---

The late afternoon sun lit the palace walls with a golden glow, but Aviraj barely noticed it. He sat in the royal lounge, a half-empty cup of kahwa cooling beside him, untouched. His phone buzzed with updates from the business front—textile delays, investor meetings, diplomatic dinners.

But his mind wasn’t on profits.

It was on her.

The way she had looked at him last night… quiet. Withdrawn. Not angry. Worse—indifferent.

He leaned back, fingers pressed against his forehead.

“Main usse door kaise ho gaya?”

---

Later – Palace Boardroom

Rajgarh Industries had grown far beyond its origins—now spread across real estate, fashion, heritage tourism. Aviraj sat at the head of the table, flanked by department heads and company advisors.

“Focus on local manufacturing for the Rajgarh couture line,” he instructed. “Bring back artisanship. If this legacy means anything, it must reflect in our work.”

One of the executives leaned over, whispering, “Sir, Zurich called again about the European investors’ tour—should we confirm your presence?”

Aviraj shook his head. “Cancel it. Priority stays in Rajgarh for now.”

The room stilled. For years, Aviraj had chased global expansion. Today, he chose to stay.

The Rajmata, silently present at the end of the hall, noticed. Her eyes softened.

“He’s pausing… for something. For someone.”

---

That Evening – Aarohi’s Quarters

Aarohi was rearranging old books, trying to busy her hands while her mind wandered. Every corner of the room reminded her of him. But she wouldn’t go to him—not again.

He had to come to her.

Her phone buzzed.

Aviraj: “Aaj raat chhat pe dinner? Sirf hum dono. Koi kaam nahi. Koi baat nahi karni ho toh bhi chalega.”

She stared at the message, heart pulling, logic resisting. She put the phone down without replying.

---

Nightfall – The Palace Terrace

Candles flickered along the parapet. A small table was set. The stars above Rajgarh shimmered like silver. Aviraj stood alone, waiting. Every minute that passed felt heavier than the last.

He checked his phone.

No reply.

A sigh escaped his lips. “Shayad der ho gayi…”

---

Elsewhere – Rajmata’s Private Temple

The old queen sat cross-legged, the diya’s light dancing across her wise features. Her whisper was almost a prayer.

“Yeh shehzada ab seekh raha hai… par uski raani ab sawal nahi, sirf doori chhod rahi hai.”

---

Aarohi's Room – Midnight

She stood by the window, watching the last of the terrace candles flicker out.

She whispered to the wind:

“Main abhi taiyaar nahi hoon maaf karne ke liye… par shayad main chaahti hoon ki woh koshish karta rahe.”

And far below, in the silent marble halls of the palace, the shadows of love still lingered—waiting.

---

The morning air in Rajgarh was thick with heat and expectation.

Aarohi stood before her mirror, adjusting the pearl pin on her saree’s shoulder. The color was soft lavender, but the woman wearing it wasn’t fragile anymore.

There had been no response from her to Aviraj’s message the night before.

No conversation.

No confrontation.

Only silence.

But not weakness.

---

The Royal Council Chamber – Midday

An urgent meeting had been called in the Maharaja’s absence. A minister from the Culture Department was threatening to cut funding for the Rajgarh Women’s Education Project—one Aarohi had quietly nurtured for over a year.

“Yeh scheme toh sirf naam ki hai,” the minister scoffed. “Koi ROI nahi hai. Political gain bhi nahi.”

The room murmured with agreement. No one expected Aarohi to speak. She rarely did in council meetings.

But today, she rose.

“Yeh scheme naam ki nahi, nayi pehchaan ki hai,” she said, voice steady. “Aur agar raj gharane ka matlab sirf munafa aur politics reh gaya hai… toh phir hum Rajgarh nahi, sirf ek aur city hain.”

Silence.

Even the Rajmata blinked in surprise.

“You have the accounts, the reports, and the proof in front of you,” Aarohi continued, placing a file on the table. “The women of Rajgarh don’t need charity. They need a chance. And as long as I stand here, they’ll get it.”

