Love Beyond The stars : A Passionate Tale

Chapter 11: Amid the Wedding Bells

Recap: Draupadi is seriously injured by an arrow meant for Yudhishthir.
The first half of this chapter is from the time before this.

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Hastinapur....
Royal Palace:

Smriti looked around her chamber in distaste. They barely even looked royal enough for her tastes.
Already queen Gandhari had offended her, the future queen of not only Hastinapur but the whole of Aaryavart by relegating her to the guest wing.

Guest!

She was practically to be the mistress of everything around & yet, the nerve!

" Pranipaat Rajkumari!"
The head daasi greeted Smriti as she admired herself in the mirror as usual.
Sm: Kya samachar hai, sevika? Kya mere hone waale pati padhare hai? Yadi haan toh kehdo unse ki Rajkumari Smriti iss samay kisise nahi milengi.

Unhe kya lagta hai itna saralta se Kshyama kardungi main unhe, abhi toh unse bohot parishram karvana shesh hai. Unhe bhi toh sada smaran rahe ki mera Issprakar apmaan karne ke dusahas ka kya parinaam hota hai....
Smriti exclaimed haughtily, with her nose high in the air.

" Nahi Rajkumari..... jyeshth rajkumar toh abhi Ujjain mein hi hai, unke tatha Rajkumari Panchaali ke vivaah ki kuch ritiyaan poorn karna shesh hai...."
The daasi spoke with a smile. The whole of Aaryavart had heard wonderful things about the virtuous princess of Panchaal who was born out of the sacred fire.

She was rumoured to be the most beautiful woman to ever be born in the whole of Aaryavart. Not only that, she was said to skilled in practically everything: be it warfare or the management of a household with a heart of pure gold. She was incomparably beautiful without an ounce of pride.
She was the perfect bride for their beloved prince.

The daasi was disgusted thoroughly with Smriti's previous delusional talk. If she had anything to do about it, there was no way in hell that this cruel, overly prideful & self centred princess would ever even come within 5 feet of their beloved prince.

While Rajkumar Yudhishthir may not be the yuvraj yet, but he had been the ruler of the hearts of nearly every citizen of Hastinapur wether young or old, since the day he first arrived in Hastinapur as a sixteen year old.

She later called upon an informal meeting of all the daas-daasis working in the palace.
" Pranipaat, mukhya daasi! Aapne hum sabhi ko yaha kyu bulaya?"
One of the kitchen staff enquired....

" Maharaj Pandu ke hum Hastinapur vaasiyon par kai upkaar hai, aaj raajneeti ke chalte unke jyeshth putra, humaare priya Rajkumar Dharmraj Yudhishthir ka jeevan nasht hone jaa raha hai aur hum maun rahe?"
She implored making them all look melancholic.

" Kintu hum kya kar sakte hai? Hum toh saamanya sevak hai. Yadi aise vishay par mukh bhi khola toh rajya se nishkasit hi hojayenge!
A daasi exclaimed fearfully making her sigh.

" Bhool gaye? Rajkumar Yudhishthir sakshyat Dharmraj ka roop hai. Itni si aayu mein bhi hum Hastinapur vaasiyon ka saath diya hai unhone sada.
Ek din humare Maharaj honge ve, jisprakar raja ka kartavya hai apni praja ke prati, kya praja ka nahi hai?"
She demaned, making them all go silent & nod.

" Aap uchit kehti hai! Hum aapke saath hai!"
One of the gaurds who used to gaurd the chambers of the Pandavas before they left for Gurukul, declared.

" Jisprakar unhone sada humaara sukh sunishchit kiya hai, hum bhi karenge..."
Spoke Yudhishthir's former personal attendent.

The head daasi smiled appreciatively.
" Haan! Aap sab mere saath hai ye jaankar prasannata hui, ab bas saare Rajkumar Hastinapur laut aaye, hum sabhi anya Pandav kumaro se aagya lenge "
She announced & all of the servants chorused in a ' Yes'.