RATHORE PALACE, JAIPUR
The Rathore Palace had seen generations of kings.
Its walls had witnessed celebrations, betrayals, victories, and secrets that were never meant to leave the palace gates.
And every morning, before the royal family even woke, the palace was already alive.
The servants moved silently through the marble corridors.
The kitchen was busy.
The courtyard was being decorated with fresh flowers.
And in the eastern wing of the palace, the Mahil—the servants' quarters—was already filled with the sounds of hurried footsteps.
“Vani!”
Meera's voice echoed through the corridor.
“Ji, Ma!”
Sixteen-year-old Vani Chauhan came running toward her mother, holding a tray of freshly folded clothes.
“Kitni der se bula rahi hoon!”
“Ma, main kapde rakhne gayi thi.”
“Kapde rakhne gayi thi ya baatein karne?”
Vani gave an innocent smile.
“Thodi si baat kar li toh kya hua?"
Meera shook her head.
“Tumhara kuch nahi ho sakta.”
Vani giggled.
“Achha, ab batao kya kaam hai?”
"Rajmahal ke upar wale kamre mein yeh kapde rakh aao.”
Vani took the tray.
“Ji, Ma Sa.”
Meera immediately frowned.
“Ma Sa nahi. Ma.”
Vani laughed.
“Arre, aadat ho gayi hai.”
“Chal ab.”
“Ji!”
Vani hurried away.
Meera watched her daughter disappear around the corner.
A small smile appeared on her face.
Vani had grown up inside these palace walls.
She knew every corridor, every staircase, every servant, and almost every member of the Rathore household.
For Vani, the palace was not a mysterious royal world.
It was home.
At least, she thought it was
THE ROYAL CORRIDOR
Vani walked quickly through the corridor.
Too quickly.
As she turned around a corner—
Thud.
The tray nearly slipped from her hands.
Vani froze.
The person standing in front of her didn't move.
She slowly raised her eyes.
And her smile disappeared.
Rajkumar Veer Singh Rathore.
The future King of Jaipur.
Veer stood before her, dressed in a dark traditional kurta, his expression cold and unreadable.
The corridor suddenly became silent.
Two servants nearby immediately lowered their heads and moved away.
Vani swallowed.
“Rajkumar Sa…”
Veer's eyes moved toward the tray.
“Dekh kar nahi chal sakti?”
His voice was low.
Vani immediately lowered her gaze.
“Maaf kijiye.”
Veer looked at her for another second.
Then he walked past her.
Vani released the breath she had been holding.
“Bach gayi…”
She whispered.
Veer stopped.
Vani's eyes widened.
She immediately looked down.
Veer turned his head slightly.
“Kya kaha?”
Vani shook her head.
“Kuch nahi.”
Veer stared at her.
“Achha.”
Then he walked away.
Vani waited until he disappeared.
Only then did she whisper,
“Kitne gusse wale hain…”
A nearby maid quickly grabbed her arm.
“Chup!”
“Ky—”
“Rajkumar ke baare mein aise baat nahi karte.”
Vani frowned.
“Arre, maine kya keh diya?”
The maid looked toward the corridor.
“Tum nayi nahi ho, Vani. Tumhe pata hona chahiye…”
She lowered her voice.
“Unse sab darte hain.”
Vani looked in the direction Veer had gone.
She had known that.
Everyone did.
But she had never understood why.
THE ROYAL CHAMBER
Veer entered his father's chamber without knocking.
Yuvraj Singh Rathore looked up from his papers.
“Kya hua?”
Veer walked toward the table.
“Pitaji, mujhe aapse kuch poochna hai.”
Kaveri was seated nearby.
She immediately looked at her son.
“Kya baat hai?”
Veer looked at both of them.
“Subah se mahal mein ajeeb khamoshi kyun hai?”
Yuvraj's expression remained calm.
“Tumhe har baat ka hisaab chahiye?”
“Jab baat mere ghar ki ho, haan.”
Kaveri exchanged a glance with Yuvraj.
Veer noticed.
“Aap dono kuch chhupa rahe ho.”
Yuvraj put down his papers.
“Veer.”
