Lost and Found

15. Mirage of life

Third person point of view

The kidnapper who took away rudrayani had planned to kill the princess.

His name was balwant. But the innocent face of rudra made his heart to melt. He was not able to kill rudra. He just weeped all night and next morning he decided he will leave this world of crimes and go far away from the royals and raise rudra as his own daughter.

Balwant took rudra far away from her world and he kept telling her that he was her real father everytime.

Initially rudra was just scared of him. But balwant showered all his love and care for rudra. After few days rudra started talking to him a little.

He was so engrossed in rudra. He totally forgot that she was a princess. He started believing that she really belong to him only. Few months passed like this.

Whenever Rudra used to miss her parents, Ranvijay or her dadisa or any one from family or past life, balwant used to cajole her mind with some stories of fairy and dragons and what not.

Every night balwant would wrap his arms around rudra to make her feel secure and tell her the stories. And sing for her a lullaby till she sleeps. And finally balwant convinced rudra that her real name is "ishqi" and he really is her father. She started calling him "pa".

All the things were going as per balwant's wish. Even rudra started believing herself as "ishqi". She started playing around and mixing with the neighborhood children.

But little did balwant know that, his partner who got arrested had given the police balwant's photograph. And royals also got the photo. A search operation was started for balwant and lost princess.

Once when rudra was playing around with her new friends in the afternoon. And balwant was on his watchman duty. But suddenly a police officer recognized balwant from the photo. That officer started following balwant to reach to princess. But mid way, balwant got suspicious of someone following him. So he dodged that officer and reached his home. And he hurriedly took his, now daughter rudra aka ishqi. And packed his and rudra's belongings and left that city immediately.

Rudra was scared with all this running conundrum. But balwant convinced her that those who are following them are the bad people who want to harm her.

And this scared rudra the most. Balwant kept changing city and his home frequently. With all this chaos and fear of uncertainty, rudra started to forget her past.

Balwant was afraid that one of the royals or the police will take him away from his sunshine, his daughter ishqi. He didn't wanted to lose his daughter.

For once in his dark life of prisoner, had he got a ray of home in the form of his daughter ishqi. He really loved his daughter ishqi very much, more than himself.

He changed his whole life for his daughter ishqi. He even started to work honestly. He left earning money from wrong methods.

Once a criminal was now a loving and caring papa for a little soul.

He was very serious about providing his daughter the best life and was very protective about her.

Now this routine of changing cities, balwant followed for years, keeping the princess away from royals for years.

Balwant was now successful in turning princess into his daughter. Rudra would be admitted to any small vernacular municipal school in whichever city they would stay. She was a good student. She did well in school and that made balwant very proud.

He decided he will gather enough money for his ishqi, so that she could go to college.

Balwant worked day and night. Every possible attempt he made, to earn as much money as he could earn.

But he always made sure that his daughter, now ishqi would not mix with many people. Balwant told her that as bad people were following her, she wont be safe, if she roams away from home. She was only allowed to go to school and nothing more.

Balwant and ishqi wouldn't stay at a place more than a year. So ishqi never got any friend. Now her only friend was her pa.

And now our rudra was happy in her small world with new name as ishqi. Years passed like this.

She daily would go to school and come home as soon as school finishes. And she would do her homework and wait for her pa, so he could come back and prepare her the lunch. They both would eat together and balwant then would leave again for his work. And now ishqi would be home all alone studying.

In the evening balwant would return home. And would watch his daughter showing him and telling what happened in school.

Balwant would start preparing dinner. Many times ishqi tried to help him in day to day chores. But he never did let her do any chores.

He was keen in buying every thing, may it be food or clothes or her books of the good quality for his daughter.

But still he was lacking in money. But whatever he could offord, he would get that for his daughter. He was trying to give his daughter the life of princess with whatever money he got.

And when night would fall, ishqi would sleep peacefully around her pa and balwant would tell her stories of fairy world, demons, and kings and queens till she dozes off to sleep.

She was happy in her tiny bubble world with her loving and caring pa. She had forgotten about her life before, just like anyother bed time story she would listen from her pa.

Little did she knew that her pa was the demon from the story and she was the queen in reality.