By the time Prafulla and Snigdha returned to the palace after leaving Prabhasha at the academy, the sun's intensity had diminished significantly. The echoes of the locals' harsh words still lingered in Prafulla's mind, but upon entering the palace, the sight of Arohi's smiling face made all his exhaustion and anger vanish. Arohi had been incredibly busy since morning. And why wouldn't she be? Tomorrow was the birthday of Prabhasha, the beloved princess of the Junagarh palace! Although Prabhasha was not of the palace's blood, to Arohi, she was dearer than her own life. Therefore, she wanted to leave no stone unturned to make this day memorable. Prabhasha, still an innocent child, had no idea about the grand arrangements being made for her. Everything was kept a secret. Arohi entered the kitchen, determined and ready. Sending the head chef on leave, she began cooking all the favorite dishes with her own hands. Smoke rose from the stove, and the aroma of ghee and the fragrance of warm spices wafted through the entire palace. Today, Arohi was preparing snow-white Basmati rice pilaf, accompanied by tender mutton curry and various types of fritters. For dessert, there was Kalakand and kheer (rice pudding) made by her own hands. With God as her witness, she cooked every dish with supreme affection.
Aditya came and stood at the kitchen door. Seeing Arohi sweating like this, he smiled and said, "Arohi, are you doing all this alone? Our princess will be overjoyed to see all this tomorrow morning!" While stirring the ladle, Arohi gave a sweet smile and said, "The girl's childhood was spent in a lot of hardship, Aditya. I don't want any shadow of sorrow to remain in her mind. As a mother, this is the least of my duties." Snigdha and Prafulla also joined in the work. Snigdha washed the rice for the kheer, and Prafulla busied himself bringing fresh flowers from the palace garden to decorate the rooms. Everyone now had one single goal—to give Prabhasha a massive 'surprise.'
As the night progressed, a strange silence and excitement settled over the palace. Prabhasha was in a deep sleep; Arohi lay beside her, gently brushing away the stray hair from her forehead and holding her close. When the clock hands crossed eleven, Aditya and Prafulla gathered outside Prabhasha's room, tip-toeing like thieves. Snigdha brought a large platter filled with sweets and the kheer made by Arohi. Everyone waited with bated breath for midnight to arrive.
Finally, the auspicious moment came. As the clock struck twelve, Arohi began to call Prabhasha very gently, "Sweetheart... oh sweetheart, wake up and see who is here." Rubbing her eyes in her sleep, Prabhasha sat up only to find her room glowing with lights. Prafulla and Snigdha shouted together, "Happy Birthday, our little sister!" Aditya handed her a beautiful gold necklace, and Arohi fed her a spoonful of kheer.
Prabhasha's innocent eyes widened in wonder. She could never have imagined such an arrangement for her. In her half-broken speech, she asked, "Mother, is there a festival today? Why are you all in my room?" Hugging her to her chest, Arohi said, "Today is the birthday of the goddess of our home. You can't even imagine how much more will happen all day tomorrow!" Seeing that pure smile on Prabhasha's face, Prafulla vowed again in his heart that he was ready to fight any power on earth to protect this smile. In this midnight gathering, the Junagarh palace became like a piece of heaven, where the measure of relationships was not birth, but love.