---

The Rajgarh Palace shimmered under a hundred lights. Courtyards had been draped in ivory silks, with flower garlands woven like rivers down the marble railings. This was no political event—this was spectacle.

The Royal Gala for Girls’ Education.

Guests arrived in silks and designer suits. Cameras flashed. The press circled like moths.

But Aarohi... she moved through the crowd like still water—elegant, calm, aware.

Her pale pink lehenga, embroidered with golden vines, flowed behind her like a whisper. Yet her eyes kept drifting—searching.

For one face. His.

---

Elsewhere in the Palace – Aviraj’s Private Lounge

Aviraj stood at the mirror, fixing his sherwani collar. Navy with subtle gold embroidery. Regal but understated.

He looked at his reflection and murmured,

“Aaj sirf raja nahi… pati ban kar jaana hai.”

He stepped out.

---

Main Hall – Gala in Motion

Aarohi stood by the dais, accepting flowers, thanking sponsors. Her speech was moments away.

Behind her, the Rajmata watched every detail with a monarch’s sharp gaze.

The orchestra shifted to a softer classical raga. The crowd hushed as Aarohi stepped up to speak.

---

Aarohi’s Speech – Under the Chandeliers

“I was not born into royalty,” she began, voice even, “but I’ve learned that power is not in titles… it’s in how you use your voice.”

Polite applause.

“These girls—our daughters—don’t need saving. They need opportunity. And we, as Rajgarh, will not let them down.”

This time, louder applause. A flicker of pride in Aviraj’s eyes as he arrived—watching from behind the last row.

And just as the final claps faded, a server bumped into a table. A drink spilled. A shriek. A minor chaos.

Too minor.

Except Aarohi’s security chief tensed.

Something was off.

---

Moments Later – Private Corridor

The Rajmata, walking toward the garden, paused as her guard whispered into her ear.

“Rani-sa ke suite ke lock ke saath chhedchhaad hui hai. Kuch samajh nahi aa raha.”

She stiffened. “Chup raho. Koi shor nahi.”

---

Back at the Gala – The Dance Begins

Aviraj finally approached Aarohi as the music picked up.

“You were… incredible,” he said quietly.

Aarohi looked at him. “Tumhe aana chahiye tha jab koi applause nahi tha.”

“I know,” he replied. “Is that… anklet I gifted you…?”

She shook her head gently. “I brought it. Didn’t wear it.”

He smiled faintly. “Fair enough.”

They stood in silence as a royal couple began the ceremonial dance.

Then—

A loud crack of breaking glass. A chandelier cable had snapped—but caught mid-fall by another.

Panic flickered through the crowd. Guards moved instantly.

It was a warning. Not an accident.

---

Final Scene – Rooftop Shadows

A masked figure watched from the palace’s northern rooftop, wind curling their cloak.

“Tonight was mercy,” the voice whispered. “Next time... won’t be.”

The figure disappeared into the night.

---

The morning after the gala dawned grey.

The marble corridors of Rajgarh felt colder than usual, even under the May sun. Servants whispered. Guards moved with stiffer steps. But no one said it aloud.

Something had gone wrong.

---

Aarohi’s Study – Midmorning

Aarohi sat alone with the security footage. Her eyes scanned every frame of the chandelier accident, frame by frame. The crowd blurred into motion, but her focus was sharp.

“Zoom in there,” she said to the palace tech assistant.

The footage paused—one frame before the chandelier shook.

A man in server uniform.

But… his shoes were wrong.

Imported leather. Too expensive. Too bold.

“Yeh toh waiter ho hi nahi sakta.”

She made a note.

Then opened another file—this one her own.

Unauthorized entries to the palace quarters in the last two months.

Three dates matched nights she had returned late from city meetings. She remembered feeling watched once. Brushed it off.

Not this time.

---

Elsewhere – Aviraj’s Office

He was on a call with security contractors, ordering equipment upgrades and tighter perimeter scans. But his mind drifted to her.

Aarohi had been calm after the gala—too calm.

He knew that look. It meant something had begun in her head.

And she wouldn’t come to him until she had evidence in hand.

Good.