The chamber fell respectfully quiet.

---

Outside the Chamber

Aviraj arrived late, having wrapped a last-minute meeting with a textile delegation. As he walked through the stone corridors, he overheard an assistant murmuring, “Rani-sa ne toh aaj kamaal kar diya.”

He stopped. “Rani-sa?”

“She handled the entire council. Powerful. Poised,” the assistant smiled.

Something tugged deep inside him—pride, guilt, admiration.

---

Later That Day – The Palace Garden

Aarohi sat beneath the neem tree with a small group of young girls, sketchbooks spread open, giggles in the air.

Aviraj approached slowly, stopping a few feet away.

She looked up, but said nothing.

“I heard what you did,” he said quietly. “You didn’t need to… but you did it brilliantly.”

She returned her gaze to the little girl beside her. “Kisi ko toh karna tha.”

“Aarohi,” he said, a little closer now, “Main... main bas yeh kehne aaya hoon ki—”

“You don’t have to say anything,” she interrupted, gently but firmly. “Not yet.”

He nodded. For once, accepting the silence.

---

That Night – Rajmata’s Chambers

Rajmata watched the oil lamp flicker and smiled faintly.

“Uski aankhon mein ab rani ki roshni hai,” she murmured.

“She may not forgive him yet,” she added, “but she’s found something more powerful—herself.”

---

In the Shadows

Far away, someone in a hidden chamber lit a match and stared at a photograph of Aarohi giving her speech in the council room.

“She’s stronger than we thought,” the voice whispered.

“But strength… is a threat.”

And with that, the match dropped.

The flame began.

---

The palace was quiet that morning—but not peaceful. There was a weight in the air. A sense that something unseen was pressing against its age-old walls.

Aarohi stood on the balcony, watching the city wake. She didn’t see the man in black across the street, snapping photos from a shadowed alley.

---

Elsewhere – A Dimly Lit Room

A large screen lit up with her image.

“She’s shifting attention. People are listening,” a man’s voice said coldly.

Another voice, younger, raspier: “What do you want us to do?”

“Watch. Wait. And when the time comes... make sure she learns her place.”

The photo of Aarohi giving her speech in the council chamber lingered on the screen—now marked with a red dot at the center of her forehead.

---

Back at the Palace – Aviraj’s Office

Aviraj stared at a small black box on his desk. Inside, a delicate gold anklet—Aarohi’s favorite kind. A simple gesture. But one he hadn’t made in months.

He picked up his phone, typed, deleted, then finally sent:

“Can we talk over lunch? Not as royals. Just us.”

The message was left on seen. No reply.

He sighed and went back to the paperwork—the Rajgarh marble contract, the land clearance for the girls’ school expansion. Everything she had once fought for. Everything he’d once ignored.

Now he was watching her lead it—and realizing she had always been stronger than he allowed himself to see.

---

Palace Garden – Afternoon

Aarohi finally responded—but not in words. A box arrived at his door. Inside was his old fountain pen, the one he had left in her books months ago. No note. Just the pen.

A quiet reply.

A reminder of a time when they used to write dreams together.

---

Rajmata’s Courtyard – Twilight

The queen mother sat with her astrologer, her silver hair tied in a royal braid.

“Rajmata ji,” the woman whispered. “Aarohi’s stars shine… but they threaten old powers.”

Rajmata frowned. “Whose?”

“Not yours. But not his either.”

The old queen understood.

The danger wasn’t from inside the palace.

It was outside—jealous, watching, ready.

---

Night – Aarohi’s Room

She flipped through her project files, heart still heavy.

There was a knock. She opened the door to find a box. No guards. No messengers. Just a note taped to the top:

“For the one who makes power look like poetry.”

Inside: the gold anklet.

She smiled faintly—but didn’t wear it. Not yet.

Outside her window, far off,

a camera clicked again.

---

Final Scene – Dark Alley, Rajgarh

Two men met, exchanging papers, photographs, and cash.

“She moves like a queen,” one said. “But what’s a queen without protection?”

The other man grinned. “Let’s find out.”

---

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