Dheevara Prasara Shourya Bhara
Uthsara Sthira Ghambheera
Dheevara Prasara Shourya Bhara
Uthsara Sthira Ghambheera

The brave persevering one,
your bravery is taking you forward.
The one who is leaping higher and higher, who is firm and
stable and seriously
determined.

"I am so scared what if we get caught "  A very scared princess pranaya whispered in trembling in fear. Jignasa who was all ready to climb the tree to pluck apples from the branches rolled her eyes. 

"Don't climb jignasa, let me find a stick." Tanirika held a very delighted jignasa back. Three days passed since they arrived in the palace of rakshatra. The three days were plain and empty. No royal orders were passed. Every princess used to get ready for the arrival of orders only to pass the day with each other. It seemed like no one remembers about the treaty, the princess. The attendees were always silent.

"There are no orders your highness " they would reply whenever someone interrogated them about the designation of the princesses.

Jignasa, tanirika and pranya spent all their time together talking and gossiping about random topics. A word came around that the apple orchards at the backside of the quarters were filled with delicious apples, rare enough to find in a commonplace. The trees were planted by the ancestors and were blessed with rich flavour and ambience. Jiganasa had a different kind of love for the apples placed in the princess quarters when the word reached her ears all she wanted was to steal those apples from the orchard.

"Do you really think this thin stick will get me those delicious apples? " She snorted earning a glare from tanirika. 

"Yes, if the desire to have those apples and the place in this palace then we have to be hidden. " Tanirika replied, hitting the branch with a small apple with the stick. Pranaya sat under the tree holding her hands together chanting the name of deities she worshipped.

"Get away from there, the apple will fall on your head pranaya " A very concentrated tanirika whispered hitting the stick to the branch continuously. Jigansa pulled pranaya away from the tree.

"This is not right. We are the princessess. What if they sent us back? "

"For the apples and we asked for the apples but since this orchard is dearest to the king we have to steal the apples. " Tanirika answered back supported ny jignasa.

"And if he orders us to go back then we will go together. " Tanirika nodded looking at jiganasa who snatched the stick away hitting the branch vigorously. 

"Jignasa stop making a sound. The guards will come here "

"The guards will come here if you continue speaking in a high pitch. Lower your voice. "

"I am sorry but don't make that loud sound. I don't want to be caught. "

"Then why are you here " a very anger jignasa snorted. 

"Ok that's enough, stop fighting. Let's grab some apples and run. " Tanirika grabbed another stick from the ground and started hitting the other branch.

"This won't work.  You both hit the branch with the stick I will climb " atrocity cloaked on both of their faces, as jignasa started climbing the tree. Pranaya held tanirika's hand motioning towards a very excited jignasa who was clambering the tree.

"I am sacred.  what if she falls " Tanirika hushed.

"If she falls then it will draw attention and we will be thrown out of this palace " Pranaya mumbled horror knitting in her voice. Jignasa was almost near to the target. She walked slowly towards the end of the branch, her breast brushing the branch as she leans down to grab the apple. She hooked the little branch of an apple between her fingers, swabbing the branch between her fingers she smashed the bond of the apple with the tree. it directly fell down. A smile crept on all of there faces as they jumped in happiness looking at the apple on the ground. Pranaya picked the apple fallen apple from the ground holding it properly between her hands. Jignasa grinned from the top looking at the other two princesses. One by one she three number of apples down, balancing and hissing on the branches.

"We will have a small feast of apples tonight while bathing.  " She sang from the top. Tanirika chuckled picking the last apple from the ground.

"Now get down. We need to reach our chambers to feast on these delicious stolen adistaerent. Just like stealing someone's heart" Jignasa scrunched her face in distaste on the mention of heart.

"Don't correlate my apples to the hearts. Remember we are to seal the treaty. Our happiness doesn't matter and the man who rules this kingdom is cruel. " jignasa hissed falling straight on the ground.  A crippling sound filled in the quiet atmosphere panicking the hearts of the princessess.

"Oh no we need to run before the guards come here. " Tanirika helped jigansa to get up on her feet as they ran towards the secret passage they entered from. The pearl quarters had a little passage to the apple orchards which hauled them to the middle east part of the apple orchards. The sound of anklets mixed with the cold breeze as they ran for saving the stolen apples.

"Pranaya I told you to remove those anklets"

'"It's me jignasa. I forgot to remove them. "A very panicked tanirika apologised taking slow steps to avoid the sound of her anklets.

" Make sure no apples are dropped. I want to eat them. " Pranaya rolled her eyes at jignasa who had no fear of getting caught.

"I think I heard something. They are here. " Tanirika stopped in her tracks feeling a dark presence around them.

"Guards " jignasa stated. Tanirika shook her head in denial moving toward the left side, covered in the smoke of the late cold night. Her hands moved towards the dagger hide near her waist. 

"Don't move," she whispered alerting both of them. A creeping sound grabbed her attention from the east before she could move to the east pranaya held her hand stopping her in the tracks.

"Don't it can be dangerous.  Let's move. " Tanirika ignored her comment, she removed the dagger from her waist and waited for the sound to fill her earlobes again. As soon as the person moved from the east she threw her dagger in the direction.  Before she could move towards the prey, a sword hanged in front of her neck stopping in her tracks. She looked around. A number of guards were orbiting the three, they were caught and the crime was they stole the luscious dearest apples from the king's orchards. Pranaya held her right hand while she held jignasa's hand with the left one. Looking at the armoured, face covered with metallic masks warriors standing in front of them, a feeling of terror passed through them like a cruel brutal king's wrath was waiting for them.

