chapter 5 wake up

Soft fabric.

That was the first thing Aadhira Mehra noticed when consciousness slowly returned again.

Not cold ground.

Not dirt.

Not the forest.

A bed.

A very soft bed.

Her eyebrows frowned slightly before she forced her heavy eyes open. For a few seconds, sunlight blurred across her vision from the large windows nearby. Everything around her looked bright, calm, and strangely peaceful.

It took several moments before her mind fully caught up.

A massive room.

Cream-colored walls detailed with traditional royal carvings.

Long silk curtains moving gently with the wind.

Expensive furniture.

Fresh flowers arranged near the balcony doors.

And complete silence.

Aadhira stared at the ceiling in confusion.

Where was she?

The memory returned instantly after that.

The accident.

The forest.

Gunshots.

The masked man.

The armed guards.

Her breath caught slightly.

Aadhira immediately tried sitting up too quickly, only for pain to shoot through her head hard enough to make her stop.

“Ma’am—”

A soft female voice interrupted her.

Aadhira turned sharply.

Two women dressed in simple palace uniforms stood near the doorway holding trays of medicine and water. Both looked startled seeing her awake.

“You should rest,” one of them said carefully.

Aadhira ignored the suggestion immediately.

“Where am I?”

Neither answered instantly.

That silence alone irritated her.

“Where. Am. I?”

The older maid lowered her gaze slightly before speaking carefully.

“You are safe here.”

Safe.

After witnessing executions and getting dragged unconscious through a forest, that word sounded almost insulting.

Aadhira slowly looked around the room again.

Everything about the place screamed wealth.

Not ordinary wealth.

Old royal wealth.

The architecture itself carried history. Even the furniture looked handcrafted and expensive beyond imagination.

This was not some criminal hideout.

Then what exactly was it?

“You were injured,” the younger maid explained softly. “The doctor treated your wounds last night.”

Aadhira touched the bandage wrapped carefully around her forehead.

Someone had cleaned the dried blood from her face too. Her clothes had even been changed into comfortable cotton nightwear.

That somehow unsettled her more.

Because nothing made sense.

If these people were dangerous enough to execute men in hidden forest zones…

Why treat her like a guest?

The older maid stepped forward with a glass of water. “Please drink something first.”

Aadhira accepted it slowly, still watching them carefully.

“Who brought me here?”

Again—

Silence.

The younger maid looked nervous now. “We are only instructed to take care of you.”

“Instructed by who?”

No answer.

Aadhira exhaled quietly.

Fine.

If nobody wanted to explain anything, she would figure it out herself.

Over the next two days, that confusion only deepened further.

Nobody mistreated her.

Nobody threatened her.

Nobody even raised their voice at her.

Instead, the palace staff treated her with careful politeness, almost as if she were some important guest recovering after illness.

Doctors checked her injuries regularly.

Meals arrived on time.

Fresh clothes appeared in the wardrobe every morning.

One maid even brought books after noticing Aadhira getting restless.

But despite all the comfort surrounding her, one fact remained painfully clear.

She was not allowed to leave.

The realization became obvious on the third day.

Aadhira had finally gathered enough strength to properly walk around the palace corridors. Her injuries still hurt slightly, but the constant exhaustion from the accident and forest ordeal had mostly faded after days of uninterrupted rest.

The palace itself was breathtaking.

Massive marble hallways stretched endlessly beneath crystal chandeliers while sunlight reflected beautifully against polished floors. Traditional Rajasthani architecture mixed with modern luxury everywhere she looked.

Portraits of the Rathore royal family decorated several walls.

Servants moved quietly through corridors.

Security guards stood near almost every major exit.

That last detail did not escape Aadhira at all.

She remained observant.

Always.

The moment she attempted walking toward the outer courtyard gates, two guards immediately stepped forward respectfully.

“Ma’am, this area is restricted.”

Aadhira crossed her arms calmly. “Restricted for everyone or only me?”

The guards exchanged brief looks.

“That is our instruction.”

“Whose instruction?”

No answer.

Again.

Aadhira almost laughed from frustration.

Everyone inside this palace behaved the same way.

Polite.

Respectful.

Careful.

And completely silent whenever questions became important.

She slowly looked beyond the gates.

Huge palace walls surrounded the property from every side. Security cameras were placed everywhere, and guards regularly patrolled the outer grounds.

This was not simple protection.

This was controlled isolation.

A golden cage.

That night, Aadhira sat alone near the large balcony inside her room while cool Rajasthan winds moved softly through the curtains.

The palace looked even more beautiful after sunset.

Lights illuminated the massive courtyards below while distant traditional music echoed faintly from somewhere deeper inside the estate.

Anyone else would have considered this luxurious.

Peaceful.

Dreamlike.

But Aadhira Mehra could not forget what she had witnessed inside the forest.

The gunshot still echoed in her mind sometimes.

The masked man.

The fear on those men’s faces before they died.

And the worst part—

Nobody here behaved surprised by violence.

That disturbed her deeply.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.

One of the maids entered quietly carrying dinner.

Aadhira noticed the girl seemed younger than the others, probably around twenty-two.

Nervous too.

“What’s your name?” Aadhira suddenly asked.

The maid looked slightly startled. “Kavya, ma’am.”

Aadhira nodded once. “Kavya… whose palace is this?”

The girl hesitated visibly.

Aadhira noticed immediately.

Interesting.

Finally, after several seconds, Kavya answered quietly.

“The Rathore palace.”

There it was again.

Rathore.

The same name the guards had mentioned inside the forest.

Aadhira leaned back slowly. “And who exactly are the Rathores?”

Kavya’s expression changed instantly, almost cautious now.

“The royal family.”

Royal family.

Aadhira stared at her silently for a moment.

Now things finally started making sense.

At least partially.

The hidden territory.

The armed guards.

The authority.

The secrecy.

This was connected to Rajasthan royalty.

But another question immediately followed.

If this was truly a royal family…

Then why were executions happening inside restricted forest land?

Kavya lowered her voice carefully before speaking again.

“The coronation preparations have already started.”

Aadhira frowned slightly. “Coronation?”

“Yes, ma’am. The new king will officially take the throne soon.”

King.

That explained the unusual security around the palace.

As well as the endless preparations Aadhira had started noticing during the last two days.

Workers constantly moved around different sections of the estate decorating halls and arranging flowers. Important guests seemed expected soon.

Politicians.

Royal families.

Elite business people.

Everything suddenly felt larger than she originally assumed.

Kavya carefully placed the dinner tray down before speaking softly again.

“That is why security is very strict right now.”

Aadhira looked toward her sharply.

Strict because of the coronation…

Or strict because they were hiding a witness?

The maid quickly avoided eye contact after realizing what she almost implied.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

After Kavya left, Aadhira walked slowly toward the large window again.

Her reflection stared back at her against the dark glass.

Bruised.

Confused.

Trapped.

And somehow standing inside one of Rajasthan’s most powerful royal estates.

Who exactly was this future king?

And why did nobody ever mention his name directly around her?

Somewhere deep inside the palace, hidden behind luxury and silence, Aadhira could feel tension living inside these walls.

Not normal family tension.

Power.

Politics.

Secrets.

And somehow…

She had become trapped directly in the middle of it.

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