Antaraya

Amardurg

Every inch of the palace was tossed under the ethereal glow of the diyas, and the music reverberated its melody against the intricately designed mirror walls. A giggle escaped her lips as she ran to the center of the platform, surrounded by ponds carrying floating lotus and diyas. Her long, brownish black hair flipped slightly as she turned around to catch a glance of her younger sister, Devika, who chased her to proceed with the challenge.

“Jiji, you’ll see — my boat will be the first to go into these ponds.”

“Alright, but you’ve lost, Devika; now it’s no longer possible for you.”

Eshanya bent to her knees, and her boat made of the leaves was let free onto the surface of the first pond, while Devika shoved the other one.

“So how many boats did you make, Devika?”

“A lot, sister, and we also have the leaves, but when you leave, who will we play this game with? Bhaisa won’t even spend time with us, but rather would be occupied in swordmanship.”

A gloominess captivated her heart at the mere thought of leaving the place she called home, but it was something on which she held no control. She must abide by the orders.

“I will come, of course.”

“And what if Jija sa doesn’t let you come?”

“Then I won’t marry at all.”

“Rajkumari Eshanya,” the familiar call caused them to turn their head to the vastness of the garden where their mother stood.

“Maasa” Eshanya rose to her feet, and each step brought the melody of her payal.

“Eshanya, Kunwar ji wants to meet you about the marriage.”

The mere words caused worry to surround both of them, aware of the fact that before the wedding, they were not permitted to meet.

“But Maasa, how can I meet him before the marriage?”

“Yes, Maasa, doesn’t he know that there are certain customs, certain rituals that we follow?”

“He knows, but you know how important this alliance is for us. We do not want the darkness of Chandragarh to spread over our kingdom. With this marriage, we will become stronger — then never will any kingdom lose its identity, nor will anyone’s life be in danger.”

It was a fact that Changragarh was expanding, and the kingdoms that came under their rule, too, had the same fate as Chandragarh had: Darkness forever, Mortality, and Survival only on Rakt flowers.

Devika raised her eyelashes, and the leaves left the touch of her hands. She got to her feet and held her sister’s hand.

“Then we will stay together.”

“No!! Devika, you come with me. Kunwar ji must be on his way.”

Eshanya fidgeted with the dupatta while a trail of nervousness ran down her. How will he be? All she had heard of him was the tales of his valor and loyalty to his kingdom.

“Please come quickly,” Satyapriya said, carrying the reflection of scolding in her tone. She grabbed Devika’s hand, but before they could leave, she glanced at Eshanya for a final time. “You are not alone, Eshanya. Remember that. If you say no, we will not go through with this alliance.”

“But my refusal will engulf my kingdom in the flames of war, and that I will never happen,” she thought, keeping her eyes lowered to the floor, which had the full moon’s reflection.

“Jee maasa”

Words made their way through that anxiousness, and her hands gripped the dupatta, eventually pulling it down her face.

“Maasa, will Jiji’s powers also be taken away?” Devika asked as they walked back into the golden ambience of the palace.

“That won’t happen. It’s only possible if someone gets married in Chandragarh.”

“Why is everyone so terrified of Chandragarh?”

“Because demons live there—beings unlike us, who need blood to survive, who are not immortal like us. There is never morning there, only the darkness of amavasya. No one can see them; they are invisible to this world.”

“But if Kunwar ji wants, he can restrain Jiji from using her powers!!”

“He can, but at least she’ll live in the light. Her life will never know darkness, never require sacrifice.”

“But we’ve heard many love stories from Chandragarh…” Devika said, almost sprinting into her royal chamber, snatching the chance from her mother to scold her. It was a fact that Chandragarh was cursed; survival was crucial to them, but simultaneously, their powers and magic exceeded every individual’s capacity. It was a kingdom where only darkness resided, where even a ray of sun would perish one to ashes.

A gust of wind brushed against her skin, but not for once did she shiver; rather kept standing there, awaiting the prince of Suryagarh’s arrival. The footsteps were sufficient to announce his arrival. An enticing fragrance sparkled into the air, and his eyes could only see her back.

“That…”

His voice fell into her ears for the first time, causing her heart to flutter, but nervousness had her captured, which could be the cause of the reaction. Never had she felt so shy of someone, so fearful of someone.

“I want you to renounce your powers before the marriage.”

Her eyes widened in shock; those powers were her strength. They were a part of her; never would she let go of them.

“I will not do such a thing, Kunwar ji.” She turned her face slightly toward the right and made it clear. The tone reflected the flames she burnt in, but what her reaction could cause forced her to suppress her rage.

