Love and Redemption

Chapter 19

This chapter is dedicated to KavyaVaradarajan 🌷
Thanks for guessing the storyline correctly! 😍
❤❤❤

Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore was at once, disappointed when she realized she could not make a knot of the heavy, strong ropes on any of the nails attached on the gopuram of the temple. Glancing on the tall temple tower, she realized the pillars of the temple were about twenty feet from the leveled ground of the Shatakshigiri hills over which a fifty one feet gopuram or the tower was constructed.

She calculated she had to climb about seventy one feet from the ground to reach the top of the temple wherein she had to change the red colored flag of the temple at the shikhar. Taking a deep breath, she analyzed that she cannot perform the ritual like her father but she can obviously accomplish this task like the most revered king of her Rathore clan, Maharaja Madhusudan Singh Rathore. Her great-grandfather’s grandfather, Maharaja Madhusudan Singh Rathore was shorter in height but the efficient ruler had his own distinctive strategy to accomplish the annual ritual.

Realizing her strategy, she tied the exotic red colored cloth on her waist and climbed on her pet horse, Shera, mentally thanking herself for coming to the temple on the horse. Leaving the curious public behind and paying no heed to the hushed whispers along with the scrutinizing eyes of the crowd that judged her as an incapable woman just because she failed once, Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore, rode off downhill at the steep slope of Shatakshigiri hills.

Following the steps of Maharaja Madhusudan Singh Rathore, Aparajita traveled downhill and began to climb on the steep slope of the hills. Her shiny black horse neighed as she pulled the harness of her pet thereby, increasing the speed. The horse galloped as it climbed the hill at high velocity.

Once Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore could see an impatient crowd waiting to disperse after the old king, she swirled the rope in her left hand and threw the heavy, strong rope in the direction of the temple, praying the Goddess Durga to make sure she execute the annual ritual efficiently and fulfilling her duties as a celebrated ruler of the prosperous kingdom of Vijaygarh.

The rope got stuck at the topmost nail on the tall gopuram of the temple just a feet below the shikhar of the temple, forming a robust and sturdy knot at the nail. She glanced at the happy faces in the public with the lost-and-found enthusiasm sparkling in their eyes smiling coyly at her. Her father, Maharaja Vijay Singh Rathore smiled at her while some sly ministers hung their heads in shame for judging their queen still anticipating her next step.

A smile formed on the rough lips of Yuvraj Veerbhadra Singh Rajput and once again he wished for the success of his goldfish because it was not the matter of victory anymore but the matter of proving the worth of the whole female community in all the Kshatriya clans. Praying for her success, the guileful prince of Shivgarh requested Lord Shiva to make sure that Aparajita should not lose today.

Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore found confidence as the rope formed the knot. Standing on the saddle of her horse, she balanced with her heavily embroidered maroon skirt and jumped on the rope gripping the heavy rope in her hands with sturdiness.

As the sun shone brightly, everyone held their breath looking at the fierce queen of Vijaygarh, Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore was climbing on the twenty feet tall pillars of the temple since half an hour. In the backdrop of the sun’s scorching heat, everyone in the crowd was bulging out in anticipation as the sweat was dripping from their foreheads. It was indeed, hot but everyone was worried about the queen and her courageous stunt she had pulled up moments ago.

Everyone remembered, the selfless old king Maharaja Madhusudan Singh Rathore, who had sacrificed his life for the welfare of his people.

Everyone’s breath was hitched, as Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore began climbing on the fifty one feet, humongous gopuram of the temple. Due to the tilt in the architectural structure of the temple, the rope slipped from Aparajita’s hand and hence, she balanced herself by keeping her right foot on the engraved wall of the temple tower which had a beautiful carving of the mythological epics of Goddess Durga killing the demon, Mahishasur.

As she tried to lift her leg, Aparajita realized she had stepped on her heavily embroidered skirt. Her breath hitched as she realized the knot of her skirt loosened. Mentally cursing the choice of her outfit which she was bound to wear, Aparajita carefully held the strong rope of jute in the steel-like grip of her left hand and with the other hand, she tightened the knot of her skirt.

A victorious smile flashed on her reddened face which was shining due to the sweat beads that were formed due to scorching heat of the sun as the courageous queen, Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore reverted at her job of climbing the tall gopuram of the ancestral temple.

After continuous efforts of one and half an hour, Aparajita had reached at the topmost nail. Everyone smiled realizing that the responsible queen of Vijaygarh was just a feet away from accomplishing her goal. Carefully picking up her skirt in her left hand, Aparajita made sure not to reveal her milky white legs to the crowd. She climbed on the shikhar of the temple and then, she untied the exotic red colored cloth from her waist.

Touching the holy red colored cloth that she had to use as the flag on her forehead as a gesture of respect, she quickly changed the cloth of the flag. As she changed the flag, the wind blew and Aparajita smiled as she saw the new flag to flow with the direction of the wind victoriously.

The public cheered the shouts of joy for their brave queen, Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore while the authoritative queen waved from the top of the temple, smiling at the public mentally thanking the Goddess Durga for giving her strength to accomplish the annual ritual properly.

When everyone in the crowd, including the queen’s father, all the royal ministers and the public, cheered for the queen who had begun to descend the tall temple, the prince of Shivgarh, Yuvraj Veerbhadra Singh Rajput smiled looking at the tired, flushed face of the seventeen year old innocent queen who was fulfilling all her responsibilities efficiently trying to take care of her people by all means, and fighting the demons of the patriarchal society.

Closing his eyes, he thanked Lord Shiva for helping the queen of Vijaygarh, Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore to fulfill her duties and proving the strongest feminine power of a woman.

As Aparajita descended down in another one hour and enthusiastic public hailed the shouts of joy revering their queen, the old king Maharaja Vijay Singh Rathore felt proud of his daughter and the royal priest wiped his tears as he prayed Goddess Durga for keeping the queen safe from all the bad omens in her life.

Yuvraj Veerbhadra Singh Rajput, on the other hand, realized that his goldfish, the valiant queen of Vijaygarh, Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore was indeed a strong opponent. She was not only beautiful but a lady full of strength and intelligence. He was amazed at her potent vigor and muscular power that she accomplished a dire task effortlessly and intelligently.

Soon his praiseworthy thoughts for the queen were replaced by his idea of revenge as the efficient queen who was no doubts, a beauty with brain and power had committed the biggest mistake in her life by killing his grandfather, the eminent king of Shivgarh, Maharaja Mahendra Singh Rajput and hence, he should not digress from his mission of crumbling Aparajita and her motherland.

Veerbhadra suppressed his devilish laugh as he made a devious plan to meet his goldfish in person and alluring her into his dangerous charms.

❤❤❤

Hi everyone
Hopefully you are doing good! ♥️
Thanks for your valuable support on this story, though I shall love to enjoy more support, lovely comments and the desirable votes 💖💖💖
Well! Next update will be soon, till then enjoy the chapter and please vote, support and if possible, share it with your friends 💞💞💞💞
Actually I was super busy today and I couldn't update during the day. Sorry for the delay!
Here's the update today as promised 😘 😘 😘
Have a great day ahead 😍 😘
Love you all
💜