Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology

210  Shri and Shrimati Part :1

Dakshin Bhartiya Empire, Vijayanagara state, capital city - Hampi.

In the royal palace, Kavya sat alone, bored out of her mind. Ever since she married Vijay, she had nothing much to do except for taking care of occasional family affairs. Whenever she got bored, she would invite some relatives over and talk with them. She also frequently held small events for the ladies in the palace, but even those events stopped giving her fulfilment. In recent days, she had been contemplating an idea that had been brewing in her mind since the previous maid resigned. It's just that she hesitated about whether to ask Vijay or not.

Finally, not willing to bear the boredom any longer, she made up her mind to ask Vijay about what she was thinking. Now that she was clear about what she wanted to do, she did not waste any time. Kavya quickly got up from the sofa and went over to Vijay's study room. Vijay, as usual, was very busy with the affairs of the Empire, especially in the past few weeks because of the Ahom war. It was only in the past few days that he got some free time on his hands.

"Knock, knock."

Kavya knocked on the door, feeling a bit unsure at the last moment.

"Come in."

Hearing Vijay's voice completely erased her hesitation, as she confidently walked into the study room. Vijay was going over the list of merits acquired by the soldiers who were sent as reinforcements to the Ahom Kingdom. Just as he was about to finish the present document and was planning to move on to the next, he heard a knock on the door. But hearing the knock, he smiled because this knock was very soft on the door, and he exactly knew who would make such a sound. The door swung open, confirming his guess - there stood Kavya, elegantly draped in a lavender saree. A white rose adorned her hair, and a string of white pearls graced her beautiful neck. Upon entering the study room, her fragrance instantly filled the space.

Vijay momentarily closed his eyes to enjoy the refreshing breeze brought by Kavya.

"Ah, Vijay."

Kavya called, while her fingers were nervously pinching the corner of her saree, signaling her unease which suddenly reappeared. Despite her apprehension, her voice succeeded in drawing Vijay's attention, breaking him out of his momentary bliss.

"Wife, tell me what can I do for you." Vijay finally asked the reason for his wife's arrival

Finally catching Vijay's attention, Kavya opened up about her feelings, "Ah, Vijay, here's the thing. I often feel bored in the palace. So, I've got a suggestion. I've heard that the Empire is becoming more open to people from different backgrounds. I've been thinking, can I start a company of our own? I need something to do for myself. I don't want to be confined to the palace all the time."

This idea had sparked in Kavya's mind after a maid, who was serving her, shared that she planned to resign. The maid expressed that she had earned enough from the royal family and intended to start her own pastry shop.

It was then that Kavya realized she did not have to be locked up in the palace; she could also do business. Moreover, when she was the princess of the Maratha Kingdom, she helped her father out whenever possible, so she was very confident in her management ability. Hearing the request made by Kavya, Vijay was taken aback because he also had similar thoughts. However, he did not talk about it with Kavya, fearing what her reaction would be. He had previously thought of letting Kavya engage in some sort of business to set an example in the Empire for women interested in starting their own businesses but are still held back by society or fear in their hearts. Now that Kavya herself brought this suggestion, he couldn't be happier.

He held back the smile as he replied, "Okay, I accept, but what sort of business are you planning to do?"

"I know this is a difficult request for you... Wait, what... You accepted," Kavya stood there, dumbfounded, still unable to believe that Vijay had accepted her proposal so quickly and without raising any conditions.

"Thank you, husband," a large smile broke out on her pretty face as she quickly ran towards Vijay and gave a little kiss on his cheek.

Forgetting to inform Vijay about the type of business she was doing, she happily skipped out of the study room to prepare the products. Vijay was momentarily stunned because it was very rare for Kavya to take the initiative on her own. He could count down the times Kavya took the initiative on her own on one hand. Vijay did not even mind that Kavya did not inform him of the type of business she was doing; he was far too happy for that to bother him. Kavya went back to her room and directly went to the wardrobe, where she had placed all her designs and artwork.

