For Her - II

Veer with his younger brother got ready to attend the court assembly. Bhim Singh told him about what he has heard from the palace. This assembly was going to be the biggest After several years. Many distant statesmen and ministers were joining Today. His uncle who is an unrivaled warrior, Who seldom attends such gatherings is also attending just after returning from a big expedition. It shows that big decisions will be taken in today's meeting.

Veer asked Meena to stay back and walked with his brother, Bhim Singh and few other bodyguards followed him. Veer lives a humble life as a scholar and stays outside the main palace. He only has few bodyguards with him and no maids and no extravagance. To reach the palace assembly, they have to cross the town market. Veer does not wish to inconvenience the common people, so he did not use horse or chariot. They are going by walk. Veer and his brother are walking in front. Bhim Singh along with four-five other bodyguards is following them.

This place is the town market near the palace of Ratanpur. The atmosphere is very lively. A lot of people from different cities have come today. Many soldiers are patrolling the streets today because different ministers and statesmen are present in the town.

A scholar who looked like a lonely person, surrounded by an aura of lonesomeness with kind eyes is walking toward the palace. Prince Ritu Raj is walking with him and some bodyguards are following them. This is the picture people perceived. Veer seldom interacted with people and his dressing also could not give any idea to anyone. But everyone knows the free and easy going, prince Ritu Raj. But many people can understand that this scholar is crown prince Veer from what they have heard about Veer and his younger brother's stories. Like the strong bond between brothers, the simple and humble crown prince and also his kindness. All these Things match with the scholar Who is walking with prince Ritu Raj.

People saw them and Whispered among themselves.

One person sighed "Today in King's court some major decision will be taken. So many ministers are attending and also princes are going to join."

"You mean these two people are princes. Don't tell me that scholarly person is crown prince Veer" Another person Whispered with surprise evident on his face.

Another person rebuked "Who else can be so close to nonchalant prince Ritu Raj and make him so respectful? The demeanor of Crown Prince is although humble but still so out of the world."

But some people also were not happy for such type of crown prince who was so detached from the world. One such person commented "What is the use? A person can be great on the personal level but politics is related with the well being of millions of people. Not sure crown prince is going to be the luck of our kingdom or calamity."

The words of this person made others fearful. Many people think like this but who dares to say it so frankly, especially on this day when any person hearing you say might Cause you problems.

All whisperers on that stall became silent due to that comment. Veer just passed from that point. He looked toward those people and suddenly they felt afraid that they were heard by the crown prince. Colors from their faces were gone. But Veer just laughed silently and nodded at them and passed. Many of those people exhaled and felt relaxed. They now really felt that crown prince was too kind-hearted.

This group of princes moved forward and people respectfully made way for them. Suddenly there was a girl standing on their way who did not move away. Some people hissed at her but she did not listen but looked at Veer intently. Veer saw the girl standing in front and stopped.

A girl of age around 5-6 years dressed in plain clothes. The girl looked clean but skinny and was barefoot. She was standing and looking in the eyes of Veer. That gaze was stubborn and complaining. Her eyes felt penetrating into his heart. Veer felt like he has seen those beautiful eyes somewhere. He remembered the eyes of Priya which always seemed to be talking.

Veer walked and reached in front of the girl and bent at her level and asked in a soft voice "Little girl! Why are you obstructing us?"

"My father was in Lion Army. He is dead. Someone came... He told my mother this. When my mother slept some day back.... then she did not wake up. Neighbors said that she died.... and they collected some wood.... and.... asked me to burn her yesterday. Now there is no one at home..... I am hungry." The girl said stubbornly. For this girl, she was not much concerned for the fatherly and motherly emotion but hunger was the factor which made her so stubborn. She heard from the discussion of people that these princes were good people, so she felt this complaining in her heart and blocked them.

She was the daughter of a warrior of lion army who has died on the border of Bharatvarsha. The gazes of all the surrounding people changed. Some sighed in their heart, some felt pity and some looked curious about what the crown prince will do.

Veer did not listen to her talk, it seemed. But those eyes were the ones which told him how lonely she felt. He felt sad and his eyes became teary. He extended his hand and held the girl's soft yet dusty hands. He looked at one side and said "Someone! bring some food and water for the little girl."

Suddenly many people in the crowd moved. Within a few minutes, a person brought some bread and curry on a leaf plate along with some guava fruit. Veer walked the girl to a side and sat on a table which was kept in front of a food stall. He sat the girl beside him and the person Who brought food handed the plate to Veer respectfully. Prince Ritu Raj took the Guava fruits in his hands. One bodyguard got water and Veer got girl's hand washed.

