In Dwarka, Krishna smiled with his eyes closed. He knew Ira was born to give trouble to trouble, no other way around. However, he also knew that she had some difficulties to overcome, as they had placed a huge weight on her shoulders. Until now, she had performed her duties perfectly, and they were very proud of her. They eagerly awaited the end of two years so they could take Ira at the age of ten for her education, allowing them to spend time with their daughter.

As for why Surya Dev spoke the way he did, it was to ensure Karna would align himself with Ira, which is the side of dharma. This was a clever move to protect his son from ill fate and also because Maharani Vishaya and Rani Champakamalini were having second thoughts about sending their daughter for education, wondering how they would live without Ira around. They decided to discuss this with Maharaja Chandrahasa, but before they could make a move, his sister Parvati made hers by using Surya Dev. By telling this, they ensured their daughter would be sent wholeheartedly to learn and overcome difficulties.

"Oh, only ladies can understand what other ladies think," Krishna thought. It wasn't that he was against it; he too wanted to meet Ira. But he had promised his Lakshmi that he would only meet Ira during their marriage, so he needed to wait a year to meet her directly. Meanwhile, he would later deal with Balram Dau for making fun of him, saying he had met their daughter and at this rate, he was going to be her favorite. Balram had not stopped teasing him about it until now.

Surya Dev wanted to give a boon to his daughter, and Krishna knew what it would be, but it would have to wait for the right timing.

"Karna's Reformation of Assaka Kingdom"

As Karna took the reins of Assaka Kingdom, which had previously been under the control of a corrupt official, he immediately implemented measures to recover from the damage done. He released the grains that the official had hoarded in his personal storage under the pretense of kingdom development. This provided much-needed relief to the people.

Expecting nothing for himself, Karna repurposed properties and assets related to the corrupt official for public use. These included converting buildings into markets, stalls, public meeting areas, celebratory grounds, education centers, and training grounds.

Within three months, Karna successfully restored the financial status of Assaka Kingdom. The people were proud of their king and began to treat him as a family member, recognizing his dedication and integrity.

Karna implemented effective changes by adopting the policies proposed by Ira. Understanding the impact on the kingdom's development, he introduced laws that she had envisioned. These included the rights of Das and Dasis, setting an eight-hour workday and compulsory leave on weekends. This allowed them to spend more time with their families. The new shift system covered weekdays and weekends, with night and evening shifts, ensuring flexibility and family time.

Additionally, policies rewarding efficient work were introduced. However, some Das and Dasis attempted to sell information, thinking they would not be detected among the large workforces. But Ira's spies identified these individuals and reported them to Karna, who then administered appropriate punishments for breaches of trust.

These reforms were warmly welcomed by the people, as they now had time to spend with their families and felt recognized and respected for their efforts. This fostered a sense of pride and belonging among the citizens of Assaka.

After fully recovering the damage in the treasury department, daily court sessions were held to handle day-to-day and pending work. Karna worked tirelessly, often sleeping for no more than five hours. Soon, his efforts bore fruit, as all pending work was completed, and the shift system ensured people worked efficiently.

After his duties in the court, Karna would help elderly farmers who were living alone without sons or daughters to look after them. He worked alongside the people, never considering any task beneath him. He helped whenever needed and made sure no one felt inferior.

The people of Assaka were grateful to Ira for choosing such a kind person as their ruler. The coronation of their King by Surya Dev made them even prouder. Consequently, they became as protective of Karna as they were of Ira.

"Ira's Courage and the Royal Kitchen Adventure"

The acceptance of Karna by the people of Assaka brought great relief to the Kuntala royal family. They had been worried after Ira informed them about the corrupt official's plans and her reason for wanting Surya Dev to place the crown. When asked why she chose Surya Dev, Ira explained that Bhrata Aditya was a great devotee of Surya Dev. She added, "When I look at him, I feel like I am looking at the sun itself. He gives a warmth that is so soothing, so I chose Surya Dev." Ira was confident that Karna's greatness would win over the people.

Ira's joy knew no bounds when she received a letter from Krishna in response to her questions. However, the anticipation of opening the letter left her feeling both curious and scared. She was anxious about the answer-hoping for a negative response but fearing a positive one that would require her to take action to nullify its power or avoid such a situation.

After half an hour of staring at the letter, she finally gathered the courage to open it. Upon reading Krishna's response, her happiness knew no bounds. She excitedly declared to the royal family that she would be cooking for them today to celebrate her joy. However, the family was worried because Ira had never cooked before, and they had never seen her near the kitchen. Concerned that she might hurt herself, they decided to divert her.

