1 An Offer
1602 Words
1. An offer
Author's POV
The helicopter landed in front of the beautiful palace of Jaisalmer. A handsome hunk stepped out of it and headed towards the main entrance of the palace. He glanced at the palace, he was peeking at it after five years.
All the people and workers of the palace bowed their heads in honor of the prince.
"Good evening everyone," The prince greeted everyone present there. Seeing his son, the king, Suryaraj Rathore smiled broadly at him. Happiness gleams in his eyes, as his son came back on his one edict.
"Prince Prithviraj welcome back to India," He greeted him.
"Today's celebration is to welcome you," The king announced. There were only family members in the living hall.
After the celebration, his father asked him to come to the study room. He knows something is vicious. He headed towards the study room.
As he emerged, his father got up from his chair and opened his arms for his son.
"Prithvi, didn't you miss your father?" He asked Prithvi breaking the hug with a sigh. He became old now, he needs him by his side.
"Dad, you know..." Prithvi sighed and pain engulfed his smile.
"I know but it's time to move on," He smiled and patted his back too. He was observing the sadness of his son. It's still the same as it was five years ago.
"Prithvi, now I want a promise from you," The king sighed and hopefully glanced into his son's eyes. He added leading him towards the sofa, "sit here."
"Now, you know that I'm getting old," He laughed, but his words annoyed Prithvi.
"Dad..." He glared at his father.
"Let me finish," He cut off his son.
"Now, I'm too much old and the biggest fact than this is, I can't handle this kingdom. So, I wish that Prithvi's coronation ceremony should be held in a short period," He said in one go with his heavy and thick tone.
"Dad, I'm ready for that," Prithvi said. He knows why he was called here. He left the country five years ago and he was ordered by his father to come back on an urgent basis.
The King Licked his dried lips, he acknowledged Prithvi, "Before the Coronation ceremony, you have to accomplish the traditional prayer and..."
Prithvi narrowed his eyes. The King deploy inhaled and asserted further, "And for that worship, you have to get married. You can not sit alone in the prayer."
Prithvi's eyes went wide. This was the thing, from which he was galloping away and he pushed himself away from his kingdom as well as his family. A painful memory flashed in front of his eyes for a second. A shudder of anger passed through his vein.
"Prithvi, I know what happened in the past was dreadful, but we have to move on in our life," His father said caressing his back.
"Prithvi, I want you to get married as soon as possible. If you find a bride by yourself, it will be good, but if you can't find any girl as your bride, I have an offer for you," His father's tone changed and he felt that not his father but the king is ordering him. He was still silent.
"I don't wanna marry, you know the reason," Prithvi got up and was ready to leave the room.
"Then what about our people, our kingdom?" The king raised a question. Prithvi's legs halted. He can not let anyone harm his people. He is the royal blood, he never wishes to escape from his responsibilities.
"Dad..."
"Prithvi, to be the king of our kingdom, we need support from other petty kingdoms. I have already met a few kings and they are almost on our side. But there..." He paused while thinking something deeply.
"The king of a small kingdom Jodhpur, the king Dheersingh Rajput has put a condition that if you will marry his daughter, he and the kingdoms under his territory will be our side," The king acknowledged the reality. The prince shook his head with an evil smirk.
"Prithvi, I will be glad if you will marry her, then after your choice, you will lose a big support from this kingdom, it's bigger than you think," The king tried to convince his son. Somewhere he knows that everything is vein while talking to him.
The prince left the hall without saying anything. When no one is there, the king asked Bhairav, his assistant, "Bhairav, what will be the decision of my prince?"
"Sir, he will obey your words," Bhairav said while lowering his head.
*
"Prithvi, what did you decide?" Abha rushed to his room.
He was standing silently in the corridor of his room, slowly, he whirled to Abha.
"Nothing yet, " He answered politely.
"Do you wanna marry that girl?" Abha asked desperately.
"Didi...".
"You should marry..."
