Today was supposed to be Princess Sitara’s best day. Birthdays had always held a quiet kind of magic, not just celebrations, but moments when the world seemed to acknowledge her presence a little more warmly. From morning itself, wishes and congratulations poured in, wrapping the palace in an unusual softness. But beneath it all lingered a more important anticipation—the news of her sister's arrival. The day felt destined to become perfect when she learned that Adhiraj Bhaisa himself would be bringing her. Finally, she would be here. And as if the heavens were aligning in her favor, another dream stood within reach. After the night’s celebrations, she would finally ask her father for permission to visit the Gurukul of Acharya Kulam—a revered abode of Ayurvedic wisdom hidden deep within the forest. Whispers spoke of its mystic surroundings, where knowledge and nature intertwined, and even creatures unseen by ordinary eyes were said to dwell. She longed to witness it for herself. And it was her birthday. She intended to demand it. Especially now that her elder sister would be there too—her constant support, her unspoken strength, the one who always helped the Princess find a way. But fate was not in the mood to bend in so easily. What she never expected was that her father would turn her joy into a decree—replacing every wish she held with a single, irreversible decision. A proposal of marriage. To him. 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐡𝐲𝐚 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐡 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐲𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢—the man she had never once been able to meet with steady eyes, the presence that unsettled her in ways she could not name… was to become her husband. And just like that, her birthday stopped being hers alone. It became the beginning of something she never asked for.