“I don’t think you are in a position to say no.”

Tears brimmed in her eyes, but she was not the princess who would keep bearing everything. Her fingers grasped the fabric of the dupatta, which was hurled away from her face in a shot, and she turned around in a shot. The sparks flew into the air, resonating with the intensity with which her heart was seething.

His dark-brown eyes met hers, and in seconds, she stood merely steps away from him. Every inch of his clothing was crimson, even the sheath of the sword; the only thing that was different was his pagri, to which a brooch was attached.

“I am marrying you, becoming your ardhangini (life partner). You have a right over me—but no one has any right over my soul, not even my husband. How I choose to live my life is mine alone. You are not my buyer, Kunwar ji. I will not renounce my powers, nor will I ever bow to any of your unacceptable conditions.”

“What kind of powers do you possess that make renouncing them so difficult? What is it, Rajkumari, that makes you care so little even for your kingdom?”

“They are my essence,” she snapped.

His lips curved into a smile when the flying curtains caused a whoosh into outrageous flames. His eyes lowered to her fingers from the tips of which the sparks originated as if prepared to burn everything. The pulse echoing in her veins cast a wicked spell upon him, inducing the urge to consume blood, but he held control over himself. His grip tightened over the blade of the dagger, causing blood to seep, though the drape hid the act from her eyes.

“I can shape visions of the future upon water, and much more. But if you believe I will exist in your palace like a mere object, then you’re mistaken. I will follow my own will.”

“As you command,” he agreed, causing a whirlpool of bafflement in Eshanya.

“I wished to see you, and now I have. I wished to know you, and now I do.”

He stepped ahead, which caused her to further step backward. Aadityaraj looked at the full moon, the very first one following which his death will be etched.

“You know you are not supposed to see me before the wedding.”

“I have seen you, and this will remain just between us.”

“What powers do you wield?”

“To deceive, compel, to control people, and to take life,” he thought, looking at her.

“I possess no powers.”

Creases formed in the middle of his brows as he walked ahead of her and bent on his knees. Taking the leaves, they are curved to form a boat. “An accident in my childhood stole everything from me. I do not want you to feel, after our marriage, that you were deceived. That is why I wished to tell you everything beforehand,” he said, looking at her. The fumes emerging from the fabric rose into the air. Indeed, with this act, he did hit a chord in her heart, portraying himself to be honest and transparent. “You will live in our palace just as you live here.”

“Please forgive me, I said—” she apologized, feeling guilty of causing the wreck around. Aadityaraj sailed the boat onto the surface of the pond, which would soon turn to ashes.

“Do not ask for forgiveness. After what I did, your reaction was natural.”

She perked up at him, who rose to his feet, and a glint appeared in his eyes, but the shine lost itself when his hand was on the verge of touching her hand. She swiftly stepped back, but her eyes widened when realisation struck her that her foot had landed on the edge and the balance was already jolted. The warmth of his hand caught her wrist, and she was pulled up sharply toward him. Eshanya lowered her eyes and gently attempted to pull her hand away, but little was he ready to let go of the hold.

“I am grateful that you saved me, but please let go of my hand. You have no right to touch me.”

Aadityaraj stepped ahead, and he leaned closer to her, causing a jerk to land upon him.“Not now, but tomorrow night it will be my right.”

A droplet of tears rolled down her face as she looked into his eyes. The touch lost its hold, and a certain darkness shadowing him caused the feeling to traverse around her. He left a trembling Eshanya there who feared the coming night would bring her destruction. The war was at the doorstep, and her one no would shatter the kingdom, which Eshanya would never let happen. Her eyes turned orangish-red. The only thing she hated was that her powers seemed to have vanished in front of him. A sudden prick caused her to flinch. She lifted her left arm, and the bangles slid away, only to reveal her blood-stained wrist. She wiped off the blood only to discover a blood streak from which the blood seeped. Her blood touched his blood.

“How did this?” she pondered, but nothing struck her mind. The cause of the wound remained in darkness to her.

Dusk tailed him, yet Aadityaraj held control over himself; his skin was turning pale. It felt as if every vein in his body would burst out.

“Kunwar ji”

He turned instantly, only to find the presence of Rana Amarendra.

“I wanted to know if…”

“She said yes,” he responded, which only caused astonishment in Amarendra. Not for once did he ever imagine that Eshanya would sacrifice her powers for the kingdom, but she was his daughter, and the people came first. A subtle smile appeared on his lips, but along was a gloominess too, that they had to bow to the conditions led by the king of Suryagarh: The powerless prince of Suryagarh will get his powers from Eshanya, who would in turn become a normal princess.

