The Cinderella Of Rewa

25. Nakul

"Who was that girl with you yesterday?", Sunaina Mittal stormed at her younger son.

Nakul looked down. If he made eye contact with his mother, he was sure he would crumble under her scorching gaze.

It was the next morning after the bethrotal ceremony. A satisfied air of complacency hung in the atmosphere. It was almost noon but half of the mansion hadn't even woken up after all the racuous celebration. The singing, dancing and drinking had tired out everybody. Only a few servants moped around the place, cleaning up the waste from the previous night.

But Sunaina Mittal was an exception. She had woken up at dawn as usual, had her bath, offered prayers, eaten and then had her barely awake younger son summoned to her chamber to investigate about the previous night.

She had seen him leading a very beautiful girl to the balcony and wanted to find out who she was.

"She seemed familiar. Have I met her before?", Sunaina muttered more to herself than Nakul.

Nakul nervously ran his hand over against his kurta pocket. His fingers traced the golden sandal that Vedika had left behind. He had taken it and pocketed it.

"Can I go?", Nakul asked quietly after a few moments of silence.

"You wait!", Sunaina snapped "You haven't answered my question yet. And stop running your hands over your kurta like a child."

Nakul looked at the floor and mumbled an incoherent reply.

"Very good", Sunaina scoffed "You take a girl upstairs from the engagement hall like a lion but simper like a rat when I ask you about it. Are you not ashamed? You are a descendant of the noble House of..."

Hear they went again, Nakul thought. His casanova of a brother had just got successfully engaged that too, into a royal family. Why couldn't his mother be a little more relaxed?

His mother was still going on when there was a sudden urgent knocking on the door. Nakul was thankful for whoever it was.

"Enter", Sunaina said in a disgruntled voice.

The door was thrown open and the butler hurried in with an ferverous look on his face, "Madam, Sahib is calling you to the hall downstairs. He asked you to come immediately. Terrible things have happened!"

"What has happened? Explain properly you idiot", Sunaina demanded.

"Sahib has asked you to come. He told me not to say anything else", the butler said with his head bent.

"Of course he would tell you that, the foolish man", Sunaina said irritably "Alright. Go tell your sahib that his wife is coming".

The butler bowed and left.

Nakul stood there looking troubled.

"What are you still standing here for?", his mother snapped at him, forgetting that she hadn't asked him to leave "Go down. Your useless father is calling us. I'll get ready and follow you".

Too glad to leave, Nakul hurried out of the room. He had not realised that the sandal had dropped out of his pocket.

After he had left, Sunaina Mittal picked it up and examined it. Inspite of owning a hundred pieces footwear herself, she couldn't help envying this exotic accessory that seemed to have been made of pure gold though that was impossible since it weighed like a feather. She sent for the butler at once.

When he arrived, she held up the sandal infront of him.

"Find the owner of this sandal", she commanded "She will be the one to marry my Nakul".

The butler bowed.

•••

The hall was in unrest. A new drama was due.

"What nonsense is this?", Harsh Mittal's voice boomed through the hall.

Sunaina Mittal sat next to him in shock, her face covered in her palms.

The Princess of Bhopal had just sent an ultimatum stating that she did not wish to marry Akshat anymore.

"They should've at least told us before the engagement", one of the Mittal relatives said.

"Some guts they have, insulting us like this. We should pay them for this", said another. There were murmurs of agreement.

Nakul was shocked too. He couldn't understand why the girl wanted to call off the wedding. He knew there were enough reasons for her to be unhappy with the marriage but still, if it had bothered her, why had she agreed to it in the first place and got engaged last night?

Akshat had locked himself up in his room. Nakul couldn't blame him. A man with as much ego as his brother would find it too difficult to handle such a flippant rejection.

The hall went into quite a hubbub with everyone muttering in confusion and shock when the doors opened and the butler hurried in.

"News from the royal family?",  Harsh asked immediately. The butler nodded.

"What is it?" , Harsh asked immediately. Everyone looked up hopefully.

"The princess' father has come with another offer"

"What is it?"

"The princess doesn't want to marry Akshat", the butler began.

"We already know..", Harsh interrupted impatiently but the butler cut him short.

"She wants to marry Nakul".

A/N : Yep. New twist here..hehe.

What do you guys think? Please let me know. Hope you enjoyed the chapter ❤️

See you next Sunday!

Much love ❤️
Nivetha