58
THE golden rays of the morning sun flickered in through the windows and trying to get it’s way into Rina’s eyes, she yawned and turned to the other side, facing the wall and successfully guarding her eyes from the sun’s rays.
The happy chirpings of the bed outside increased, the early morning vehicle sounds, the chatterings of the little kids in the neighborhood, and even the little noises her mom was making in the kitchen all contirbuted to disrupting her sweet sleep.
She hissed helplessly and tried using the pillow to cover her ears, she never wanted to wake now, at least she needed to rest. It’s been a long day yesterday.
Selena who had already been awake for like an hour ago, quietly did her things as she prepared a light breakfast in the kitchen, and getting prepared to leave for the mart.
Realizing how stressed and weak her daughter would be, she didn’t bother waking her to join in the cooking, she did it alone.
Soon, she was done, came into her room and announced she was leaving.
“Morning sleeping beauty, I’m off”, she said from the door.
Rina turned in her sleep.
“Good morning mom”, she said rubbing her eyes.
“Your breakfast is on the dining, I will see you when I’m back”, she said and closed the door.
“Alright mommy, great day”, she wished, but her mom had already left.
She yawned carelessly and for the first time since she woke, opened her eyes widely to finally drive away the sleep.
The thoughts from yesterday night came flooding back and she sat up instantly, trying to remember more. Oh yes, she had actually slept off while waiting for Raghav’s reply.
Huh? Wait, they have actually been chatting, oh yeah, a smile played on her face. Prince Raghav chatted her up last night, yes. Now, where is her phone, he must her chatted her again maybe.
“Where is my damn phone?”, she asked and began searching for her phone, ransacking her bed, raising up the duvet and pillows.
Finally, she saw it and picked it up. And oh yeah, she was right, right there on the screen was a chat from him.
@royalprinceraghav_219: Morning beauty, guessed your night was awesome? Hoping to see you soon princess.
“Awwwn”, she mouthed and placed the phone on her chest, smiling so broadly.
A beep from the phone jolted her back to reality, and she jerked, then viewed it. It was another text from him.
@royalprinceraghav_219: I hope you would let me kiss you?
She scoffed rolling her eyes. Then she sat thinking for a while, should she reply or just ignore? She was still thinking when another message came in.
@royalprinceraghav_219: Can’t wait to see your beautiful face again, right now, I feel like my guardian angel isn’t on my side and you are the cause sunshine.
She simpered, what flattery.
@cutierina?: Good morning Maharana.
She typed and sent even before she could stop herself.
@royalprinceraghav_219: Morning baby. What are your plans for the day?
She scoffed, why was he asking?
@cutierina?: Why you asking?
@royalprinceraghav_219: I want to pay you a visit, how do you see that?
She flinched, huh? Pay her a visit, he dares not try that.
@cutierina?: Don’t come, I won’t welcome you well.
@royalprinceraghav_219: Alright then, your wish is my command, I’ll be heading to Shimla shortly, I hope to see you when I return my Lady.
She smiled. Wait… he isn’t in Shimla, so where could he be? And recall he had also said he wasn’t in New York. Well, she shrugged and looked into her phone.
He said he hopes to see her, inwardly that’s exactly what she wants. She just couldn’t wait to see him too, to behold his dreamy eyes, collapse into his arms and rest her head on his chest, she just couldn’t.
She rolled her eyes, he won’t come, because she didn’t reply him. But anyways, she still expected him to. She tossed her phone away and got down the bed, then walked into the bathroom.
Meanwhile Raghav on the other end, after sending the last text, waited for her reply, but she didn’t, although it was viewed.
He was sitting on the seat at the dressing table and facing the mirror.
He shrugged it off and got up, at least he was making progress. Although she didn’t pick up his calls, she replied his chats and he noticed she chatted without pushing him away.
He put on finishing touches to his dress as he stood facing the mirror, he was dressed in a well ironed black tuxedo, ordered for him that morning by Rudra, then he picked up his phone and ambered out the room.