“Ji?”
“Apni hadd mein raho.”
Veer gave a cold smile.
“Main hadd tab paar karta hoon jab koi mujhe rokne ki koshish karta hai.”
Kaveri's fingers tightened around her saree.
She knew that look.
Yuvraj knew it too.
His son was not someone who could be easily controlled.
Veer turned toward the door.
Then Yuvraj spoke.
“Ruko.”
Veer stopped.
“Kal darbar mein ek zaroori faisla sunaya jayega.”
Veer turned around.
“Kaisa faisla?”
“Waqt aane par pata chal jayega.”
Veer's eyes narrowed.
“Pitaji…”
His voice became quieter.
“Main intezaar karne walon mein se nahi hoon.”
Yuvraj looked directly at him.
“Is baar karna padega.”
Veer stared at his father for a long moment.
Then he gave a faint smile.
“Dekhte hain.”
He walked out.
Kaveri looked at Yuvraj.
“Aap jaante hain na, Veer rukega nahi?”
Yuvraj's expression darkened.
“Jaanta hoon.”
“Phir?”
Yuvraj looked toward the door.
“Jo hone wala hai… usse Veer ko door rakhna zaroori hai.”
---
THAT EVENING
The palace was preparing for the next day's royal darbar.
Servants decorated the main hall.
Vani carried a basket of flowers toward the darbar hall while Meera arranged the lamps.
“Ma, itna sab kyun ho raha hai?”
Meera didn't look up.
“Kal darbar hai.”
“Lekin itna bada?”
“Haan.”
Vani placed the flowers down.
“Kya koi khaas mehmaan aa raha hai?”
Meera paused.
“Pata nahi.”
Vani looked at her.
“Ma…”
“Haan?”
“Aapko sach mein nahi pata?”
Meera looked at her daughter.
For a moment, something passed through her eyes.
Fear.
Then it disappeared.
“Apna kaam karo, Vani.”
Vani nodded.
“Ji.”
She turned away.
But before she could leave, a voice came from behind them.
“Meera.”
Meera froze.
She turned.
Yuvraj Singh Rathore stood at the entrance of the hall.
Meera immediately bowed her head.
“Ji, Maharaj?”
Yuvraj looked at her.
“Kal subah mere kaksh mein aana.”
Meera's face went pale.
“Ji…”
Yuvraj left.
Vani looked at her mother.
“Ma?”
Meera didn't answer.
“Ma, kya hua?”
Meera forced a smile.
“Kuch nahi.”
But her hands were trembling.
Vani noticed.
She had never seen her mother look this frightened before.
---
MIDNIGHT
The palace was asleep.
Almost.
Veer stood alone on the balcony of his chamber, looking over Jaipur.
His mind kept returning to the day's events.
The strange silence.
His father's warning.
The royal darbar.
And now Meera's frightened face.
Something was wrong.
Something his parents were desperately trying to hide.
A knock came at the door.
Veer turned.
“Kaun?”
A young guard entered and bowed.
“Rajkumar Sa…”
“Kya hai?”
The guard hesitated.
“Darbar hall ke paas kisi ko dekha gaya hai.”
Veer's expression hardened.
“Kaun?”
“Pata nahi.”
Veer immediately walked past him.
“Chalo."
THE DARBAR HALL
The hall was dark.
Only a few lamps were burning.
Veer stepped inside.
His eyes scanned the room
Nothing.
Then—
A faint sound came from behind the curtains.
Veer walked toward it.
He pulled the curtain aside.
There was no one.
But something lay on the floor.
An old silver locket.
Veer picked it up.
His eyes narrowed.
There was a small Rathore emblem engraved on it.
And beneath it—
A name.
MEERA CHAUHAN.
Veer's expression changed.
For the first time that night, he looked genuinely surprised.
He closed his fingers around the locket.
“Meera…”
Footsteps echoed behind him.
Veer turned.
But the corridor was empty.
Someone had been there.
Someone who knew exactly where he would find the locket.
And someone who clearly wanted him to find it.
Veer looked down at the name again.
His eyes turned cold.
“Ab khel shuru hua hai.”
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