Maya Meeting Nisha For The First Time.

The next morning, Maya saw a white rabbit in the grass while cutting the grass in the garden.

"Aww...what a beautiful white rabbit," she cooed, picking it up and placing it on her lap.

She heard a voice. "That rabbit is my pet." Maya looked up. A woman stood there, smiling at her like an angel descended from the sky.

Maya's eyes widened in shock.

“It's Nisha, the heroine of the story, is finally here” she thought. She stood up and said, "Hello, madam," to Nisha.

Nisha smiled and took the rabbit. "Are you the one who tried to save the prince yesterday?" she asked.

"Yes, madam," Maya replied humbly.

Nisha smiled softly. "Good deed. Thank you for your help."

Watching her walk away, Maya thought, “She is the very definition of beauty. It's a pity the birthmark on her forehead mars it.”

Two weeks later, the supervisor, Vijaya, called all the palace maids together. "Tonight, several noble ladies will be visiting the palace, so we need to prepare everything for their arrival," she announced.

The entire palace buzzed with excitement. Many noble ladies were coming from far and wide. Finally, Nisha arrived. When Maya saw her, her face lit up like a lotus flower.

Nisha noticed Maya and gave her a small smile before taking her seat.

One of the two women sitting behind Nisha whispered, "Dania, do you know something? Having a smooth face is a blessing." The other woman, Rishani, replied, "You're right, Rishani. Not all women are blessed with such a pretty face as yours."

Nisha's smile faded. She quickly left the room and stood under a tree, touching her forehead. Her eyes were troubled.

Seeing this, Maya approached Nisha. "Madam,if you're willing, I can tell you a way to hide that birthmark."

Nisha nodded. "Okay."

Maya took Nisha to her room. There, she dissolved red paint in water and painted a lotus flower over Nisha's birthmark. Nisha looked at her reflection in the clear water. She couldn't believe her eyes. The birthmark was completely covered by the lotus flower.

Overjoyed, Nisha exclaimed, "Thank you so much, Maya! I will never forget this kindness." As she turned to leave, she unexpectedly slipped and fell on top of Maya.

Her bodyguard, who had been searching for Nisha, witnessed this. His eyes widened in shock. He turned away and said, "Madam! The queen is about to arrive. Please come quickly."

Nisha and Maya looked at him, frozen in shock. "Madam, could you please get off me?" Maya asked. Nisha quickly stood up, thanked Maya, and returned to the others.

Everyone was stunned by Nisha's transformed appearance. Her beauty was breathtaking.

After the party, when everyone had gone home, Nisha went to Maya's room to find her. Maya was absent.

Rudra walked by, and Nisha stopped him. "Where have the maids gone?" she asked.

Rudra froze. Seeing Nisha under the moonlight, her face radiant, he was speechless. Annoyed by his lack of response, Nisha snapped, "Even the servants in this palace are arrogant."

Rudra, who had been standing like a stone, finally reacted to being called a "servant." A servant? Do I look like a servant to her? he wondered, walking away in self-doubt.

**********

Commander Bharana traveled towards Mahaditha, the Yaksha clan's capital city, to investigate the attack on Sesha by the yakshas. The rhythmic beat of his horse's hooves broke the silence of the path.

Weary from days of travel, Bharana leaned against a tree to rest. Sensing an arrow hurtling towards him, he opened his eyes and caught it mid-air. He looked in the direction it had come from.

Seeing a figure in the distance, he ran after it. Suddenly, he extended his right hand and called out, "Tam maa tyajatu!" A gold ring appeared in his hand.

He threw the ring at the fleeing figure. The spinning ring ensnared the figure, immobilizing it. Bharana approached, drew his knife, and lifted the figure's face. "What are you...a woman?" he asked in surprise.

Before he could finish the sentence, the woman vanished with lightning speed. Stunned and bewildered, Bharana could only stare at the empty space. He slowly composed himself, retrieved his golden ring, mounted his horse, and left.

"How can I arrange for Sesha and Nisha to meet? What can I do to spark love between them?" Maya mused while cleaning Sesha's room.

Sesha, who had entered unnoticed, listened quietly. As Maya cleaned, she came across a portrait of Sesha.

She approached it and said, "What are you looking at? I'll poke both your eyes out with my bare hands. I'm not afraid of you."

Hearing Maya's silly bravado, Sesha asked, "Who is not afraid of me?" Maya whirled around. Her legs trembled at the sight of the prince standing behind her.

Sesha took a step closer, then another. Maya, backing away in fear, found herself pressed against the wall. Leaning close, Sesha placed his hand on the wall beside her head and asked in a deep voice, "Are you not afraid of me?"

Maya's heart pounded. She wrung her hands nervously and stared at the prince, speechless. As he slowly moved his face closer to hers, a guard suddenly burst into the room.

Sesha immediately stepped back.

The guard announced, "Prince! The king summons you."

This is my chance! Maya thought, and fled. The guard, surprised to see her running, looked at the prince. "I won't tell the king," he offered. Hearing this, the prince turned away and said, "Nothing happened here, as you assume.”

Shesha went to see the king, and asked, "Dad, why did you call me?".

"My dear son, I cannot attend the Vesak festival on Friday. My health is declining. Since you will be king after me, you must attend the Vesak festival this time," the king said.

Shesha agreed. The queen then said, "Take Rudra and Nisha with you to the Vesak festival."

Shesha nodded and said, "Okay." He then said goodbye and left.

When he reached his room, he called the superintendent, Vijaya, and said, "I am going to attend the Vesak festival this time. At the festival, I want an intelligent and beautiful maid to serve me."

Vijaya said, "The best maid to serve you, Your Highness, is Megala. She has all the qualifications you mentioned."

Annoyed by her reply, Shesha said, "The maid I'm looking for should be a little shorter."

Vijaya replied, "With all those qualifications and a slightly shorter stature, there's Ashwini. She is a very beautiful, talented, and responsible maid."

Her reply irritated Shesha further.

He said, "The maid's name must start with the letter 'M'."

Hearing that, Vijaya said, "Your Highness, there is no one whose name starts with the letter 'M' who has those qualifications."

The prince, even more irritated by her reply, said, "Tell Maya to get ready to go to the festival with me."

Vijaya gave the prince a strange look and said, "Okay, Prince," and then left.