I don't know why, but I suddenly felt this little tug in my heart to say this, so here I am!

I wish for all of you to find love within yourselves and be as madly obsessed with your own magic and flaws just like Kaushiki. Because I personally believe that if you can't cherish yourself, you might neither recognize someone else's love for you even when it's placed before you like a treasure, and nor you might be able to truly love someone else to the fullest. So, my little stars, never feel guilty for choosing yourself first. Because you are your own greatest love story, and I mean it.

You may continue now, happy reading!!!!

⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪

As the golden hues of the sun painted the morning sky, Maharaj Drupad returned from a journey. His regal presence, though ever unshaken, carried the subtle weariness of travel. At the entrance, Shikhandini stood to welcome him, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Pranipat Pitashree. Good to see you, now your little niece will finally stop eating my ears off, asking about your return" she spoke, raising a brow.

Drupad chuckled, stepping forward. "Time moves differently in an ashram, my child. A week there feels like some mere moments."

But before Shikhandini could respond, a humble voice interrupted them. A middle-aged man, clad in simple attire, stepped forward hesitantly and bowed deeply.

"Maharaj, forgive my intrusion, but I have come seeking your grace. My daughter's wedding approaches, yet I lack the means to give her the send-off she deserves. A father's heart wishes only for his daughter's happiness, but my hands remain empty" he said, his voice laced with both reverence and desperation.

Drupad's gaze softened as he reached for a pouch, filled with gold coins. Stepping forward, he placed it into the man's hands.

"Let this day be as joyous as your daughter's heart desires" Drupad said, his voice kind yet resolute. "A daughter's wedding should be remembered with happiness, not hardship. Make it a day she will cherish forever."

The man's eyes welled with tears as he clutched the coins, bowing once more. "Maharaj, I have no words to express my gratitude. You have given my daughter not just a wedding, but dignity and joy."

Drupad nodded, offering a small smile. "Go, and give her the happiness she deserves."

As the man left, his steps lighter and his heart full, Shikhandini looked at her father, admiration shining in her eyes. "Your heart really understands your people." she said, smiling.

Drupad simply patted her shoulder in return, his expression unreadable yet warm. "A king's duty is not just to rule, it is to serve as well."

Just then, a shrill voice pierced the air, breaking through the dignified atmosphere like a ray of unfiltered sunshine.

"JYESHTH PITASHREE!"

Before Drupad could even turn, a whirlwind of fabric and tiny footsteps came barreling towards him. In the blink of an eye, little Kaushiki flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his waist with all the force her small frame could muster.

Drupad chuckled, barely managing to steady himself as he patted her head. "Ah, my little star! Did you miss me?"

Kaushiki pulled back, puffing her cheeks in mock anger. "Miss you? Of course! But look at you! You've been gone for just a week, and you've already shrunk! Are you even eating properly, or have you been surviving on air like a yogi?"

Shikhandini snorted, covering her mouth to hide her laughter. While Drupad raised a brow in amusement. "I assure you Kaushiki, I have not turned into a yogi. I ate well."

Kaushiki squinted her eyes suspiciously, hands on her tiny hips. "Lies. Your face looks thinner. Maybe I should start sending food with you whenever you leave. Yes! I'll pack laddoos for you next time!"

At that, Shikhandini burst into laughter, while Drupad sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "So now my little niece thinks she's my caretaker?"

Kaushiki nodded proudly. "Obviously! Someone has to make sure you don't starve!"

Drupad chuckled, pulling her into an another embrace. "Then I suppose I am in good hands."

Kaushiki grinned, satisfied, before narrowing her eyes once more. "But next time, don't be gone for so long! You may be a king, but you're still my Jyeshth Pitashree first!"

Shikhandini clapped her hands together. "There you have it, Pitashree. Your true ruler has spoken!"

Drupad sighed in mock defeat while Kaushiki smirked triumphantly, hugging him tighter. The palace may have missed its king, but the real kingdom he ruled was right here in the tiny arms wrapped around him.

As the laughter settled, Kaushiki tilted her head and asked curiously, "Jyeshth Pitashree, whose wedding were you talking about?"

But before Drupad could respond, Shikhandini smirked, mischief twinkling in her eyes. "Oh, we were discussing your wedding, of course! You're getting too mischievous, it's time we send you off to another household before you cause more trouble here."

