Suryavanshi Yuvrani To Empress Of Aryavrat

Part 5: Pooja

Kathiravani woke up before Surya Narayan greeted the world, after she took matter of her body and appearance, she went to lit up the diya for MahaVishnu then she went outside her chamber. It was still dark, she went to the royal kitchen, not suprising to find no one there at these time of the day.

She began to prepare to make Modak and Kheer.

That's how the kitchen servants found her an hour later, with pot filled with Kheer and two trays filled with Modak. 

"Pranipat, Yuvrani," they greeted her, not surprised, as they accustomed to see their Princess was in the kitchen in the morning once a week, she usually cook Modak and Kheer for her beloved Ganpati Bappa for his pooja.

"Pranipat, everyone," she greeted back, the cooks were on each their places to cook for the food, today was the ritual exchanging the bride and groom's birthday card so that the Kul Guru could determined their wedding. So they were busy, "anyway, does anyone know that the fruits to offer for the Ganpatti Bappa puja ready? And the flowers?"

"everything is ready, Yuvrani. And for the flowers, the gardeners and garden maids are doing garland right now," Isha, her personal head maid answered, Kathiravani nodded, she focused on making more Modak, before asked Isha to brought water so that she could wash her hands.

She and Isha bid the kitchen servants goodbye, before they went to the garden. The garden servants did their work meticulously, they greeted her when they saw her, then she sat with them to help make garland and sorted out flowers for the puja and the rituals today.

Other maids saw the way their Princess's hair empty, she wasn't wear any jewellery to decorated her hair, she left her tresses open, so simple yet elegant, they took flowers and gave them to Isha, but Isha shook her head and let the servant put them on the Princess's hair themselves. Kathiravani let the servants do whatever they wanted, most of them were still young, younger than her even.

"Yuvrani's hair is so long and gorgeous, i love decorate Yuvrani's hair!"

One of the younger servant said, she circled marigold and roses around Kathiravani's hair, and tied it with a string.

"and your mouth is so sweet, when did you got a mouth this sweet, dear?" she teased the girl, the girl upon being teased by their Princess ducked her head down, blushed,

"look, Yuvrani only teased her once and she was ashamed!" Isha added making everyone laugh. Some maids came with a bag of lotus flower, the girl excitedly took them,

"Yuvrani, Yuvrani look, it's a lotus flower! I'll put some on your hair!" she said, forgot the previous teasing moment, Kathiravani chuckled and let her do whatever she wanted, others smiled at the interactions. Their Yuvrani was one of the millions, no one acted like her, so kind and down to earth. From the moment she served Maharishi Durvasa, then went to Baghwan Parashuram's ashram and came back, everyone was charmed by her. She never differentiate between anyone, she would sleep after everyone fell asleep, and she would woke up before anyone could woke up. She would make sure everyone was fed before she even took a bite, she also a briliant strategist and a warrior, led a war many times, to the point other neighbouring kingdoms respect and fear them. She was among the few people who could evoke divine weapons as the student of Bhagwan Parashuram. That was the reason why Maharaj Ranjeet loved his daughter and boasted about her for everyone. Who needed a son when this one daughter could equal ten?

After they saw the sky, Kathiravani quickly took Isha and went to the river near the palace, the bank of Sarayu river, Kathiravani walked near the deck, while Isha awaited for her, she looked up to the sky, she smiled when the first raw of sunshine hit her,

"Pranipat, Surya Narayan,"

After all her ritual over, she and Isha went back to the palace. Everyone basked in a sense of happiness, they greeted her when they saw her, some were singing and dancing.

"jiji!" Mirdhvi and Mira, two Princesses of Nishada Kingdom ran towards her, "come, Satya jiji already waiting for you in your chamber along with Jyesht Mata, Mata and Kakishree, the puja for Lord Ganesha will begin soon!"

They walked towards her chamber, her chamber filled with many maids, as they placed trays after trays of clothes, and jewellery.

"Pranipat, Yuvrani!" they greeted her, the three Queens saw her and smiled while Satya sat in front of the idol of MahaVishnu, seemed entranced with it.

"come, go take your bath. The puja will begin soon, and you're not ready!" Maharani Indulekha said, stressed, Kathiravani chuckled,

"relax, Kaki, it's not like they are going to start without me, the bride?"

She walked towards the bathroom with Isha, as the later helped her bath with warm water filled with aromatics and flowers,

"be careful, Isha, i want to wear the lotus in my hair."

After thirty minutes, she walked outside, with her hair still wet. The Queens took her and sat her down in a chair, they took the perfumes and scented oil, spread it on her hair, and skin. She smelled the scent of rose and frowned,

"Maa, i want to use the lotus scented one," 

"but the rose is the newest batch, the maids made it with utmost love and care," Maharani Shruti replied, Kathiravani narrowed her eyes,

"i'll use rose in other day, but now i want to use lotus. My hair decoration is a blue lotus flower today, Maa," she answered, as Maharani Indulekha did her hair, "Kaki know? When i was in Braj, along with my dearest Sakhi Radhika, my other dearest Sakhi Vishaka's hands are magical, she can turns everything beautiful with her hands!"

Her mothers and the maids smiled when they saw the way her eyes lit up at the mention of her beloved Sakhi Gopika from Braj. She, spent her early years being a milkmaid in a small village called Vrindavan in the house of a Yadava, Nandan Raj and his wife, Shrimati Yashoda.

"ah, i'm stupid!" everyone looked at her with concern,

"what's wrong, Mudita?"

With shining eyes, she looked at her mother, "Maa, can we send guards along with carriages to Vrindavan? I wish my Nandan Baba and Yashoda Maiya along with all my dearest Sakhiyon can be here for my wedding. I miss maiya, baba and all my sakhi so much, Maa. Please?"

Her mother contemplated, "i'll see what can i do..."

"Maa, promise me. i don't see them for years, i can't invite my Kanha bhaiya and Dau to this wedding due to our connection with Maharaj Jarashand, then please fulfill my wish this once, i want my Maiya, Baba and Sakhiyon to be here with me." 

Meanwhile in Dwaraka, a soft smile graced at the Gopinatha's lips,

"dearest Padmi..." he whispered, Subhadra who sat close to him frowned,

"who is Padmi, Bhratashree?"

"so we talk about Padmi?" Dau interjected, a smile in his lips, "aren't we going to meet her soon, Kanhaiya? It's almost time."

Subhadra narrowed her eyes, "who is Padmi, Dau? Bhrata?"

"Padmi, by bond, is also your sister, my dearest Subhadrae," Krishna said with a smile, "you'll love her when you meet her."