And terrifying.

---

Palace Garden – Afternoon

The Rajmata sipped tea with an old friend—a retired general’s widow.

“You were right,” the old woman whispered. “Something stirs again.”

Rajmata kept her face composed.

“Tell me everything.”

---

Private Library – Aarohi’s Secret Corner

Aarohi pulled out an old guestbook from three months ago. Each guest’s handwriting, signature, and visit date. She ran her finger down the page—then stopped.

A name.

"Veer Sahni – Cultural Delegate."

But she remembered that man. And he didn’t speak like a bureaucrat.

“Yehi toh server ke jaisa dikh raha tha kal.”

She took a photo of the page. Circled the name.

---

Evening – Overlook Balcony

Aarohi stood alone, looking at the city below. The wind teased her hair. Behind her, Aviraj finally spoke.

“You found something.”

She didn’t turn. “Maybe.”

“Aarohi,” he said softly, “let me help this time.”

She looked back at him, eyes serious.

“You want to help when it’s personal. But this… this isn’t just about us. This is bigger. Older.”

She stepped past him.

“Main khud hi karungi. Tab tak… mujhe rukawat mat bano.”

Her words weren’t cruel—just clear.

---

Final Scene – A Hidden Tunnel, Rajgarh Palace

A man lit a lantern deep beneath the palace, where the royal catacombs touched forgotten ruins.

He placed a file on a stone table. Aarohi’s photo. Her speech. The gala incident.

Another man joined him. Dressed like nobility. Face in shadow.

“She’s looking now,” the second man said.

The first grinned.

“Then let her come closer. The closer she gets, the easier she falls.”

Late Evening – Aarohi’s Study

The storm outside had turned the palace windows into mirrors of lightning.

Aarohi sat with her files spread across the table—Veer Sahni’s name circled in red. But every official inquiry led to nothing. No permanent address. No ID match. No government affiliation.

“Jhooti pehchaan. Par kyun?”

She picked up the guest registry again, this time scanning all entries made on that date. Another name stood out.

"Samarjit Singh Rathore – Historian, invited by Rajmata."

She frowned. That name sounded… familiar.

---

Elsewhere – Rajmata’s Chambers

In the deepest part of the palace, behind a locked door only she had the key to, Rajmata opened the Royal Archives. Dust rose like ghosts as she uncovered boxes tied with velvet cords and wax seals.

She hesitated at one chest.

Marked: “Confidential: House of Rajgarh | 1986 – 1994”

Inside, yellowed documents. Decrees. Political alliances. And… a letter.

“To Maharani Gita Devi,

The boy must never know his mother’s bloodline.

It is not royal. It is dangerous.”

Rajmata’s hand trembled.

She closed the file quickly.

---

Flashback – A Whispered Conversation, 1994

“You’re playing with fire, Your Majesty,” an advisor warned.

“She was born in exile, not royal blood.”

Rajmata’s voice was steel. “She’s loyal. That’s all that matters now.”

“But her brother—”

“Is dead. Or should be.”

---

Back to Present – Aarohi’s Room

Aarohi searched Rajgarh’s public history pages on her tablet.

Samarjit Singh Rathore wasn’t listed under national historians. But he had once written a paper on exiled royal families of Rajasthan. One that had mysteriously disappeared from university records.

She opened the cached version.

A single paragraph caught her breath:

"In 1986, a small royal house in Udaipur was believed to be wiped out in an orchestrated fire. Only two survived. One—a girl, adopted in secrecy. The other... vanished."

Her fingers froze.

Aarohi realized… she had seen that photo before.

The girl looked like… herself.

---

Same Time – Rajmata’s Chambers

Rajmata closed the archive box, eyes haunted.

“She’s getting close.”

She turned to her loyal maid. “Prepare my carriage for tomorrow. We’re visiting Udaipur.”

---

Final Scene – Hidden Chamber in City Outskirts

Veer Sahni removed his disguise, wiping away the skin-toned prosthetics. Underneath: a familiar jawline.

Another man in shadows handed him a new file.

“She knows her real name now,” he said.

The man smiled.

“Good. That means she’s ready.”

---

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