Hale and Hearty
ZAINA tapped on the window of the sky blue Ferrari.
“Kindly drop us here sir”, she said, Rina turned to her and shrugged her shoulders, then they began picking up their school bags from the seat.
“Let me go in Miss”, the chauffeur said trying to negotiate a bend towards the gate.
“No please”, Zaina insisted, “here is okay”, she pleaded.
“Alright, if you say so”, the chauffeur said and halted. Then the girls came out, waved at the driver and began walking into the school compound.
“You should have let him enter the school”, Rina said, “now we have to face this heavy traffic at the gate”, she hissed.
“I don’t like stressing my chauffeur”, she replied.
“I know Zaina, but how we gonna pass through the gate”, by now they had reached the gate and began forcing their way in, holding hands so as not to lose contact with each other.
Finally, they passed through and came out at the other side of the gate.
“Hmmmm”, Rina sighed.
“But seriously that was fun”, Zaina said laughing.
Rina looked at her with her brows furrowed.
“What was fun?”.
“The experience at the gate”, she pointed towards the gate, still laughing.
“You must be joking”, she hissed.
Zaina continued laughing.
“I’m serious, the shuffling and bustling, waddling through and all that… it was fun”.
Rina stopped walking, then stretched out her right hand and placed it on Zaina’s neck, to feel her temperature.
“Come on, I’m okay”, she slapped her hand away.
“I don’t think so”, they continued walking further into the school.
“How do you see this princess abduction stuff?” Zaina asked.
“Well I don’t know… she has been found already isn’t it?” She asked.
“Yeah, she has been found, but the whole thing still looks absurd. I mean, how can the Princess be abducted on her way from her aunt’s house, with all the guards?”.
“This Princess… how old is she?” She adjusted her bag on her back properly.
Zaina scoffed.
“Am I her mother?”.
Rina bursted into laughter.
“I didn’t say so, when did you marry the King?” She continued laughing.
“Ok, so you know that? Then…”.
“Hi”, someone interrupted from behind and they both sharply turned to behold Vidya flashing her thirty two at them, her school bag hung on her shoulders, she was just entering the school as well.
“Oh… hi”, Zaina greeted.
“Morning Vidya”, Rina added, still surprised as to what the intruder wanted.
Vidya alias ‘the busy body’ was just a classmate, who never likes associating with others as she always sees herself as superior, she couldn’t recall she or Zaina having a conversation with her of recent.
So what does she want from them now?
“Um… you mind I add company?” She asked.
Zaina and Rina glanced at each other.
“Fine”, Zaina replied with a shrug.
“Thank you”, she replied and began walking with them.
“Been calling you guys from the gate, but it seems none of you heard”, she said.
The two subconsciously glanced at the gate.
“Oh! The traffic I guess, the noise was blaring”, Zaina said, waving her hands over her ears.
“We are sorry about that Vidya, we didn’t hear”, Rina added.
Vidya shook her head, smiling.
“Oh, it’s nothing, it’s actually nothing”, silence crept in as they continued walking.
“Zaina?” Vidya suddenly called.
“Yes?” She replied.
“I don’t really know… I think I need your help”, she pouted.
Zaina scoffed, Rina gasped. They were all surprised, help? What kinda help?
“You think? What help?”.
“Um… my plant project hasn’t yet been completed, I haven’t even started”.
“Okay”, she nodded, “so what can I do for you?”.
“I tried finding someone to help me go get these plants but none obliged, saying they can’t, they are afraid… this and that”, she sighed.
Zaina glanced at Rina.
“They are afraid or your money isn’t enough?”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
Vidya laughed.
“Oh come on, cut that crap. I offered a huge amount for this, an amount which I know none of our classmates offered, yet the people I met all refused”.
Zaina glanced at Rina again, one reason she hated this Vidya girl, she was always fond of boasting.
“Alright, so what do you want me do?”.
“Help me contact someone, the deadline for the submission of the project is just the day after tomorrow, please Zaina, this is my last hope”, she pleaded.
“No qualms Vidya, just come see me when you are ready”, Zaina said.
“Oh, thank you so much, you are a lifesaver, I will come during the lunch break hour”.
