26 - Knowing him & his family(S1)

NEXT MORNING,

As the light spilled into the palace, Niharika lazily opened her eyes, rubbing them as the world around her appeared hazy.

A knock on the door stirred her, and she sat up, supporting herself with the headboard.

"I w..was lay..ying dow...n the..re. How d...id I G.g-get h..ere?" she muttered to herself, looking confused.

Another knock sounded, prompting her to get up and answer the door, left with her question unanswered.

As she opened the door, she met the same head lady.

"Today's your first rasoi, Yuvrani. You have to come with us and make something according to customs," the head lady informed her.

Niharika nodded and went inside.

After getting ready in her usual flowing Anarkali dress, she returned outside.

"Follow me," instructed the head lady, and Niharika nervously complied.

Inside the kitchen, Suman, the head helper, explained a few things to Niharika, which felt insufficient for the task at hand.

"Don't add any type of milk or dairy products to anything," Suman informed her before stepping away.

She added an unnecessary comment, "And don't mess with anything like you did yesterday; everyone is already not really happy with you."

Niharika nodded silently, her nervousness increasing as she recalled the haunting memories of the previous night.

Once Suman left the kitchen, Niharika stood still for a moment, taking in her new surroundings. She then took a few steps forward, but whenever she reached a corner where other helpers were working, they abruptly left their work to attend to something else. Niharika chose to let it slide, not bothering too much about it.

Moving to another corner to see what she could make, she reached the stove, only for the other helper to turn it off and move away. It seemed like they were giving her the silent treatment.

Her initial morning smile, filled with hope and determination, faded away.

She heard a sound behind her, and Vanshi called out to the helper.

"Anika," Vanshi said, and the other helper turned towards her.

"Did you forget Bhaiji's words, or should I inform him?" Vanshi questioned, folding her hands and raising an eyebrow at her co-worker.

The helper looked horrified, fear evident in her eyes as she glanced around, not making eye contact with Niharika.

The helper tried to justify her actions, saying, "We do other works, Yuvrani Khama Gani," as she apologized and bowed.

Niharika felt confused as she observed the workers leaving.

Anika called out to another fellow mate, and they both left the kitchen together.

Vanshi turned and smiled at Niharika."Do you know what happened yesterday? How Bhaiji took a stand for you?" Vanshi asked excitedly, moving closer to her.

Niharika shook her head in response, still looking bewildered as she gazed at the lady standing in front of her.

"Oh, I forgot," Vanshi said, sighing dramatically.

"Hi, I'm Vanshi, the one who got you ready for the muh-dikhai. You were looking pretty; do you remember?"

"Y-yes," Niharika replied.

"Really?" Vanshi's eyes lit up, resembling a little puppy. She took Niharika's hands in hers with excitement.

"You remember!" she exclaimed, and Niharika nodded in agreement.

Vanshi then let go of Niharika's hands and said, "Oh, I need to behave," looking guilty.

"No, n..no, I r...really l..like it th..i..is w..a.ay. Ple....a.ase don't t..treat me li.k.ke so...me dist..ant pe..rson fro..o.m yo..u," Niharika said.

"Okay, can i " Vanshi said, then moved her hands to her hips.

"Okay, well, don't worry. You will make something; you don't need to panic," Vanshi reassured Niharika, who still looked nervous.

"Kaki Sa must have given you a list of what to do or what absolutely not to do, right?" Vanshi asked with a mocking tone.

Niharika nodded again.

"Ah, don't be scared of Kaki Sa. Arey, unki toh aadat hai; Kaki Sa makes everyone panic. Even I get scared when she is around. She is a dangerous woman to be around. Just follow some procedures, and yes?" Vanshi added, asking a question at the end.

"You know how to cook, right?"

"Yes," Niharika replied.

"Then it's really easy," Vanshi said, joining her hands together and releasing them into the air, unable to stand still for a second.

***

Vanshi and Niharika started cooking. Obviously, Niharika was doing the cooking, while Vanshi kept her company. They shared gossip about the palace, and Niharika had mixed reactions. Sometimes she was shocked, and sometimes she found it hilarious. These moments made Niharika forget her pain and laugh heartily. She didn't realize that this place could be welcoming, a place where she could find joy again.

Vanshi shared the story of how Prithvi took a stand for Niharika. Niharika listened silently, her face betraying no emotion, possibly fighting an internal battle or not letting the story affect her.

"You know what! People in this palace are not actually rude or bad, but they all have different temperaments," Vanshi commented as she passed vegetables to Niharika.

"I have been working here for the past 10 years, and initially, I used to get really scared and angry at how egotistic these people are—always ordering someone to do something, having contrast preferences to each other," she said, moving her hands in frustration, as if showing her past frustration.

"It was like, what am I in a museum? Everyone is antique and cocky."Vanshi paused, her expression changing back to joyful. While Niharika moved to another corner, Vanshi followed her, speaking.

