The next morning, Raja Moti and Rani Roopai waited for Raja Maniket Manan and Princess Veera, who had requested their presence at the meeting hall of the Palace of Indira. An anxious Rani Roopai told her husband, Raja Moti, "I can bet my life, it is about their wedding. I am telling you, they would want to do it right away." Raja Moti didn't even respond to his wife, when Raja Maniket and Princess Veera arrived and were surprised to see the King and Queen already waiting for them. Raja Maniket apologised, "my King and my Queen, are we late to receive you?" Raja Moti explained, "not at all, you see, Rani Roopai is known for her impatience, and hence, we arrived early." Rani Roopai felt the taunt of her husband and spoke, "since my impatience has been announced, and we are all family now, then let me not behave myself and express freely- what is it, Raja Maniket? Why did you address us here?" Raja Maniket hesitated and Princess Veera took notice of it and she took charge, knowing well it wouldn't be easy for Raja Maniket to break this news, "dearest mother and father, we have decided to push the wedding for now. So that everyone can focus on the preparation of the war which is…" But before Princess Veera could finish her sentence, Rani Roopai reacted, "what do you mean by pushing the wedding? It is not up to you Veera to make such decisions." Raja Maniket finally spoke, "It was me. I made the decision, not Princess Veera." Rani Roopai was shocked and reacted badly, "you stay in our home, and roam around in courtship with our eldest daughter and now you refuse to marry her? What kind of a man are you? You gave us your word!" Raja Maniket was stunned to see Rani Roopai react in this manner, when Raja Moti interfered, "enough Rani Roopai!" Rani Roopai felt the pang of insult and she stormed out of the meeting. Raja Maniket called after her, "my queen, please hear us out." Raja Moti said, "let her go Raja Maniket. Nothing can ease her right now. She isn't thinking like a queen, but simply like a mother. I apologise on behalf of her." Princess Veera went after her mother and said, "let me handle this, please allow my absence." Princess Veera ran after her emotionally changed mother.
Princess Veera reached her mother's boudoir and the Queen's confidant stopped Veera from entering her chambers and said, "my apologies Princess Veera, but the Queen wishes to be left alone right now." Princess Veera reasoned with the confidant, "you know well, she needs someone right now. Let me in." The confidant understood the situation, nodded a yes and let Veera in. Veera rushed in to find her mother, Rani Roopai crying in front of an idol of Goddess Indira, that was placed in a small shrine in the corner of her private chamber. Rani Roopai took notice of Veera's presence and retorted, "if you have come to console me Veera, then let me tell you there is nothing you can say to me to comfort me." Princess Veera took a strong stance and spoke, "no my Queen, I am not here to comfort you as a daughter, but here to speak with you as the eldest Princess of Indira, of Chandraprava Dynasty." Rani Roopai was taken aback to hear this and asked her why she was in her room, to which Veera preached to her own mother, "I am here to remind you of your duties as the Queen of the Chandraprava Dynasty." Rani Roopai was shaken to hear this. Veera went on assertively, "Tell me, my Queen, what have you done for the coming war? It seems like you have forgotten all your duties as a Queen. It is as if the Chandraprava Empire no longer has a Queen. Your presence has diminished." Rani Roopai shouted emotionally, "I don't care about being a Queen." Princess Veera took the same tone with her, "it doesn't matter if you cared or not. It is your duty. Either you stand by them or you resign and make space for someone else to stand as a Queen because right now the Chandraprava Dynasty needs a Queen." Rani Roopai was finally shaken by her words and the gravitas of the situation, when Veera added, "it is not about you. It is about Indira and the people of Indira. So, why don't you decide for yourself, whether you wish to remain as the Queen, or should we proceed to find your replacement." Rani Roopai retorted, "how dare you!" Princess Veera spoke even louder, "I dare! I dare, as the eldest Princess of Chandraprava. And mind you, I take my duties very seriously." Veera stormed out of her mother's chambers, while Rani Roopai finally was shaken to reality.
And at the harem of Shesh-a-baad, in the private chambers of Mazala Shieza, one of the dancers who served Azael Aftaab the night before, sat down and shared quite the gossip, "and the Emperor kept mumbling Veera-Veera the entire night. It didn't matter who served him, no matter how much we pleasured him, he would not stop calling her name, Veera-Veera." Mazala Shieza sat and listened carefully, while the dancer kneeled infront of her. Mazala Shieza enquired, "what else did he say?" The dancer thought hard but she didn't seem to have any more information. Mazala got upset and screamed, "that's it? There must be more? You girls are useless!" The harem dancer shook fearing Mazala and uttered, "there was one more thing- the Emperor held one of the girl's to kiss, but he smelled her first and then he seemed disappointed and didn't kiss her. And he said that she didn't smell like the storm." Mazala was confused and annoyed as it didn't make sense and shouted, "you really are useless." She huffed as she gave her a silver coin as reward for giving her the information. The dancer looked at the coin greedily, happy, she saluted and took off. Mazala sat and wondered who this Veera was, and if this was the reason for this war.