Zaina nodded and they walked along, chatting and laughing.
*
*
*
The door to Prisha’s ward opened and the royal entourage came in, the King with them.
Neel smiled as he saw his daughter in her happy moments, royal glory and beauty, sitted on the bed, playing and chatting with her mom, he was happy, she was recovering.
“Dad!” The little girl screamed and ran up to him.
“Little Princess”, he smiled as he opened his arms for her to fly in.
They held each other tight in a hug for few minutes.
“Long live Maharajah”, she greeted, slightly bowing as soon as they disengaged from the hug.
“How are you feeling now my princess?”, he asked.
“Very much fine as you can see”, she twirled around and everyone in the room bursted into laughter.
Neel nodded.
“I can see, you now are hale and hearty”.
“Hale and hearty”, she concurred nodding her head and smiling as well.
“May you live long Your Grace”, Queen Arya said as she stood up from the bed to give him a hug.
All other maids and guards in the room bowed greeting as well.
“My Queen, beautiful morning to you”, he pecked her both cheeks.
“The Princess can go home now right?” He asked her.
“Not really asked the doctor, I’m waiting for him to come”, she replied and then went back to the bed to sit.
Just then the door opened, and the doctor came in.
“You will live long doc, we just finished talking about you”, Neel said smiling.
The doctor’s eyes widened in shock, what were they really talking about him for?
“Your Grace”, he bowed.
“Is our daughter all fit to go back home?”.
“All fit”, he replied nodding, “she is okay now, she has actually been discharged”, he said.
“Oh, thanks doctor, let’s meet outside”, he said and began walking to the door, the doctor followed, a guard joined them.
Prisha turned to her mother and sighed.
“I’m happy to go home mother”, she said laughing.
“I see, just a day you been away from home. Who or what did you actually miss?”.
“Oh”, she waved her right hand and the pillow fell, cutting her short, one of the maids in the room picked it up immediately.
“I actually missed you…”.
“But I was here with you all the while”, Arya interrupted laughing.
“Oops!… I missed big brother, isn’t he coming again?” She diverged.
Arya looked away as she scratched the back of her head. What was she gonna respond now? What was really Raghav’s problem?
Why did he kept postponing and postponing his homecoming? She sighed turning to Prisha.
“Well honey, your dad is in a better position to give you a reply”.
Prisha’s eyes closed, her head bowed, her two hands on her cheeks.
What was big bro’s problem? He had postponed his homecoming again, yes, that was why mom said her dad would reply her.
She hadn’t really known her big brother, she was only six when he left and since then, he has never returned home.
She only get to see him through video calls and skyping.
“Baby?” Arya called, she didn’t respond, still in that position.
The door opened instantly and the King walked in with the guard, the doctor had left.
“Sorry for the little delay”, he suddenly halted in his tracks seeing his daughter in that position.
Wasn’t she over the moon just few minutes ago, what had happened?
“What’s it Princess?” He walked up to them.
Arya sighed and turned to him.
“It’s about Raghav”, she said.
“Oh!” Neel mouthed and cuddled Prisha in his arms.
“Don’t let that bug you now Princess, he will be home soon”.
“How soon?”, she asked.
“Very soon”.
“I need to see big bro, I need to see him”, she bursted into cry.
“Oh, stop that Prisha, your brother would be home soon, he isn’t gonna remain there forever”.
She looked up and a maid handed her a face napkin, she took it.
“Thank you”, she said and dried her face with it.
“What is the reason he gave this time dad?”, she asked looking intently at her father, as Arya took the face napkin from her and handed it back to the maid.
Neel hesitated for a while, and then finally he spoke.
“I actually told him of your abduction, and that was when he cancelled the journey. He was already on his way to the airport when I told him”.
“What!” Her eyes widened.
“Your health baby”, Arya said, calming her down.
“Well, it’s passed. Can we go home now please? I’m fatigued of this hospital”, she said, everyone began laughing.
They all stood up, and Arya made to scoop Prisha in her arms, she flinched.
“I can walk mom, I have got legs”, she said, pointing at her legs.
Arya shrugged and left her do her wish, and together they left the hospital.