“Finally… I got his attention.”
Chandra whispered to herself with a proud smirk as she stood by her ornate mirror, adjusting the delicate jewels in her hair. Her eyes sparkled—not just from the reflection—but from the sense of triumph. Harsha had looked at her. Truly looked.
But pride quickly turned to plotting. What’s the next step? she thought, pacing slowly around her chamber.
She was unaware—blissfully so—that Harsha’s heart was already wandering down a different path. One that led straight to Nila.
...........
“My queen… would you like some tea?” Nila offered gently.
Chandra lay on her bed, lost in thoughts of Harsha. Nila stepped closer. “My lady… is everythi—”
Before she could finish, Chandra moved abruptly, startling Nila. Hot tea spilled onto Chandra’s clothes.
“YOU USELESS GIRL!” — SLAP Nila staggered back, shocked, her eyes filling with tears from the pain.
“I-I’m so sorry, my queen…” she stammered, trembling.
“GET OUT! GET AWAY FROM ME!” Chandra screamed.
Unable to hold her tears any longer, Nila ran out of the room. She didn’t know where she was going—only that she wanted to be alone.
...........
Meanwhile, in the royal kitchen, Harsha sat at a long wooden table, absently slicing carrots. His mind was elsewhere.
I want to see her, he thought. I want to see Nila.
“Is something wrong, my dear?” Sika asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“YESS!!” Harsha snapped out of his daze. The carrot in his hand launched backward, hit a pot on the top shelf, and—just as fate would have it—tipped it directly above Sika.
“Moth–Mother!” Harsha lunged forward and pulled her out of the way—THUD! The pot crashed to the ground with a burst of flour and clatter.
The kitchen erupted into chaos.
“Sika!” the staff rushed to her aid.
“Cough… cough… I’m fine,” she said, brushing herself off.
From within the white haze, a figure emerged—head to toe in flour. Harsha coughed, sending out more white puffs from his mouth.
“Mother?” he blinked, dazed.
The entire kitchen burst into laughter.
“Owhh my… Hahaha… Look at you!” Sika laughed. “You better clean yourself up!”
...........
Harsha coughed as he brushed flour off his shoulders, heading to clean up.
Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the air. “YOU USELESS GIRL!”
It came from the Queen’s chambers.
Harsha paused. Then he saw Nila run out of the room, crying.
His legs moved on their own. He ran after her.
He found her near the water lily pond, sitting quietly, facing the water.She was sobbing, trembling.
“Nila? Are you okay?” he asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
She heard the voice she wanted to avoid… and yet longed to hear. Wiping her tears, she turned around.
“Hahaha!” she giggled, eyes twinkling.“What happened to you?”
Harsha, still dusted in flour, smiled.
“I wouldn't have recognized you if it wasn’t for your voice,” she teased, wiping flour from his face with her shawl.
“Cough… cough…” Harsha sputtered, causing both of them to laugh harder.
As she laughed, Harsha noticed the redness on her cheek. His smile faded. He gently touched it.
“Ow…” she flinched.
A sharp ache stabbed his heart. “What happened?” he asked softly.
“It’s nothing,” she murmured, looking down.
He placed both hands on her face, gently lifting it. His eyes locked with hers.“What happened, Nila?”
This time, he wasn’t asking. He was demanding.
...........
Later that day, he brought her to the hidden waterfall near the palace.
“This is so refreshing… Thank you for bringing me here,” Nila smiled as they sat near the waterfall.
“You deserve a rest,” Harsha replied. “And you deserve a proper bath,” she laughed.
After Harsha cleaned up, he sat beside her. But something still bothered him.
“I’m glad you told me about what happened… but why is the Queen so harsh with you?”
Nila stared into the distance, then finally spoke.
“It’s the mirror…”
Harsha listened silently.
“Ever since the mirror arrived, she’s changed. She’s obsessed with her beauty. Her kindness… it’s gone.” “One day, while I was cleaning her room, I… I made a mistake.”
She hesitated. Harsha gently squeezed her hand.
“I’d never seen a mirror before. I saw myself in it, and I was amazed… I reached out to touch it.”
Her eyes welled up.
“She caught me… and slapped me. She wasn’t angry because I touched her things—she was worried something had happened to the mirror.”
“She didn’t care about me.”
Nila broke down, the memory of the kind queen she once knew now only a shadow.
Harsha placed a comforting hand on her back. “Nila… none of this is your fault. And you don’t deserve to be treated like this.”
Those words shattered her.
She began to cry harder.
“Uhh… uhh... I’m sorry!” Harsha panicked, unsure what to do.
“No… thank you,” Nila whispered. Then, without thinking, she threw her arms around him in a tight embrace.
He froze, Her warmth. Her closeness. His heart pounded like a drum. He was sure she could feel it.
...........
Sharing something painful takes courage.Nila had carried the burden of her hurt alone for a long time.
But in Harsha, she found comfort. Trust. Love.
When he said, “Nila… none of this is your fault,” it reached the deepest part of her heart.Without thinking, she hugged him. With all the love she had.
She felt his heart racing. So was hers.
She pulled back, just a little, and looked up at him.
He was already staring at her.
Slowly, he leaned closer. Their eyes locked, breath mingling.
She closed her eyes, feeling his hair brush against her forehead… and then, softly, his lips touched hers.
A kiss… I kissed him.