Ira's father asked, "What did Vasudeva Krishna say that has you beaming like this?"

Ira replied, "He gave me a difficult problem to solve, which was previously solved by someone else using a method that made me unhappy. I changed the method and solved the problem in my own way. To know whether I did it correctly, I asked him. The letter that came earlier is the answer I passed with flying colors. Now, I am going to cook.

Hearing this, Karthi and Aryan decided to step in. Although they could never say no to Ira and would eat anything she offered, even mud, they felt it was their responsibility to ensure her safety in the kitchen.

Both Karthi and Aryan said in unison, "You don't even know where the kitchen is, and now you're telling us you're going to cook? We'll tell you something your family might never say, but it's the truth. If you cook horribly, we might eat it because we're your friends, but it doesn't mean others will. If you want to cook, first grow tall enough to reach the counters, and then learn how to cook properly."

Hearing this, Ira was stunned but smiled and said, "When have you seen me fail at something I set my mind to? What you two said is half-right; I don't know how to start and control the level of the fire, so I need help with that. But as for the dishes, you will soon know the power of Rajkumari Irawathi!" With that, she walked towards the kitchen.

Realizing the truth in her words-knowing Ira never does anything without thorough investigation-they decided to join her in the kitchen to see what she would make.

As Ira washed the vegetables and started chopping them, everyone was stunned. Her knife skills were top-notch. If someone were to watch what was happening, they would think Ira was a professional cook. She told the dasis to watch over the fire while she prepared everything else.

She made seven dishes and one sweet. The appearance of the dishes was tempting, and the aroma was indescribable. The rumor about Rajkumari Ira cooking had already spread throughout the palace, and everyone was eager to know the result of her culinary efforts. As the aroma wafted through the palace, everyone knew that their Rajkumari excelled in everything she did. Without even realizing it, they all acted as if they had accomplished something great themselves.

"Ira's Modern Culinary Feast"

As lunchtime approached, the tempting aroma filled the palace, making everyone's stomachs do somersaults. Ira took the dishes from the kitchen and started arranging them on the dining table. The spread included seven dishes, all prepared in her unique 21st-century style. Although she had been busy with other matters and hadn't really visited the kitchen in the past eight years, she was confident in her cooking.

She made seven popular North Indian dishes that promised a delightful lunch:

Butter Chicken

Paneer Butter Masala

Dal Makhani

Chole Bhature

Aloo Paratha

Kadhai Paneer

Lamb Rogan Josh

Last but not least, she also prepared the sweet Gulab Jamun. These delicious, soft, and syrupy milk-solid-based sweets rested in sugar syrup, ready to be enjoyed. They are very popular in India, often enjoyed during festivals, celebrations, and as a dessert treat. Ira knew her dishes would be good, but she was unsure if the others would like the taste of modern food. She would have to wait and watch their reactions.

After placing the dishes on the table, Ira called everyone for lunch. Rajkumar Chandran, Karthi, and Aryan were the first to arrive, eagerly taking their seats. The elders followed and settled in. Ira began distributing the food, and as everyone took their first bite, they seemed stunned into silence. This caused fear to creep into Ira's heart as she worried they didn't like the flavors.

However, after what felt like two long minutes, Chandran, Karthi, and Aryan started eating with such enthusiasm it was as if they hadn't eaten in a long time. This confused Ira greatly. She asked her mother how the food was and reassured her that they didn't need to force themselves to eat if they didn't like it. Her mother smiled and said, "The food tastes amazing, and the aftertaste is still on our tongues." Hearing this, Ira's hammering heart finally settled down.

Afterwards, Ira served the sweet, Gulab Jamun, and instructed Meera, her head maid, to distribute the sweets to the das and dasis as well. She had made plenty and thought everyone should enjoy sweets on such a special occasion.

The reason for this celebration was significant. Thanks to her intervention, Karna did not receive the curse from Lord Parashuram. When stung by a bee, Parashuram had questioned Karna's endurance, doubting if he was a true Kshatriya. Karna humbly replied that if he were truly a Kshatriya, he would not have been rejected by all the Gurus, thus asserting he was not a Kshatriya. Impressed by Karna's dedication to his education and devotion to his Guru, Lord Parashuram gifted him the divine Vijaya Bow.

Additionally, Karna did not receive a curse from a Brahmin as he had come straight to Kuntala after finishing his education. This double good fortune made the occasion truly worthy of celebration.