DESTINY

A king had two sons. The elder one was Jack innocent and simple and the younger one was Brad, sharp intelligent and very efficient. After king’s death elder son became his successor. However all the load of state’s work was carried by the younger one Brad. Brad used to handle everything with full interest which was not happily acceptable to Jack’s wife. She was an opportunist and used to look for all moments to complain about brad to Jack. One day she became successful to throw Brad out of the state.

Brad received black clothes and black horse sent by the king. He took it as majesty’s order and left the state without asking any question. He started working under a merchant in nearby state. Merchant hired him assuming that he is a warrior and handed over his son to him teach him.

Brad used to teach his master’s son horse riding, fencing, archery etc. Merchant’s son was a handsome guy. King’s palace and merchant’s mansion was nearby. King’s daughter used to watch merchant’s mansion was nearby. King’s daughter used to see the beautiful princess through the same. Brad noticed it all and informed merchant about it. He said “sir, please take control of your son else you would blame me that I taught him all.”
Merchant asked Brad to keep closed eye on him son and started thinking to get rid of this problem.
One day princess wrote a letter for merchant’s son and before the son could see it, Brad read it. Brad got worried when he read what is written in letter and he handed over the letter to the merchant.
Merchant read princess’ message for his son- “We will run away from here at midnight today. I will wait for you outside main gate of the state on a horse. Please come after clock strikes 12.”
Merchant after reading the letter said to Brad-“Gentleman, please think of some way else my house would be finished.
Brad-“Sir, I ate for so many days with you. Being a Rajput I will do everything that you will ask me to do to save your family and house.
Merchant arranged a beautiful horse for Brad. He filled horse cloth with precious stones, old and money so that he will have plenty of it always.
The moment clock struck 12, Brad reached the place where princess was waiting.
Princess ran her horse the moment she saw him from a far away point. Brad kept following her. None of them rested anywhere the whole night. In the morning princess realized that instead of merchant’s son its Brad but what she could do then. She could not go back to her home as left her house for ever. Brad was equally handsome as merchant’s son was and was brave also. Princess decided to marry brad. Both decided to stay together and reached city Paatan. Princess also carried a lot of money & Jewels with her and so did Brad. So both started living in Paatan city. Brad told princess to avoid gelling up with ladies nearby and always keep the doors closed. That’s how they keep themselves safe.

One day a barber saw her closing the door. She had not seen such a beauty in her whole life. She thought she is beautiful that’s why her husband had kept her in lock. The lady knocked the door for princess and the moment she opened the door lady asked-“Don’t you feel suffocated alone?” Allow me to come in and I will wash your hairs, your clothes, trim your nails, oil your hairs. Lady started combing her hairs then trimmed her nails. She saw princess’ golden nails. She neither saw nor heard about such beauty.

Princess told the maid to give the nail cuts back to her only. Lady said “Okay, I will. What would I do with your nails?”
But Lady kept some cut out with her and showed it to her husband. Barber got amazed when he saw golden nails. His eyes widened in shock. The next day when barber went to palace to trim King’s hairs he took the nails along and showed it to the king and said “You have such a beauty in your state majesty, even her nails are golden.”
King was also amazed to see golden nails. He thought if this lady can have such beautiful nails then how beautiful she herself would be. He thought to see her once. King asked barber to show him the beauty that has such beautiful nails.
Barber suggested king “Oh Lord! Please call his husband in palace and keep him here for some days then seldom ask him to show his wife.”

King called Brad in his palace and played along with him, spent time with him, went for hunting and they ate together. One day king asked him to have dinner at Brad’s home. Brad could not avoid it or deny king for anything. Brad invited king at his home for dinner.

