"Ma, do I have to? I won't be comfortable in this attire? It shows my arms and shoulders."

A scandalized Gauri protested after a happy Vasundhara enters her room in the evening with a bunch of maids in tow.

"Non-sense. You'll look beautiful. I've selected this one from the recent collection of an infamous French designer. People die to make an appointment with her or struggle to buy one of these. Fortunately, an old friend of mine works in the same department and pulled some strings to get us this dress.

Please don't refuse now. This party is very important for the King. Many foreign investors and mega business associates will arrive tonight. The brand you are wearing will raise our status more in their eyes."

The righteous mother-in-law stated and removed her eyes from the mannequin wearing the said gown and faced her distressed daughter-in-law. Gauri was pouting and hugging herself protectively. If Rukmani saw her in such attire, she will rip her spine and drag her back to Shivpuri while beating her with the same spine.

"Listen, Gauri. You've married in a big household and such dresses are expected to be used by people like us. You don't want to embarrass your husband in front of his colleagues, do you? Every woman out there would be dressed as such, you wouldn't want to stand out like a sore thumb, my dear." Vasundhara pats Gauri's shoulder in comfort and leaves the room to get ready herself.

One of the maids passed her an awkward smile and she sighed. Seem like there was no escape from the inevitable. Thankfully her parents wouldn't participate in tonight's festivities, since she was going to visit them tomorrow for pagphera.

Soon, Gauri found herself sitting in front of a mahogany mirror stubbed with precious emeralds while various hands worked to make her appear modern and royal, matching her new lifestyle and status. Numb and confused she watched them plastering layers and layers of makeup. A girl combed her long hair and started to thrust various pins into her scalp to support a style bun. Biting her tongue from wincing, she sat like a statue as the beauticians adorned her with an exquisite baby pink gown with fine silver embroidery. Her jewelry was kept to a minimum- comprising of a tiara, diamond necklace, earrings, and bracelets. Gauri blinked to make sure she wasn't dreaming after the whole makeover was done. The girl sitting opposite was nothing like the carefree daughter of a farmer. But there sat an elegant and regal princess beholding an articulate aura. She looked ethereal. The beauticians were in a daze seeing the new bride.

"I swear you are the most gorgeous bride I've ever served in my career. God bless you..."

Gauri blushed at the compliment. The artists squealed and tried to take her pictures but Rekha had none of it. She threatened to confiscate their property if they crossed the lines.

When the time came, Rekha swiftly accompanied a nervous Gauri towards the Mayur Palace. The princess was fidgeting more than usual.

'My shoulders are bare.'

The chant wouldn't stop. She felt exposed and uncomfortable in her skin and shuddered when multiple gazes landed on her at the entrance of Mayur Palace. God knows, how hard she tried to hold that composure but the constipated look didn't deter. Her distress only skyrocketed when the audience turned to judge the soon-to-be Queen. Feeling lightheaded, she lowers her eyes. Her ears turned red in embarrassment and goosebumps rose on her skin. The gaze of onlookers pricked at her bare shoulders.

"God, give me strength." She whispered beneath her breath and in the next moment found a large palm supporting her spine. His cologne hits her before the warmth of that regal persona. Clad in a three-piece suit, she saw a broad, puffed-out chest beside her. He was wearing black tonight, matching his mysterious and gloomy nature.

"Chin up."

She didn't know if he whispered or commanded, but her posture immediately straighten, and wearing a blank mask, she regards the crowd emptily. Their flashy jewels or judgmental looks were nothing in front of the royalty beside her. He was more intimidating. The husband she had yet to see properly, with whom she lacked the guts to meet eyes was more unapproachable than any of the insects loitering in the grand palace.

With a gentle nudge, he brings her to the center of the hall, not stopping for any expectant introductions or greetings. Vasundhara joins them and Gauri's stiffness dissolves.

"You look lovely, my dear." The Queen Mother mumbled before pulling her into a group of excited ladies and presenting them to her. Gauri smiled lightly, her teeth scintillating, her expressions welcoming, when from inside she wanted to disappear. A diva under the shutter of cameras wearing fake smiles! She would give anything to scream beneath the starlight with her bunch of troublemakers. The freedom she experienced in those moments made her throat dry. This cage of gold was finally getting to her.

The symphony of classic music made her brain hazy.

Soon, she realized her King has left the party and the snarky guests behind. He was nowhere to be seen.

When the foreign clients made an introduction, she could only nod. The language barrier made them question her intelligence. The panic started seeping in slowly. Vasundhara was immersed in deep conversation and busy laughing with her friends and Rekha was hanging by her side, feeling equally lost. Getting no proper response from the King's second wife, the crowd started to lose interest and indulged in their chatters.

All of a sudden, a girl of the same age as Gauri breaks into the awkwardness. Gauri's lips pursed when people parted to make a way for the most beautiful lady of the evening. Whoever she was, held a certain grace that might put most highborn to shame. Dressed in red, sporting bold red lips and natural make-up, she looked sophisticated and elegant.

