RADHIKARAJE & SAMARJITSINH GAEKWAD

Once upon a time, though not in a faraway kingdom but in contemporary India, two scions of distinguished lineage found themselves at the crossroads of history and heart.

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The story of Radhikaraje Gaekwad and Samarjitsinh Gaekwad belongs to a fairy-tale romance that carries destiny in its prologue, resilience in its turning point and purpose in its present tense where both companions grow together.

The Lives Behind the Story

Born to Maharaja Dr Ranjitsinh Jhala of Wankaner and Kalpana Kumari, Radhikaraje grew up in a home where duty and self-sufficiency outweighed grand displays. Her father was an IAS officer who chose public service over princely privileges. Her childhood was shaped quietly by the coexistence of discipline of bureaucracy and dignity of royalty.

A postgraduate in Indian History, she went to work as a journalist for three years at 'The Indian Express,' covering culture and society at the age of twenty. Fate always makes a person learn before entrusting them with responsibilities. Here too, fate played by its own rules. Long before she entered the palace, she learnt to interpret one. Her world as a journalist was one of deadlines and documentation, which taught her storytelling and sharpened her observation skills.

In a land considerably farther from her, the only son of Maharaja Ranjitsinh Pratapsinh Gaekwad and Shubhanginiraje Gaekwad was carving out a different identity for himself. Across Gujarat, Samarjisinh was a heartthrob. He played cricket for Baroda in the Ranji circuit and was labelled as the richest cricketer in India. This is the story of a young royal choosing the discipline of sports over the ceremonial comforts of the palace.

When a Sister Chose a Bride

Their story, however, began much earlier. Their bond was sealed at first glance.