"Curiosity can be as dangerous as a butterfly hovering over a flame."

Ruhanika

My heart is racing, I am having trouble breathing, and my mind is cloudy. How on earth is that possible?

All that is visible to me are the armored soldiers surrounding the garden and the individuals working there who are dressed in traditional Indian attire. Is something being filmed, similar to a movie shoot?

Yes, it is obviously a film shoot, but why are not any cameras visible? I must go look at this. My phone was stuffed in between my jeans pockets, and my travel bag was still slung over my shoulders.

I will start by finding Kiran and Suhani. They might be aware of what is going on. I made my way down the palace corridor. The hallway was now adorned with flowers and earthen lamps (diya). But there is not a soul in sight.

Kiran and Suhani were at Royal Kitchen, so I followed the path that would take me there. We had nearly completed our documentary. There were shots to be taken in the garden, the kitchen, and the prince's room.

Suddenly, I heard a deep, rough voice calling out to me.

"Wait, who are you?"

Glancing over my shoulder, I noticed a tall, good-looking man wearing traditional dhoti-kurtas, a turban over his head, and pearl and gold jewelry. His eyes were hard and probing as he glared at me. However, what drew my attention was the sword he was holding.

"Do you have hearing loss? Tell me who you are, what you are doing here, and what you are wearing?"

What I am wearing, dude, this is called clothes, don't you know? He appears to be a member of the shooting crew, in my opinion. I was still staring at him when he suddenly marched towards me and twisted my right arm behind me. It hurts, what the fudge man.

"Tell me, who are you, a spy? You are a spy, right? You came here to gather information about our kingdom," he said, dragging me along. Oh my goodness, what is going on?

"Dude, I am not a spy or whatever you are saying, so leave me alone. Look, I am also working on a documentary like you, and my hand is hurting." This man, I think he is dumb he is still dragging me. Goddamn it, you cow dunk. Get over here.

A soft, feminine voice caught our attention, and the Hulk stopped. Thank heavens, I was being dragged like furniture. We looked in the direction of the voice; a petite woman, maybe in her mid-twenties, stood there wearing a plain lehenga with minimal embellishments, a small gold headpiece on her forehead, a gold necklace, and gold bangles. Despite not wearing makeup, she looked amazing.

"Commander Arjun, what is happening here? Why are you dragging her?" What commander is she referring to?

"Maya, based on the way she is dressed and the strange language she is speaking, I believe she is a spy. I am taking her to the dungeon to question her." What the fudge? This moron called me strange. The strange one is him. He requires medical attention, and what dungeon?

"Are you sure, Commander? She appears quite young and innocent." Young, I am 20 years old and about innocence, I read Wattpad.

"We will know once we will interrogate her." Interrogation—what the hell?

"Listen, mister Commander, I am not a spy or whatever leave me. I do not understand what you are saying; please leave me alone."

"Oh my God, are you the new attendee who was joining? But why are you so late?" That girl, Maya, asked me.

I do not see any cameras here, and it seems like they are only speaking Hindi. Who the heck is this attendee and what is she talking about, what the hell?

"So you are a new attendee, but why are you late? You should have reported a week ago, and why didn't you tell me you are the new attendee?" He asked me questions as if he were allowing me to talk.

With a snatch of my wrist, Maya pulled me along with her and said, "Leave her, you should go and check the arrangement, Princess of the neighboring kingdom will come here anytime, I will take her to the quarter and will brief her about her work."

"I am Maya, I am the head maid here. What is your name?"

"I am Ruhanika."

"You have such a lovely name; I have heard you are from another kingdom. Do you know things about our kingdom, Magadh?" She enquired.

"Thank you. This name was given to me by my parents. I did my research to learn about Magadh, but could you please explain what is going on? Are you guys filming a movie here?" I inquired.

"What is a movie, is it a place of some kind?" My heart quickened at her inquisitive question. What was happening? Everything about this place, including the language and clothing, was beginning to make sense.

"Maya, could you tell me what year it is?"

"It's 1223, but why are you asking this?" The ground disappeared from under my feet. I journeyed back in time by 800 years. It is impossible. They have to be playing a practical joke on me. Even though I really wanted to think it was a joke, it wasn't. What will happen now? How am I going to return?

If my understanding is correct, the bright light that emerged upon coming into contact with that armor represented a time portal. And I traveled back in time. How is that possible?

"Hey Ruhanika, are you okay? You are perspiring." No, Ruhi, please calm down. You cannot tell anyone about this. I will be killed by them. I will figure out how to get back, but first I need to relax.

"Yes, I am okay; I am just a little tired." How should I explain to her that I am sweating because I am afraid?

"I apologize. Let me show you your quarter so you can relax there. You are going to begin work tomorrow."

"Maya, the palace is decorated. Why?" I could not help but be curious when I heard her say that the princess was on her way. She turned to me and grinned sweetly, saying,

"We are commemorating the arrival of our Crown Prince Dev Pratap Singh after 15 years, which is why the palace is decorated. He studied in Gurukul from the age of eleven, and it was only from there that he joined his father in the war. Now that he has triumphed, he is returning. Our King Surya Pratap Singh and Queen Sumitra Devi had always wanted to celebrate his arrival with a grand welcome, but Queen Sumitra is no longer alive. It was her wish to welcome the prince lavishly, but God had other plans. She passed away prior to our prince entering Gurukul. The king came back after the war was over to welcome the Prince, but the prince is coming back a day after tomorrow."

My goodness, it means I get to see the prince. Universe is finally granting me the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of mine: seeing a real prince. For heaven's sake, what is wrong with me? I am enmeshed in the past, and the mere thought of seeing a prince excites me. I require counseling.

"You know it is said that he is very handsome, with green eyes and a muscular body. He is a beast in battle, but he is also incredibly courteous and kind. He is unbeatable in fencing and archery competitions. His brutality in combat has made him well-known throughout the world. I can not wait to see him. Princesses from nearby kingdoms have already come to greet him along with their families." She went on until we came to a tiny chamber. This part is familiar to me. This is where the attendees used to live.

"Maya, thank you for dropping me off here." Only I understand why I am thanking her. If she had not come, that commander would have killed me by now.

"Come on, this is not a big deal. After all, we are now friends, right? You should rest; I will come tomorrow morning to brief you on your work; I have to leave now; I need to make arrangements." I nodded in agreement, and she left.

She is very friendly, and she reminds me of Suhani and Kiran, who I miss. How am I going to survive here? How will I return to my home? Tears flowed from my eyes.

AUTHOR P.O.V

Please vote!

So, Ruhanika time traveled.

Commander Arjun is very strict.

What do guys think about Maya?