"Sorry Nakul....thodi deri ho gayi, par hum aa gaye toh tum jaldi se yeh lehenga utar do aur hum pehen lete hai." Nandini said. They then went into a room and came out moments later with the right clothes on. Nandini in the bridal lehenga and Nakul in his clothes.

After that, they slipped back into the hall and soon things calmed down. The chandelier was relit and the guards came back from looking for the culprit.

"Hukum....humne saari jagah dekh liye lekin kuch paata nahi chala. Koi bhi nahi hai."

"What? Phir yeh hua kaise?" Jaidev asked.

"Bhaisa...shayad hawa se ho gaya hoga." Nakul spoke up. Manik stared at him weirdly as he hadnt noticed him until just then.

"Rajkumar Nakul....aap kahan they?" Manik asked.

"Hum toh..yahi they Maharaj."

"Lekin..humne toh nahi dekha aapko?" Rajkumari Ishani commented. Nakul grumbled under his breath in annoyance.

"Aapki nazar apne bhai ki vivah ko chod ke mujhpe they kya?" Nakul asked.

"Nakul..." Jaidev said in a warning tone.

"Bilkul nahi." Ishani replied.

"Isi liye nahi dekha hoga....par hum toh kabse yahi pe they." Nakul said. "Kyun Nandini?"

"Haan....Nakul yahi pe toh that." Nandini also backed him up.

"Par-"

"Ishani...bohot ho gaya. Ab aage barte hai." Sumitra said. Nandini sat down beside Manik and the marriage continued. Ishani & Nakul glared at each other from accross the mandap while Jaidev and his eldest wife, Rani Pallavi performed the kanyadaan. 

Finally it was time for the bidaai, Pallavi & Vaishali were both sobbing as they hugged Nandini and kissed her temple. 

"Buasa!" Rajkumar Veer & Rajkumar Uday ran over and also hugged Nandini tightly. "Humme aapki bohot yaad ayenge!"

"Humme bhi." Nandini told them. Then she went over to her older brother. Jaidev also had tears in his eyes as Nandini wrapped her arms around him. "Bhaisa! Aap humse milne ayenge na?"

"Of course Nandini...tum janti ho tum humari laadli ho. Bina mile hum reh hi nahi payenge." Jaidev replied, kissing her forehead. Then wiped her tears. "Ab rona band kardo....tum humari strong behen ho na? Rajkumari...nahi sorry Rani Nandini...aise rote nahi hai."

"Haan aur vaise tum akele thodi na jaa rahi ho. Hum bhi toh aa rahe hai tumhare saath." Nakul said, trying to cheer Nandini up.

"Kya? Aap kyun ayenge?" Ishani asked.

"Humari marzi hai...isi liye." Nakul replied.

"Hai bhagwan....dekho toh inn dono ko." Sanjana laughed and nudged her husband. "Kaise...kutte billi ki tarah lar rahe hai."

**********

In Mewar Palace....

In one room, a woman is telling the dasi and servants what to do as they decorated the place with flowers.

"Ache se sajao iss kamre ko....aaj Maharaj apne nayi Rani ko le aa rahe hai. Kuch bhi kami nahi rehni chahiye."

"Ji Rani Priya." The servants bowed and went about their work.

"Badima!" Three little girls ran in, their payals jingling with each step.

"Arre....tum teeno yahan?" Rani Priya asked with a smile.

"Pitaji ChotiMa ke saath aa gaye kya?" Rajkumari Avantika asked.

"Nahi...abhi nahi Avantika. Jab tak woh ayenge tab tak raat ho jayenge aur aap teeno soh gaye honge."

"Phir hum Chotima se nahi milenge kya?" Rajkumari Chavi frowned.

"Miloge na...subha uth ke sabse pehle apni Chotima se mil sakte ho. Thik hai?" Priya assured them. The girls nodded, excited.

"Jiji....aapko nahi lagta aap humare pati ki teesri biwi ka swagat karne ke liye kuch zyada excited ho rahi hai?" A woman asked as she entered. Priya gave her a look before turning to the kids.

"Tum log jao aur apne kamre mein khelo."

The girls agreed and left then Priya turned back towards the other woman who was none other than Rani Eliana.

"Eliana....woh sirf Manik ki teesri biwi nahi. Mewar ki sabse choti Rani bhi hai....izzat se baat karo uske baare mein." 

Eliana rolled her eyes. "Humme toh yeh samajh nahi aa raha ki Manik ko phirse shaadi karne ki zaroorat hi kya hai? Maana abhi tak humne waaris ko janam nahi diya par hum aapki tarah banjh thodi na hai...agli baar de denge."