"Didi, please... Leave me alone a while," He hardly asserted controlling his anger and evacuated from the balcony.
Next day...
"Sir is calling for you," The servant informed him and stood at the entrance of his room, lowering his head.
"Okay," Prithvi inhaled deeply and headed. His sharp gaze was enough to scare anyone at a single glance.
He emerged into the study room. His father was not alone. There was also another man sitting opposite his father.
"Dad..."
"Hello, young man..." The man broadly smiled and greeted the prince. The prince knows him, who he is.
"Hello..." Prithvi greeted him back but his tone was arrogant. The King smirked hearing him.
"What do you think about the marriage?" His father asked him. He felt that he is forced to marry and he hasn't any other choice.
"Is it necessary to marry?" He asked his father and added, "If I say No..."
"Then, I will allow Abha and Amar..." The king's tone became rude.
"As you say, I will marry" Prithvi answered when he didn't get any other option. There are a lot of enemies, he can not let them harm his kingdom. And whatever, he can not let her sister and brother-in-law rule over his kingdom.
There was no place for love in his life, but there is a craving for power and a ruling position. He can not give it to anyone.
"I accepted," He inhaled deeply and something evil sparked in his eyes. Nobody noticed it.
"Then, what are we waiting for?" Dheersingh happily chirped. He wants it. Dheersingh got up and hugged the king, Suryaraj. The king is happy that his son is ready for marriage.
"So I will plan your meeting with your bride," Dheersingh conceded breaking the hug.
"No, need for that, arrange the preparation for the marriage," Prithvi smirked but there was heinousness in his eyes.
"Call the priest," The king ordered Bhairav, and Bhairav left the room immediately.
"Fix everything as you want, dad," The prince said and added, "Now excuse me."
"Sure, my son..." The king is so pleased.
In just a few minutes, the priest is standing in front of them and he is greeted bowing his head in honor of the king, "hello, sir."
The king just smiled at him.
"Now, I wish you to finalize the date for the wedding of the prince, " He told and added, "Find the nearest day before his mind gets altered."
"Horoscopes of the bride and groom?" The priest asked both of the kings.
"Bhairav," Suryaraj just said and Bhairav came forward with a red paper-wrapped horoscope of the prince.
"Here is the horoscope of my elder daughter," Dheersingh inserted his hand inside the pocket of his suit. He handed the same red paper-wrapped horoscope.
After a few minutes of study of the horoscopes, the priest chirped happily, "32 points of prince Prithviraj and princess Malvika's are matching. This is a very good sign for this wedding."
"Great!" Suryaraj said and patted Dheersingh's back.
The priest started looking for dates in his book of astrology. He said, "The best dates as per astrology is coming after a month. Or if you wanna plan it earliest, you should fix the date, a day after tomorrow."
"The day after tomorrow," the king announced firmly because he doesn't wish that his son would get any excuse to delay the marriage.
"This is not difficult to plan a wedding in a day, just go for it," The king declared. As soon as possible, he wants to see his son on the throne.
"Then final it," Dheersingh said and they finalized more things with the priest, and also about the best day for the coronation ceremony of the prince.
Dheersingh took back a horoscope of his daughter from the priest. He was surprised to see the name on the first page of the horoscope. He gulped hard and rapidly put the horoscope in his pocket. He thought shaking his mind, "How is it possible? How can it be replaced or changed? Whatever, the queen will be my daughter. No matter elder or younger."
Dheersingh rapidly came out of the palace, Prithvi crossed his path and sharply gazed upon him. He was not expecting Prithvi at this time.
"Ahh, Prithvi," Dheersingh forcefully smiled at the prince.
"Why are you so much interested in my wedding?" The prince asked him. Dheersingh wickedly smiled.
He retorted "Which father doesn't want to see his daughter on the seat of the queen?"
"Good choice, " The prince dangerously came close to Dheersingh, "Say your daughter to be careful because her father's choice would be dangerous for her."
Dheersingh was astounded thinking about his daughter "What will he do with my daughter?"
- Writer
