DHRUV'S POV:

"Swastika - ensure that there is an arrangement of pink and white flowers together. No no no! That doesn't go there! Put that down this instant!"

The evening finally drew upon the palace and the hung up lanterns allowed the beautiful hall to be nourished with glowing light from the flames within them. Hundreds of them were hung around in the hall, the corridors and above the pillars. Lamps surrounded the rangoli patterns that were drawn in the middle of the symmetrical hall, and there was a beautiful seat for the bride to sit in for the first mehendi ceremony.

"What are you doing here, Dhruv?" My mother came up to me with a smile.

"Oh - I was just....."

She laughed. "You're not meant to be here. Only the women of the house are supposed to overlook the preparations of this particular ceremony." She giggled while stroking my cheek.

I inhaled sharply. "Oh - in that case I shall - get going then." I nodded quickly and felt a heat of embarrassment flush through my cheeks as I heard the maids giggling from behind.

"Unless you want to dance of course...." she said as I turned to go.

"No I'm fine. I mean - I'll see you around. Mother." I gulped and left quickly.

"Poor boy." Rani Dharma shook her head while everyone laughed.

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Just as I walked past the entrance pillar, I bumped into Krishna.

"What are you doing here, Krishna?!" I asked him quickly.

"Going to see mother of course."

"Wait stop! You're not allowed in there." I panted. "Unless you want to dance of course." I said cheekily.

"What? Why not?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Preparations for the dances.... that's what mother told me."

"So you went inside!?" Krishna started laughing with his head tossed back.

"How am I supposed to know all this women stuff?" I said, straightening up in defense.

At that moment, the same girl who I had bumped into this afternoon walked past me. She gave me a familiar smile and I felt my heart throb against my chest again.

Krishna and I watched her; I noticed he was blinking at her, trying to take notice.

"Stop watching her, Krishna!" I said quickly. "People will think you're inappropriate."

"I'm not watching her, silly. I'm watching those servants put up that huge statue. Wait! I'll help!" He quickly ran off.

Oh. He wasn't watching the girl.

Just as I was in my thoughts, mother came up to me.

"Dhruv dear, you can come in now to watch the dances. Your most awaited moment has come." She laughed again.

"Mother...." I groaned in annoyance, but smiled at her little mischievous grin.

💓

Everyone had settled in their cushions on their seats surrounding a dancer who had a veil over her head while she sat on the floor in her starting position.

"Welcome to everyone present for our first dance ceremony for Maharaj Jagathnath's grand-daughter's wedding. Please welcome our first dance, Rukhsana Chandravati who is in fact one of Princess Ashwatara's dearest friends, and one of the most beautiful and charming dancers history has ever known."

Occasionally, I sipped from my cup which had a red drink in it and was often given while watching these dances.

Her curly hair had been neatly put into a plaited bun, and a few curls hung loose by her neck which was decked with a glistening array of necklaces. Her countless bangles clinked on each other as she began twisting her wrists and making graceful moves.

The classical music soothed my curious instinct, and the dance began. She stood up elegantly and began swirling and advancing nearer her audience; the veil over her head still covering her face, still keeping her anonymous. We sat on the edge of our seats watching her intently.

"She's good." Krishna leant and whispered in my ear.

As the Tabla got to its climatic score, her arms waved even more frantically: even more gracefully and followed the beat of the music perfectly. The veil on her head was now starting to slip off as she purposely swayed her head backwards and twirled to reveal her beautiful face.

I almost choked on my drink when I noticed her face. The same girl: the one I had seen twice today.

My eyes widened at her astonishingly beautiful features: her sharp eyes glistening with a watery substance near the tips.

She walked off, leaving me watching her as she disappeared behind the pillars.

I was awe-struck. There was a large amount of gossiping going on about how good she was.

"What do you think Dhruv?" Ashwatara came up to me in the break.

"Beautiful." I whispered musingly.

"Pardon?" She asked me.

I broke out of my trance and realized my mother was asking me something.

"I mean - fantastic. Good." I nodded.

"Come, I'll introduce you to Rukhsana."

"What -" I jerked my head up at her in shock, and before I knew it, she was dragging me with my wrist to a room.

"Why?" I stopped half way through a corridor.

"What do you mean 'why'? She's my friend and I want you to meet her."

"But - m-m-mother's calling me, Ashwatara. I have to go." I turned to go the other way when I saw a huddle of servants gossiping.

I walked slowly on purpose to hear what they were laughing like children about.

"That Rukhsana girl - she was distracting! I can only see her everywhere I go." A servant said, making the other men laugh.

"Why do you like her, she's a prostitute?" Another joked, high fiving the other.

"That's the point." The servant laughed.

"Go get her then - tonight!"

Somehow, I felt my fists clenching at my sides. My nose twitched in fury and I tried hard to ignore the comments they were passing about her.

"She's probably in a hundred affairs with men she meets! Knowing her she'll probably even woo Prince Rakshat even before his marriage!" A ruckus of laughter erupted and this made me completely lose it.

I stormed off and punched the servant to the floor, making his nose bleed. His painful groans didn't satisfy my anger.

"Prince! Please forgive me! Please! I didn't mean to! I made a mistake, please!"

Before I knew it, the whole family had rushed into that corner and my mother put her hand over her mouth in shock.

"Dhruv! What are you doing?" My father asked angrily, pulling me back. I didn't take my eyes off this fool who was begging to me with tears streaming down his face like a coward.

Just then, I saw Ashwatara and her friends with Rukhsana, arrive. They stared at me in shock and Rukhsana tossed a glance from the servant to me in confusion.

I looked at her while I spoke. "They were ridiculing her. They said she was a...." I stopped abruptly.

Everyone turned to look at Rukhsana and I could tell she was scared stiff. My mother went and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The tears welling up in her eyes were obvious and I didn't want to hurt her more by saying that she had been called a prostitute. Her friends took her away and my father pulled me from the servant.

"He deserved it." My mother snapped.

"Get out of my palace." My grand father spat at him. "I will not tolerate any injustice to women in this household."

We were all dismissed and I just stood still, gazing at the floor with my father.

"Did that feel better?" He asked me after a few minutes of silence.

I looked at him with an unexpected smile. Was he proud that I hit him unlike my mother?

"I feel proud that you respect women, son." He patted my back.

"Ashok?!" My mother's voice sounded. "What are you teaching him?" She asked in confusion. "You shouldn't have hit him like that, darling."

"No, mother. He deserved it."

She glanced at Ashok who nodded in agreement.

"You two, like father like son. Even he used to get annoyed at anyone who he disagreed with." She smiled, looking at my father.