Ritoban Chatterjee Chapter 1: The Stolen Queen The chandelier above the Durbar Hall shimmered like a suspended constellation, each crystal catching the firelight from antique lamps placed along the carved marble columns. Outside, the Rajasthani dusk had settled into velvet darkness, and peacocks wailed somewhere in the thorny quiet of the palace gardens. Inside, the Mahaveergarh Palace buzzed with curated charm—foreign collectors, art connoisseurs, and minor royals sipped wine and traded glances beneath centuries of fading murals. They had all come to see it—The Dream of Jodha Bai—a painting whispered about in closed circles, unseen by the public for over…