Royal Rivalry of Love.

Conflict on the first night.

Oh how marvelous the sights were! The hawan kund. The guests. The royals. The brahmins. The food. The dancing ladies. The young and naughty children. The parents busy talking. 

Oh how beautifully the hall was decorated! What lively atmosphere!

King Adhrit was already sitting near the holy fire. It was time for the bridal entry.

Devesh was there with Aanandini, looking happy. Truly happy. This twist of fate might have been unusual but they had accepted it. It was Dharma. 

As Dhara stepped inside, with her eyes lowered and slow walking with her brother by the side, a tear slipped from her eyes. No one noticed it except Devesh. He felt a spring of pain for some reason. He had thought he had moved on and yes he had but why did she shed a tear? Was it because she was anxious with so many eyes looking at her. Or was it because she regretted something?

The ceremony begin. She sat down next to Adhrit and the pandit started with his mantras and holy rituals. It was time for seven circumambulations and they would be pronounced wife and husband.

Marriage was done. It was all over. Flowers were thrown. Ashirwad was given. Songs were sung. 

For the first time, the marriage of a girl was not done in her own kingdom, rather in the kingdom of her husband. It was only because, it was extremely difficult to travel to the mountains for King from faraway lands. If the marriage had been done in their land then not many guests would have been able to come, besides it had been done so hastily, it would have taken so much time.

Dhara had made up her mind. She wouldn't do anything for the world anymore. She was no longer a girl. She was a woman. She didn't have to bow down to anyone's orders anymore. She knew having Adhrit as a husband would mean she would have to adjust to his life, which would mean rejecting her own selfish desires for the kingdom. She would gladly do so, but she had never been selfish. It was time for her to selfish for the first time. She wouldn't burn from the fire of the marriage, she would wear it as a cloth.

Only Krishna knew, she thought, only he knew what was about to happen.

On the same day, Dhara was made Queen too. And she wore her crown with her head held high. No one cared to ask about her or her opinions and got her married to a random man, without any reason. She wanted to marry for love. Not for political reasons. And yet, the man she loved the most, her own father had done this. So she decided, for the better or for the worst, she was a Queen now.

Her room was decorated with glamour and she was told to sit on her bed and wait for her husband. "No," she softly whispered to herself. "I won't sit down."

She took off all her ornaments except her sindoor and mangalsutra. She wanted to remove it but she didn't. Something in her told that it wasn't right.

After getting changed into comfortable blue dress, she closed her eyes and was about to drift into deep sleep when Adhrit entered. 

Dhara got up, hesitant and scared she took a dupatta and covered her neck and chest.

"You don't need to worry." Adhrit told her as he closed the door. "You can sleep on the bed, I'll not disturb you."

Dhara paused as Adhrit came towards the bed. He picked up a pillow and then, kept it on the mat which was kept on the floor. "I will sleep here."

With teary-eyes Dhara looked at him. "I'm sorry...."

"No, you don't need to be sorry for anything. You are a queen and my wife, don't embarrass yourself like this. Sorry is a precious word, use it when necessary. I am only doing this because I won't touch you or come near you without your permission." His voice was commanding and stern but there was softness to it which Dhara could easily figure out. He was an authentic person, it was clear to her. 

"I want to." Dhara said firmly. "I want to...talk to you. Come sit next to me." She guestered to the other side of the bed.

A smile appeared on Adhrit's face. Gently, he sat next to her, keeping 2ft distance. "Speak."

"I am worried..." She looked into his eyes and he could see the whole universe in her big brown eyes. 

"Worried about what, Dhara?"

"When we were getting married, I saw marks of knife and fire."

"Oh whom? Dhara...." Adhrit was now sitting closer to Dhara, his mind and his eyes focusing on her. "Dhara?"

"On you," she gave a hurtful smile to him as she said. 

Adhrit chuckled, but it wasn't the good chuckle, it was rather a confused chuckle. "I am warrior. I fight in wars. Definitely, these scars will be there on my arms and my body."

"They are fresh, aren't they?" This time, her voice was not low or sad, it was strong. 

Looking into her eyes, which were looking for an answer, he replied, "Yes, I was practicing yesterday. I always practice." 

"This means that fighting comes first to you, doesn't it?" She asked. 

What was she trying to know by all this?, Adhrit thought.

"I am kshatriya, it is my work."

"And I am a worried girl for my future. Is war more important to you than anything else? I wonder if I am not prioritised because you are a man for whom hatred is bigger than love and relations."

There was a pause. She kept on staring at him, waiting for an answer but he just kept his head low. Seeing that she was getting upset, he left the room.