At last, the final night before the Murzaans departed for war arrived. Azael Aftaab, Emperor of the Murzaan Empire, chose to spend it alone. He sat at the edge of his pond in his private chambers. Yes, it was his own pond, built next to his private chambers! Most kings were lucky to have their own garden, but Azael Aftaab was the Murzaan Emperor, and Murzaan Kings showcased another level of grandeur. No alcohol, no queen, no concubine, nothing, or no one beside him. He gazed at the moonless sky where only the stars twinked even brighter. He was lost in his thoughts when Zulfi approached him, "I know you don't like company when you are at the pond." Aftaab broke into a smile, hearing Zulfi's voice and bantered, "and yet, you are here." He turned around and saw Zulfi looking much better and recovered from the time he had seen him. Aftaab expressed, "so you have recovered well and returned just in time to eat my head. Is it?" Zulfi smiled back and saluted his Emperor and assured him, "ofcourse!" Aftaab went back to staring at the sky and Zulfi shared, "this war doesn't have the capacity to entertain my King. The Chandraprava should surrender, else it is a suicide." Aftaab huffed and said, "I think they prefer to die than give up their pride, Zulfi. The Chandrapravas will never surrender, you know that well." Zulfi did know it well. He wished well for his Emperor and the coming war.
And with the break of dawn, the Azael Aftaab Murzaan along with his men, were ready to start their journey for the Northern borders, where the war was to be held. Mazala Shieza and Nakaba Murzaan, Aftaab's step-mother and mother, respectively blessed him. Aftaab's grand entourage had the best of warriors, and to name a few were, the Chief of Murzaan Army himself, Quila Kahan, one of the most experienced and tactful warriors of all times. The next in line was Zulala Shieza, Mazala's son and Aftaab's step brother, who was the most vicious and furious warrior known in history. And last but not the least, Aftaab's dearest cousin brother, Siaffar Murzaan, known for being one of the sharpest and smartest warriors of all times. And with the newest weaponry, heavy artillery and the sheer strength in number of the Murzaan Army, they surely seemed undefeatable and invincible, as they started with their journey on horses and elephants.
Soon, the Chandraprava received the news of the Murzaan Army and their escalation towards the Northern Borders for the war and hearing this news, Raja Maniket lost any hope of winning this war without the backup of his army. Fear, anxiety and all dark emotions engulfed him as he thought about how impossible it was for them to win this war without his army, without his men, his artillery. He knew well that he would be walking to his death. He was already a defeated King and it started to show, as he locked himself up in the guest chambers of Palace of Indira. He finally realised his mistake of underestimating the Emperor of Murzaan, how beneath the animal-like exterior, was an intelligent and calculative Emperor. And this news spread across the Palace of Indira, how Raja Maniket had locked himself up in his guest chamber. And that evening, it was Rani Roopai who called for all the women, the Princesses, the royals, the common folk to assemble at the Palace arena and she addressed them all about the war. She spoke with a heavy heart, yet with assertiveness of a Queen, "to all the women of Indira, of Chandraprava Dynasty. Tonight I have called you here, to ask you to be brave, not to pick up a weapon and fight. But to have a heart, to face the bitter reality." A few daasis started to distribute tiny sealed glass bottles to all the women, as Rani Roopai spoke, "the days ahead of us are dark and hopeless as our men head for an unfair war. And I, your Queen, ask you to be brave enough, for when the time comes, you can consume what is in this bottle and rest in peace. And not suffer in the hands of men, in the hands of the enemy." Everyone was shocked, including Princess Veera and Princess Rekhaha to realise that there was poison in these tiny bottles! Rani Roopai addressed, "my women, I confess, I would rather consume this poison than let a Murzaan man touch me and play with my dignity, my soul, my body. Today, I, as your Queen, share my pain with you all about being a woman." Rani Roopai bowed down to all the women as she too took one of the tiny glass bottles and tied it around her waistband. Princess Veera felt a pang of guilt as she welled up with tears. A wave of sighs and gasps rippled through the gathered women as they too took these tiny bottles in their hands.
Just a day was left for the war and Veera sat infront of the idol of Indira at the Chandraprava palace and chanted prayers endlessly. Princess Rekhaha felt bad for her and tried to ask her to rest, but Princess Veera said, "I cannot stop Rekhaha. This is my only hope now. My goddess cannot betray me. She has to help me. She has to protect us." But Princess Rekhaha knew well that her elder sister's prayers were in vain. Everyone was now making peace with the fact that the Chandraprava would lose the war. Raja Moti spoke with his ministers and asked for the palace to be sealed shut after the men would leave for the war. His son, the eldest Prince Rujaimal stated that Raja Moti couldn't go with the Army, due to his age and requested him to stay back. Raja Moti knew well he was no great addition to the Army at his age and he no longer saw a way to protect his kingdom, his people, his own family,. He told his ministers that he knew well it wouldn't be quite a war, and maybe a mere battle of less than a day. No one had any answer for what their fate held for them for the next day. It was a morose environment at the Palace of Indira, where it felt like they were simply waiting for their death to arrive. Just then, a Chandraprava soldier came barging into the Palace corridors and screamed out in joy, "My King, My Lord, My Queen! It is a miracle!" All stunned and ran towards this manic soldier who screamed with joy in this grave situation. Prince Vedan enquired, "what is the matter?" The soldier caught his breath and announced in joy, "Raja Maniket Manan's Army- it has arrived!" Shocked and surprised to hear the good news, Raja Moti and others jumped in joy! Princess Veera bowed down to Goddess Indira's idol and saluted her overwhelmed with emotions, "my goddess Indira heard us! She heard our prayers!" And just like that, the dark day had suddenly tuned into a day of great hope and happiness for the Chandraprava Dynasty!