"Your majesty, there has been an intruder caught in the apple orchards " The guard informed the very busy king who was constructing a mini prototype, which looked like a virtual project of the new drainage system which was soon predicted to reach the streets of rakshatra. His crazily fascinating dark eyes turned towards the guard who stood in the farthest corner.

"Who are the intruders? Tell master Junius to attend the matter. " He ordered, drawing a straight line on the paper with the pencil moving the scale in different angels.

"The princesses. " His eyes sparkled in amusement, lips quicker looking at the guard.

"Elaborate " The king decreed.

"The three princesses who are one of the peace offerings from the neighbouring kingdoms sneaked out to the orchards. "

"To eat the apples. " He stated rubbing his jaw with his left thumb.

"Yes, they wanted to have a taste. "

"My delicious apples always caught an evil eye. Where is master Junius? "

"He is attending the princesses and he wishes your presence in the hall. " The king nodded at the guard dismissing him. He turned towards the virtual model, placing his scale and pencil back on the table. An attendee helped him to adjust his attire before he moved towards the private the hall. The shadow of the three princesses leapt in the hall as master Junius stood firm near the lamp looking at the three ladies.

"You are treating us a big criminal. All we did is grabbed some apples from the orchard. " The sharp tone cut his strides, amazement knocked inside him, he moved silently behind a pillar his ears attending every sentence passed in the room.

"In the middle of a cold night, three princesses grabbing apples "  Master Junius snapped in his cold voice. The princess standing the left trembled in fear while the other two princesses stood firmly looking at the person.

"Sleep never came to us, so we decide to take a walk. What is wrong in that? "
The one to two right sides replied in a sharp tone. The king relaxed behind the pillar smirking at the little interaction going on in the hall.

"Is this your royal manners,? We expect all our guests to behave during their stay -"

"Pardon me for my voice, Your majesty but the royal family of nakshatra has a no right to question our manners when they are the one who left us unattended like some decorating objects. It's been three days, all we the princesses from the different kingdom do is sit, chat and gossip. We were called here for a motive, for a treaty, I remember. " Her voice held authoritative softness mixed with anger and rage dripping from her tongue. She moved towards the left keeping the apples on the table looking straight in the master's eyes.

"so this is about not attending the royal princesses " He mocked.

"No your majesty this is not about the royal princesses. This is about the kingdom, this is the about the people who are looking at us with expectation and trust. We are here to assure our people safety and security. But all we do is talk about things which don't matter. "

Master Junius looked at the reflection of the king falling on the ceiling of the well-architected wall. He turned towards the princess who stood confidently, like the owner of the land, her words clear and no emotion of regret evaluating on her face.

"I will like to know your names. " He questioned picking an apple from the table and passing it to the attendee standing in the room. The attendee collected all the apples, jignasa tried to keep one but they never left any. She gritted her teeth, forgetting her manners.

"Princess jignasa, princess of the kingdom jayana. " The king noted the name of the sharp one.

"Princess pranaya, princess of the kingdom of Prayag" The scared one whispered her body still shaking in fear. The king impatiently waited for the middle one to reveal her name.

"Princess Tanirika, princess of the kingdom Asaka" Asaka, he smirked looking at his master whose lips curved in a cunning smile.

"The princess of the kingdom whose first born is bethroed to the throne of rakshatra " He Demanded. Jignasa alerted looking at tanirika.

"Yes," She whispered still no hint of regret or fear in her voice.

"You may leave. But let me make this very clear to you three, we are letting you three go because you are our guests.  "

"Says the one who left their guests unattended and isolated in one corner of the palace. "  Tanirika latched back, she turned around not sparing a single glance at the master. Jignasa who was wiggling her eyebrows in confusion with the new found information grabbed pranaya's hand moving out with tanirika. Master Junius stood firmly gazing at the fire, streaking inside the lamp.

The king moved towards the left as the princess passed from the side. He hid behind the curtains like a master in hiding. He waited for the princesses to move out.

Tanirika stopped in her tracks turning back. She looked at the pillar who just showed a little moment.  Jignasa looked at tanirika who moved back towards the pillar where the king hid behind the curtain.

"It's you " she commented. He stiffed coating himself in the wall, stopping his breath. She leaned down, siding the curtains little, her eyes fell upon the little furry dog, hiding behind the curtains. The puppy wriggled as she held him cautiously near her breast.  The king's eyes followed the movement of her hands, as she pressed the puppy close to her breast. Her wine coloured lehenga complemented her feminine curves.  Her veil blocking the view of her face.

"Come with me. Don't eat these curtains. They will kill you because my little friend you are no royal, my royal status saved me.  "

The king waited for her to turn around and move out. Once he was assured for their presence has left him. He came out staring at the door smirking to himself.

"Zravasaya " Master Junius nodded as the king bowed down at his teacher.

There is always a thread connecting two people from different sides of the globe.

I hope you liked the chapter. I love jignasa and if a plot comes to mind then I will definitely write a book on her quirky personality.

So, this story belongs to

Tanirika & Zravasaya

Thank you for supporting and loving the book. 💗