The music had long faded.
Yet its echo still lingered in the quiet corridors of the palace-soft, distant... like a memory that refused to leave.
Chandrika Pratap Rao stood in the center of her room, the heavy ghungroos still wrapped around her ankles. The faint imprint of their rhythm seemed to hum beneath her skin, even though the dance had ended.
Her breath was uneven.
Not from exhaustion alone-
But from the strange emptiness that always followed.
A performance.
Silence.
"Rajkumari..." one of the maids stepped forward gently, her voice careful, "aap thak gayi hongi. Baith jaiye."
Chandrika blinked, as if returning from somewhere far away.
"Haan..." she nodded softly, lowering herself onto the cushioned seat near the window.
The moonlight filtered through the sheer curtains, falling across her face in quiet patterns.
She tilted her head slightly, watching it.
"Thoda paani," she murmured.
Another maid hurried to bring it.
They moved around her with practiced ease-adjusting her dupatta, speaking in low voices so as not to disturb her.
She let them.
Always had.
"Bahut achha nacha aapne aaj," one of them said with a small smile.
Chandrika's lips curved faintly.
"Sach?" she asked, almost like a child seeking confirmation.
"Ji," the maid nodded. "Sab dekh rahe the."
She didn't respond to that.
Her fingers absentmindedly traced the edge of her dupatta instead.
"Bas..." she exhaled softly after a moment, "thodi der baad khana laga dena."
"Ji, rajkumari."
When the maids stepped away, the room fell into a gentle quiet again.
Not empty.
Just...
Still.
She stood up after a while, walking slowly toward the balcony.
The night air was cool.
Soft.
It brushed past her skin like something familiar.
Below, the palace still glowed with life-lights, voices, movement.
From here, it all looked distant.
Almost unreal.
"Chandrika!"
A voice called out from behind.
She turned instantly.
Her brothers.
Shourya and Veer walked in, their presence filling the room in a way nothing else ever did.
"Tum yahan ho?" Veer said, raising an eyebrow. "Hum neeche dhoondh rahe the."
She smiled, stepping toward them.
"Main bas... thodi der ke liye upar aa gayi thi."
Shourya's gaze softened slightly as he looked at her.
"Thak gayi hogi."
"Haan... thoda," she admitted.
Veer nudged her lightly. "Dance ke baad toh hona hi tha. Achha dance kar leti ho par phir bhi bandar hi dekhti ho"
"Achha? Ek second bandar??" she tilted her head, a small spark of irritation in her eyes.
"Hmm," he shrugged casually. "Zyada dramatic tha. "
"Bhaiyaaaa!!"she let out a quiet annoyed laugh.
"That's good, right?"
"Depends," Shourya muttered, though there was no real criticism in his tone just teasing.
She looked at them both, her smile lingering just a second longer than usual.
Then-
"Aap log neeche jaiye," she said softly. "Main aati hoon."
Shourya frowned slightly. "Akele?"
"Haan," she nodded. "Bas aa rahi hoon."
For a moment, he seemed like he wanted to argue.
Then he didn't.
"Jaldi aana," he said instead.
They left laughing, teasing,........ happy
And just like that.
The room returned to silence.
Chandrika stood there for a few seconds.
Then slowly-
She sat down again.
No one had asked if she wanted to dance tonight.
No one had asked if she was tired before it began.
No one had asked if she wanted to come down again now.
Not because they didn't care.
But because...
It had never been a question.
"Rajkumari..." the maid's voice came again from the door, "khana lag gaya hai."
Chandrika looked up.
"Haan... aa rahi hoon."
---------------------------🌕----------------------------
Dining Hall
The table was already set.
Perfectly.
Dishes arranged with precision. Everything warm, fresh, inviting.
Her family was already seated.
Vikram Pratap Rao at the head.
beside him Aadarsh and Damini
Abhiraj and kiara sat at the far end of the table
Her brothers across them
She walked in quietly, taking her place without a word.
"Khana shuru karo," Vikram said.
No one waited.
They began.
"parso hum party host kar rahe hai chandu ,you have to be there but no maasti , okay!" he added after a moment, his tone teasing yet observational.
Chandrika nodded smiling. "Ji bhaiya."
That was all
Conversations continued around her-business, meetings, arrangements, plans.
She didn't listened.
Not because she was asked to.
But because she wasn't there, not mentally present
At one point, Veer laughed at something.
Shourya added a sharp comment.
Abhiraj spoke calmly, measured as always.
Aadarsh was focused on eating his favourite food made by his wife
Vikram listened
Decided.
Directed.
Chandrika quietly broke a piece of roti.
Dipped it.
Ate.
No one noticed when she stopped halfway.
No one noticed when her plate remained almost untouched.
Not out of neglect.
Just...
Because this was normal.
After dinner, everyone stood.
Chairs shifted.
Conversations moved elsewhere.
"Rest kar lo," Vikram said briefly as he passed her.
It wasn't a suggestion.
It was... consideration in his own way.
"Ji," she replied softly.
--------------🌘----------🌕---------🌒--------------
Her Room - Later
The night had deepened.
The palace had grown quieter.
Chandrika sat by the window again, her chin resting lightly against her knee.
The ghungroos lay beside her now.
Silent.
Her gaze drifted toward the sky.
The moon hung there, calm and distant.
"Kitna shaant hai..." she whispered.
For a moment, she smiled.
A real one this time.
Small.
Private.
Because up here...
No one expected anything from her.
No performances.
No perfection.
No roles
Just-
Silence.
And her.
She closed her eyes briefly, letting the cool breeze brush past her face
Downstairs, the world moved.
Decisions were made.
Plans were set.
Lives were shaped.
Up here-
She simply existed.
And somehow...
That felt like the quietest kind of loneliness
She whispered to herself
"Sab kuch hote hue bhi..."
"...kuch kami reh
jaati hai."
"Aur kabhi kabhi..."
"...woh kami khud hum hote hain."
---------------------------🌕----------------------------
OMG!! HOW CAN A BEAUTY BE SO DEPRESSED??
WILL SHE HEAL SOMEONE OR WILL SOMEONE ELSE HEAL HER???
WHEN WILL RUDRAVEER GET TO KNOW THE RAO'S HAVE A PRINCESS HE HAD NO CLUE ABOUT???
Write a comment ...