The servants stopped what they were doing and gasped out loud. Thats when she realized what she said.

"Jiji...humara woh matlab nahi tha." 

Priya just looked very hurt as she wiped away her tears. 

"RANI ELIANA!" A voice boomed, They turned and saw Maharani Madhuri, the youngest wife of Maharaj Prithvi and she didnt look happy at all. "Yeh kya badtameezi hai? Rani Priya tumse badi hai...aur Manik ki sabse pehli biwi. Himmat kaise hua tumhara aise baat karne ki?"

"Maafi chahte hai Chotima, humara sachme aisa kehne ka matlab nahi tha. Hum bas yeh keh rahe they ki Manik ko phirse shaadi karne ki zaroorat kya hai jab ki hum waaris de sakte hai."

Manik's Room (The Room being decorated)

Priya's Room

Eliana's Room

Nandini's New Room

Three Princess's Room

"Eliana...yeh vivah sirf waaris ke liye nahi hai. Badi Jiji aur Maharaj Suraj Singh ki aakhri khwahish hai yeh...Mewar aur Sitamgarh ke beech ka rishta agar aur mazboot ho jaaye toh dono kingdoms ke liye acha hai." Madhuri explained. "Aur tum...koi choti bachi nahi ho. Tumhe paata hona chahiye ki kab kya bolna sahi hai."

"Ji Chotima....phirse nahi hoga." Eliana apologized again and then left.

Meanwhile in the throne room, a young man about the same age as Manik was sitting on the throne and feeling the handles with his hands.

"Beta...tumhe yahan nahi baitna chahiye. Agar Maharaj Manik ne dekh liye toh-" A woman said.

"Toh?" The Man asked. He was none other than Rajkumar Ranveer & the woman was Kaveri Singh, his maasi. "Manik Maharaj sirf isi liye banna kyunki woh bada hai aur hum andhe hai! Varna...hum Manik se harr cheez mein acha hai."

"Sivay..."

"Sivaay kya Maasima?" Ranveer asked.

"Nahi...kuch nahi beta." 

"Sivaay...talwarbaazi, hai na? Yudhbhoomi mein Manik humse acha hai yehi kehna chahti hai na aap?" 

"Humme galat mat samjhana Ranveer....uske elava tum harr cheez mein Manik se acha ho. Isme tumhari kya galati ki tum dekh nahi sakte?" Kaveri said, instigating him. "Vaise....raat tak Manik apne nayi rani ko le ayenge yahan."

"Toh hum kya kaare? Swagat mein kamra sajay Priya bhabhisa ki tarah?" Ranveer stood up annoyed.

"Arre beta...humara woh matlab nahi tha. Sun toh lo humari baat...dekho jo tumhari nayi bhabhisa hai na, woh rishte mein tumhari choti behen bhi hai....tumhare Mamaji ki ek lauti beti. Iss baat ki tum faida utha sakte ho...usse Manik ke khilaf kar sakte ho."

"Usse kya hoga?" Ranveer asked.

"Kya hoga?" Kaveri chuckled. "Ranveer...unn dono ki shaadi ek waaris ke liye hua hai. Priya toh kabhi ma bann anhi sakti aur Eliana ne sirf betiyon ko janam diya...toh ab Nandini se shaadi kar liya Manik ne. Lekin Nandini ke baare mein ek baat jaan lo, usse orders follow karna pasand nahi hai. Humare bhaisa ne bohoy bigaara hai usse...aur aaj woh kisi ki nahi sunti."

"Aur Manik ko woh log pasand hi nahi jo baat nahi sunte." Ranveer added.

"Haan...maine pehle hi Manik ko Nandini ke khilaf bharkaya hai aage tum sambhal lo. Manik ko Nandini ke khilaf aur Nandini ko Manik ke khilaf agar tumne kar diya toh kaha se ayega waaris?" Kaveri smirked. "Uske baad...ho skata hai ki kisi din Manik hadse ka shikar ho jaaye?"

"Maasima! Manna hum Manik se nafrat karte hai...bohot karte hai par...woh bhai hai humara, hum maar nahi sakte usse." Ranveer said. Kaveri made an annoyed face.

"Beta...Manik jab marega tabhi tum Maharaj ban paoge na?" Kaveri said in a sweet voice. "Aur humne kab kaha ki tum maaroge apne bhai ko? Lekin...dushman toh kabhi bhi vaar kar sakte hai na?"

Ranveer didnt like the thought of killing Manik but he did want to be King....so he didnt say anything.

-------------------

Note: Thoughts?

How did you like the other characters so far?