He had already taken his bath already as he was awake earlier because he needed to leave for Shimla, then hours later, for New York.
“Already leaving Teddy?”, Lady Aarti asked on seeing him walk into the living room. She was sitted on the couch and working on her laptop.
“Yeah”, he shortly replied and walked to her.
She sighed then dropped the laptop and got up, facing him. With her brows furrowed, she studied his dressing.
“Wow now, you look great”, she complimented helping him with his collar and tie.
He laughed.
“Thanks Aunt”, and he pecked her cheeks.
“What about the others, aren’t you going to say goodbye or something?”, she tilted her head.
“I’m not leaving forever, I will be back”.
“With Prisha, and probably, Rina”, she winked.
He smiled.
“I hope so. So, you just say something nice to them for me, most especially, Ali baby, I’m gonna get something nice for her on my next visit”.
She laughed and nodded.
“Teddy, thanks for coming, I appreciate so well”, she said.
“As a matter of fact aunt, Rina made me come here, she fastened the reconciliation”.
She nodded.
“You are right. I hope you two get together soon”.
“I hope so too”.
“Alright Teddy, say hello to my brother, and Prisha. I really do hope to see you guys soonest”.
He embraced her, then pecked her on the forehead.This is property © NôvelDrama.Org.
“The kingdom is yours Raghav, whatever it’s that your cousins are trying to get at, it never gonna happen, never. God in his infinite mercy, and our fathers who once lived before us, will help you through this”, she prayed.
“Amen”, he replied.
“Your ride is waiting, go safely. Call me when you get home”, she said.
He nodded.
“Thank you, and I’ll give you a call”, then he turned and left.
*
*
*
“You better erase that nonsense from your head Davida, erase it”, Amaya shouted at the top of his voice.
“I won’t, I’ve had my mind made up”, Davida shouted back.
They were both ranting. Davida had been talking of going back to their house in Shimla for some money or at least, foodstuffs.
They had ran out of money and food, and so, Davida talked of going back to Shimla, but Amaya wouldn’t hear of it.
“You better get out of that fucking mind. What you thinking?”, Amaya asked.
“There’s no food, no money, I’m hungry, what do you expect me to do? Die out of hunger?”, she asked shouting.
He turned to her.
“I guess you are sick. Don’t you know the guards are out there for us now? If they get us we are as good as dead”.
“Dying of hunger, dying in the palace’s dungeon, which is better?”, she asked carelessly.
“Huh? You sick?”, he was taken aback by her outburst.
“It’s better I die in the palace’s dungeon, than to die in this old house out of hunger, at least, before I get killed by the guards, I’ll be given enough and well befitting food. I’m going back there”, she got up.
“You are going nowhere Davida, we can manage what we have. Why you talk as if there’s absolutely nothing?”.
She laughed sarcastically.
“I’m tired of eating boiled potatoes, I’m tired. Do you want potatoes to start growing on my head? I’m tired, I need something else”.
Amaya scrutinized her with his perky eyes, what has come over her? He doesn’t want her to be back at the house because definitely, she would be caught, he knew the guards are in there.
If she is caught, then she would be forced to disclose their whereabouts, thereby exposing him, goodness, this lady should at least listen to him.
“But you know you can’t do this Davida, I’m presently working on our passports you know, we need to leave the country”, he reminded her.
“I know and it’s good, but first I need to eat something other than potatoes”, she said.
He sighed.
“Okay fine, I’ll get you something else. When I get down the street by evening, I will get you something else, trust me”, he said.
“What would you get me?”, she asked, pouting.
“What do you want?”.
“Masala dosa, tea and sandwich”, she said.
“What!”, he shouted, “the cash I have here won’t get that for you. Please accept whatever I bring, and let our passports work out in peace so we could leave this country”, he pleaded.
“Noooo”, she shouted making him jerk backwards.
