The king's first wife

The outside world

" Be careful on your journey," she was smiling as she nodded her head. Her face was still covered with a ghunghat but this time, rather than it being made of comfortable cloth or even covered with embroidery, this one was plain and rather stiff over her milky, soft skin. Nevertheless, she wasn't complaining whether she had to wear ragged clothes or she had to walk 50 miles. Sure she was uncomfortable but not so tired because she was used to high-end training every day. That's why, although she was herself carrying her own sack of clothes, money, and every other essential that her maid told her was necessary. 

But sitting on a horse and in her husband's arms wasn't really as bad as she had initially anticipated it to be. Instead, she enjoyed her time as she sat right between his arms and held her hands too. Although she had the ghunghat over her head, she still was able to see everything in front of her pretty clearly through the rather translucent saree that she was wearing. The prince too was dressed in a commoner's cloth because if they were going outside, they needed to be easy to mix with the common public. Besides, the prince had gone out with his father a few times before that too so, he knew the place better than her. Hence, his grip over her hand was very strong because he couldn't risk having her lost in the huge crowd of commoners. And he couldn't risk having any other man eye her either. He just couldn't. 

" What is that?" and she seemed curious about every other thing. No worries, he had over 2 months to explain it all to her. Also, the prince knew that she would be curious so, he really wasn't agitated by her constant questioning. He had personally prepared himself to deal with her irritatingly curious nature 
" That is a bullock cart,"
" Why do we not have that at the palace then?"
" Because we have chariots..." 
" Oh," all through the horse ride that took them over 4 hours to reach the house that they were going to be staying at, she kept asking him questions here and there and kept having small talk but he didn't really mind. He liked it actually, to have a companion or at least someone who could keep him company during his lonely travels. Usually, he would ride alone on his horse along with his brother and father but this time, it was different. His father and brother decided to go ahead to the small hut that they had gotten ready for their stay and leave the married couple to come ahead at their own pace. Plus, Pari got hungry in the middle, during lunchtime so, they had to stop in the middle near a wheat field. 

" I think that the horse is tired by holding your weight," she hit him when he joked around with her whilst they were alone, sitting under a Banyan tree 
" Sohit!" 
" What else? It's just been 4 hours and your stomach is already grumbling here," this time, she got the ghunghat off her face, squinted her eyes, and pouted widely in front of him 
" So what!? I'm hungry! Let's do one thing, you don't eat. Only I'll eat," it was their last supper that came from the palace and that was looking really appetizing at that moment. 
" Arre. Pari. No need to get upset. See... I'll feed you," she just crossed her hands and gave out a loud "HMPF!!" sound as she cutely looked away from him, only making him laugh lightly at his wife. 
" Here. Have it. You are seriously hungry," and he picked up a bite of the roti with vegetable in his hands, brought it closer to her mouth, and was very cutely trying to make her eat it. It was like, outside the palace, he was a different person altogether. It was like the cold demeanor that he put on in the palace was no longer required because he wasn't the crown prince outside. He was just a commoner who was having lunch with his wife. A very loving husband at that... And she liked this change in his behavior. So, she smiled at him and opened her mouth to take the piece of food in but before it could even touch her tongue, she felt something come out from inside her throat. 

" What happened?!" he panicked when he found her trying to throw up on the grass under them but nothing ever came out. He even rubbed her back to comfort her as much as possible but in the end, she was only a panting mess and a sweat ball. 
" Pari?" his tone was completely different to what she would generally hear back at the palace. This was full of worry and care for his wife but she wasn't particularly stable. So, all she did was hold his hand and pant 
" I don't know," her voice was low and breaking which made him even more scared. It was the first time that they came out and she was already feeling sick? He couldn't go ahead with her in that condition...
" I think the outside world doesn't suit you. Come, I'll drop you back-"
" No! I came here for the first time. Sohit! Please. Just take me to a local doctor na... I don't want to go back so early without you,"
" Don't act like a child, Pari-"
" Please!" And with that look that the princess gave him, how could the prince even say no? She wasn't spoilt. No. Instead, this was the first time she was able to do something according to her own wish. That's why, she dreaded going back so early. She badly wanted to see what else lied beyond the palace that she was born and brought up in. Honestly speaking, she was tired to see the same rooms and the same veranda. She wanted to see how other people lived and how other houses were. The princess was just curious and did not want to give up on maybe her first and only chance at exploring the world.