The tense atmosphere of the royal assembly was gradually attempting to return to normal, yet the scene upon the grand stage was of a different nature entirely. When the Emperor cunningly hinted at the most virtuous and noble maiden, the arrogant Snigdha, miscalculating the situation in her mind, smiled to herself with satisfaction. Snigdha felt entirely certain that even as Prime Minister of this realm, Rupanjan's heart remained at her feet! Thus, she assumed the Emperor and Rupanjan were indirectly referencing her as the future Queen of the kingdom.
Observing Snigdha's bizarre, subtle smirks and erratic mood shifts, Jishnu, standing beside her, grew intensely annoyed and suspicious.
Leaning close to Snigdha, Jishnu whispered, "Snigdha! Why on earth are you smirking like a fool? It isn't even clear whose wedding they are discussing, and over there, Rupanjan seems to have lost his mind after becoming Prime Minister! Spouting all kinds of nonsense! Come, our ring exchange is already done; let us step down from here now. Our grand royal wedding will be fully solemnized this coming week anyway."
Swirling the hem of her silk dress, Snigdha cast a look of utter contempt upon Jishnu.
Twisting her lips with supreme arrogance, she sneered, "Ha! Let us see who my full wedding ultimately takes place with!"
Hearing such duplicity and erratic words from Snigdha, Jishnu gasped in shock! Widening his eyes, he roared, "What did you say? What do you mean 'who the wedding takes place with'? Your wedding will take place with me alone, because I put a ring on your finger! Mind you, Snigdha, don't you dare try to play any clever tricks with me! If you attempt to betray me, I will destroy you with my own hands!"
Hearing Jishnu's threat, Snigdha did not feel an ounce of fear; instead, growing even more aggressive, she barked, "Oh, look who has come to threaten me! Putting a ring on my finger doesn't give you the right to say whatever you please to me! Snigdha wasn't born to marry a petty landlord's son like you! If you don't like my attitude, you can clear out right now!"
Watching Princess Snigdha and the landlord's son Jishnu engage in such a filthy, aggressive altercation right in the middle of the stage, Prime Minister Rupanjan, seated upon his golden throne, felt deep amusement inside. Resting a cheek on his hand, he serenely enjoyed their circus. Prafulla and Prabhasa also struggled to suppress their laughter at the spectacle.
When the fight reached its peak and nearly escalated into physical violence, Empress Arohi stepped forward, her face flushed red with sheer disgust and humiliation.
Arohi roared, "Will you two stop? In a crowded court, before everyone, what have you started? Have you no shame or decorum left whatsoever?"
King Aditya also stepped forward, addressing Jishnu in an extremely grave and stern tone, "Why are you two losing your tempers here like this? Since Snigdha has accepted you by exchanging rings, your wedding will be solemnized this week following proper customs! But Jishnu, we were not acquainted with you like this before. Who else is there in your family? What is the identity of your parents and family members?"
Adjusting his attire with arrogance, Jishnu boasted, "King, I have a vast estate in my family. But with the way Snigdha switches her demeanor every moment, it is hard to comprehend her mind!"
Aditya let out a heavy sigh and said, "Very well, we shall speak with your family and finalize the wedding date for this week. Now please, do not spoil the atmosphere of the court any further."
Meanwhile, as the Emperor extended an invitation for the royal feast to everyone, all present made their way toward the grandly decorated dining hall of the palace.
The moment she arrived at the dining hall, Snigdha initiated an incredible and deeply embarrassing display of shameless gluttony!
Whether deprived of fine food for too long or driven by wild greed, Snigdha completely cast aside her royal dignity, behaving like a ravenous beast! As numerous delicacies were presented on massive golden plates, she abandoned all dining etiquette, scooping up food with both hands and jamming it into her mouth! Gravy, fragrant rice, and meat juices dribbled down her cheeks and chin, staining her dress!
Horrified by her uncivilized gluttony, the royal family and invited guests seated nearby gasped in utter shock!
Yet Snigdha's unnatural antics did not end there! Devouring the food on her own plate in seconds, she suddenly reached her hand toward the plate of the deeply revered Emperor of Rupnagar sitting in the adjacent seat! Before the Emperor could react, Snigdha snatched a large piece of meat and sweetmeat directly from his plate and stuffed it into her mouth!
The Emperor recoiled his hands in shock, while the surrounding attendants gaped open-mouthed!
Next, Snigdha set her sights on Prabhasa's plate. She swiftly snatched the delicious morsels off Prabhasa's peaceful plate and gulped them down! When Jishnu attempted to guard his own plate, Snigdha shoved him aside with a violent push, mashing all the food on his plate into a paste and polishing it off! Even when attendants came to clear the vessels beneath the table, Snigdha, driven by her abnormal behavior, bent all the way down to their feet searching for leftover scraps!
The most horrifying spectacle occurred when she was served scented water in a fine crystal vessel to quench her thirst. Gulping down the water greedily, Snigdha, in a fit of wild madness, placed the crystal glass between her teeth and began crunching it loudly!
"Crunch... crunch..."—the sound of her chewing glass sent a wave of terror rippling across the dining hall!
Empress Arohi and King Aditya turned crimson with overwhelming shame and embarrassment! Seeing their own child engage in such vile, abnormal, and beastly conduct before a full court brought tears of humiliation to Arohi's eyes.
Unable to tolerate another second of it, Arohi grabbed Snigdha's arm tightly.
In a trembling voice, Arohi said, "No more... this uncivilized girl cannot be kept here for another second! Aditya, come! She must be dragged out of here right now!"
Hanging his head in shame, King Aditya apologized to the Emperor, "Your Majesty! Please forgive us... we have no face left to show in this palace! We shall return to Junagarh this very night with this disgrace of a daughter!"
Expressing his sorrow and understanding the gravity of the situation, the Emperor bid them farewell. Arohi and Aditya practically hauled Snigdha out, dragging her away into the night toward Junagarh. Humiliated and furious, Jishnu also fled the palace to his own hideout to cover his shame.
However, to restore peace to the palace and honor the Emperor's hospitality, Prince Prafulla and the gentle Princess Prabhasa remained at Rupnagar Palace for the night.
The moon smiled gently in the night sky. Following a long, tempestuous storm, stillness finally settled over Rupnagar Palace, as everyone retired to their designated chambers to rest.