As the dinner concluded in the beautifully decorated dining hall of the Rupnagar Royal Palace, the invited subjects and other guests returned to their abodes with great satisfaction after finishing their feast. The atmosphere of the royal court gradually settled into tranquility.
On the other hand, bowed with supreme humiliation and shame, King Aditya and Maharani Arohi returned to the Junagadh Royal Palace with Snigdha that very night. The late-night palace was completely quiet and deserted, as Prafulla and Prabhasha had stayed back in the kingdom of Rupnagar. Upon entering the vast palace of Junagadh, King Aditya could no longer suppress the rage brewing inside him.
He grabbed Snigdha by the hand and said in a deeply hurt and furious voice, "Child Snigdha! You were never like this before! Why did you turn so uncivilized and barbaric in front of everyone in the full royal court? Snatching food from the King's plate, chewing glass goblets... Shame on you! You dragged our honor and pride through the mud!"
Snigdha jerked her hand away in irritation. Making a face, she sneered contemptuously, "Oh! You people start creating drama over nothing! What did you find uncivilized here, if I may ask? I hadn't eaten anything for a long time, I was starving! So, seeing delicious food right before my eyes, I devoured it greedily! I don't see what's wrong with that! Goodness gracious, what unnecessary drama!"
Aditya sighed deeply and said with folded hands, "Look, child, I am telling you this for your own good. You are getting married to Jishnu this very week. If you carry on with such madness and greed at your in-laws' place too, how will your household run? Of course, Jishnu has no family, he is completely alone! You will have to manage everything. If you act like this there, it seems you will end up cooking alone and devouring it all by yourself! And above all, you don't even know how to cook!"
Standing beside him, Maharani Arohi said with tears in her eyes, "You are absolutely right, Aditya! I am worried sick day and night thinking about this girl and what will become of her future! You were sent to the Gurumashai's ashram to receive good guidance and education. You stayed there for five long years, only to return with such rude and shameless manners? Frankly speaking... Prafulla was in the same ashram too, look how good, humble, and noble-charactered he turned out! Someone who is inherently good will always remain good. But you are such a shameless and ungrateful daughter that even after going to the ashram, you chose only the worst traits! What more can I tell you? Go, lie down in your room! You have completely humiliated us in the full assembly and ruined Junagadh's long-standing reputation! God knows what misfortunes are written in our fate because of you... Get out of here!"
Without listening to another word, Snigdha uttered a long, irritated 'Ugh' and headed straight to her room. Aditya and Arohi also retired to their bedchamber with heavy hearts.