KEDAR NATH PANWAR II, the prince of Garhwal, is the half-British, half-Indian prodigal son and the constant head ache of the royal family, who is unexpectedly exiled to the Aldridge-Heaton residencial school in Dalhousie by the king.
HIMANI ARORA i...
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It rained throughout the initial days of September in Dalhousie. Not the kind of rain that hinders all your social activities and keeps you inside your houses, but the one that adds more beauty to Dalhousie's picturesque. The sky was a lighter shade of gray throughout the day with no to little sunlight, the leaves were soaked in rain, and the petrichor always lingered in the air.
Kedar returned to his dorm room after the class, tired. He fell into the comfort of the bed, slowly closing his eyes, hoping to get a five-minute nap before he headed to his math study group in the library. The study group has started to grow on him. Probably because it was inside a silent library, away from his often loud friend circle. Perhaps it was the only tranquil thing in his chaotic life. And his grades in mathematics and global politics have improved so far since he joined the study groups. He opened his eyes as his phone started vibrating in his pocket.
Dadi's Office: A call popped up on his phone screen. He took the call.
'Good evening, Your Highness.' The Queen's private secretary spoke from the opposite side of the phone.
'Good evening, Sharma. What's the matter?' Kedar asked.
'The queen has scheduled a face time. You're asked to join in five minutes.'
'Dadi? Is everything alright?' Kedar asked in concern.
'The queen will tell it herself.'
'Fine,' Kedar said, ending the call. He opened the FaceTime app on his laptop. The camera at the end of the screen was on, but no one was present. A few seconds later, Devyani Panwar walked into sight in a pale blue sari. 'Evening Dadi.' He said as she settled in front of the camera.
A smile appeared on her face. 'How are you, beta?'
'Good, Dadi. How are you?'
'Khush. I still don't know how this works. Sharma arranged all these. I'm still stuck in the age of letters and landlines.' Devyani said, and both of them laughed together. She continued to inquire about his new school and whether he's adjusting to the new environment for another ten minutes.
'It's Ganesh Chaturthi coming Saturday. You should be home for the Puja.' Devyani said towards the end of the chat.
Kedar's face darkened like the skies outside.
'What's it?' Devyani inquired, seeing the change in his expression.
'Is she going to be there too?' He asked.
'Who?'
Kedar rolled his eyes at his grandmother's ignorance. 'Her, Dad's girlfriend.'
'Radhika? Yes, she's invited. But beta, don't start this again. They've been good friends for so long.'
'Good friends!' Kedar scoffed.
'It's hurtful that you accuse them of having...' Devyani hesitated a bit before uttering that word, thinking how scandalous it would be for the royal family to have that word associated with them. '...an affair.' Devyani spoke in a feeble voice, which was harder for even herself to hear. 'Your age's like that. You think the world is against you when you're eighteen.'
