The Royal Fork

"Hey, bring that book here," Rudra says, pointing to the encyclopedia.

"Sure, sir," the white-dressed fairy says and lifts the encyclopedia in the air with her pink magic stick. The book slowly drifts in the air and goes towards Rudra.

With a little jump, 14-year-old Rudra catches the heavy encyclopedia.

Rudra flips the pages of the book at a high speed and stops.

"Got the word to the hospital."

"We should get going then," the fairy suggests.

"Pack my bags and take the water bottle, Deepshikha."

"Just a minute, sir," Deepshikha replies and shakes her magical wand.

Deepshikha is the most beautiful of all fairies. Rudra was given her as a companion because of his determination. 

He is unsure if the omens of his birth were true. They said he would be king of the world.

*****

Deepshikha, holding a suitcase in each hand, says, "Ready, sir."

"Don't call me sir. Just call me Rudra," Rudra says, then snatches the luggage.

"Okay, Rudra," Deepshikha chuckles.

She waves her wand. "Fairky."

Then a portal opens.

Rudra walks into it while Deepshikha floats inside.

Other fairies greet them in their world, Fairky.

"Yo, Rudra is here," they chant.

He turns his face away from them and puts his suitcase down.

He takes his sword out to practice for the king of the world competition.

"You should not do anything," Deepshikha says.

"WHY DO YOU SAY THAT TO ME EVERY DAY?" he hollers, not waiting for a reply.

"The king of the world competition is changing this year. Nobody knows what it shall be!" Deepshikha replies.

"Probably practice makes man perfect. No matter what the competition is, it will be fighting," Rudra says, confidently.

He is a believer in hard work and doesn't want to lose the 'king of the world' post.

The king of the world can travel to any part of the world freely. He can also get special permission for certain things. Anyone can compete in the contest without regard to age or wealth.

"You know you are going to be the king, so why are you practicing?" Deepshikha asks Rudra.

"I don't believe in your words blindly. Nothing reaches you without hard work," Rudra replies, hastily.

"Then I am out of this. You may do whatever you want," Deepshikha says and starts crying.

Rudra throws his sword upwards and runs towards Deepshikha.

"Hey Deepshikha, I didn't mean to offend you," Rudra says and wipes away the tears.

"I appreciate your concern," she says feebly.

"Let's go to the hospital and look out for the announcement of the competition."

"Fairy Hospitalia."

*****

"My application for the competition, sir," Rudra says and bangs the paper on the desk.

"Okay, taken. This is the rule book," the doctor says, handing over a thin book of paper to Rudra. "And, most importantly, this year we have received some warnings from the main hospital that Chai has returned."

"Okie," Rudra says, not paying heed. He gives the book to Deepshikha for her to take a look.

"DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO CHAI IS?" the doctor yells at Rudra.

"Yeah, any problem?"

The doctor rubs his head and sits down. He swallows the blood pressure tablet. He is an old man and all his hair has turned white.

Rudra laughs at him. "Old man."

The doctor darts a look at him.

"Deepshikha, come on, let's go out of here." Rudra shakes Deepshikha, who is still staring at the rule book.

"Come on, now." He again shakes her.

"Rudra, there is no chance for you to win this time." She shakes her head sadly.

"Why?"

"It's an eating competition."

"WHAAAAAT?" Rudra shouts.

"Rudra, this is a hospital. Please control your anger."

"This doctor has done something," Rudra says, and gets teleported back to his house.

*****

"How should I win this?" Rudra asks hurriedly to Deepshikha.

"I have no clue. I don't think I can help you in this competition," Deepshikha explains to him.

"Okay, I should start practicing."

"How will you defeat Chai if he arrives there by chance?"

"Who cares about that? Let's go to the Fairy canteen and practice."

"Careless," Deepshikha murmurs in her breath.

"Did you say anything?"

"No, Rudra." She lifts her wand and shouts, "Food."

*****

They walk out of the portal into a large restaurant where food is flying everywhere.

"Four plates of doughnuts, eight plates of cream cake, twenty plates of chocolate cake," Rudra orders to the Fairy waiter, Clara.

"Will he eat that much?" Clara whispers to Deepshikha.

"Umm.. Who knows?" Deepshikha whispers back.

As the food comes, Rudra hurriedly starts eating.

*****

"I can't eat this much. How am I gonna win?" Rudra chokes out.

"Don't worry, my child. You are definitely going to win this," a divine, soft voice says from the back of him.

"Yo, Orenda. That is really nice of you, but how can I increase my eating capacity?" Rudra says, rubbing his head in utter confusion.

Orenda, the queen fairy with long brown braided hair states, "Practice," and teleports to Fairky.

"Don't I know that!" Rudra murmurs.

*****

He starts eating daily and improves day by day. Deepshikha is very helpful and buys him food every day from the fairy canteen.

"There is only one week for the competition," Rudra says to Deepshikha.

"Yeah, Rudra. I am going out to buy some food for you to practice." Deepshikha picks up her wand and gets going.

"Okay."

"I don't think I will become the king of the world this year," Rudra thinks.

*****

"Here is your food, sir," Deepshikha says, placing ten plates of doughnuts on the table.

"I told you not to call me sir. Call me Rudra," he yells at her.

