Rajasthan ki tapti ret ke beech bana Pratapgarh Palace aaj poori tarah roshni se jagmaga raha tha. Oonche jharokhon par Rajasthani kalaakari ke rang aur bhi nikhar rahe the. Aangan mein dhol-nagadon ki awaaz goonj rahi thi aur hawa mein kesar aur ghee ke halwe ki khushboo phaili hui thi. Aaj Pratap Singh khandaan ki kuldevi ki badi pooja thi. Marwar ke bade-bade zamindar, rasookhdaar businessmen aur neta apni patniyon ke saath palace mein aa chuke the.

Lekin is saari bhavyata ke beech palace ki maalikin, Rukmini Devi, andar hi andar gusse mein jal rahi thi. Unke chehre par halki si fake smile thi, lekin unki nazrein apni bahu ko dhoond rahi thi.