viii.

" Prince! " the murmurs grew louder, as the crowd bowed their heads in front of their prince.

" The princess and I came to visit the Bhairava temple to seek Lord Shiva's blessings. But we didn't expect to see all this. "

The priest joined his hands in greetings, " It's not like what you're thinking- "

" I don't need any explanations. I've seen what I needed to. " that made the old man shut up.

The man who'd attacked Geetanjali looked fearfully at him, and fell on her feet, making her retreat, " Forgive me, Princess. " she looked at her husband.

" This is your last warning. The next time you ever raise your hand against a woman or get caught doing something immoral, you'll face trial in the royal court. Leave now. " he nodded at Mritunjay and ran away for his dear life.

" And not just him, everyone should remember that I won't tolerate any kind of discrimination in Gauravgarh. The practice of high and low castes is forbidden here; everyone is equal. I hope the people of our kingdom will live together in harmony and not consider themselves as God. " the last words were directed towards the priest.

He looked down in shame, while the people around nodded at the prince's thoughtfulness. After that, both Mrityunjay and Geetanjali walked back to their palace.

On their way home Geetanjali said, " Was it necessary for you to intervene and hit that man? I didn't want you to fight."

" As long as the healthy debate was going on, it was fine by me. But if someone tries to harm my wife, I will have to intervene. I know you can take care of yourself, but it's also my duty to keep you safe, Geetanjali. " she smiled at her husband and held his hand, " Once we get to the palace, get your hand checked up by the royal physician. "

•

A month passed like this, and only two weeks have remained for the coronation ceremony. A lot has changed in this month. Geetanjali had started reading books -it became her new hobby- and practiced with other weapons like the knife and also learned archery and horse riding. Her shooting skills weren't that good, but her husband had said that it'll do. Mrityunjay also taught her, how to play chess, and that became the favourite pastime game for both.

The days were passing by with a good note and nowadays, her mother-in-law wasn't taunting her either. What surprised her was that, Lekha had been extra nice to her recently. Though it raised suspicion in her mind, but still she's happy that her mother-in-law is getting to start liking her.But her happy bubble burst out, with the arrival of a certain someone.

Geetanjali had woken up late that morning, and her husband was at fault, since he kept her awake for the late of the night. Not that she's complaining, she likes it when her husband showers his love on her.

Blushing furiously at the remembrance of their last night activities, she didn't notice the other person in front of her, and bumped with her, " I'm so sorry. My mind was somewhere else. Are you hurt- "

" Princess Vishakha- " Lekha walked towards both of them, " -I was looking for you. Come, eat something. You must be tired from your journey. Oh! Geetanjali, you woke up? "

" Yes Your Highness. Greetings Your Highness. " Lekha nodded at her and turned to Vishakha, to do the required introduction.

" This is Princess Vishakha, daughter of our dear friend. She has arrived for the coronation ceremony. And this is Geetanjali, Mrityunjay's wife."  she nodded at the princess.

" You too come with us, Geetanjali. Let's have our meal together. " the three women walked towards the dining hall, when Vishakha opened her mouth.

" I've heard so much about you, sister- " Geetanjali frowned at the endearment, " I was surprised to hear about your sudden marriage to Mrityunjay. You know, Jay and I have known each other since childhood. And that, Jay would marry me once we become adults, was something that we've always discussed in our childhood. That's why, I wanted to see what's so special about you that he agreed to marry you instantly and even refused a second marriage proposal? " she could hardly smile after hearing those words.

Feeling that the conversation wasn't going the right way, Geetanjali interrupted, " I just remembered something important. You two go ahead. I'll join you after finishing my task. " and walked away from there.

But before she could make her way out completely, the princess said loudly enough for her to hear, " Your Highness, I'd love to explore Gauravgarh. It's been so long since I've had a stroll down the town here. Ask Jay to take me to the lake where he and I used to play as kids. You know I haven't had a chance to talk to him alone yet. "

Lekha laughed -which seems like a cruel laughter to Geetanjali at that moment- and said, " Of course. Mrityunjay is eager to meet you too. You were his closest friend after all. "

Fastening her pace, she made her way to the court room, to clear a few things with her husband. An unknown fear started crawling in her chest, as the reason for Lekha's suspicious behavior and the sudden arrival of Vishakha dawned on her.