Chapter 15

Sundarta was wearing a beige sari, watching from the balcony of the celebration courtyard the burning of Ravana effigy.

George joined her. And they both kept silent, until finally the prince asked the princess: "What is love?"

Sundarta looked at him with lit eyes, and answered wisely: "Love is finding your soul mate, your complementary half, either before death or after… It's the meeting of souls in the skies… It's what makes heart beats its best…It's the line separating between joy tears and sadness tears… Love is the reason for this nature to survive despite all the danger surrounding it…"

George smiled to her. And wondered foxily: "Then, did you find in me your complementary half? Does your heart beat its best when you see me?"

Samantha kept silent for a while, and then replied with a one word: "Yes."

He stared at her and asked for the last time: "Do you love me?"

With this question, the effigy burning caused a noisy sound that represented in fact Sundarta's Goosebumps she had when heard the question.

She nodded, still gazing at her love with her beautiful wide brown eyes. And then, she interrogated him with two simple words: "Do you?"

The British prince kept silent, then answered indifferently, watching the burn: "Well, I do love you… and asked you if you do have the same feelings toward me because I've been thinking about marrying you from the first moment I saw you."

The Adopted Princess turned to him fast, terribly surprised, her eyes still hanged on him. And George finally purposed to her officially: "Will you marry me?"

She nodded again. He grinned and kept watching the burn, informing: "Then, I'm going to ask your hand from your father."

Sundarta herself also returned to watching the effigy. She didn't react about George's new information. But inside, she just felt that her heart would pierce her chest and keep jumping of happiness…

***

On the next day, while the British convoy, containing all of Edward, Ann and George, was getting ready to leave tomorrow, the latter went to the throne room.

As always, he found Krishna discussing with Sundarta and the counselors.

The princess blushed while her "fiancée" stood in front of her father who greeted him warmly: "Good morning George! Anything else I can help you any of your family with before you leave tomorrow."

The British prince, who took a knee, kept quiet. Then, he replied: "Well, your majesty, my parents don't need anything from you. But, I do…"

"What is it, George?" Bai wondered a bit worried.

"Your majesty… I'm here to purpose to her highness Sundarta…"

The Adopted Princess got satisfied to find George keeping his promise. However, she terribly was happy that she grinned loudly and that she hid the low part of her face with her ghoonghat.

Krishna, who knew about the feelings between his daughter and George, smiled. And then, he stood up and stepped straight in front of him, explaining: "Well, George my son… I knew that you love her; I discovered that when she danced in the Holi. Son, eyes never lie… According to what I saw of your behaviors with us these months, I concluded that you're truly a good man. However, I will never make a decision about my daughter that she refuses or gets disturbed of it. Thus, the decision of marriage, which is a big and important one, belongs to her."

He looked up where his adoptive daughter was, and asked, screaming: "Sundarta! Do you love Prince George?!"

She smiled and nodded. After, her father looked at George, and announced, yelling too in Hindi, as most of them don't speak English: "Counselors! Witness this day, that Princess Sundarta will become the wife of the British Prince George!"

The committee got glad to hear that: they loved their princess and they wanted her best. Also, they loved George as he was really kind to them. They cheered while the love birds were just exchanging looks…

***

At night of the next day – as the trip was cancelled for the marriage – the servants were doing the last preparations of the wedding. During that, some odalisques were preparing Sundarta in front of the mirror, who looked terribly beautiful with her red and green Banarasi wedding sari and her multiple shining golden jewels.

The bride was just dreaming of the happy life she'd get with her husband, especially that she got married to whom she loved. She was remembering every single moment with George…

Suddenly, Chandramukhi cut her dreams by her entrance into the bedroom. Maids were about to leave the Queen with her daughter but she allowed them to stay by a move of their hands. She squatted and asked the newly bride jokingly: "How's my little Sundarta?"

The latter smiled to her mother happily. She shut first then she questioned: "Mother, how was your wedding day?"

Chandra looked away with dreaming eyes and answered: "The best day ever… Your father and I were deeply in love… like you and George…I can't forget how I was wearing my beautiful Banarasi sari and my heavy jewels... I had the best and the sweetest feelings ever that day…I was terribly shy but Krishna was teasing me with his silly jokes… And when I danced Ghoomar… I felt that I was the luckiest woman ever…"

She kept quiet and continued, after she stood up and overlooked the door: "I'm still having my Banarasi sari. I thought that you would wear it for your wedding but… I didn't want to bother you…"

"That's the contrary, mother." Samantha informed. "Why didn't you tell me about that before?; I would be very happy and honored to wear your sari… because it would make me feel relaxed during my wedding which is full of stressful moments. And during my marital life, every time I see your sari in my wardrobe, I can remember you and home."

The Queen grinned while the Princess continued: "Let me wear it now fast."

"No, no need…" She refused: "You may damage your hairdo and your makeup."

She shut for a while, and asked her the question she came for: "Then… you'll dance the Ghoomar in London?"

"Of course." She confirmed "London is my marital home. And I must be there."

"Then, I think that your father and I will travel with you."

Samantha turned to her mother, completely surprised: "But mother… you said you won't!"

"Why are you angry about it?" Chandramukhi wondered.

"I'm not… but Michor… Nobody will be here! Besides, the trip takes 3 months; you'll get tired due to your age!" She explained her worry.

Chandra joked: "Neither I nor Krishna is old! We're still young! I've been waiting for the moment where I watch my daughter dancing Ghoomar! And I won't miss it just because your marital home is outside of Michor! Even if your marital home is at world's end, I'll come and I'll watch my Sundarta dancing Ghoomar! God!"

Sundarta smiled and joked too: "But you've been watching me dancing since I was three…"

"Ghoomar is an important dance for the bride: don't ever forget that it was created to worship Goddess Saraswati. You may get her bless when you dance Ghoomar." The Queen informed.

"Mother, I'll be so happy to see you coming with me…" The Princess informed…

***