Kaushiki's eyes widened in pure horror as she snapped her gaze to Drupad, who simply smiled, offering no rescue. She gasped dramatically, clutching her own face. "What?! No! I'm too young! I don't want to leave my home!"

Shikhandini chuckled, crossing her arms. "But don't you want to look beautiful like a bride? Dressed in silk, adorned with gold, flowers in your hair----"

Kaushiki gave her an unimpressed look, one brow arched high. "Oh, Jiji, how can you be so foolish?" she sighed, shaking her head in exaggerated disappointment. "Did you really think you could just dangle the idea of looking good in bridal attire, and I'd fall for it? Please, I'm thirteen, not a dumb three-year-old! Truly, this is a new low for you. I expected better."

Shikhandini blinked, momentarily speechless at the sharp-tongued, over-dramatic response of her little sister. Then, narrowing her eyes, she took a step forward, her fingers twitching.

"Who has been teaching you to talk like this, hmm?" she asked, reaching out to twist Kaushiki's ear.

And Kaushiki yelped, darting behind Drupad like a startled rabbit, peeking from behind his back. "Jyeshth Pitashree, save me! Jiji has lost her mind!" Drupad, amused beyond words, merely chuckled as Shikhandini lunged forward.

Kaushiki stuck her tongue out at her sister before bursting into laughter, while Drupad shook his head, watching his two girls turn the grand palace into a battlefield of mischief.

Shikhandini bolted after Kaushiki, her laughter ringing through the palace halls. "Just wait till I catch you! I swear, I'll keep you away from your friends for a week!" she called, her voice laced with mock threat.

Kaushiki, effortlessly dodging her sister's grasp, grinned. "But why? They're not bad company!"

Shikhandini huffed, still chasing after her. "I know they're not a bad company. But you are! I just don't want those poor girls turning into little hurricanes like you."

Kaushiki burst into laughter, twisting around just enough to shoot her sister a smug look. "Oh, Jiji, that's never going to happen." She flipped her hair over her shoulder dramatically. "No one will ever be like me because no one can be me. I'm one of a kind."

Shikhandini skidded to a stop, staring at her little sister in pure disbelief. "How----" she pointed at Kaushiki, while shaking her head. "How are you this self-obsessed at just thirteen?"

Kaushiki simply shrugged, placing her hands on her hips. "Maybe because I know I'm beautiful, intelligent, confident, and graceful. So tell me Jiji, why wouldn't I be obsessed with myself?" She batted her lashes innocently.

Shikhandini blinked, her jaw dropping slightly "What?" Before she could form a proper response, Kaushiki flashed a mischievous grin and sprinted off. "I'm going to play with my friends! Don't miss me too much!" she called over her shoulder.

Shikhandini groaned, pressing a hand to her forehead. "She's impossible" she muttered, shaking her head, though a fond smile tugged at her lips.

Kaushiki moved fast through the maze of palace corridors and met her friends----Veda, Uma, Indu, Anagha, Danika, and Devika, who are their ministers daughters, near the royal garden of roses, where the golden hues of the sun melted into the soft glow of the late morning. The air was cool with the promise of peacefulness as they strolled towards the nearby stream, their laughter ringing through the quiet pathways.

Veda suddenly clasped her hands together with dramatic excitement. "Do you all know what my mother told me today?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Uma raised a brow and responded "That you should stop eating all the jaggery before dinner?"

The girls giggled as Veda rolled her eyes. "No! She told me a legend. Listen carefully, you silly geese!" She lowered her voice, making them all lean in as if she were sharing a great secret. "She told me that, it's believed that if Parijat flowers fall over a man and a woman at the same time... when both the moon and the sun are in the sky together... then they are destined to marry!"

For a moment, there was silence. Then----

Indu gasped dramatically, clutching her heart. "Oh no! What if parijat flowers falls on me and a grumpy old man? Am I doomed?"

The girls burst into carefree laughter.

"Indu" Devika snickered, "I think the gods would rather strike the tree down than pair you with him!"

"And what if the flower falls on me and a monkey?" Anagha said, feigning horror. "Would I have to marry it?!"

Kaushiki wiped a tear from her eye. "Well, Jiji always calls me a monkey, so if that happens you can marry me instead."

