“So?!”, Shilpi looked at Santosh’s face seeking an answer. He was utterly confused, as if she asked her to explain the relativity. Heena smiled as she adored the foolish expression her to be husband gave. “So, what?!”, Santosh asked. 

“I am asking you where do you plan on doing that.”

“Yeah! Still the same question, doing what?”

“Oh my god! I knew you were naive, but ”, Shilpi twitched with annoyance, “Your Wedding, moron!”

“Oh shit Sorry, I am very, very sorry. I was so excited by the news that I forgot about the whole thing.”, Santosh apologized quickly as he realized how grave it could be to offend the one character who can just about annul the whole wedding idea. “So yeah! To answer your question, yes, I believe the wedding should be conducted here only; since I understand you would prefer the wedding be organized here where your friends and family exist.”

“Oh! You don’t need to worry about that ”, Shilpi interrupted, “We don’t have any family here. We were abandoned by them long ago, they don’t even like it when we use the family name, so we would prefer that the wedding takes place wherever it is most comfortable to you.”

“But Maa, what about the Manager, he looked after us this entire time.”, Heena said to her Mother in a pleading voice and strained look. “If it’s just one, then don’t worry, I can take care of that.”, Santosh assured Heena. Although she did not understand how he was going to do it, but the confident look on his face somehow calmed her.

“So if there are no objections than it is decided, the wedding shall be conducted at my place. I would urge you both to pack your bags and everything you want from this house, and remember that we won’t be returning to this place ever again.”, Santosh announced the conclusion and instructed the mother and daughter simultaneously. Heena was stunned. She looked at Shilpi, but to her surprise, she didn’t even flinch a bit. It was as if she already knew what was going to happen.

“How!”, She shrieked with tears, “How could you do this, Maa this is father’s resting place, my home village. How can we abandon it completely.”

“Moonlight, your father was a great man, he always wanted me to choose the best for you even if it meant disregarding his honour. Your father wished for me to return to my parent's place and live a comfortable life as he was dying. It not for the Supreme One’s request, I would never let you endure all this pain and suffering. But now, it's time we move on.” Shilpi pulled Heena’s head towards her and rested it on her chest, “And as far as I know, your father would hate me for still clinging on to him and not doing what is in your welfare.”

Shilpi was the daughter of the Duke of Eastshire, Michael White, one of the most powerful dukes in the history of Monad. The duchess, Emilia White, was famed widely for her unmatched beauty. Her slender look and elegant skin defied her age. Her eyes were similar to those of a dear, her face was well-defined and skin as radiant as pure marble. Although her facial features resembled a teenager in her post puberty, her chest said otherwise. She looked as youthful as ever, with her red hair pouring down her back. She wore a silk gown, lined with gold and ornaments complementing its silver dye. Such enchanting beauty, but still what made her to look like a goddess was her kind perception. The Duke was different.

A giant figure with tight and well-developed muscles in every nook of his body and a handsome face, Michael had everything a cliché protagonist from a romance novel would have.

He always had this piercing look on his face, as though he would kill any moment. He never talked much, and anyone who went against him was shown no mercy.
Although he stayed indifferent with everyone in the whole dukedom, things changed when he became a father.
“My daughter is an artist, she breathed life into a stone that his father was.”, Emilia laughed as she rested on the delivery bed. Michael had tears and a smile on his face as he held his daughter for the first time. They named her Shilpi (meaning an artist in Sanskrit). Celebrations took place far and wide in the entire Eastshire. Michael occasionally took out time to see his daughter in the middle of his work. He brought her souvenirs from his visits. 

As time went by, Shilpi grew up into a refined woman. Her coming of the age ceremony was the highly anticipated events in the dukedom. ‘Daughter of The Maiden’, that was how she was being referred in the capital. Everyone expected her to be at least as beautiful as her mother. Several royal families from all over sent their heirs for the ceremony, so that they can please her in order to marry her. The preparations were complete as the fated day came. Everyone was waiting in the hall to see one glimpse of the one the goddess gave birth to. The time came, the hosts made a call for Heena to step out and show herself. The excitement was at its peak as the audience lied in wait to get a sight of the marvel Shilpi had become, but nobody came out. Suddenly, a maid hurried down the steps and whispered to the duke,“ The lady is nowhere to be found.”

Michael was stunned, he looked at the maid in peril as to confirm what he had heard, but the maid couldn’t face him. He immediately hurried and flew over the stairs in order to confirm it himself. The audience started gossiping as to what could have happened.

“Did somebody kidnap her?”  “It wouldn’t be possible to kidnap the duke’s daughter.” “Maybe she is not as beautiful as we expected, so she ran off.”

The audience kept gossiping for a while. Suddenly, Michael along with Emilia appeared. “We are very sorry to say this, but we have to cancel this ceremony, as our daughter is missing and is nowhere to be found.” Michael spoke with a regret as he bowed to the audience as he ate the humble pie. The guests helped themselves out in anger and discontent.

As the carriages moved out of the duke’s mansion, one carriage followed them. It was one of the manor’s carriages, carrying the beautiful maiden inside.