"Okay, Rudra. I forgot."

*****

The day of the competition, Rudra starts practicing in the morning.

"What are you doing, Rudra? You shouldn't practice now. You may win only if you're going to the competition with an empty stomach," Deepshikha shouts at him.

"I can't win without practicing," Rudra says, hurriedly eating the doughnuts.

"Your choice then."

Rudra finishes his food and washes his face. He looks in the mirror with a lot of hope that he will win the competition.

"Let's go to the hospital," Rudra calls out to Deepshikha.

"Fairy hospitalia." The portal opens and both of them walk in.

*****

They arrive in the sky and they are flying in midair. The host of the competition, a handsome man with silky black hair, welcomes them.

"Where should I sit?" Rudra asks the host, Oliver.

"In the corner of the room where your name is written in bold words," Oliver says, pointing to the corner of the hospital.

Rudra walks slowly to the corner, with his stomach full.

Deepshikha floats slowly to Rudra's place.

"All the best. I should go to the fairy oath-taking ceremony," Deepshikha says.

"I will come with you," Rudra suggests.

"Oh.. Okay. We should go to the reception."

They start walking and reach the reception of the flying hospital.

All the fairies, including Deepshikha raise their hands at the shoulder level and start singing.

"We are the fairies.

We never cheat even with our enemies.

We are always true

And loyal to the order of blue

We fight for ourselves

Thank you to the fairies and Fairy Queen Orenda."

"That was nice!" exclaimed Rudra.

"Okay!" Deepshikha said with glee.

"I think it's time to go, let’s go."

"Yeah."

They advance at their full speed and Rudra gets seated in his place.

"Hi, I am Rakesh," the person seated next to Rudra says and stretches out his hand.

"Okay, I am Rudra."

"All the best."

"Thanks."

The host shouts into the mic, "Ladies and gentlemen, let the competition begin. Slow and steady always wins. The best food eater is the winner. Eyes on the prize."

Large plates of doughnuts and cakes are placed on the table.

"START."

Rudra starts eating as fast as he can.

"Eat slowly. You have a lot of time. See Rakesh," Deepshikha says.

He sees the young man with large arms and a weird moustache, eating one doughnut per minute and enjoying the food.

"Rakesh is eating very slowly."

"Yeah. He's gonna win it!"

"I am fast and furious."

"But the tortoise beat the rabbit."

"I don't care," Rudra says and munches on the yummy doughnuts.

*****

Rudra is full and his stomach can't take more.

"Deepshikha, please help." He presses his stomach hard and tries to eat more. But he couldn't.

"Only for your sake." Deepshikha grins.

"Please make it fast."

"Vanish-avia."

The food suddenly vanishes. Rakesh looks in awe with the doughnut in his mouth. And then the doughnut falls out of his mouth.

"Please," Rudra pleads.

"I don't care whatever you do, I came here just for the food, not for the competition," Rakesh assures Rudra.

Rudra heaves a sigh of relief.

"Next round, Oliver."

"Give that young man some more to eat," Oliver shouts, pointing at Rudra.

And another plate of doughnuts arrived in front of Rudra.

He blinks at Deepshikha and she vanishes the food again.

This happens many times and Rudra wins the contest.

"Thank you, Deepshikha," Rudra says before he gets lifted by the large crowd.

"HAIL THE KING OF THE WORLD, Rudra," everyone shouts in unison.

They let him down on the platinum throne made just for the king.

Oliver takes the golden crown and places it on Rudra's head.

"Finally, my dream has come true. I am truly the king of the world as said on my birth," he thinks.

"What do you plan to do, Rudra?" Oliver asks.

"You should have asked me," Deepshikha says and slowly her rich white skin transforms into brown scales. Her wings fall off just like that. And what stands there is an ugly creature with sharp nails and sharp yellow teeth.

The ugly creature snatches the crown from Rudra and places it on its own head.

"Hey, give it back to me. It is my dream," Rudra pleads.

"No way. This is my dream too. I was the most beautiful fairy when that stupid queen changed me into an animal and you gave me a name, Chai," Chai says, admiring the crown on his head using the long mirror.

"But, why did Orenda change you into an animal?" Rudra asks the admiring creature.

"Because I wanted this crown to adorn my head. She said fairies aren't eligible. That's why! So now this is mine," Chai says.

"WHERE IS DEEPSHIKHA?" Rudra hollers at Chai.

"Shoo. Shoo. I am the king, raise your voice, I will kill you. Find her yourself." Chai laughs and taunts Rudra.

"Okay, please tell me where to find Deepshikha?"

"King of the world? Ha! All you can do is depend on your fairy to pull you out of trouble. She was your crutch since birth and you never realised when I took her," Chai taunts Rudra.

Tears flowing down his cheeks he says, "I will find her."

"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaar," Chai roars which made the crowd run haywire.

"This is not the time to fight him," Rakesh says to Rudra and they start running.

They stop at Rudra's house and lock themselves in.

"Yo, Rudra. Arrogance is the way for your ruin," the doctor says.

"Why are you here?" Rudra asks him.

"Your arrogance has paved the path to your ruin, you have lost both the crown and your best friend."

"Now, this is only between me and Chai. I am finding Deepshikha at any cost."

Rudra stands up and sharpens his sword.