Chapter 3 - Wild Kitten

"What do you mean you don't want the crown anymore?!" Maharani (Queen) Hansa Bai's voice echoed in the room.

"I said what I said," Yashvir shrugged, as maids massaged his body with different oils. He was lying shirtless on his stomach on a charpoy (a bedstead of woven webbing stretched on a wooden frame on four legs), his forearms supporting his head like a pillow. Yashvir did not even bother to open his eyes and look up at his mother, too relaxed and lost in Ahankara's thoughts.

The beautiful Princess of Adibar.

"Leave us," the Queen ordered the women, and they instantly stood up, bowed their heads in respect and exited the room.

Yashvir sighed, now opening his eyes.

"I am asking you something, Yashvir. What nonsense did you just utter, and that too in front of all those servants? How dare you?" Hansa Bai scolded.

Yashvir clenched his jaw, now standing up from the charpoy, and stood before his mother.

"I will not take the crown until you get me what I want, Maa (Mother)," Yashvir declared, looking her in the eye.

"You are not a child anymore, Yashvir! And what you are demanding is not some toy I can get you. You wanna get married to a random Princess belonging to a small kingdom? How will she become the Maharani of Kalang? If you want, you can marry her later on, after you're King. The way your father married Rani Aaradhya," she suggested, trying to knock some sense into her son.

"Ahankara is the only woman I will marry, and she alone will rule beside me," Yashvir stated.

"Yashvir, you do not understand. Your father promised Rani Aaradhya that her younger sister will eventually become the Maharani of Kalang. You are supposed to marry her, so she can bear you an heir. An heir from a pure, and supreme bloodline. Besides, Rajkumari Ananya is your childhood friend too, Yashvir. How can you break her heart like that?" Hansa Bai questioned.

"Maa," Yashvir said in disbelief. "I feel nothing for her. Absolutely nothing. And I won't do her any good by marrying her under your orders. Yes, she is my childhood friend, and that is why I do not want her to marry someone whose heart already belongs to someone else."

"You have gone mad, Yashvir. If Rani Aaradhya finds out about this, she will create a huge scene," Hansa Bai warned him.

"If Rani Aaradhya has any problem with me, she is welcome to leave the Palace once I am crowned. I won't stop her," Yashvir shrugged, and Hansa Bai's eyes widened in rage.

"For the last time, Yashvir! Stop uttering nonsense! Rani Aaradhya is like a second mother to you. Do not say words of disrespect for her," Hansa Bai scolded. Yashvir rolled his eyes, and stepped away from her, grabbing his white angarkha (a traditional Indian jacket that fastens on the right side) from the table.

"She is no one to me, and I will never respect her," Yashvir stated, unfazed by his mother's words. "And secondly, I'd suggest you ask Kakusa (Uncle) to arrange for our trip to Adibar. I want him to accompany me as the elder member of the family, to ask Karan Singh for Ahankara's hand in marriage. I want Rajkumari Ahankara by my side, as my wife, before the coronation. Or, I swear on Data's (father's) name, Maa, I will not show up to take the crown."

Hansa Bai gaped at him in shock, left completely speechless by her son's words. Yashvir had taken an oath upon his father's name, which made it clear to her: he could not be manipulated into forgetting about the girl.

Yashvir put on his angarkha (a traditional Indian shirt), and walked out of the room, leaving his mother alone with her thoughts. He went straight to his bedroom, outside of which Kabir was waiting for him.

"So?" Kabir raised an eyebrow, following Yashvir into his bedroom.

"So what?" Yashvir asked in a bored tone.

"What did your mother say?" He asked.

"Why do you care?" Yashvir frowned. "Did you fall for one of her maids?" He mocked.

"Neharika was cute, but no. I'm asking out of concern for you, Yuvraj," Kabir replied.

"There's nothing to say. She will have to listen. They don't have a choice," Yashvir shrugged, combing his fingers through his silky hair, as he looked at himself in the mirror.

"So you'll actually give up the crown for her? For a woman?" Kabir asked in disbelief.

"No," Yashvir replied, picking up his sword and throwing it to Kabir. "Get this sharpened," he ordered, as Kabir easily caught it.

"Then? What if they refuse to get her married to you?" Kabir asked, removing the sheath from Yashvir's sword, eyeing the blade.

"Like I said, they won't. They know how stubborn I am, Kabir. They know that I will stop at nothing to have that Princess beside me, as my Queen. So they won't risk it. Plus, my coronation has already been announced, and if I choose to sit it out," Yashvir chuckled, "let's just say Maa will never hear of it."

"Hmm, using your wit in all the wrong places are we?" Kabir smirked.

"Who is anyone to decide what is right and what is wrong? Anyone except me? I am the Yuvraj of Kalang, and my word will soon be law. Besides, Ahankara is worth it. I've never seen beauty like hers, Kabir. And that's saying something. As the Crown Prince of Kalang I have been introduced to many princesses of many different lands, adorned in the finest of clothes, jewellery, ornaments. But none of them are any match to Ahankara's charms, her grace, her elegance. Even in such simplicity," Yashvir mused. A smile crept onto his face, as he reminisced his meeting with her.

