1 Sacrificing in Love

About 2000 years before, In the palace of Ambikapur:

Queen consort Mandakini who is the fifth wife of King Mahendra Dev, is standing in the sleeping chamber of her daughter Vishnu Priya and is reading a letter with teary eyes. Meena, the closest maid and also friend to Vishnupriya is standing nearby and sounds of her sobbing can be heard.

Princess Vishnupriya is sleeping on her bed, a lazy smile spread on her innocent face, the smile which comes after final victory. Her body is peaceful and a thin line of blood can be seen from the corners of her mouth, this is not a normal sleep but the eternal slumber.

Lady Mandakini is reading the letter while holding it in her shivering hands. This is the letter written by Princess Vishnupriya before she took the poison to end her own life. She read a line from the letter "My mother who I care, for whose agreement I sought in order to marry you, also does not understand my love and even called it childish. Everyone thinks they are doing good for me by separating you from me while ignoring the pain they are causing me. I kept waiting to see if anyone will understand me."

She sighed and closed her eyes and said: "Only this much for me from my daughter when she was leaving the world". Her tears wouldn't stop flowing and she whispered to herself "I am a mother who could not even understand the emotions of her own daughter."

And when she reached on the last line of the letter, it seems she found something to do for the happiness of her daughter. The line of the letter said, "It is my last wish and will be my final happiness in this world if my last words could reach my beloved Veer." Lady Mandakini knows that King Mahendra's pride will be hurt by the step taken by Princess and he will not allow her letter to be sent to her lover. But while feeling emotional from having wronged her daughter, how can she allow her last wish to remain unfulfilled. There was a look of determination in her eyes.

Lady Mandakini moved and closed the door of Chamber and locked it from the inside. Then she turned to Meena, wiped her tears and said "Meena! you are the closest and most trusted person of my daughter and you must know how to meet Prince Veer. Please take this letter to Ratanpur and give it to him. He must know, my daughter deserves this."

Meena who was sitting head bowed near Princess Vishnupriya's body and sobbing silently felt surprised and looked toward her. There was a look of disbelief apparent on her face.

Looking at the bewildered face of Meena and a look of disbelief in her eyes, Lady Mandakini found a knot forming in her heart and its pain was unbearable and she burst into tears and said "I know that I was a bad mother, but I still loved my daughter. Now that I have lost my only child, why is it so difficult for you to understand my thoughts?" and she looked at the letter in her hand and whispered, "Now this also is the last happiness of my life if this letter could reach Prince Veer."

Now Meena has a look of guilt in her eyes, she moved and reached Lady Mandakini and hugged her. How would she not understand her pain of losing her only daughter? Lady Mandakini hugged Meena tightly and felt like a part of her daughter is still there with her as Meena has grown together and have been almost every day with Princess Vishnupriya.

Lady Mandakini released Meena from her embrace and looked adoringly in her eyes and slowly wiped her tears and said calmly "I was wrong, OK? I got punished for that but let us do this now. Make up a copy of my daughter's last words for me. Then take her letter to Veer." Meena looked into her eyes and nodded. She moved fast towards a corner in the room and pulled a pen and paper and started making a copy of the letter. She kept writing from one hand and kept wiping her tears from another as she read the letter.

After sometime Meena was done and she gave the copy to Lady Mandakini. Both women who loved Vishnupriya were in tactic understanding on what to do and there were no words necessary.

Meena took the letter of Vishnupriya and walked toward the door. She stopped and moved toward Lady Mandakini and said: "What if someone knew of the incident and I was caught?" Worry was visible in her eyes and she seemed anxious. "I am afraid I will let down Priya if that happens." (Priya: Second word from name Vishnupriya. This name is made of two words Vishnu and Priya.)

