YAGYANI - Saga of Love, Faith, Politics and War

6. Home

YAGYANI'S POV:

The music of drums was heard a mile away from the palace. The entire palace was decorated so beautifully that anyone couldn't help but notice it as it stood in all its glory with our flag flying high on the top. I feel so proud whenever I see it, It's all the work and blood of our ancestors, my father and of course, the people who love it to the beyond.

I can already imagine my mother standing with the Aarti thaal waiting for me along with my father, she would be in tears I'm sure. Seeing all of this after all these years, makes me love and cherish it tenfold. 

As our caravan came to a stop in front of the entrance gate and we both got out of the palanquins with the help of other maids standing there, the first person we saw was Kaki smiling at me brightly as she came and greeted me, "Pranam. How are you, Rajkumar?". " I'm very good Kaki, how are you?" I asked holding her hands.

"I'm also fine, Rajkumari. Come Maharaj and Maharani are waiting for you."

"and nobody is waiting for me? Not even you Kaki?" Sunaina said pouting at her.

Kaki smiled at her, "Yes, I missed you also, Rajkumari Sunaina but also you know Rajkumari Yagyani is always more precious to me. Also, Maharaj and Maharani are waiting more for their daughter, right?" My smile faded a little at her comment, why would she say something like that to Naina? everybody knows Maa and Pitaji never saw any difference in us both, hence they even sent her with me to Gurukul.

I linked my arms with Naina, "No Kaki, that you're wrong about! I'm sure Maa and Pitaji are more excited to meet her than me. Even when they used to come to meet us both, they always used to talk and check up on her before me." I looked at Naina and she smiled at me while Kaki gave a forced smile as well.

"Come Naina." we walked towards the gate while greeting all the soldiers and maids standing in the way.

Finally, I saw my both parents standing before me, exactly how I imagined them to be, Maa with Aarti Thaal and Pitaji beside her. Along with them were my Kaka and Kaki, which means the parents of Sunaina.  Maa came forward and started doing aarti my aarti and then Sunaina, as I'm a few months older than her. Her tears were ready to roll down her cheeks any moment as she looked at both of us. After aarti thaal was taken away by a maid, we both greeted Maa and Pitaji, 

"You both have gotten so big, I sent you as my little girls and today you both have returned to me as such a beautiful young ladies," Maa said smiling at us as her tears fell from her eyes. We both went and hugged her as she kissed our foreheads one by one.

"Only your Maa deserves the hug?" Pitaji said to which all of us laughed and went to hug him too, "I think your Maa is right, you both have gotten big since last we saw you five months before. You both should work out a little."

"Haww.. Are you serious, Tauji? " Naina asked him in fear and I tried to hide my laughter, "See Ani, I was telling out those Ladoos aren't all that divine after all." I nodded towards her. 

"What ladoo? You both ate ladoo? That's the reason you both are so fat now, you really shouldn't have eaten that." Pitaji shook his head in disappointment, continuing to tease her further. Sunaina looked at him, then me and then at Maa with concern and fear. She is dumb sometimes, isn't she?

"Maharaj stop troubling my daughters!" Maa chided, " You both have not gotten fat Sunaina, I would even say you need to eat more to get out of this stick shape." me and my father started laughing finally along with all the others standing there. 

"huh, I'm not even inside and already everybody has started troubling me Badi Maa." She went and hugged Maa.

Then, we both greeted Kaka and Kaki also, they were so happy seeing us, "Your badi Maa is right Sunaina, I can't believe how beautiful and elegant you both have become." Kaki caressed our cheeks and hugged us both which was followed by Kaka, "Ani and Naina, according to your guruji, you both have mastered sword fighting very well, would you both like to show me?" He asked us and I couldn't help but see the same Kaka who I used to see practice as a child and he used to tell me all about different types of weapons and war techniques.