"Do you know what a Rakhshas is?"
"They are demons as old as time...spirits of malice and cruelty...they not only feed on innocent people's bodies...but their souls too. They were evil creatures meant to be banished from the realm of the living"
...
"And yet...all those centuries ago...a devious and cunning Rakhshas managed to not only capture a young prince in his deceptive web...but also purged a whole kingdom in chaos and destruction."
MANY CENTURIES AGO...IN THE LANDS OF ANCIENT INDIA
Through vast stretches of mountains...through the paddy plain fields of greenery...near the meeting point of various rivers, there sat the flourishing kingdom of Suryanagari. There were the lush green fields of villages, temples carved out of sandstones, waterfalls hidden away in the dense jungles. And right by the banks of the holy river Mannbhavani, sat the breathtaking Rajmahal (trans:-Palace) of Suryanagari, glinting in the sunlight with it's finest gemstones and gold carvings, it wasn't just a beautiful monument, it was the abode of the protector of that kingdom, Maharaj Rajendran and his royal family.
In one regular morning, jingling sounds of anklets are heard echoing off the massive palace walls...running down the hallway. The jingling sounds stop after a while...and two dainty feet stop right before a large wooden door. Two of the guards outside bow down, as they greet in unison
"Greetings, Rajkumari Aarohi."
The small girl standing near the door bows slightly too, her embroidered tiny saree reaching down to her toes, then asks with a sweet smile
"Where is bhaiya?"(trans:-big brother)
"..."
Aarohi sighs, shaking her head.
"...Still sleeping?..."
The guards nod in unison, making Aarohi sigh again.
"Of course he is..."
She softly taps on the large wooden door with her small hand.
"Open it...seems like I have to wake him up myself."
The guards comply, being used to this scenario. They push open the wooden door and Aarohi makes her way inside the royal chambers, her little self looking almost miniature in the massive room. She eagerly makes her way towards the large bed, immediately catching the glimpse of her big brother, sleeping peacefully without a care in the world. Aarohi shakes her head, but the small fond smile on her lips remain. She reaches for his hair with her little hand and mischievously starts pulling hard at his hair.
"Adhiran bhaiya! Wake up! Wake up already, you sleepyhead!"
Her giggles fill the entire room, replaced quickly by her brother's groaning, as he swats away at her hands and blinks his eyes open, pouting slightly at her...half annoyed and half fond...as he speaks in a groggy voice...
"So this is how Rajkumari treats her bhaiya now, huh?"
Aarohi giggles even more with a wink.
"It's on you for sleeping for so late, bhaiya. Do you even know what time it is?"
A mischievous smile curls onto Adhiran's lips, as he wriggles his eyebrows.
"Oh...I sure am! I'm fully aware..."
His hands sneakily reach for Aarohi from under the blanket.
"Its time to teach my behena a lesson!" (Trans:- little sister)
Before she can even react, Adhiran quickly sits up and grabs Aarohi into his lap...and then starts to tickle her mercilessly...her giggles turning into loud laughter in seconds, with Adhiran quickly joining in.
Right when they both are lost in their laughter together, a loud and commanding voice is heard from the hallway outside.
"Aarohi! Tell that good-for-nothing brother of yours to drag himself out of bed for once and get to the courtroom before I get there myself and beat him up!"
Aarohi and Adhiran stop chuckling at the words...but it doesn't last long before Aarohi chuckles again and calls out to the hallway.
"But Ajitesh bhaiya....Adhiran bhaiya is your brother too!"
"Unfortunately yes..."
At this, Aarohi laughs out loud while Adhiran feigns an offended expression, his voice animated.
"Ugh, rude! No one in this family loves me, do they?!" He looks at Aarohi laughing in his lap and pokes her nosetip, narrowing his eyes at her with a small smirk.
"Don't you go laughing at this, behena. Let's see if your Ajitesh bhaiya ever helps you sneak sweets out of the royal dining hall late at night."
Aarohi chuckles one last time and pats Adhiran's cheek with her little hand.
"Bhaiya...dont take it to heart. You know we all love you." She says with a sweet smile..."And me most of all, bhaiya!"
Adhiran smiles softly and nods, pressing a soft kiss on her cheek, as he murmurs
"I know, Aarohi...I know."
He gestures out of the door to Aarohi.
"Go along now...tell Ajitesh bhaiya I'll be there in the courtroom in a few minutes once I get ready."
Aarohi gives Adiran a sideye, clearly knowing about his mischievous antics.
"I'll be there! Trust me...! Dont you trust your dear Adhiran bhaiya, behena?!"
"No."
"Ok...that's fair enough. I may have skipped for...quite a few times. But this time, I'll definitely be there. Really."
"Bhaiya....you better not pull one of your old pranks and disappear again."
"Whaaat? Meee? Neverrr...." Adhiran says in a nonchalant tone. "I'll be there in just a few seconds once I get ready."
Aarohi nods and gets down from Adhiran's lap and walks out of his chambers.
Adhiran yawns, stretching his arms as he drags himself out of bed. The royal maids step into his room one by one with his luxurious royal garments as he dresses himself in his kurta pajama and steps out of his royal chamber.
Meanwhile in the hallway, Aarohi hums to herself as she walks towards the main courtroom. She suddenly bumps into a figure...seeing it's none other than her big sister, Rajkumari Avantika. She stands there, arms folded as she looks down at Aarohi with a knowing fond smile.
"And where exactly is your dear Adhiran bhaiya, behena?"
Aarohi bites her lips and blinks innocently "Umm...bhaiya will be here soon. He said he will come soon, didi." (Trans:- big sister)
Avantika sighs "And what makes you so certain of that, hm?"
"B-because...he....he said so..." Aarohi murmurs faintly.
Avantika shakes her head at Aarohi's innocence, the soft smile never leaving her lips, as she thinks in her mind
"Oh mylittle behena...bless your innocent heart. Its this sweet naive nature of yours that your Adhiran bhaiya always takes advantage of. He could never get away with this had it been me or Ajitesh bhaiya."
Avantika leans down and scoops Aarohi into her arms, walking towards the courtroom with her.
True to Avantika's intuition, Adhiran sneaks his way out of the palace and into the royal gardens, stretching once more...his smile wider than ever, as if glad to have been able to sneak out of the confines of the claustrophobic hallways and being able to roam free once again in the fresh air and green grass beneath his feet. But just as he is about to step into the grass, he hears an a familiar voice...the same one he heard every single day...so soothing and yet never missing it's edge.
"Sneaking out as always I see, Rajkumar."
A smile curls it's way to Adhiran's lips before he even turns around to face his speaker, his voice ever so teasing and playful.
"Dev...keeping your eyes on me as always I see."
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