" Mahadevi sa" I shouted, almost as if I was being murdered.

Everyone turned to look at me, even the rude guard gaped at me shocked. I knew it was considered ill-mannered for a young lady to scream like that in a public place, but my desperation got the better off me.

Mahadevi sa turned around and looked at me with surprise. Then with a slight smile on her face she beckoned me to her. I ran hurrying to her as much as my long skirts allowed me to. She was standing with some other ladies who had also come for the wedding, everyone dressed like royalties, but at that moment my whole focus was on Mahadevi sa, since she was the only known face and she could make or break me. I was feeling a bit apprehensive now. What if she rejected me, where would that leave me.

"Come here daughter, do pranam to all the ladies here" I bowed with folded hands in front of all.

"This is Lekha, my distant niece who had got orphaned at a very young age. I found her yesterday. Her parents had left the family long time back to travel around the world and got killed by bandits in the jungle. Somehow she reached here. Poor girl! I thank the goddess with my whole heart. Don't know what would have happened to her, if I had not found her"

I stared at her dumbfounded. She gave me a slight smile, now all her attention on me.

"Where is Vasundhara and Gayatri, why are you roaming around alone. I told you not to leave them."

The other ladies were looking at the conversation with curiosity. The fact that I knew the girls must had been an added bonus points to authenticate what Mahadevi sa had told about me. Some were I could feel appraising my dress, and I thanked my lucky star that Vasundhara had lent me one of her almost new dress considering the grand ceremony.

"I had lost them in the crowd as everyone tried move out, then there were so many green odhnis, I got confused and was left out. I couldn't get inside."

My lips trembled as the tears which I had controlled in front of the rude guard shimmered in my eyes. I turned my head the other way as one tear rolled out just thinking about the pathetic situation I would have been in, had I not sighted my savior. Though I was angry at the guard, I didn't want him to be scolded for his rude behavior towards me, as he was just doing his loyal duty.

"Don't worry dear, I will take you with me"

Another round of pranams later, we moved towards the palace gate. The guard looked at me and Mahadevi sa with surprise. He looked a bit apprehensive, trying to judge if I had complained about him or not. I just smiled slightly at him and moved forward to my safe haven. When I thought we were quite alone I raised my eyes to Mahadevi sa's face to question her, but before I could ask her anything, she put her finger on her lips, a gesture for me to keep quite.

Passing all the gates and paths we reached Vasundhara's room. I saw both of my friends ready to go somewhere looking upset.

"Searching for your friend dear? " Mahadevi sa asked laughter in her eyes.

I was literary pounced upon by my both friends and were blasted with questions about how, why, when. I just laughed loudly more with happiness that someone cared for me here, enough to worry about my disappearance. I gave them the details, leaving out the insolence of the guard and the high-handedness of the man who thought himself some royalty. He looked like a commoner, the way he was dressed, but the guard had allowed him entry and saluted him too.

"You girls must be wondering what I was talking to Lekha at night. Well, you will be glad to know that you girls have now got one more sister added to your list of cousins" Mahadevi sa smiled at me.

"I had myself told Lekha to keep quiet about it, till I had verified her story. She indeed is my long lost niece, whose parents had left home to go on an expedition around the world"

I looked at her surprised and wanted to ask her loads of questions, but knew that now was not the right time to go into details. I was again gathered in a joyous group hug by my friends, who suddenly now were my family, my sisters.

"You girls enjoy the union, I have to leave now. A lot of preparations need to be accomplished if we are to reach our destination by nightfall. I will be seeing u girls in two days. Stay out of trouble and help others look after the little ones. "

She just smiled at me and with a soft touch on my head with her palm she left. I was stunned with the whole revelation, my mind not being in what the girls were discussing.

" Uday bhaisa (brother) is real lucky to be going with the group. I so much wanted to attend the wedding" Vasundhara pouted.

"Why was jija so unhappy? Her tears didn't seem to stop. Is it not too early to start crying? Girls are supposed to cry only at the bidai(farewell of the bride) time. Even rani sa seemed to have red eyes. "Gayatri asked

"Don't u know jija is getting married into a different clan. It must be painful for her to leave all the customs. Don't know whether these people will allow her to come visit Amber or not. "

"I heard Shaguni mai (name of a soothsayer)predicted a bright future for her and our kingdom too. "

"Where did u hear that? "Vasundhara whispered conspiratorially.

"I heard my maasa talking to rani sa, who was trying to ward of any apprehension maasa might have felt towards this marriage. What I wonder is that why is she still crying, when her future is so bright. "

"Have both of you ever thought , what a big sacrifice she is doing for gaining political and social mileage for Amber. Have you ever thought, what a girl goes through when entering a loveless marriage, especially where she knows that she is but a political pawn in the game of two kingdoms. Every girl dreams of marrying a person who loves her or will come to love her in sometime. Have you ever thought that your jija knows in her heart that, even that hope is not there? "

The complete silence which followed my heated speech, made me turn around. They were as surprised as me for making such a speech. I realized my mistake, I was not supposed to speak in this matter. I mentally reviewed in my mind what all I had said and whether I had leaked some information which might create a doubt on my identity.

"My parents had traveled a lot and I had heard them talk about such political alliances. I am just repeating what I heard. My mother was a great supporter of womanhood "I finished lamely, again looking at them with side glances.

Me and my big mouth, I cursed myself. I was talking like a girl of the 21st century, where love marriages were on the rise. In my agitated speech I had forgotten that in this century love happened after the marriage , if one was lucky.

"Wow, we never thought so deeply about it. Your mother was quite unorthodox in her thinking" said Vasundhara, breaking the silence. I heaved a sigh of relief.

It was Gayatri who troubled me, she looked oddly at me.

"Do you plan to marry for love ? "she asked thoughtfully.

I couldn't lie to her, because she was staring at me as if looking right into my soul. I was caught in a dilemma, I didn't know the exact norm of the day and what consequences it would lead to if I told the truth. It was not as if I was going to stay in this timeline forever, but yes in 2015 I did have a secrete desire to marry for love.

"Well... every girl can think about it. Can't she? At the end like they say... destinies are made in heaven. So let me just say, that I plan to wait out for my destiny to come to me" . It was a good philosophical answer I had given I thought as I mentally patted my back. It was a neutral, most common answer. I saw in Gayatri's eyes some thoughtful expression about some far-off thing. She was slowly contemplating things as the wheels of her mind were processing the conversation we had.

"Am I the only one hungry or are you girls coming "Vasundhara chirped.

It made my tummy growl reminding me that apart from the little prasad I had in the morning, I had practically eaten nothing. It was almost nearing afternoon now.

We literary skipped towards the dining room, giggling at some of the anecdotes Vasudhara was telling about her relatives. I could not relate to the names but the stories were too funny. I wished I had a big family like theirs, a sadness crept over me and I lost interest in what they were saying. I just wished my parents had a big family or I had siblings, so that I was not left behind all alone when my parents died. I was lost in my sad thoughts, so didn't notice that my companions had stopped. I was pulled to a halt by Gayatri pulling my hand. My head jerked up to see her smiling amused at me.

"Does your friend have a tendency to get lost like this?" said a distinctly familiar voice.