“I want Masala dosa”, she began crying and flinging her hands and legs, shouting.
“Shit!”, Amaya cussed and walked out, into the room, he expected it to turn out this way at the end.
*
*
*
Rina has just finished with her breakfast when her phone lying peacefully on the dining table buzzed so loudly.
She has just gone to the kitchen to do the dishes, she heard the ringing of the phone and returned to the dining instantly, cleaning up her hands with a hand napkin.
She picked up the phone and peeked into it, it was Zaina.
“My gee”, she gasped, placing her hand on her mouth.
She was never expecting her call, because as far as she was concerned, Zaina knows nothing about what happened in the palace the previous day, she had been in Kuru.
Well, she shrugged and answered the call, trying to feign like all was well.
“Hello prince’s bride”, she was the first to speak into the phone.
“Come on, just like you”, she replied, laughing.
“So tell me, how was the date with Prince Zashil yesterday?”, Rina asked smiling sheepishly.
She heard Zaina sighed over the phone.
“Well, it turned out great but you had to cut it short a little”.
Huh? What was she talking about?
“I didn’t get you Zaina, you said I cut it short? As in I, Rina? How?”, she reeled out questions.
“I knew what happened in the palace yesterday, you have been fired”, she stated.
Rina froze, like how the hell did she know?
“Who told you?”, she demanded.
“Nobody told me, the usual occurrence Rina, body heating up, and then I passed out”.
“Jeez!”, she exclaimed cupping her mouth with her left hand.
She knew exactly what she was trying to talk about, it’s like a normal phenomenon which occurs to her whenever she is in distress.
“Really? Aww, it must have ruined your yesterday”, she stated sadly.
Zaina chuckled.
“Oh well if didn’t, it even made me felt more good”.
“Huh? How?”, she asked, her brows furrowed.
“Before I passed out, I told Prince Zashil to call Prince Raghav, and ask him to go back to the palace, that it wasn’t alright over there, so….”.
“Ohhhh, you were the one who had informed him?”, she interrupted.
“Yes, and I learnt he did return immediately he got the message”.
“Really?”.
“Yes. Well, about an hour later, he came to Kuru, what happened next was a blessing, he reconciled with the rest of the family”, she explained.
Her eyes widened in shock, she was never expecting it to happen so early, she knew that Raghav and the rest of them never talks with the family in Kuru as he had told her, so she really understood what Zaina was talking about.
“My gee!”, she exclaimed.
“Yeah, I was so glad to meet with the prince of Shimla kingdom face to face, like I even shook hands with him”, she was laughing.
Rina made a face, what was she gushing about? Someone she kisses and hugs? Fall into his protective arms and relax her head on his chest? Goodness!
“You know you are crazy right?”, she asked laughing.
“Come on, it was a one in a million mini party yesterday. After everything he began talking about what happened in the palace, he said so many things about you…”.
“Huh?”, she was astonished, “how?”, she asked.
“Told us how sweet and caring you are to him, but then, began complaining you weren’t picking up his calls, so why?”, she asked.
Rina was speechless and lost for words, she didn’t even know what to reply, infact she was ashamed.
“I… I…”, she paused, battling with her emotions.
“You what? Go on”, she nudged her.
“Zaina, he was supposed to come protect me if he truly loves me”, she said.
“What!”, she exclaimed in shock.
“Like I don’t get you, are you now blaming him or what?”, she asked.
“I don’t know, this is what I just felt”.
“And then you refused to pick up his calls? Rina don’t you know how busy he is, he is a renowned medical doctor, and a royal prince, the heir apparent to the throne, yet, he returned to the kingdom at the instant he got a call from Prince Zashil, finished up some work, and then came down to Kuru, reconciled with his family, all yesterday, all because of you. Rina you seem to me like an ingrate, sorry to say”, Zaina said.
The tears already formed in her eyes, and she slowly flopped down on the seat closest to her. What Zaina had said was really the truth, she had been an ingrate.
