Wedding

She was glowing. Happy beyond years. In a very beautiful blue lehenga that made her seem like a peacock. Although there was a little sadness about missing out on her best friend's life, she was happy because it was a happy moment in general.

" Stop smiling like that," his voice came in between and she turned to look at him with an even bigger smile. Till then, 17 years of age, she had been kept as a pure and innocent princess. Her status, as the untouched lotus was still up and her beauty was talked about among all. Be it, women or men, they all talked about the crown princess. Most women were jealous of her and most men were captivated and that is why she was not allowed to have any pictures clicked of herself. The prince wanted to keep her beauty to himself and in 3 years, not even maids had seen her face because of the ghunghat she wore. Her combat training was done personally by her husband now, in the forest, a place no one else would go to and only a few people were allowed to see her blue eyes. In short, he kept her in a cage yet taught her how to break out of it. He was a complicated, teenager...

" Why? It's a happy day," she argued and his brother jumped in behind him

" Exactly bhai. It's a very good day," Shaurya kept a hand over his shoulder and she immediately put her ghunghat over her head. According to Sohit's rules, no man, be it his father, brother, cousins, some guru, or even a male God's Murthy was allowed to see her face directly and he was really strict about his rules.

" Good," he just walked over to his sister, who was sitting in front of a big mirror as women got her ready. It was her wedding, before even his younger brother's and once both of them were married, Sohit knew as a matter of fact that he would have to produce a kid immediately. So, he was reluctant at letting her go, everyone was but most importantly, the king was sad about the whole wedding ordeal. " She can wait till she's 18 amma," he had tried to reason with his mother who had completely shut him out. He was supposed to handle the country and she was the only one who had power over how the royal family worked. No one could change that, no matter how much ever they tried to...

" Bhai. I'll not get married na... Let me stay here," she held his hand while tearing up a little and he sighed. His father was depressed, he wasn't happy but everyone else was and seemed so happy about it. As if she was a real burden that was off their shoulders. She was not.

" If Ajji had agreed with baba and Sohit na, Suha... You would be with us for more 6 years," Pari sat next to her and whispered into her ears and she turned her head to look right at Pari.

" Bhabhi!!" she shouted and hugged her tightly

" But you'll be super happy too. And I'll come to meet you every other day,"

" Promise?"

" If Ajji lets me come-" " BHABHI!!"

Pari always had her ways with kids. Especially Suhani. She just seemed to do everything Pari did. Suhani loved to follow her around and let her act as if she was the boss. Where was she going to find a better best friend?

" You look so pretty today. Why do you want to waste all that kajal?" Pari held her chin and she kept tearing up, " Besides, you'll get away from Ajji for all your life," she whispered, " Ajji will no longer steal your deserts,"

" I'll miss you," she moved her hand and held Pari's hand to which, only for a second, Pari removed her ghunghat and looked at her with her own sad face

" Me too," she hugged her and for once, even if there were other men in the room, Sohit didn't scold her. He let her have that moment and later when Suhani wedded off, he let her have his shoulder to cry on too.

He underestimated the bond Pari had with Suhani. It was stronger than the one his father had with Suhani even and she was by far the saddest person to see Suhani leave in her doli. Even when her face was covered with the long blue ghunghat, he could still see and feel those tears over his kurta. So, he wanted it to be a peaceful exit of the most loved princess in the palace but, it was nothing near peaceful.

2 minutes after the princess's doli left the palace, it got attacked. By no far away kingdom because there was no other kingdom as such outside. It got attacked by half of the king's own army. They wanted money. They wanted the gold and they wanted the beautiful, 11 year princess. But, those soldiers and chief of war didn't stop there. They wanted to put their hands on the most beautiful woman in the entire kingdom too. They wanted to taint that white flower by touching her so, after capturing the princess, they made their way secretly to the palace where everyone was sad and no one was prepared for war.

War. That word hadn't been taken in the peaceful country for over eons.

That country was different. It was a secluded place in the 21st century. When the outside world communicated through telephones, that country had banned all use of electricity. When the rest of the world taught children in schools, the children in that country only were taught in gurukuls. When the entire world seemed to have grown ahead in their own modern ideas, that one country seemed to have been stuck in the past, medieval times. And that is what made it so unique. That is why no one from the outside world was allowed to come in and the king was not allowed to increase his space. No one was allowed in and no one was given permission to live. Thus, life was balanced in both worlds but ambitious people wanted to break that chain...