What Kavya is planning to do is start a boutique clothing business dedicated to a high-end customer. It was not that Kavya did not want to design clothes for ordinary people; it was just that she did not like her artistic concept being constrained by a price. As she was born into a royal family, her selection of materials is naturally first class, so when she needs to work with normal materials, it leaves her unsatisfied.

"Radha, pull out all my designs," she ordered her maid to help her out.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Within a few moments, the whole room was filled with various drawings of dresses and scattered clothing. Looking around, Kavya still felt unsatisfied, as she did not think that any of her existing designs were good enough to be the first product of her business. So, she quickly took a blank paper and started designing a whole new pair of clothes, using the best materials, of course.

Kavya became busier than Vijay in the following days as she scrapped one design drawing after another. The amount of sample clothes, paper, and ink she utilized was enough for a family of three to live comfortably in the capital for a week. But honestly, who was going to stop her? She was the queen of the Dakshin Bhartiya Empire for god's sake. Soon, Kavya drew a design that completely satisfied her. Unlike typical clothing designs, Kavya also designed matching ornaments that went with her design. What she decided on was a full set of male and female clothing. The next step, Kavya quickly informed the butler, Ravichandra Rao, to summon someone from the Ministry of Trade and Commerce.

The government building

When the queen's summons reached the Ministry of Trade and Commerce, it was a coincidence because Rajesh and Jagannath Mohan were just getting ready to meet with His Majesty, the Emperor, regarding the patent regulations of the Empire. Now that the queen had summoned someone from the ministry, it was perfect that they would personally meet with her.

Kavya, who was waiting at the royal palace, would have never expected that both the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Trade and Commerce would answer her call personally. She felt somewhat embarrassed on the inside, not wanting to disturb the important affairs of the government. Additionally, she was cautious about gaining a reputation among the government for being too authoritative or power-abusive.

As if guessing the queen's thoughts, Jagannath went on to dispel her worries, "Your Majesty, please do not worry. Even if you had not sent the summons, we would have come to the royal palace as we have some work matters to discuss with His Majesty, the Emperor. Your letter was just a coincidence, and since you had summoned someone from the ministry, we both thought that it would be perfect to meet you before talking with His Majesty."

Kavya's doubts finally cleared as she was relieved, "Oh, is that so? Then, it is alright."

"What can we do for you, Your Majesty?" Rajesh asked.

Kavya did not hesitate this time as she handed over a letter written by Vijay as a recommendation and replied, "I need to start a business. Please register a company for me under the royal family."

Jagannath and Rajesh exchanged surprised glances. 'The queen in business? Unbelievable,' they thought, never expecting the most powerful woman in the Empire to dive into business like any regular merchant. What made it even more astonishing was that, judging by Vijay's handwritten letter, it was clear he fully supported Her Majesty, the Queen, in this endeavour. Faced with the emperor's backing, they refrained from commenting on Queen Kavya's actions, sensing there were deeper considerations at play. They soon put away their doubtful faces and showed amiable expressions.

"Is that all? No problem; it will be done by the end of the day, Your Majesty," Rajesh replied.

Kavya also noticed their change of expressions but did not comment on it, as she was determined to create the best boutique clothing in the world. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"By the way, Your Majesty, what is the name of the company you would like to establish?"

Kavya smiled as she replied, "The name of my company is 'Shri and Shrimati.' It is a luxury clothing company dedicated to the higher class of society. Also, register this company under the Raya Light Industry group."

When Kavya proposed registering the company under Raya Light Industry, she demonstrated a clear understanding of the Royal family's industries. The ministers also took note of this detail, swiftly gathering all necessary information before heading to meet with Emperor Vijay. Meanwhile, Kavya happily exited the room, embarking on a search for skilled craftsmen capable of bringing her designs to life. While Vijay and the ministers were finalizing the patent law details, Kavya spent the week actively seeking suitable tailors and jewellers.

Simultaneously, construction began on a spacious shop in the prime area of the city centre, owned by the royal family, drawing attention for its rapid construction. Invitations circulated within the higher echelons of the Empire, announcing the grand opening of Her Majesty, the Queen's, very own company.

To Be Continued...

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