The air in the royal court of Rupnagar was thick with suspense. Before the grand stage, thousands of subjects, distinguished guests, and emissaries from neighboring kingdoms stood with bated breath. Standing in the center of the court, Princess Snigdha and the devilish landlord's son Jishnu, at the very peak of their arrogance, believed that by accepting a vile man like Jishnu as her groom, they had stunned the entire assembly. A hideously reckless smile played on Snigdha's face.
Yet, the historic twist waiting in the wings was far beyond the fertile imagination of either Snigdha or Jishnu.
With absolute gravity, the Emperor walked toward the grand golden curtain. With a single gesture of his royal scepter, the guards silently drew aside the heavy silk drape on both sides.
As the curtain parted, a brilliantly radiant young man stepped slowly forward from the center of the stage! He was draped in the glowing royal robes of the Prime Minister, a fine golden shawl resting upon his shoulders, and his eyes radiated an irresistible spark of wisdom and supreme confidence! His countenance was naturally handsome and refined—shining with royal majesty and pristine purity without a trace of artificial ornament or cosmetic touch!
He was none other than Rupanjan himself!
Maintaining absolute poise, Rupanjan advanced toward the front of the stage with calm, measured steps. With every single step he took, the royal presence of a true leader became undeniably clear.
The moment Snigdha laid eyes on him, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets! She gaped at Rupanjan in utter shock, choking on her breath. In a split second, her expression shifted from supreme pride to utter, paralyzed bewilderment! Snigdha could never have imagined that the very man she had dismissed as a penniless farmer's son, the man she had tried to drive away like a beast, was standing there today before a crowded court, adorned in grand royal majesty as the supreme leader of the realm! Trembling violently, Snigdha was rendered virtually speechless!
With immense pride and joy, the Emperor announced in a thunderous voice, "O inhabitants of my kingdom of Rupnagar! Here stands our new Prime Minister, granted to us by divine blessings and good fortune—Rupanjan! Come, wise young man! Be seated upon this grand golden throne and assume the responsibility of governing our kingdom!"
Bowing his head humbly to the Emperor, Rupanjan took his seat upon the gem-encrusted golden throne with supreme dignity. At the Emperor's signal, the royal priests and senior ministers placed the golden crown of the Prime Minister upon Rupanjan's head! Around his neck, they draped precious flower garlands and jeweled necklaces.
In an instant, the entire court erupted in jubilation! Thousands of subjects and royal guards cheered in unison—"Victory to Prime Minister Rupanjan! Victory to our deeply revered Emperor! Victory to the Kingdom of Rupnagar!" The sound of conch shells and beating drums resonated across the sky.
Standing at one side of the stage, King Aditya and Empress Arohi looked at each other with soft, knowing smiles. A glow of deep satisfaction lit up their faces, for they had known all along that Rupanjan was destined to assume the high office of Prime Minister today! Seeing Rupanjan's extraordinary success and unwavering integrity, their hearts swelled with immense pride.
However, the greatest wonder and emotion shone in the eyes of Prafulla and Prabhasa!
Prince Prafulla gaped at Rupanjan in absolute awe. He could scarcely believe that their friend Rupanjan, who had lived such a humble, honest life among them for so long, had in a single moment become the Prime Minister of a prosperous realm!
And Prabhasa? Prabhasa's heart trembled with an unknown, divine joy! Tears of pure happiness welled up and streamed down her cheeks. She could not believe her own eyes! Her only desire on this auspicious day was to catch a single glimpse, even from a distance, of Rupanjan—the only man she admired and deeply respected. She had prayed to the Almighty for just that much. But never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that the man she loved would sit upon the throne of a vast empire as its Prime Minister! Prabhasa's innocent, pure heart soared with heavenly joy, yet a deep, sweet shyness also washed over her.
Just at that moment, as all the spotlight and celebration bathed Rupanjan, Snigdha pulled a vile, dramatic stunt to drag the royal court's attention back to herself!
Suddenly flinging both hands above her head and rolling her eyes upward, she shrieked in exaggerated drama, "Oh dear Mother! My head is spinning... I am dying!"—and with that, she collapsed onto the floor with a loud thud!
Snigdha's intent was to force the packed crowd and the royal family to abandon Rupanjan and rush to her side, making her once again the sole center of attention!
Seeing Snigdha collapse onto the floor like that, Arohi, Aditya, and a few innocent commoners rushed anxiously toward her. The devil Jishnu fell into utter panic, dropping to his knees beside Snigdha and screaming, "What happened, Snigdha? Get up, get up! Why did you lie down like this all of a sudden? What is wrong with you? Guards, bring water! Pour water on her face! Why did her head spin and make her fall?"