The king's first wife

Every day

Her schedule got fixed there. She would wake up early, get ready by 4 and sit to study the few books that Sohit wanted her to study in their room while he slept. She'd then get him up by 6 and get out of the room just to help the other women in the kitchen. Although they never let her do anything. Suhani was a part of the family so, they woul d ask her to do work but Pari would generally just be sitting in one corner and listening to all the gossips of the household, especially regarding her younger brother, Pranav. And after giggling hard to a million funny stories regarding that living cartoon, she'd eat her breakfast after which she really could do anything. So, she would play with the other women her age in the veranda of the house games like hopscotch of langdi, something she always wanted to play since she was small but instead she always had to learn to be a good wife. Basically, her days in that city as a commoner were really fun. In the evening, after her husband would come back home after a long day of work, she would serve him food along with the other men in her family and then, the bedroom stories were a completely different thing to talk about.

In fact, she had really begun to like her new life like a commoner. The only thing she did not like about all that or, the only person she didn't like was her younger, snobby sister. As if Aditi wasn't enough in her life, there was another person in her life who had too many high views about herself.

" I'm telling you, Jiji. One day, I'll be married to the prince too. I'll be the crown princess so you better keep your crown ready to be passed on to me," Like, this was one of those declarations that only made Pari want to punch her own sister on the face. Why? Because Sohit was already only hers.
" Right. You know? Aditi is way prettier than you and he still doesn't want to see her face. You are not even going to get to my feet with that attitude and face," and trust me, everyone could clearly see their enmity. It was as clear as the moon's reflection in water at nighttime.

" But I heard that the second princess is pregnant before you. This means that she is definitely much more loved by the prince," that statement made Pari clench her fist because she was the only one who knew the truth but just to save her husband some name, she couldn't even say it out aloud... All she did was roll her eyes and cross her arms
" Only an idiot like you can believe such rumors. It's outrageous in fact," and she looked away, at Pranav who was really gulping hard in fear. Neither he nor anyone other in the entire family knew how to stop them from fighting...
" Bhabhi! See, it's time for bhai to come. We should get the dishes ready..." thankfully, like every other time, Suhani managed to deflect their bickering. Not that this bickering was even healthy or cute. It was just purely toxic for both the women and it began on the day when Prachi first saw her brother-in-law. She gasped at his charms and looks. It was love at first sight for her but her sister wasn't encouraging. Why would she even encourage someone to seduce her own husband? No. Instead when Prachi came to her and told her-
" Jiji. Have me as your younger sister even as the prince's wife na... We can be the best of friends then," Prachi had hope in her eyes but Pari only had disgust and anger in hers that day. Prachi had dragged her out of her room in the night just to say that!? Oh. She should have known better than to do that! Pari had fought with her husband over his second marriage and she just thought that the crown princess would be fine with her husband having another marriage!? No. What she did instead was brush Prachi's hands off hers, glare at her, and walk away after saying
" NO. He is only mine," and ever since that day, the sisters had been bickering over every small thing. In the start, Pari had even let it go because she wanted to be the mature one but after that woman dared to say it in front of all the other women, Pari lost it, kind of.

" Don't pay attention to her. She's just like this. An idiot. No one has taught her discipline so, she thinks she can get everything,"
" So what? I'm the real princess here and even I know my boundaries. Someone needs to discipline her," she just rolled her eyes as she looked away from that younger sister of hers. She really would say that everything was perfect in that house if that one girl wasn't around.

" Look at her! So what if she married into royalty?! Even I can-"
" Prachi," her mother stopped her in anger and shook her head. Only that old woman knew that marrying into Royalty was nothing nice. It looked flowery now that you looked at it from the outside but all the politics and all the plots and the oppression inside the palace was nothing nice and now that her daughter had come out of it, she'd really like it if Pari could enjoy her two months of being free properly.
" But Amma-"
" No. She is right. You can not go ahead and just assert the prince to be your husband. Many other women also want to marry him. Out of them, Pari was selected for a reason,"
" What's the issue in sharing though amma!?"
" You wouldn't understand. Just don't go near the prince or your elder sister anymore. If you do, I'll get you married to Kojiriwar's son!"
" Amma!" but the old woman wasn't having it. All that calmed her was the soft smile she saw over her first daughter's face when Sohit came back. She could tell that the young princess really did lover her husband.