“My gee, I… I don’t even know what to say”, she said between sobs.
“How would you? Prince Raghav would be coming down to your place today, I gave him your address”, she said, avoiding to tell her that she had also told him to begin woo her again.
“Huh?”, she sat up, “coming here?”, she asked.
“Yes, he would be there, let’s say in the mid afternoon”, she explained.
“Goodness!”, she looked around the dining where she sat.
“Aww, please come over too, please. I don’t know how to face him alone”, she pleaded.
“Aww, too bad. Mom won’t let me out of the house, because I had spent the night over in Kuru yesterday, so I returned this morning”.
“Uh, hope you didn’t…, you know?”.
“No I didn’t, I would have been back yesterday, it was all because of you”, she hissed.
“It’s alright then, it’s fine”.
“Face the prince alone girl, isn’t he your lover? Don’t you face him alone back then at the palace huh?”.
Rina sighed.
“Okay, fine. It gonna be hard though”, she pouted her lips.
“Sure, so get this into your little head that Prince Raghav loves you, forget those your childish acts and listen to him, this is when he needs you more, now, don’t give him all those shit excuses anymore, he’s in a real difficult time, and he needs you to lend him a shoulder”, she explained.
Rina sighed, Zaina should have passed for a relationship doctor, but what she was saying was absolutely right.
“I have heard you”, she said.
“You better do, or he gets frustrated and leave. Don’t forget there’s Vidya, and so many other ladies who can’t wait to have him”, she added.
Rina gasped, that was true.
“You’ve really talked sense into me, and opened my eyes as well. I’m very grateful”.
“Come on, what are friends for?”.
“So you and Prince Zashil?”.
“Perfect, he is so loving, so humorous, so cute, so sweet, has the most romantic voice I have ever heard”.
“Awwn, seems someone is already in love”, she gushed.
“You can say that again. I’m beginning to fall in love with him”.
“Mm, perfect. I pray it works out so well for the both of you”.
“Tathaastu”, she replied.
And so, they went on discussing other things before finally, the call ended.
Rina sat up on her seat, really she has been an ingrate, so selfish, goodness! She felt sorry.
She looked around the dining again, then got up and walked into the living room, although she has cleaned everywhere earlier, she felt she needed to clean it up again, the prince was on his way and she was ready to welcome him.
Instantly, she got a mopping bucket and stick, and began cleaning up the floor, she went over to the windows, then rearranged the couches.
An hour later, she was all done. Then she picked up her phone to see if he had left her any chat behind, and yes, he did.
@royalprinceraghav_219: I hope your day is going on well babe? I really got a lot doing right now, I hope to be with you shortly. Please don’t chase me out when I come .
She smiled so broadly and replied him.
@cutierina?: I won’t my prince, I can’t wait to see you .
And then she began surfing on the media, the thoughts of Raghav coming to see her filled her head, her brain, her everything, and she smiled nonstop.
As she continued surfing, she stumbled over Bellarmine’s cute photos, and she couldn’t help gushing on them.
Bellarmine was a famous model from New York, and her favourite. She so much loves watching her shows, and had even gone to the extent of following her up on all her social media handles.
Bellarmine was cute, so beautiful and slim, just like the model she is. An influencer and great content creator, she had so much as about 12M followers on her instagram, not to talk of tiktok, twitter and facebook.
Rina loves her so well, although she had only just begun hearing about her and seeing her shows and contents, it was as if she had known her for ages, just to see the love she had for her. She was her fan.
She was still checking out the photos and smiling when she came across the third slide, and she freezed instantly.
She first cleaned her eyes, maybe they were deceiving her, but what she saw was still what she saw, it was no doubts.
There on the phone was the prince, her very own prince, Prince Raghav and Bellarmine kissing.
The caption read: Let the world meet my prince charming, your very own Bellarmine has found love. PrinceRaghavBellarmine.
“What!”, she exclaimed.