's protective nature, and with lovely company by her side.

At an hour's distance from the city of Suryagarh, lay the smaller town of Sumedhnagar, famous for its Bandhani handlooms. With tourists flocking to the town in large numbers to purchase some of the most exquisite materials and elegant prints, the place was teeming and bustling with activity. Hence, the long queues in front of the handloom shops and the chaotic traffic situation on the narrow roads. On top of that, Sumedhnagar's popular seven-day fair was underway, and most of the roads were barricaded by the police to serve the purpose of conducting the fair in a safe and organized manner. That, in turn, definitely led to more mayhem on the streets.

A frustrated and disgruntled Adya, with a massive scowl on her features, continued to honk at the autorickshaw blocking her way in the tapering street, but the driver paid no attention as he clambered out of his stationary vehicle and started talking to a pedestrian with that irritable toothy grin on his face.

Shreya took some time to soak in the surroundings. A scene of utter disarray and commotion. Both sides of the gravelly street riddled with potholes had shops and stores. Some of the edifices had encroached upon the road while the others had a crooked facade on the upper stories with protruding balconies somehow hanging in the air. The women in those houses above the shops were wringing extra water from the freshly washed clothes before giving the a firm shake, watching the droplets fall on the ground and the fabric ripple, before hanging them on the clothesline. A few women were taking down the dried clothes and rushing inside their homes at the end of the day. Children were playing peek-a-boo next to a couple of parked bicycles and motorcycles while a few of the older ones, probably teenagers, were busy scrolling through their phones.

As the last dregs of sunlight receded to pave the way for darkness, all the shops switched on their lights and continued haggling with the customers in a frenzy. A few of the roadside stalls were selling the golgappas Adya had been yapping about incessantly, and a perpetually boiling pot of tea over an open hearth on the corner of the road had the aroma of spices wafting to the girl's nose.

Shreya was about to say that she didn't fancy eating the unhygienic golgappas and rather wanted a cup of chai again, but she was startled when Adya rolled down the window on her side and began screaming at the rickshaw driver.

"I have been honking for so long. Can't you hear it? Or are you purposefully playing deaf? Move your auto right now!"

The driver, after overcoming a moment of stupefaction, rushed to his auto, ignited the engine, and parked it away from the hustle-bustle of the main road.

With a jubilant grin on her face, Adya rolled the windows up and giggled. "I have always wanted to do that."

Shreya frowned. "What? Scream at random people?"

Adya snickered. "Not exactly befitting a royal, no? I love breaking rules." She sighed and propelled the car ahead. "But I am never allowed to. One, I am a princess," she scoffed, "and two, it's my brother's golden rule. You don't break the laws of the land unless..."

Shreya's brows went up in confusion. "Unless?"

"Unless someone is out to harm you first." Adya shrugged. "It's like a defensive policy from the books of the Chauhan aristocracy. He follows it to the T." The vehicle turned left. "Anyway, we are close to the grounds where these massive fairs are conducted once a year. Seven-day long overnight fairs where they sell handicrafts and handloom and every cute thing under the sun." Her eyes glimmered. "And we are going to be out there, enjoying and partying, shopping and eating, and having real fun till the wee hours of the morning."