A Princess to remember

Epilogue

This is for those people like me , who hate sad endings..hope you like it..

About 2 years passed by and one day Firoza was happily sitting in the rose garden of the palace lost in thoughts of her past when suddenly she could feel someone sitting close to her.
" What are you thinking so deeply priy?
" I was just lost in the thoughts of my past life dev , how my life has become so different than it was 2 years back . You don't let me do any work and I just sit the whole day " said Firoza giggling.
" Hm , so you were recalling the day , after the war?"
" Yes , I was remembering the best day of my life ". Firoza said with a bright smile on her face.

**Flashback**
Saleema waited and waited for the sun to set so that she could speak to Maldev. Soon , her long wait came to an end and the sun set down with darkness spreading over the sky and Maldev and Hameed had returned to their respective camps. She went to Maldev's camp and was stopped by the soldier outside , when she said him that she was from Surkanda and was sent by princess Firoza , the soldier went in and informed it to Maldev.
Though Maldev wasn't interested in meeting her , he felt that she had travelled so far and waited the whole day to give some message to him and it was his duty to listen to her , so he asked the soldier to let her in.

When Saleema entered Maldev's Camp , she found him applying medicine on his wounds.
" Pranaam Rajkumar. I am Saleema and have been sent here by Firoza , Princess of Surkanda , to give you a message. "
" Pranaam. So , what's the message she sent? ~ Maldev asked raising his eyebow.
" Rajkumar Firoza has sent me here to tell you that she loves you from the bottom of her heart and that she would marry only and only you. She even had a fight with her father , King Mirza about this. He got mad at her but still she stayed adamant and replied to him that she would only marry you or stay unmarried her whole life . She has sent me here to request you on her behalf to please kindly accept her proposal and marry her as she has no one in her heart other than you and she also promises that she will detach herself from all the things , you don't like , after marriage.
She also told me to tell you that she is even ready to follow your customs so that you would marry her and I had promised her that I would only return to Surkanda with you or I would never return to the palace again." Saleema said looking at the floor.
She wasn't daring to look at Maldev as she thought by then he must be blood red with anger and she would be kicked out of the place any moment.

But when she didn't get any immediate response , she raised her head slightly and to her surprise she could see not even the slightest of anger on his face . She felt that his heart has melted a bit , and then he replied -
" Hmm , this is a serious issue. I understand by your words that Rajkumari Firoza truly loves me , but I can never marry her , unless my father Raja Jaydev agrees to it. So you go to him and tell him everything and I will be there in sometime. " Maldev said with a little smile on his face.

Saleema was very happy that he was atleast listening to her and wasn't showing any anger.

She went inside Raja Jayadev's camp and greeted him and started telling him about herself and her purpose of visit. Meanwhile , Maldev came in and sat beside his father after greeting him.
After a while , Saleema completed speaking.

" Hmm , so now you have no place to stay?" - Raja Jaydev asked with a smirk.
" Yes Maharaj but I would definitely have a place to stay if only....um...if only you , Rani Samyukta and Rajkumar Maldev agrees to this proposal " Saleema said again looking at the floor.
" You think we will agree to this?" Raja Jaydev asked.
She didn't had any answer to this and she simply looked up at Maldev .
" Pitashree , I think Rajkumari Firoza is really serious about this and I don't see any other reason than true love for sending Saleema here to us" Maldev said quickly sensing that Saleema wanted him to interfere.
This left Maharaj shocked .
" But Putra , you were the one to disapprove to this marriage , without a second thought , in an open court? And now itseems that you too want to marry her" Raja Jaydev said with surprise.
" Ah..um..pitashree it's just that I never want to marry her by changing my religion , and I didnt think then that she loved me so deeply and now that she sent her close friend to give you this message , but now that she says that I feel she is trustworthy and loyal. But even now , if I am forced to change my religion for this marriage then i would prefer to choose my religion.
" Hmm , just tell that you too have lost your heart to her...but let me be clear to you ...this marriage can only and only happen if my condition is fulfilled-
I will like to test her before accepting her as my daughter in law. And if she passes my test i will accept to this marriage. "

After hearing the test Maldev agreed instantly but Saleema who was a little sad thinking that she had lie to Firoza. But she was sure that Firoza would pass it.

So Maharaj spoke to Rani Samyukta and told her about his plan of a test and Rani also agreed to it.

As per plan Saleema returned to Surkanda with a decorated silver plate in her hands and as soon as Firoza took off the cover of the plate she became hysterical seeing Maldev's cut head and was about to jump into fire with his head in her hands when she could suddenly feel someone holding her arm from behind . Someone other than Saleema as she thought that Saleema's hands werent that rough . As she turned her head with tears flowing down her cheeks , she saw a man's shoes and thus lifted her head to see that Maldev was standing right in front of her with a smile on his face and wiped her tears. Seeing her confused face , he explained her that the head was just made of clay and this was a test for her , and that she had passed the test . Her face was bright as sunshine hearing it but it only lasted few minutes as anger took over her face and she turned to Saleema and scolded her that shouldn't have played such a dirty joke with her .
Saleema was about to reply when Maldev interrupted saying that it was him who had forced her to do this and she did this only because he told him that he wouldn't marry if she didn't do it. Hearing this Firoza's anger faded and she again had a smile on her face.

Meanwhile , she also heard someone's faint footsteps and as she turned her head to see who it was , she found Hameed standing behind Saleema.
She was overjoyed to see him and tears ran down her cheeks and she ran to hug him , who told her that he and Maldev were indulged in a fierce war and it was only because of her message through Saleema that the war stopped and they were united.
" I feel so good , that I could stop you both from killing each other . But bhaiyya if you were fighting for King Farhan , then how did you leave it? Didn't he tell anything ?"
" I told him that the person I was trying to kill was my sister's love and after knowing it I can no more kill him and he is a understanding person , hearing this he didn't tell me anything and he too made peace and friendship with Raja Jaydev...oh sorry your father in law ." Hameed said laughing as he completed his last sentence.

Meanwhile , king Mirza and Queen Mariyam got to know about everything and they rushed to meet Hameed and King apologized to Hameed with teary eyes and also gave him his share of the kingdom. Abdullah too was happy about how the things changed suddenly as somewhere he too missed his step brother even though he they didn't share a great bond , and went to give his brother and to be brother in law , a grand welcome.

Soon there was festive atmosphere everywhere , the royal priest was called on to arrange for the nearest auspicious day for wedding and all the relatives of King jaydev and King Mirza were invited to the grand wedding and Queen Mariyam and Rani Samyukta became busy in taking care every thing small or big . The wedding was very lavish with both Rajput and Islam rituals followed , the wedding which people wouldn't forget for many decades.

** Flashback ends**

" Priy , I know how you would have been feeling when Hameed bhaiyya left and when I first rejected your proposal in court...i know i hurted you...and I am really very very sorry about that priy..." Maldev said with sadness.

"Oh leave that dev , you have told me sorry for many times now....atleast you understood my love and now we are together....even Hameed bhaiyya has returned now and come we have to make many preparations for Hameed and Sana's wedding. I will go help Sana for the wedding day". Firoza said standing up with a smile on her face.

" Yes priy , I should also be there for Hameed bhaiyya..let's go " Maldev said smiling back at Firoza.

I hope you liked my story... this was my first long story actually...so I hope you will help me grow...
Thanks a lot for all those who took time to read my story...