Standing beside the King's bed, seeing his tired face and the frantic gesture in his eyes, Prime Minister Rupanjan raised no further questions. Bowing his head in deep respect, he silently stepped out of that royal private chamber.
The moment Rupanjan left the room, King Aditya and Queen Arohi did not delay for a single second. Without wasting any time, they began making all the arrangements for tomorrow's grand festival. The swift work commenced—decorating the grand arches of the kingdom, arranging the royal banquet and breakfast, and sending special messengers to officially invite the royal families of all neighboring kingdoms, distinguished personalities, and subjects alike. Every guest eagerly looked forward with immense excitement to witnessing this special, unexpected surprise in Rupnagar tomorrow.
However, not a single soul in the Junagadh Royal Palace had the slightest wind of these preparations. The sweet princess Prabhasa was completely unaware of this matter, let alone the arrogant Snigdha and Jishnu!
When Queen Arohi herself returned to the Junagadh Royal Palace and extended an invitation for everyone to be present at tomorrow's royal ceremony, Snigdha exploded with astonishment and irritation.
Standing in a corner of the room, she began to mutter and spew venom under her breath, "How absurd! What kind of ceremony is it again tomorrow? Everyone has been invited and summoned once more! They claim there will be a supreme surprise tomorrow! What new drama is that Kingdom of Rupnagar going to showcase now? Has that old King lost his mind or what? Does that wicked old man get a daily itch to put on a new drama? Someone ought to drag him out and beat him with shoes in front of the royal court! Only then will his urge to put on repeated dramas be put right! Why are you so uncouth and senseless, old man? Just because you became King, will you pour the royal treasury's money like water whenever you please? You have no work other than squandering money aimlessly! If you had such a desire to throw money away, you could have just given it to us! Doesn't that old man know that the day after tomorrow is my and Jishnu's auspicious wedding? Looks like he knows nothing at all! Fine, I'll go to the royal palace tomorrow morning and grab him by the neck to settle all these accounts! What a dirty old man! Oh well, whatever, what do I care? I just have to wake up so early tomorrow morning, put on makeup, dress up in fine clothes, and head out! Having no real work, he just calls for ceremonies in the morning! Oh, wait, wait, last time he put on the drama of appointing the Prime Minister in the evening, and now calling an event in the morning, what is that old man trying to prove? I have to go tomorrow and see it with my own eyes!"
Before long, that eagerly anticipated next morning arrived. The entire Rupnagar was adorned in the golden light of dawn. Everyone from the Junagadh Royal Palace and all the invited guests dressed up in new royal gowns, costly attire, and jewelry, fully preparing themselves. The beautifully decorated royal chariots and carriages sent from Rupnagar arrived at the gates of Junagadh Palace. Taking the guests one by one, they seated them in the grand assembly of Rupnagar. In the Rupnagar Royal Palace, countless guests from far and wide, along with the common subjects, had already gathered, filling the royal court to capacity.
The newly appointed Prime Minister, Rupanjan, had prepared himself, attired in splendid royal garments, and despite his illness, the King himself was ready with royal dignity. Seated in the row of guests on the decorated stage were King Aditya, Queen Arohi, Prince Prafulla, and the sweet princess Prabhasa. Right beside them, with supreme arrogance, sat Snigdha and that evil zamindar's son, Jishnu.