The Crown And Care

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 02

Flying high, I'm finally pursuing my dream—to serve and care for the needy and ill.

Coming from a royal conservative family was never helpful.

Yes I'm a Rajkumari.

"Royal women don't work," my dadisa would say, flipping through her vintage sari collection.

But I have too much pride to follow those outdated traditions set by our long-gone ancestors.

Rest in peace, purvajo,

But this Rajkumari is going to break some rules.

Now, I'm sitting in a window seat on a plane to Mumbai, the city that never sleeps. I might be leaving behind palace walls, but I'm walking straight into my destiny.

I'm not escaping.

Nah nah.

I'm just spreading my wings.

I'm Aadhya Rathore, and I can do what others can't. I convinced Dad to let me follow my path.

Aur ye kaam Titanic ko iceberg se bachane se bhi zyada mushkil tha, believe me.

But I did it.

At 22, I'm a freshly graduated nursing student. Applying for an internship at the most prestigious hospital in the country felt like a mistake until I received the acceptance email.

Waah re mahadev!

Excitement and nervousness bubble inside me, making my palms sweat occasionally. It's like that time I wore high heels for the first time—thrilling but a little shaky.

I wasn't allowed to leave the state until I was 18 because of the same old royal customs. Insert my dramatic eyeroll. My first plane trip was for the marriage reception of one of Papa's important business partners to Delhi.

And let's be honest, I was the most glamorous guest there.

Sab meri taraf hi dekh rahe the.

Everyone wanted to know who the stunning girl in the designer peach lehenga was.

The paparazzi couldn't get enough of me. Somebody said,
"Rajkumari lag rahi ho!”

Are hu to lagungi hi na!

But today, my wardrobe consists of scrubs, and my accessories are stethoscopes and syringes.

Quite the downgrade, right?

Arre bhai, kahan downgrade! Ye to upgrade hai!

This is my version of luxury.

I've always believed my calling was beyond sipping chai in marble courtyards and smiling demurely members of royalty dadisa invites at   jagrans and kirtans.
My life is about breaking the mold and shattering expectations. And here I am, on my way to do just that.

The flight attendant offers me a drink, and I smile.

"Orange juice, please," I say, feeling every bit the empowered, independent woman I know I am. I take a sip and imagine all the lives I'll touch and the changes I'll bring.

The seatbelt sign blinks on, and I brace myself for landing.

Mumbai, the city of dreams, is just below, waiting for me. I glance out the window, feeling invincible.

My phone buzzes with a message from Papa:

"Remember who you are and make us proud."

"Oh, I plan to, Dad," I whisper to myself, with a smirk.