"After last night's event. About Rajmata?  you might think or Started having thought that she is such an evil woman, but I noticed they never take a stand against wrong. But also, she does not show that she cares for others. I don't understand why people in this palace hide their emotions and true feelings. They don't even share their secrets; it's like they are scared of getting caught, like someone will catch their weakness," she said.

Niharika continued her work, occasionally looking up to acknowledge that she was listening.

"You know what's interesting Rajmata and Thakurayaan can't even stand seeing each other for a minute; they both hold a grudge against each other. They find it amusing to see each other stuck, as if they hold a grudge for decades," Vanshi commented.

"But she loves and holds a very soft corner for Bhaiji," Vanshi said, contradicting her previous statement.

"Always wants the best of the best things for him. They don't talk much, haan, like, but still, they have a very subtle understanding," she said.

Niharika listened; she always wanted that kind of understanding, even a subtle touch of it, from her mother, but she never got an inch of love from her.

She continued working on the stove.

Vanshi followed Niharika like a tail.

"And Dadi Sa," she said, her mouth wide open in the most dramatic way.

"She is the lady Hitler of the house. Nothing can fly in another direction without her permission. You know, when Bhaiji came with you, marrying you," Vanshi said.

Niharika looked up in interest, wanting to know what happened next.

"She almost stopped him at the gate, didn't let him enter," she said.

"W..what?" Niharika reacted, surprised, as the Dadi Sa she met was different from what Vanshi was explaining.

How she behaved with Niharika, even Suman Sa warned her about her rage, but she didn't speak with rage. Yes, indeed, her tone was rude but it was quietly welcoming. She even seemed disappointed when Niharika said she wasn't made for this palace.

"Yes, was almost going to kick out Prithvi Bhai from the house and business, but everyone was shocked when she let him enter and watched in silence," Vanshi commented.

"W..what a..about the o..t..ther lady be..s.side R..rajmata?who was s..he?" Niharika asked, getting gradually interested in Prithvi's family affairs.

"Uh, Ashwini Bua Sa," Vanshi answered.

"B..bua? W...h..hy does s...he l..live h-here?" Niharika asked, a basic question, as it seemed she was a permanent resident of this palace, always ready with a sadistic opinion for everything.

She was like that curious owl who wanted to know everything.

"Oh, she has a lot of sorrow in her life," Vanshi said sarcastically, faking a cry and wiping tears.

"W..hy?" Niharika asked, putting a lid on the pan and turning around to face Vanshi.

The way Vanshi was explaining was commendable, as she somehow grabbed the attention of the reserved person like, Niharika.

"Because she was born into this royal family and has never known anything different, that's why," Vanshi replied, rolling her eyes at Niharika's curiosity.

Niharika looked at her weirdly, and Vanshi replied in counter defense, "Oh, Don't you get sarcasm. She is always complaining, never happy. Her brother's and father That they married her to someone who died after two years of marriage. Literally, her complaints never stop; everyone is starting to get tired of her and her complaints in all these years. "

"Even Vaishali Didi Ji is sick of her, her mother's complaining behavior?" she said, sitting on top of the counter.

"Va..i.ishali?" Niharika asked, hearing yet another new name.

"Ah, I forgot you don't know her. She is Bua Sa's daughter, currently out for some work. She is literally the opposite of her mother. Like her mother, Bua Sa can't stop herself from poking her nose into other affairs. She, on the other hand, doesn't let others easily enter her space and mind her own business quietly," Vanshi stated.

Niharika took the pan and put it on the side, then put another utensil on the stove.

" Do you know what Thakurayaan calls Bua Sa?" Vanshi said, whispering. "Chappali, chipkali," she commented and started laughing.

Niharika looked at her, like 'I mean, what's so funny about giving names to your daughter?' Her face said, 'You don't have the right to mock; Vanshi, stop.'

Vanshi composed herself, then said, "But don't worry, she's probably eavesdropping on us right now," adding a mischievous grin.

She cleared her throat and started again,

"Or there's Bade Malik, Bhai Ji's father, who is strict. No one even  a family member can crack a joke in front of him. And Chote Malik, who follows his brother's steps like a shadow everywhere, handling everything from the background. Chote Malik is not really into the power game; he just wants peace. But their wife, she is totally the opposite of peace," she said.

"Choti Nani Kaki, too, does not get involved in royal family matters. She is always busy enjoying herself, shopping. If you want to learn how to self-love, trust me, you won't find anyone better than her for guidance. Right now, even though she is on vacation, all alone with her fellow ladies, a really free spirit. Always cracking jokes and having that shady personality. Chhote Malik is tired of her because she always has too much energy; they might have taken a divorce, if they could. " Vanshi said.

"Why?" Niharika asked, worried, wondering if people in this house had cold distances and relationships with each other.

"Relax it's not serious, I was just stating that They keep fighting; Nani wants to travel, and Chote Nana Ka wants to relax. It's not like they hate each other, but you can say they find a way to roast each other, you know?" Vanshi said.