Uma grinned wickedly. "Oh, but what if it lands on you and----the son of the royal priest, you hate" She leaned in, whispering a name in Kaushiki's ear.

Kaushiki gasped, then shoved Uma with a scandalized expression. "You traitor! How dare you even suggest that?!"

Danika cackled in laughter. "We should all avoid Parijat trees from now on, just in case!"

And with that, the group erupted into laughter again, their teasing growing wilder and worse----or better, depending on who was suffering the brunt of it, as they made their way to the stream.

"So, Kaushiki" Devika drawled, crossing her arms with a sly smirk, "if the Parijat flower does choose your fate, would you accept it gracefully?"

Kaushiki placed a hand over her heart, sighing dramatically. "Oh, absolutely not. I would fight destiny itself."

Anagha gasped, pretending to look heartbroken. "What? You would refuse the will of the gods?"

"Without a second thought" Kaushiki declared proudly. "I'd pluck the tree bald before it could ruin my life!"

"Then what about you, Veda?" Uma interjected, eyes twinkling with mischief "Would you let a flower decide your groom?"

Veda flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Depends. If he's handsome, I'll take it as a divine blessing."

Danika snorted. "And if he isn't?"

"Then I'll take it as a divine mistake and throw the flower back."

More laughter filled the air as they reached the edge of the stream, where the water glimmered under the soft twinkling glow of the sun. The breeze carried the scent of fresh earth and blooming lotuses, and Kaushiki, still giggling, crouched down to dip her fingers into the cool water.

"You know" Indu mused, looking at the reflection of the sky above "what if this legend actually comes true for one of us?"

The group fell silent for a moment, contemplating the thought, until Kaushiki suddenly splashed a handful of water at Indu, breaking the mood with a wicked grin.

"Then we'll simply push her into the stream and save her from her doomed fate" she said splashing more water at her.

Indu yelped, jumping back, while the others erupted into chaos----screaming, laughing, and splashing water at each other until their giggles echoed through the once peaceful atmosphere.

As the sun dipped high, painting the sky in hues of white and light blue as the afternoon arrived, the girls decided it was time for a game of hide and seek. With a dramatic sigh Kaushiki covered her eyes and started counting, because of course they chose her to seek first.

"One... two... three..." she called out, listening to the rustling of leaves and hurried giggles as her friends scattered like startled deer.

"Eight... nine... ten! Ready or not, here I come!"

She spun around, ready to hunt them down, only to realize she had no idea which way to search. Scratching her head, she picked a direction with full confidence and absolutely no logic and marched forward, determined to seek out her victims----ahem, friends.

After a few minutes of unsuccessful searching, Kaushiki spotted a large peepal tree with its inviting shade and thought, Well, they'll have to come out eventually. So, she did what any self-respecting seeker would do, sat down comfortably, resting her back against the trunk with a triumphant smirk.

She waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

Her smirk faded and her confidence wavered.

Her ears strained for giggles, whispers, anything, but the world was eerily silent. A soft breeze rustled the leaves above, and a small cricket chirped nearby, but her friends? Nowhere to be seen.

Her stomach did a weird little flip in discomfort.

"Alright, very funny!" she called out, cupping her hands around her mouth. "You all can come out now! I am not chasing you anymore!"

But silence, only dreadful silence.

Kaushiki's heart pounded a little faster. She shot up to her feet, turning in all directions.

What if they had all left her? What if she had walked too far in the wrong direction?

And then, the thought settled in her chest like a heavy stone.

Maybe... maybe I'm lost.

Her lower lip jutted out as she muttered to herself "Well, this is just fantastic. The seeker has been defeated by trees."

Kaushiki tried to find her way back, but every direction looked frustratingly the same----trees, bushes, and more trees. She huffed. How did a simple game turn into a survival mission?

Just as she was about to start yelling for her friends again, she spotted two men up ahead, walking towards her. Their smiles were way too sugary, their voices dripping with unnatural kindness.

"Little one, are you lost?" one of them asked, his tone sickeningly sweet.

And Kaushiki's instincts immediately screamed at her. Always remember to never trust strangers, especially the ones who act like you're their long-lost niece.

