Love and Redemption

Chapter 9

Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore had realized that the big responsibility of the prosperous kingdom of Vijaygarh was on her shoulders and she was fulfilling it efficiently as envisioned by her father, the great king, Maharaja Vijay Singh Rathore. The innocent people of Vijaygarh loved their new queen Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore whenever they hailed the shouts of joy for her longevity.

Her exceptionally significant decisions had increased her popularity not only amongst her people but also in the neighboring kingdoms. The queen was revered respectfully whenever the prosperous kingdom of Vijaygarh was talked about. The royal ministers valued her decisions and followed her judicious advice respecting her to the core. No doubts, the wealthy kingdom of Vijaygarh was in safe hands and was flourishing under the guidance of the queen Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore.

Amidst the hectic court and monotonous royal life, the innocence and charm of the fragile seventeen year old girl was lost somewhere. The world saw an efficient queen and revered her self-esteem and managerial ability however, no one realized that her childish charm was masked by the haughtiness required to be the Rajput Queen. The sweet adolescent girl behind the valor and intelligence of the competent queen wanted a break, a simple trip to the forest surrounding the kingdom away from the responsibilities of the court.

Standing in the royal gardens as she admired the enchanting roses growing near the fountain as the faint yellowish hue was spreading in the sky, Aparajita was enjoying the sunrise as she strolled in the royal gardens early in the morning. She asked her bodyguard and the commander-in-chief of the army, Avdhesh Singh Ranawat to make arrangements for her hunting expedition.

"Your highness, are you sure that you don't want me to come along with you", Avdhesh Singh Ranawat spoke skeptically as Aparajita demanded to travel alone. He knew that the valiant queen was capable of protecting herself but at the same time, he wanted to assure her safety at all costs.

"Avdhesh Singh Ranawat, I know you care for me", Aparajita said calmly as she appreciated the loyalty of her staff towards her. Smiling at the middle-aged royal army officer, she told him. "I know it is my responsibility to be safe for the welfare of my people but at the same time, I also know that I want to go on this expedition all alone. I want privacy on this trip."

Avdhesh smiled as he realized that the seventeen year old queen wanted to relive the days as the princess. He was looking after the queen since last five years after the death of the prince Yuvraj Virendra Singh Rathore and he remembered that Aparajita used to enjoy hunting expeditions and long rides on her pet black horse, Shera. Praying for her safety, he said, "Your highness, I will make all the relevant arrangements. Have a safe trip tomorrow and return as soon as possible."

Aparajita smiled at the retreating figure of Avdhesh Singh Ranawat, the loyal officer of the army of Vijaygarh whom she considered as her big brother. A wide smile crept on her pink lips as she realized she could relish the freedom from all her responsible for a day tomorrow. She wanted a small break to de-clutter her mind and the hunting expedition in the forests was indeed the best option for her. As the sun rose high in the sky, she proceeded towards her hectic schedule.

The prince of Shivgarh, Yuvraj Veerbhadra Singh Rajput, on the other hand, was roaming in the nooks and crannies of his rival kingdom Vijaygarh disguised as a common clothing trader, trying to gather information about the weaknesses of Vijaygarh. Living in a small hut with thatched rooftop, he had befriended many merchants of the kingdom. He had realized that the revered queen Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore was indeed, an intelligent beauty and a strong opponent whom he should not underestimate at any cost.

Veerbhadra was living a pathetic life away from the luxuries of his royal life but he was contended because he was preparing for the downfall of the highly revered competent queen of Vijaygarh. He had heard a lot about the queen and was truly impressed by her efficiency and judicious decisions for the progress of the prosperous kingdom of Vijaygarh. He was accustomed to the speculations from the wealthy cloth merchants and renowned jewelers that the intelligent queen, Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore possessed captivating beauty however, he had not seen her yet.

Veerbhadra Singh Rajput, the treacherous prince of Shivgarh was making plans to meet his well-regarded goldfish, Aparajita and cage her into his vulture-like clutches however, till now he had not received any success. Veerbhadra was sitting aimlessly in the cloth market with the merchant for whom he worked waiting for the customers to come to their makeshift shop on the footpath of the street of the market, when he saw his informer, Trayambak Sharma dressed as a royal soldier coming towards him.

Signaling him to wait, Veerbhadra excused himself from his shop on the roadside and entered the alley just beside the street disappearing in the crowd. From their Veerbhadra waited for Trayambak to come in the dark alley where they met in the market.

After a while, his informer Trayambak followed his signals and entered the alley and bowed in front of the valiant Prince of Shivgarh.

"Your highness, I have an important information", Trayambak said in a low tone.

"That is the reason you are here in the broad daylight". Veerbhadra stated a matter of fact.

Trying to control his chuckles, Trayambak made a serious face looking at the furious prince dressed as a common trader as he said, "Your highness, the queen of Vijaygarh, Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore is going for the hunting expedition tomorrow in the dense forests surrounding the kingdom."

The prince, Yuvraj Veerbhadra Singh Rajput hummed as he planned his next move in the forest located in the outskirts of Vijaygarh. Trayambak left the place as soon as he did his job. He smirked realizing the fact that the forest was indeed, of special importance, after all, the dense forest of Vijaygarh separated this kingdom from his kingdom, Shivgarh. He simpered as he grasped the fact that the dense forests were close to the ominous battlefield wherein his courageous grandfather, the great old king, Maharaja Mahendra Singh Rajput, was killed inhumanely.

He chuckled darkly as he made the realization that the Lord Shiva was indeed in his favor and so was his destiny. He snickered as he realized that the universe wanted him to meet his goldfish, Aparajita near the place she did a grave crime by killing his grandfather. He reverted back to his makeshift shop at the roadside as he resolved to crumble his goldfish and her pride at the battlefield of Vijaygarh decimating her to an extent that she could never stand upright.

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Hi everyone
Hopefully you liked the update. 😘😘😘
Sneak peak,
Veerbhadra meets Aparajita in forest.. 😉😉😉
Do shower your love on this story and enjoy the bliss of your health. 💞💞💞
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