A typical Indian Monarch, a very honest, thoughtful Rajah, is on a hunt for a man for his beloved daughter. Mind you! He doesn't demand a man with riches, but a man with a goal and character.
Scattered by groups of young lads, the Durbar Hall was filled with a loud buzz, many of them discussing about the architectural marvel they were standing on. The Rajah enters the Durbar, turning the crowd dumb .
"Here comes the Princess!"
The whole crowd focused at the daunted side door. As the slim figure proceeded towards the diamond studded diwan, the dumb mouths opened to gape, the unblinking eyes widened all the way, slowly and steadily the whispers arose which was suppressed by the clamouring bell that marked 12 noon.
The interviews began. One by one, all of them found their way through the side door. One of the yet to be interviewed young men was gazing at the glass made chandeliers hanging from the colourful ceilings, which he considered to be a masterpiece. He was Dev, an 18 year old, peasant, an ambitious young lad whose major goal is to buy the neighbouring lands of the Rajah and make them his own. It was his turn to meet the Rajah now!
"What's you name?"
"My name is Dev."
"What's your profession?"
"I'm a professional farmer by the countryside."
"Farmer?", asked the Rajah and burst into an infuriating laughter.
Dev was astonished to see Rajah's strange behaviour. It was his first meet. He has only heard about the Rajah before. His grand father and father were all praise for the Monarch. "I'm the farmer who takes care of many of your farms."
"You're just the caretaker son. Did you know you are talking to the very owner of all the farms out there?"
"Yes, I do, Your Majesty. But I have a strange feeling that those farms out there will be mine in course of time."
"Oh! Is it??!!" The Rajah sported an evil smile. "I'll ask you three questions. The more convincingly you answer, the more likely is that she belongs to you!
"Okay!"
"You're are about to lose a fierce battle with an enemy state. You are being taken as a Prisoner of War. The Ruler of the opposition offers a deal. 'You give me your Queen, I'll let you free!' What will your answer be?!"
"What a foolish question, Your Majesty? He can finish me off then and there and have my queen as well as my state! Anyways, I will never let your Kingdom down. I assure you that no such situations will arise!"
The Rajah was blown verbally. He apparently never had thought that there was a flaw in his question!
"You have just 100 gold coins. You need 75 to pay the landlord. You need 50 to meet the monthly expenses. Will you borrow money? Or steal it? Justify your answer!"
"Inappropriate choices, Your Majesty! I'll do neither I shall pay the landlord 75 and restrict my monthly expenses accordingly. My life, my money! Both are in my hands. It's my duty to handle them gently and wisely. It's up to me to decide whether to ruin them or develop them. I prefer developing them."
The Rajah smiled. He was all praise for Dev's answer. He admired his approach.
But then comes a terrific question from the Rajah. "Your wife, ie. the Princess is seriously ill and needs a heart to survive. What will you do? Will you take the heart of a faithful servant of yours? Or will you kill a criminal in the dungeons for a noble cause?"
"I don't want to be selfish. Never will I do such things. Who am I to spoil their lives? It's my wife at stake. I'll renounce my life instead. I'll forsake my very own heart! I'll then be inside her. I shall live in her. She would live with me. Every time my heart beats for her, I'll live the moment of my life!"
The Rajah's eyes watered as he stood up. The ministers and courtiers were all dumbfounded. The Rajah broke the silence spreeing into a standing ovation for Dev! The Rajah said, "You've outplayed me son!" and winked at him. "I decided that you were made for my child, the moment you revealed your honesty by saying you were just a farmer. Nobody else who had come here prior to you were as honest, as self-less and as clever as you. All of them were merely money minded. You are a man of Character!" Dev then realised the speciality of the King. He thought the Rajah would be a great theatre artist!
The Rajah then cheered, "Here comes the Prince!"
Scattered by groups of young lads, the Durbar Hall was filled with a loud buzz, many of them discussing about the architectural marvel they were standing on. The Rajah enters the Durbar, turning the crowd dumb .
"Here comes the Princess!"
The whole crowd focused at the daunted side door. As the slim figure proceeded towards the diamond studded diwan, the dumb mouths opened to gape, the unblinking eyes widened all the way, slowly and steadily the whispers arose which was suppressed by the clamouring bell that marked 12 noon.
The interviews began. One by one, all of them found their way through the side door. One of the yet to be interviewed young men was gazing at the glass made chandeliers hanging from the colourful ceilings, which he considered to be a masterpiece. He was Dev, an 18 year old, peasant, an ambitious young lad whose major goal is to buy the neighbouring lands of the Rajah and make them his own. It was his turn to meet the Rajah now!
"What's you name?"
"My name is Dev."
"What's your profession?"
"I'm a professional farmer by the countryside."
"Farmer?", asked the Rajah and burst into an infuriating laughter.
Dev was astonished to see Rajah's strange behaviour. It was his first meet. He has only heard about the Rajah before. His grand father and father were all praise for the Monarch. "I'm the farmer who takes care of many of your farms."
"You're just the caretaker son. Did you know you are talking to the very owner of all the farms out there?"
"Yes, I do, Your Majesty. But I have a strange feeling that those farms out there will be mine in course of time."
"Oh! Is it??!!" The Rajah sported an evil smile. "I'll ask you three questions. The more convincingly you answer, the more likely is that she belongs to you!
"Okay!"
"You're are about to lose a fierce battle with an enemy state. You are being taken as a Prisoner of War. The Ruler of the opposition offers a deal. 'You give me your Queen, I'll let you free!' What will your answer be?!"
"What a foolish question, Your Majesty? He can finish me off then and there and have my queen as well as my state! Anyways, I will never let your Kingdom down. I assure you that no such situations will arise!"
The Rajah was blown verbally. He apparently never had thought that there was a flaw in his question!
"You have just 100 gold coins. You need 75 to pay the landlord. You need 50 to meet the monthly expenses. Will you borrow money? Or steal it? Justify your answer!"
"Inappropriate choices, Your Majesty! I'll do neither I shall pay the landlord 75 and restrict my monthly expenses accordingly. My life, my money! Both are in my hands. It's my duty to handle them gently and wisely. It's up to me to decide whether to ruin them or develop them. I prefer developing them."
The Rajah smiled. He was all praise for Dev's answer. He admired his approach.
But then comes a terrific question from the Rajah. "Your wife, ie. the Princess is seriously ill and needs a heart to survive. What will you do? Will you take the heart of a faithful servant of yours? Or will you kill a criminal in the dungeons for a noble cause?"
"I don't want to be selfish. Never will I do such things. Who am I to spoil their lives? It's my wife at stake. I'll renounce my life instead. I'll forsake my very own heart! I'll then be inside her. I shall live in her. She would live with me. Every time my heart beats for her, I'll live the moment of my life!"
The Rajah's eyes watered as he stood up. The ministers and courtiers were all dumbfounded. The Rajah broke the silence spreeing into a standing ovation for Dev! The Rajah said, "You've outplayed me son!" and winked at him. "I decided that you were made for my child, the moment you revealed your honesty by saying you were just a farmer. Nobody else who had come here prior to you were as honest, as self-less and as clever as you. All of them were merely money minded. You are a man of Character!" Dev then realised the speciality of the King. He thought the Rajah would be a great theatre artist!
The Rajah then cheered, "Here comes the Prince!"
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