"No, I'm fine. Just... enjoying the scenery." she said, feigning nonchalance.

But they chuckled, exchanging weird glances.

"Oh, but the jungle can be dangerous" the other one cooed. "We can help you find your way." He added, taking a step towards her.

"Are you deaf, didn't I just tell you that I don't need your help" she replied boldly, inching backward.

But the men only took more steps forward, their expressions now drained of any sign of kindness or sweetness.

"Come now, little princess" one of them said, his smile widening just as they pulled out sharp knives. "We know who you are. And now, you're coming with us. Walk willingly, or you'll regret it."

Kaushiki's heart pounded in dread. Oh, wonderful. Lost and about to be kidnapped. Could this day get any better?

But if she is going to die today, she will not die cowering.

Her mind worked fast.

Then----an idea!

In a split second, she bent down, grabbed a fistful of dust, and hurled it straight into their faces.

The men cursed, sputtering and rubbing their eyes as Kaushiki didn't wait to see the result and bolted away, her feet pounding against the earth as she sprinted in any random direction.

Behind her, she heard their enraged shouts.

"GET HER!"

"Oh, this is just fantastic" she muttered breathlessly. "I was already lost, and now I have company that I didn't even ask for!"

Kaushiki was sprinting at full speed, her breath ragged, her heart hammering against her ribcage. She risked a glance over her shoulder to check if the bandits were still behind her----bad decision.

Because the next thing she knew, she crashed straight into something solid.

Actually someone to be precise.

She barely had time to register the impact before she yelped and instinctively darted behind the stranger, peeking out cautiously.

The man, who looked no older than his early twenties blinked down at her in mild surprise.

He was clad in the simple yet dignified attire of a Brahmin, the fabric draping effortlessly over his strong frame. An orange cloth was wrapped around his forehead, its ends fluttering softly with the evening breeze. A few unruly baby hair locks had escaped, resting against the fabric, adding an almost boyish charm to his otherwise composed demeanor. The glow of the fading sun cast a warm hue upon him, making him look like a figure carved straight out of an ancient tale.

His coppery eyes flicked between the tiny girl now clinging to his back and the two disheveled, furious men stumbling toward them.

"Give her to us young man, or your handsome face won't have eyes!" one of the bandits snarled, brandishing his knife.

The young man's brows lifted in amusement. And he let out a low chuckle, tilting his head. "You sure it's me who won't have eyes?" he asked, his voice smooth as silk.

And the bandits lunged at him.

Kaushiki barely had time to gasp, before in one effortless motion, the stranger caught both their arms, one in each hand and twisted them behind their backs.

The bandits yelped in agony, their weapons clattering to the ground as the man held them effortlessly, his grip like iron. His coppery eyes gleamed, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Now, let's make a decision" he drawled, barely breaking a sweat. "Should I break your arms for scaring a little girl? Or should I let you run faster than the wind itself, before I change my mind?"

The two men screamed, their bravado crumbling like wet clay "LEAVE US! PLEASE! WE'LL RUN! WE SWEAR!"

The man sighed as if utterly disappointed. "Cowards" he muttered, before shoving them forward.

The bandits didn't waste a second and bolted away like panicked deers, crashing through the undergrowth as Kaushiki watched, wide-eyed.

The young man dusted his hands off, then glanced down at the tiny girl standing behind him.

"So, little bean" he said, smirking. "Mind explaining why you were out here playing tag with the bandits?"

For some inexplicable reason, Kaushiki felt her face heat up, not from fear, but from sheer embarrassment. It wasn't every day she found herself being called little bean by a stranger who had just saved her life. And worse? Her heart did a weird little flutter at the nickname.

Ridiculous. She thought.

And quickly shook off the feeling and straightened her back, trying to look as dignified as possible, which wasn't easy when she barely reached his elbow.

"I was playing hide and seek with my friends and got lost and then met them" she began, folding her arms as if she hadn't just been running for her life minutes ago. "I mean, technically I wasn't lost. I just... temporarily took the wrong direction while seeking them."

The man arched a perfect brow, clearly amused "Oh? And that 'temporary wrong direction' led you straight to two kidnappers?"

Kaushiki cleared her throat. "I handled it!" she huffed. "I threw dust in their faces and ran away!"

The man chuckled, crossing his arms as he looked