"Wow, the Ranas have outdone themselves this time."

Her sultry voice filtered through the air and Gauri immediately tensed.

"Your Highness, this is Princess Barkha Rajvanshi of Kurukshetra, younger sister of the King's first wife."

Rekha whispered in her ear and Gauri passed her a small smile. Barkha made a face. Her sharp hooked eyebrows tilted unimpressed.

"I've been observing you the entire evening. Poor girl, you can't even speak without stammering. But this is what happens when you try to embed a piece of glass in a crown of diamonds. The glass breaks. Whatever the reasons were, she deserved better. Kirti deserved better. I can't believe that the rowdy filth of an unheard pothole will now warm the bed where my sister once slept. How much does your father charge to send you here? The title of a queen is enough to make most cunning foxes salivate but you should've at least considered your status.

You're never going to fit in, a bloody wallflower in her party! He'll never love you as he loved her. I bet you were forced on him. Where is he now? In place of sticking to his better half, the monster must be drinking in some corner or f**king a whore.

Do you think you can easily replace my sister? Her memories are stuck in these hallways. She has ruled this fort once. All are you going to receive is her second serving. Step out of this lovely bubble before someone else pricks it for you. Trust me, you are making a fool of yourself, darling, if you think your presence is welcomed here."

If people didn't hear the entire fiasco, they certainly got alert at the boldness of the last statement because, by the end, Barkha got loud. Tears of humiliation flooded Gauri's eyes. What she feared throughout this adventure, finally occurred. It was as if she was waiting for this. To be slammed publicly and reminded of her unfortunate background in comparison to this race of mighty warriors. Each word penetrated her innocent heart brutally. The venomous sentences uttered in either jealousy or hate were true. She would never fit in. She was a farmer's daughter. She came from lands whereas the people in the palace have descended from bloody skies.

Lifting the heavy skirt and ignoring Vasundhara's worried calls, Gauri made a beeline towards the exit.

She wanted to murder her parents for putting her in such a situation in the first place. The wise grandmother who punctuated the mythologies didn't seem so wise anymore. What that Barkha said was true. She has been living in a bubble. Never faced a real-world before where light is scarce, how could she survive with no riches. A marriage in a big house wouldn't wash the stain of poverty on her forehead. It would be forever etched there.

Tired and wasted from the ruined evening, Gauri ran as fast as she could holding her heavy gown fisted by her henna-decorated palms. Passing through the extravagant corridors, she stopped inside the garden area of the palace and sat disheartened near the clear pond beholding her brazen state with flowing tears and red face. Her hand immediately reached for the tiara on her head, and in the next moment, she tossed it away with a furious cry.

Her shoulders bobbed as she sobbed, feeling alone and scared. She wanted to run away and hide in the skirt of her mother, complain about these mannerless and snooty bastards who loved the sport of peeking into others' collars. Pulling at the pins securing her long hair, she throws them away as well and lets the raven river run down her back freely to shield her shoulders and arms. For people like her, pride was held in the highest regard but today's lesson left her with weeping esteem and bleeding honor.

Drowned in sorrow, Gauri was incognizant of the man standing behind her, keeping a distance to not be seen in the pond water. Yagya resolved to soothe the burns she bore just now.

"There are hundreds of trees in a forest, but do you know where the most poisonous serpents creep? In the cool fragrance of mighty sandalwood. They whirl around it, sometimes poke their fangs in it, and build their nest in its root, but does the tree die? No, it remains ever lively and serves the purpose lord made it for. The wood on which snakes glide is used in temples, for its purity remains intact.

A century ago, she was born in a brahmin family in a small town in Varanasi. At the tender age of 14, the girl was married to a King twice her age. They made a queen out of an innocent and carefree child who was well-versed in the art of war. When the time of sacrifice came, most Kings hid in their strong palaces and accepted slavery, but she had different plans. She fought, she bloody fought for her land, her people, and her freedom. She fought till one of those bastards beheaded her. They said she was a woman who could've lived a longer and more peaceful life. But in her dying breath, she ignited a spark that fueled the fire in the veins of this country and led to mass awakening. The people who ridiculed her for trying vowed on her pride and jumped into a rebellion until they achieved freedom. She was called the Queen of Jhansi. From Manikarnika, she became Queen of Marathas- Rani Lakshmi Bai.

I am the man you never dreamed of. You are the woman I never wanted. This is our problem. This is our issue and no outsider has any right to clear this to us. My ancestors were warriors and yours were agriculturalists. What difference does this make? We killed to protect and Growers worked to fill hungry stomachs. We are not the same but we are equal at the same time."

Breathless, she turned to face him but he was long gone. The air still carried the evidence of his manly cologne. For the first time in the entire day, a real smile spread on Gauri's lips. Tears still fell from her eyes but this time, they held a different meaning. Respect for the man she married developed in her heart. At that moment, he wasn't merely a man but a teacher like Lord Mahadeva was to his wife- Goddess Parvati.