Snigdha tossed her head to one side with an extremely contemptuous laugh and sneered, "Ah! My oh-so-noble brother Prafulla's heart is overflowing with sympathy for the subjects, isn't it? You fool, these are low-caste servants; keeping them straight with a whip is the tradition of royalty! They ruined the purity of my precious attire—I merely let him off with a single slap! Anyone else in my place would have gouged his eyes out! Don't you dare preach to me, Prafulla! I will do whatever I please, slap whomever I want, and abuse whomever I choose! There is no one more beautiful or powerful than me in this royal palace!"
Meanwhile, Prabhasa was wiping the tears from the elderly attendant's eyes, soothing him. Seeing Snigdha's outrageous arrogance and insolence, Prabhasa's face also grew embarrassed and sad. Stepping forward, Prabhasa spoke in a calm yet firm voice, "Sister, do not be so blinded by the pride of your beauty and power! The subjects and common folk are the true strength of a royal family. Without their love, these diamonds, jewels, and gold of the royal palace hold no value! By disrespecting and tormenting elderly people like this, you are only burdening yourself with sin. Please control your temper!"
The moment she heard Prabhasa's words, Snigdha flared up with envy once again! Lunging toward Prabhasa, she hurled vile insults, shrieking, "Shut up, you prisoner's daughter! You dare to preach to me? How dare a petty maid of a stepmother have the audacity to advise Princess Snigdha? Fools like you and Prafulla belong with these low-caste subjects! The three of you go sit in the dust and cry together! I am leaving. This evening, when I bring my dream groom before everyone, I will shut your useless mouths once and for all!"
Saying this, Snigdha gathered her gown and strutted off down the corridor with supreme insolence.
Prafulla and Prabhasa stood stunned. They could never have imagined that Snigdha could be so utterly rude and hideous!
Holding his head in utter despair, Prafulla sighed, "Prabha, I truly don't know how we will handle this uncivilized girl in tonight's assembly! The way she continues her string of insolence, she is dragging the name of our Junagarh kingdom into the dust before the entire palace! She has completely lost her mind. Who knows what new horror she will unleash before the Emperor and the invited guests this evening!"
Placing a loving hand on her brother's shoulder, Prabhasa said, "Brother, calm down. We will try our best to preserve the dignity of Junagarh. The poisonous seeds of pride she is sowing—the Almighty will surely deliver her fitting justice in tonight's court. We have no choice now but to wait patiently."
Meanwhile, driving their high-speed chariot from the Kingdom of Junagarh, Emperor Aditya and Empress Arohi were approaching the border of Rupnagar.
Having suspended their urgent trade trip midway upon receiving the news of their daughter Snigdha's limitless degradation and vulgarity, their hearts were wounded as parents. Seated inside the chariot, Aditya stared out the window with a mournful expression, while tears brimmed in Empress Arohi's eyes.
In a soft voice, Arohi said, "Your Majesty, how did our own child Snigdha become so greedy and arrogant? The very Rupanjan who honored our family with all his devotion and love—how could she write such vile words on paper about him just out of greed for a mere palace and wealth? I feel extreme disgust to even call myself her mother today!"
Letting out a heavy sigh, Aditya took Arohi's hand and said, "Arohi, excessive pride in beauty and greed for money blind a person! Snigdha is bringing the tragic fate written for her upon herself with her own hands. But don't worry, we have nearly reached Rupnagar Palace. Before twilight settles, our chariot will enter the royal gates. Arriving on time, we will watch from a side of the assembly with our own eyes—how much further Snigdha can display her arrogance in the court of Rupnagar! And I hope the Emperor of Rupnagar conducts the court according to the confidential letter I sent him."
As they spoke, their chariot came to a halt before the massive grand entrance of Rupnagar Palace.
Only a short time remained before evening fell. Rupnagar Palace was already glowing bright with thousands of golden lamps. Every corridor and the main court precinct resonated with the aroma of fragrant incense, fresh flower garlands, and festive music. Guests from far and wide, kings and queens of neighboring realms, and subjects were arriving in crowds to take their seats in the royal court.
Stepping down from the chariot, Emperor Aditya and Empress Arohi veiled themselves in simple attire and entered through the palace's private guest entrance so that neither Snigdha nor anyone else would detect their presence just yet. They took their seats on a secret royal balcony overlooking the assembly—a vantage point offering a clear view of every scene in the royal court!
Meanwhile, a tide of joy was washing over the main court of the palace. The Emperor himself, adorned in golden robes, was seated upon his throne. On a specially decorated royal stage in the court, the auspicious throne of the new Prime Minister was kept veiled behind a curtain—to be unveiled as the grand surprise of the evening!
Having adjusted her attire once more, Snigdha stood right in the center of the royal court with absolute arrogance. Standing right beside her was the cunning landlord's son, Jishnu—engrossed in his act of playing her golden goose. Glancing repeatedly at the curtain and then at the subjects and guests, Snigdha smiled slyly and thought to herself, 'Ha! Now comes the fun! Before they show the face of this useless veiled minister, I will stun the entire royal court by declaring my grand wedding with Jishnu! Let's see how this King of Rupnagar and that farmer's son Rupanjan bow their heads and drop to their knees upon witnessing the glory of my beauty and power!'
Snigdha did not have the slightest clue that the person seated behind the curtain was none other than Rupanjan himself! And standing secretly on the balcony right behind her were her own parents! The stage for an unprecedented, breathtaking, and historic drama was now set!