Chandragarh

In his personal royal chamber, Yashvardhan drank one last shot, following which he got to his feet. Even being in the state of intoxication, his walk remained normal, and his senses were still alive.

Her hands brushed against the nath, which was the last piece of jewelry to be removed, but the mere announcement froze her act. She got to her feet and turned only to find her husband there.

“Kunwar ji, you here at this hour?”

“Why? Were you waiting for someone else?”

“No, I…”

Before she could continue, a gasp escaped her lips when he pulled her closer sharply by the waist. Her heart raced as if the fear roaming in her mind was not sufficient, so she was also having physical symptoms of terror.

“I what, kunwarani ji?”

“That…” She lifted her eyes only to sight desire in his attractive eyes, but their relationship was not such that she would ever want to go close to him.

“I just asked like that; I thought you wouldn’t come today.”

She flinched against his touch, which only pulled her closer. His hand slowly slid up her back, and in a shot, he grasped a fistful of her hair, causing her eyes to meet his.

“I need not notify anyone to come close to you.”

Tears rolled down her face with the uncertainty of the coming moments; he could feel the tremble in whose spell her body was.

“So much fear, from your own husband?”

“No… no. It’s just that I wasn’t feeling well,” she stuttered, keeping her eyes lowered. “From the day of the wedding until now, you haven’t been well, have you?”

Her fingers curled into a tight fist, and her fist struck against his chest, eventually shoving him away.

“Yes, haven’t been well. Since the night I saw you leaving the palace, I haven’t been well. Why do you think that if you go outside and then return to me, I will allow you to touch me?” she yelled.

“You know what the punishment for your insolence is, Rudrani Bai ji, don’t you?”

“Kya karenge aap Kunwar ji, kaal kothari mein band karwa denge, to karwa dijiye! Vaise bhi ye vivah karke hum iss mahal ki deewaron mein qaid hi to hai!!! Iss risthe mein ek bandi hai, jahan aap hamare nhi hai. Aapki inn ankhon mein humhe paane ki chahat ho sakti hai, par prem kabhi nhi hoga. Hum to keval badli huyi dulhan hai na, humhe to kabhi aapki patni banana hi nhi tha, par dekhiye na hum yahan khade hai, Kunwarani Rudrani Sisodia, Kunwar Yashvardhan Singh Ranawat ki dharampatni. What will you do, Kunwar ji — have me locked in the kaal kothari (dark cell)? Then have it done! After all, by marrying you, I am already imprisoned within the walls of this palace!!! In this relationship, where I am a captive, where you are not mine, can never fulfil those 7 vows we took together. There may be a desire in your eyes to have me, but love will never be there. I am only a replaced bride, right? I was never meant to become your wife. And yet look: here I stand, Kunwarani Rudrani Sisodia, the dutiful consort of Kunwar Yashvardhan Singh Ranawat.” She stepped closer to him, and the determination in her unwavering gaze was evident. Each word of hers was pristine truth, which was known to Yashvardhan except one.

“And yes, I am speaking to my husband here, not to the Kunwar of Chandragarh. So, don't ever try to threaten with the punishments.”

A knock on the huge doors grasped their attention, and the fierce eye contact broke apart. Yashvardhan opened the door only to find the servant there.

“Kunwar ji, that…” His tone was sufficient to portray that something ominous had occurred, one that would snatch away everything.

“The adhrishya shield that guards Chandragarh is breaking.”

Amardurg

Sitting in front of the mirror, Eshanya was lost in the thoughts of the moment when she envisioned the future, which might have been a glimpse, but was sufficient to inform her that destruction was on its way. But she is marrying the prince of Suryagarh, then how is it possible? Everything is happening as it was planned.

“Jiji, what happened?” Devika asked, showing her the intricately beaded bangles. Her tear-jerking eyes drifted to her sister, recalling the events.

In the darkness of the night, Eshanya walked to the place where she met the prince of Suryagarh.

“Ekaant(seclusion),” she announced, and every guard and servant left the area. She lifted her eyes to glance at the moon, and then to the pond where the reflection was falling. A chime escaped as she bent to her knees, and her fingers touched the surface of the water. A spark escaped into the water, carving the future with flames that fled their sparks into the air, a future she never wished to see.

Tears blurred the vision as it got clearer.

“What did you see, Jiji?” Devika questioned her, holding her hands.

“I saw the blood from the sword spilling over my maang. I saw flames. I saw utter darkness.”

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