Episode 1
Where is Your Rajkumar?
Lucknow... A busy place ... BG music masks the cacophony on the street, zipping you around the bustling streets with a montage of the sights of the town... creating a hurried feel and then there is a different type of excitement as we enter the courtyard, where a Haldi ritual seems to be taking place and a rotund jovial woman is yelling about... encouraging merriment since it is an auspicious time!
In another room sits the dulhan while her sister pacing urgently tries to reach her jijuji on the phone!
Oh where, O where are you Payal's Rajkumar?
He must not know what is happening...?
A teary dulhan named Payal sits...he must not know they have asked for such a huge amount on this day but her sister whom we meet in bits and pieces...
first her eyes, then her lips, then her hands...
Payal grabs hold of Khushi's hand awaiting reassurance and Khushi places her hand on top trying to allay her fears that yes, he must not know that they have asked for so much on this day. Her dowry.
In the courtyard Buaji hands her elderly friend her dentures and there are giggles among the women.
Payal comes out for her ceremony.
In walks Sashi Gupta, father of the girls, he is asked to taste the jalebis and he puts a file down. He tears up as he watches his daughter and Madhumati starts singing and dancing. Merriment all around but there are worried looks in the elders of this family. Garima mother of the girls enters, concern all over her face.
Khushi is dressed beautifully in green but ties her sneakers she must go and speak with her jijaji for she is sure there must be a mistake.
Before she takes off she sees Devi Maiyya and lifts up her prayers and then we find out that they have asked for 20 lakhs as dowry on the day of the wedding. She leaves to find her jijaji.
Sashi is on the phone and abruptly ends the call when Garima comes in. He had mentioned he has 10 lakhs and has mortgaged his mitthai shop for 10 more.
He tells Garima he feels like he is doing something wrong and Garima refutes him not to rock the boat, they are the girl's family after all, not to ruin the relationship. The only importance is the dream of getting their daughter married.
I am saddened by Garima's attitude.
They both look lovingly at Payal.
Buaji asks where Khushi is but no one (but Payal) seems to know.
Khushi is on her scooter at a stop. Two goons on a cycle next to her laugh and jeer she must be a runaway bride while the family on the scooter on the opposite side are all stares. She tells them she went to Drama class and was playing a Rajkumari. The little boy besides her asks her where is her Rajkumar?
Just then...
Flying overhead is a helicopter, which captures her attention...
hmmm,her Rajkumar maybe?
Entry of the helicopter landing in a large field of green, Sheesh Mahal, a palace towers in front of it, perhaps the past home of a Rajkumar? Out of the helicopter walks a man, no a god like man, princely looking... Aviator glasses, black suit, white crisp shirt and grey kravat...the great Arnav Singh Raizada... removes his glasses and takes in the sight. News reporters rush to ask the first question and are held back by security. Talk is that Raizada is an multinational and international company why come to Sheesh Mahal for such a small deal. Is there an old relationship here they wonder? Hearing this he walks on foregoing the questions and seeing the sign of Sheesh Mahal at the entrance, a flashback begins...
...children laughing in the background...a young woman in wedding attire.. a teenage boy smiles...the bride's face changes to horror...a woman is running through Sheesh Mahal...a gunshot...the teenage boys calls out "MA!!"
Flashback ends with fluttering doves around Arnav. Back to present.
There is a meeting-taking place about the mortgage owed. A suitcase is brought, opened Malik says it is more than they agreed and instead of being handed over to Malik it is handed over to the bank, Malik says maybe Raizada has forgotten how to make his target.
ASR answers him, "Arnav Singh Raizada never misses a target. Money isn't my shauk, it's my business."
Raizada gets up, Malik follows suit, and placing his aviators back on and walks out.
The bank tells Malik that he owes more than his worth therefore he sold Sheesh Mahal to Raizada. Get out!
Khushi is still driving and receives a phone call from Payal. She pulls over and Payal asks if she has talked to her fianc. Khushi answers no it takes time to get there and she tells Payal that her battery is low. Payal asks are they doing the right thing. Khushi says that marrying someone who has no rules in his life is not worth their time and money isn't everything and just then her phone dies.
Arnav is walking through Sheesh Mahal with Malik running after him apologizing and says he has strict rules. ASR answers rules are for fools, and on paper money is everything...he was taught this in childhood...he stops and taking off his glasses he says, "Isn't that right, Chachaji?"
Flashback of the time when Malik threw both Arnav and his sister Anjali out of Sheesh Mahal, because he is strict with his rules.
Malik remembers Arnav Malik...
He answers his name is Arnav Singh Raizada and leaves.
The fashion show at Sheesh Mahal begins with Arnav walking down the catwalk with two models in red on his arms. Again reporters asking questions which he responds that it is none of their business how, when or why he does things.
Then someone calls his name and he turns to find his sister waiting at the entrance to the stage. He goes to her we meet Arnav's sister Anjali who has been inflicted by polio. She wears a black shoe on her right foot. He helps her down the steps and she stumbles a bit and he is there to support her.
She asks him why he is in Lucknow? He removes his blue tooth. There was a new technology he wanted to see. Why did he buy their ancestral home? It was perfect for his event. She wants to know what he is doing...but he evades her by introducing her.
Back at the Gupta house Payal is dressing and they notice Khushi and the mortgage papers are missing as well. Payal is wondering if Khushi has accomplished her mission.
Khushi has reached Sheesh Mahal and runs in reaching the front desk she asks for the room number of Payal's Rajkumar. The clerk recites some poetry and turns to get her a rose and she is already gone and does singsongs "eeny meeny miny mo" to figure out the direction to go.
Oh where, O where are you Payal's Rajkumar?
She goes the wrong way and winds up backstage and is mistaken for a model.
With all her objections being disregarded, she is primped and thrusted upon the stage the only model in GREEN!
She stands frozen while the whispers begin...why is she in green? Who is she?
Arnav's eyes are closed but he senses something is wrong and just as this beautiful ladki in green whispers Devi Maiyya he opens his eyes and sees her.
They come face to face...his eyes boring into hers. She lifts her dupatta closer to her body and tries to walk away but slipping on the dupatta she winds up in his arms...
The rock hard arms of a Rajkumar, a Knight in Shining Armour or is he a Rakshas... by the way his eyes ravish her face? She holds his collar tightly.
His eyes slowly scan her face, eyes dilate, her pink lips part and his eyes respond by slowly finding a home on her lips.
Her face flushes crimson and his eyes slowly return to hers.
Confetti flies into the air with a boom and he senses her fear and holds her tighter...
maybe he is her Rajkumar...
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