When Brad told princess about king’s request, she understood that it all has been done by the barber. What she could do then. She decorated house well to welcome king, prepared different types of food for him. King and Brad sat together for food. Princess started serving. While arranging plates she came in a red colored dress.
When she came to serve food wore a green colored dress and thus she appeared in seven different colored dresses in front of king for different purposes. King got confused and had seven wives but which one has golden nails. How to see her? He could not understand that which one out of seven has golden nails. He came back to his palace from Brad’s home with a sad heart. He called barber and told him everything. He also complained that he should have told him about Brad’s seven wives. If he would have known this fact would have concentrated on nails.
Barber said” Oh Lord! He has only one wife”.” Now how can I see her? Suggest some plan.” King asked expressing his anxiety.
Barber-“Lord, Holi is coming. You can invite him in holi celebration in your garden with his wife. You will yourself get to know how many wives he has.
King liked barber’s suggestion and started waiting for holi to see beautiful lady with golden nails. On colorful festival of holi, king made arrangements to play holi and invited Brad along with his wife.
Princess again took use of her clever mind. She joined seven chariots together. Each chariot had a small door to enter the other one. She kept seven different colored dresses in each chariot along with seven different colored syringes. She sent message to the King, “I have brought colored water drums along with me so please send all queens to my chariot to play with me.”
As soon as queens reached near chariot princess threw water through her syringe from first chariot. Queens filled their water guns with water in the meanwhile princess quickly entered the second chariot and wore other dress and held a new syringe in her hand. Then she threw water from second chariot. She changed her dress post entering a new chariot to look like a different lady altogether. Queens then informed king that Brad has seven wives and they played holi with all of them.
This was how they played holi with king and came back. When princess reached back she saw that her diamond ring is missing from her finger. She then realized that it might have dropped there while playing holi. It was her favorite.
She insisted Brad to go then only and search for it in the garden, in spite of the fact that it was night. Due to her obstinacy, Brad went to look for ring in king’s garden. He was searching for the ring in grass when Brad’s hand touched snake and snake bit Brad. Due o sting Brad became incautious and laid there for hours till morning.
In the morning, gardener’s daughter came in garden and saw Brad lying there incautious. She then saw that he has been stung by a snake. She immediately sucks the sting out from his body and brought him back to the cautious condition. Before he could wake up she tied some blessed thread around his neck due to which Brad became a parrot. Now she took that parrot to her home. At nights she used to remove thread from his neck and make him man. Brad used to get his original phase the moment thread was removed from his neck. Now on one side princess was worried for Brad and on the other side Brad was also concerned for her.

One day gardener’s daughter forgot to close the cage and Brad got chance to fly away. It sat on King’s palace and there was caught by king’s daughter. She saw a thread around her neck. She cut it down and threw it away. As soon as parrot was released from the thread it got its original face and body. King’s daughter did not allow him to leave his room for several days. 5-6 days passed in such way and then one day guards in palace heard male voice from princess’ room. They informed king about it and king sent guards to check princess’ room. Now, Brad was caught. He got scared and jumped out of the window in terror. At that time some merchant was passing by with his carts of jute. Brad hid himself in the cart and wet along with them.

Now, Brad reached the trader’s home before he could run from there the trader saw him. Brad requested trader to save him from king’s soldiers. They were following him. Trader hid the young man in the nearest room where her daughter was sleeping. When soldiers came for checking he told them that his daughter and son- in-law are resting in the room. They checked for couple and went away. Trader gave Brad some work to help him at his shop. Brad was working at his shop when gardener’s daughter passed by. The girl caught him and asked “why did you run away from home? Let’s go back.”

The girl was trying to drag Brad by his hand and was stopped by trader’s daughter who shrieked, “Oh! He is my husband, where are you taking him?”
By this both the ladies started fighting. One said he is my husband, the other one said he is mine. Their fight attracted crowd which had two maids of princess also. They asked Brad,” Oh Sir! Let’s go home your wife princess is not eating anything without you. Please come with us.
People gathered saw this spectacle scene that three women are fighting for one man. State policemen also arrived there. He caught all and produced them before king. When king’s daughter saw three women fighting for brad she also came down and stood by him. King asked all “whose husband is he? Tell me the truth only.” His daughter answered that he is her husband. King fell in dilemma now and said, “Oh Brad! I forgive all your sins. You tell me the truth who is your wife?”
Brad told him the complete story in detail. King heard it patiently and said you have all four of these with Brad, so all four are yours. King ordered to marry all four ladies with Brad. Brad married all and brought them to his home.

Translate By : Pragya Dassion