Then she took out her phone from her saree-customized pocket, scrolled, clicked pictures, and showed them to Niharika, saying, "See the reason."

It was a post on social media with shopping bags and a caption written:

╰┈➤ ❝𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐘! 𝐈'𝐌 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄. 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄, 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄. 𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐈 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐔𝐘 𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒. 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒. >⁠.⁠< ❞

She scrolled through many posts, reading them aloud for Niharika.

╰┈➤ ❝ 𝐈𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐈'𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐥-𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭. 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞!  𝐀𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐰 :⁠-⁠) ❞

She looked at them in shock.

Then she showed his son's chat, revealing how embarrassed he was by her actions.

Vanshi then put her phone back, and then continued, "See, she really doesn't care about royal status. By profession, she is a novelist of the '90s. She wrote about a lot of things. Her book about her mother, 'Udayagiri Rani,' is a hit. Now she's just retired and enjoying her life," she said.

"An..d.d w..h..ho's th..at guy in the c..chat?" Niharika asked.

"Viren, her son. He studies abroad. He's friendly, but yes, as you can see, embarrassed by his mother, like his father," Vanshi said.

"Only Dada Sa in this house, you will find normal. He's in his retirement years, having done a lot, so he's carefree now," she added, getting up from the table.

vanshi now looked interested as she cleared her throat.

While Niharika opened the lid by hand, closing her eyes to take in the aroma of the food she had almost finished making, Vanshi mentioned Prithvi's name.

Niharika opened her eyes, stopping what she was doing, and looked towards Vanshi with a different interest than before.Vanshi continued, not maybe yet noticing Niharika's reaction after the sudden mention of his name.

"Prithvi Bhaiji!, He's always out, mostly living in Delhi, handling—I don't know exactly—handling things there. He does not talk a lot or give his opinion in the house, unlike others. He's strangely not that connected with his family, unlike other members who are connected to at least someone. He's lost, like a facade. He completed his duty of being the eldest but rarely sits or talks with anyone. Or he never uses or shows off his royal status, or maybe I think he ran away, not from his responsibility but from the royal tag," Vanshi said, explaining whatever she had analyzed or heard about him from others in the last 10 years.

"W..why?" Niharika couldn't help but ask.

"I don't know. Maybe he wants to live a simple life. Nothing clear about him. I can just make assumptions. That's why Bhai Ji and Bade Malik have thick tension whenever they are around each other; their opinions clash against each other. Bade Malik wants Bhai Ji to see losing; he creates a lot of situations where he was almost on the verge of giving up, thinking then he will use his last option, his royal tag. But Bhai Ji simply either fights or accepts defeat but never uses that tag. He hates it."

But Prithvi once used his tag, isn't it, while claiming Niharika as his? When he was standing against her family. Does that mean he used his royal tag or accepted his defeat from his father for the very first time for her?

Niharika listened with all of her attention.

"You know, whenever Bade Malik mentions his king responsibility, he gets angry, leaving the house for a month. I don't know; he hates it whenever someone mentions him being a king. That's why people here call him Yuvraj," Vanshi said.

"Wh..y wo..uld  the..y?" Niharika couldn't hold herself back from asking.

Why does he hate that? There should be any theory behind his hate for the royal tag. It can't be some baseless reason; he chose to opt for a simple option when he always had the privilege to climb that ladder.

"I don't know, but the story I heard, rumors in the air in the past—" Vanshi continued.

But she abruptly stopped when Suman shouted at her, "Vanshi, what were you talking about? Do you forget the palace rules, or are you becoming too friendly with new people around you?" in rage.

Vanshi got quiet and said, "No, sorry, Kaki Sa."

"Can you behave yourself? If the food is prepared, then serve it on the table," Suman ordered.

"Ji, Kaki Sa," Vanshi said in fear, looking down.

"Now do your work," Suman shouted.

Vanshi nodded and went, and Suman's gaze followed as she left the kitchen.

Then she looked back at Niharika and said, "Go change into something sensible," she said. Niharika looked down.

"Or haan? Palace mein apne ghar jaise mat behave karo, jitna door rahogi utna tumhare liye achha hai samjhi? Warna yaha ke raj or yeh palace khud tumhe khana shuru kar dega. Samjhi ladki?" Suman said, warning her, keeping herself away from palace affairs.

"Pehle yaha ke logo ke dil mein jagah bana lo, badh mein yaha ke bare mein jaan lena. Now go," Suman said, and Niharika went out.

Once Niharika was gone, Suman came inside, near the countertop, and checked the food with a weary old sigh.

She muttered, "I entered at the right time," and then walked out of the kitchen to look outside in the hall, managing matters and ordering maids to prepare the breakfast table. "Clean here," she ordered, making sure everything was in order.

There was no one in the rasoi ghar when someone with the same uniform as all the maids entered, her face covered, in a speedy and constructive step.

She looked around in a rush, took out something white from her pocket, mixed it in the food in a hurry, and then walked outside, not getting caught by anyone.