"Her laughter is still echoing in my ears. And oh, the fire of rage in her eyes. The more I talked to her, the angrier she looked. It was amusing, honestly, yet impressive at the same time. How she thought she could scare me with her little glare, and her title, while looking so naive and fragile. Like a wild little kitten," Yashvir smirked.

"Okay, before you start talking about the ways you have planned to tame her, I'm gonna leave," Kabir mocked, giving him a fake smile.

Yashvir bit his lip, still smiling.

"I don't want to. She will be the one taming the beast that resides within me."

- - - -

"Bhai Sa (brother) you know how stubborn Yashvir is. He will actually give up the crown if we don't get him married to that Princess," Hansa Bai sighed, holding her head.

"But bhabhi sa (sister-in-law), have you thought of the kind of consequences this will have? We have already announced his engagement with Rajkumari Ananya. Getting him married to someone else will be declaring war against the Kingdom of Kisharpur," Mahavir frowned.

"You think I do not know that?" She asked in disbelief. More in dismay, actually. "Not just against Kisharpur, but also against Rani Aaradhya. She won't let this go. She'll start a whole riot within the walls of the palace."

"Something has to be done about this. Do you think he'll really refuse to take the crown? What if he is only bluffing?"

"Bluffing," Hansa Bai chuckled. "I thought his father was only bluffing when he told me he had married Rani Aaradhya. I'm sure your wife thought you were only bluffing when you told her that you're having a son with her maid. Your bloodline does not bluff, Bhai Sa" she rolled her eyes.

"Tch, why did you have to mention that maid?" Mahavir cringed. "Anyway, don't worry Bhabhi Sa. I have been like a father to Yashvir ever since Bhai Sa passed away. He listens to me, and respects me. I will talk to him. I'm sure he will not deny me this request."

- - - -

"No."

"No?" Mahavir frowned. "What do you mean 'no', Yashvir?"

"I will not marry Ananya, and that's final, Kaku Sa (Uncle). I will, also, not take the crown unless I have Ahankara by my side," Yashvir stated, before taking a puff of his hukka (an oriental pipe for smoking tobacco). Kabir held back his chuckle, quietly watching the scene unfold, whilst smoking his own hukka.

"Yashvir you are going to be the Maharaja (King) of Kalang. You need to stop being so stubborn," Mahavir scolded.

"I get this from my father, and he made a fine King. I will too," Yashvir replied.

"Even your father married your mother, didn't he? Even though he loved Rani Aaradhya. Even he gave in to your grandmother's wish," Mahavir insisted.

"Yeah, he did," Yashvir blew smoke into the air. He placed the pipe of the hukka onto the charpoy, and stood up, stepping into his slippers. "And that is exactly why I never saw my mother happy with him. I do not want to do that to Ananya. I will not. Besides, because he married my mother first, Rani Aaradhya never got the honour that the King actually wished to give her. I won't do that to Ahankara either. Plus I know for sure, that Ahankara will never become someone's second wife. She won't be a second choice, Kaku Sa. She is my only choice."

"But do you not see how good that was for the Kingdom? Maharani Hansa Bai gave birth to you, the perfect heir someone could have blessed the Maharaja with. Plus, do you think Rani Aaradhya could have been as good a Maharani as your mother is?" Mahavir argued.

Yashvir clenched his jaw, and balled his fists, his eyes narrowed dangerously at his uncle.

"Do not dare to compare my Ahankara with Rani Aaradhya, Kaku Sa," Yashvir warned through gritted teeth. "This is the first time someone has dared to question my choice, and this should also be the last time. Rajkumari Ahankara has no match. I know what my Kingdom requires, and I have seen it all reflect in that Princess. My decision is final. I am marrying Rajkumari Ahankara, and no one else."

Mahavir looked at him silently for a few moments, then at Kabir, feeling humiliated in front of him. He clenched his jaw, now looking back at Yashvir.

"Alright. Do as you please, but complain to us later, if the girl does not turn out to be as perfect as you think she is," Mahavir replied, taking a step away from Yashvir. "I will arrange for our journey to Adibar. We leave tomorrow. Early in the morning."

"Perfect," Yashvir smiled victoriously. "Khamma Ghanni (Many blessings)."

"Ghanni Khamma," Mahavir replied, looking at Yashvir in disappointment. He then turned around and walked away, leaving Kabir and Yashvir alone again.

Yashvir turned to look at Kabir, huge grins playing on both their faces.

"Congratulations, Yuvraj," Kabir smirked.

"It's soon going to be time to bring her home," Yashvir smiled, walking towards the edge of the balcony. He looked up at the night sky, and the silver moon shining down upon him.

'Very soon, you will be by my side, as my wife, and eventually, as the mother of my heir. No man will ever dare to look at you again, as you will belong to me. My wife, my Princess, and my Queen. My beautiful, unique rose."

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