Lady Mandakini looked at her swelled face and slightly red eyes and said lovingly "Don't worry about anything. I will take care of things here. Go, use the secret door in my chamber. This is still early morning and later I will tell everyone that Princess is not feeling well. This will buy us enough time." Her eyes watered and she said "Everyone knows that she is upset due to her marriage agreement and yet still no one cares about leaving their pride and to think about coaxing her. She is just being treated as an object." She moved forward and held the hands of Meena and said "Take one messenger bird also from my chamber and after giving the letter to Veer don't come back, just send me a reply with the single word 'Done'. And also make sure that nothing should happen to you."

Meena folded the letter neatly and put it in her blouse and then wore the stoll on top of it in front of Lady Mandakini. It seemed like she wanted to assure her that she was keeping the letter protected in the best possible way. Then she told her "Please take care of yourself. I am leaving now."

Lady Mandakini touched her face lovingly and said with a sad smile "You are my link to my daughter. Your well being is more important than mine." Then she pushed Meena gently toward the door of the chamber and said "Don't delay anymore. Go now." Then Meena saw the face of her childhood friend last time with teary eyes and then turned and went out of the room.

Lady Mandakini, while standing on the door of chamber kept looking until the departing figure of Meena disappeared from her sight across the courtyard in front. Then she faced the maids standing outside and said "Today princess is not feeling well. I will be with her and try to coax her to eat something. Make sure no one disturbs us, mother and daughter." And without waiting for their answer she closed the door of Princess's chamber.

One of the maids snorted and whispered "Whenever was she well? It's good that we are outside otherwise we will have to see her tears and whining all the time."

Another maid said "I heard she is against the decision of her marriage and wants to marry someone else. Who is that person she wants to marry?"

First one said "I heard from Princess Shri that she loves and wants to marry some insignificant person. How can King allow that?" This maid seems to be the informer of Princess Shri who is the daughter of main Queen.

Third one who looked the kind type said "Everyone has their reasons and difficulties. How can we understand them? Just do your job and stop bickering." She felt annoyed by their talk. Other maids looked at her and made faces but they all went quiet and waited silently afterward.

Lady Mandakini was standing on the other side of the door and she has a self-mocking smile on her face listening to the maids talking. She knows the palace talks and the treatment of her daughter by other Queens and Princesses has affected the outlook of servants as well. She has a sad smile and tears on her face. What is the use of reprimanding the servants when her daughter is no more?

After some time she walked and sat on the bed beside her daughter's dead body and touched her hairs and adjusted them gently and said "My daughter! I have completed your last wish. If Meena fails somehow, I will still send another copy by someone else" Her voice became hoarse due to choking and she said "My dear! This is the life of a Consort with no backing and her daughter. They can't voice their opinion. You were more courageous than your mother. I will pray to God that you get Veer as your husband in your next life."

Then she laid herself on the bed beside her daughter and whispered: "This unfortunate mother will spend whole day today with her daughter." She closed her eyes. Her tears kept flowing but she didn't do anything to stop them.

The morning went, Noon went by and in Afternoon also no one came. Lady Mandakini woke up from her long stupor and looked out the window and talked to herself in a self-depreciating smile "I was anxious for no reason. No one cares for my daughter. Even if I mentioned that she is unwell, no one came to ask about her health. They just wanted to use her as a political mean."

But soon her eyes shined with hope and she said "That also is better because it will mean that Meena must have gone at least 50-60 Kilometers out of Ambikapur. Yes, that is the case otherwise someone will be here surely to check the situation."

She looked at her daughter and said "My daughter! You were great. You loved well and lived well. This mother, your father and this family, no one was worthy of you."

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Names:

Ambikapur: Main City of the Kingdom of Ambikapur.

Ratanpur: Another Kingdom about 200 Km away from Ambikapur.

Mandakini: Queen Consort (5th wife of King of Ambikapur)

Vishnupriya: Princess of Ambikapur, Daughter of Mandakini. Also known as Priya (Her name is made of two words Vishnu and Priya)

Veer Raj: In short 'Veer'. He is the prince of Ratanpur.

Meena: Childhood Friend and also the personal maid of Priya

Mahendra Dev: King of Ambikapur.

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