Without any words, Veer just kept the plate in front of the girl and she started eating. She did not care about the gazes on her and only wanted to fill her belly. With her small dandy hands, she broke a small piece from the bread and then dipped it in the curry and then put it into her mouth. She chewed and looked at Veer and smiled. Her smile melted the heart of Veer and those eyes really looked happy. Veer was in a daze for a moment and whispered "Priya! Your eyes are really beautiful and that smile too."

Coming out of the daze, Veer asked the girl "Little girl! Do you want to come to my home." He wanted to keep that smile on those lips. He wanted those eyes to look happy. They reminded him of Priya. The girl put the next bite in her mouth and looked at Veer and then slowly nodded. Veer smiled and stroked her head fondly with one hand. Many people felt moved to see the emotional state of the crown prince.

After sometime girl finished the food of the whole plate and gave a smile of satisfaction. Veer got her hand washed and then pulled her in his lap and asked "Should we go now?" and the girl nodded shyly. Now that her hunger is curbed, she is able to feel other emotions. She looked at Veer with the sad expression and Veer felt his heart breaking again. He embraced her and stroking her back said softly, "I will take you to my home and you can call me father. Don't feel sad." and he stood up to go.

Veer looked at his brother with the girl in his arms and said: "I want to adopt her as my daughter." He took one guava from his younger brother and gave in the hand of the little girl. Girl extended her hand slowly and took the fruit. Veer looked lovingly at the girl and asked "Dear! what is your name?"

The little girl lowered her head while looking at both her hands holding guava said meekly "Arya"

Veer smiled and said "Beautiful name for a beautiful girl" and he announced to the people around "Little girl Arya is my adopted daughter henceforth." He smiled at his younger brother who is also in surprised state and walked ahead while holding the girl in his arms. His younger brother and bodyguards followed. When the little girl was wandering in the market, no one cared for her but now that small head popped up on the shoulder of crown prince was the center of attention now. That girl who is biting a guava fruit in her mouth, leaning on the shoulders of the crown prince, suddenly became too pleasing to their eyes.

The group of Veer moved toward the palace leaving the whispering crowd behind. Even from a distance people from the crowd can hear the heartily laugh of the second prince and his voice saying "little girl! you should call me uncle from now on. Take one more guava. Eat well. Ha ha ha." Many thought really the second prince lives up to his nonchalant reputation.

Group of Veer has entered the palace but the story of him adopting a little girl has started spreading. Many people have heard about the kindness of crown prince but today they have experienced it.

After Veer's group vanished from the view of people, whispers became the loud voices and people started showing their views.

"Soul of that soldier of lion army will really be content now, seeing his daughter taken care so well. The pitiful child finally found a home which was best in the kingdom." One person said.

Another said "I really did not believe before that crown prince was so kind-hearted. Today I can see how great he is. He did not even care what will anyone think, including his own family. He just followed his heart and adopted the girl."

"By this act of crown prince, even the soldiers will feel happy with him. They will not mind much that the crown prince is not a well-known warrior." Another person said.

Another person said with a laugh "If I adopted any child this way, my father will beat me with a stick and my wife will never allow me inside the home. Crown prince is not only kind but also courageous and firm."

"That is why I say, it does not matter if our future king is not a warrior. The thing matters the most is that our future king is courageous and can think independently." One passer-by said entering the discussion.

Different types of discussions started about the crown prince in the city. But this event has greatly reduced the negative voices against the crown prince and public believed that other than being a warrior, their crown prince was perfect in everything else.

Even the neighbors of the little girl's family felt proud of themselves.

"We were really good with Arya's family. We helped her with the last rite of her mother. We are really happy for her." One neighbor woman said.

Another woman sneered "What good neighbor? Why was the girl so hungry when she met crown prince on road? Why did you not ask her for food or anything? I am questioning the crown prince for not punishing the neighbors like you."

"You are just jealous of us. You can not stomach the fact that we might be related with crown prince indirectly and blaming us falsely. How would have we known when the girl went out of her home?" Another woman who is also a neighbor of the little girl interjected aggressively.

Another woman who is also a neighbor said "Her father was a brave warrior of our kingdom and he also loved his family too much. God has rewarded their child for them. I am really proud to have known such a good family."

"Arya used to call me Aunt. Whenever she will come to my home, she will say 'Aunt! I want to eat this, Aunt! I want to eat that'. She used to play with my boy who is of the same age and we used to say that when they grow up, we will get them married." Another neighbor said.

One woman who was listening on the side, could not take it anymore and shouted "Stop your nonsense. You all are really shameless."