Redemption of Royals (Royal #1: Book 3) | ✔

46

-• a second chance •-

Rudra

you're not a winner in the first win.
not in second either.
in the third? debatable.

I love eyes on me, I like the attention. Being surrounded by people, who look up to me, want to be me or with me, either way are envious of me, I feed on that kind of sense of superiority. In that crowd, there are also people who are disgusted by me, consider me unworthy of everything I own, and look down on me for not being a royal blood. I steer away from people who know my truth. Of course, Virendra is a leech I can never get rid of, but the Rawals were a choice, and I chose not to make it. They saw me when I was at my lowest, when I wasn't capable of introducing myself, let alone be proud of my roots. I had been abandoned and they had taken pity on me, for their daughter's blood ran in my veins, and in a way, they owed it to her.

I'm okay being an orphan. I don't need blood relationships to feel like I belong. Thousands of kids are abandoned everyday, if they can get on with their lives without having anyone looking after them, so can I. And I have. For so long, until now, I had nobody on my side, no family, no friends, no blood relatives, and I did fine, more than fine.

Yes, having at least one person, dedicated wholly to me, with their utmost loyalty and love was my long time wish, but now I've it fulfilled. I have a wife, and she may not love me right now, but I know eventually she'll learn to. And that's enough for me. She's enough for me.

Tara is akin to the Queen on a chess board. She opens multiple possibilities for me. I can start a family with her, have kids of our own, lead a normal life of a family man, and happily grow old with her. I don't need a readymade family to make that happen, and I certainly don't need anyone else to bring me that kind of happiness.

But I'm not sure Taranya understands that. She sees hope in people who gave me their name. She wants to give them a chance, one that I didn't, and see where it takes us. I've a feeling I'm setting us- her up for a disappointment because from what I've heard, Rana Singh Rawal is a man of strong opinions, borderline bigoted, and hates being challenged, especially by people of less age or status.

I was only fifteen when Yuvraaj had taken me to Ratangarh. I still vividly remember the Rawal Haveli. It's imprinted in my head. I did not necessarily memorize the archaic architecture, it happened so as I imagined my mother in her days of youth leaping through the hallways, tinkering the curtains, and giggling with her girlfriends in the gardens. I wanted to believe she was happy there, because I know she never felt that upon coming here. I wanted to believe she wasn't ruined before she came here, and she knew what happiness and love felt like. I may have never met that woman, but I know if she was alive, she'd have protected me. I can't blame her for opting the only way out of this hell hole. It's not that I never thought about it before. I pride myself on being strong and powerful, but when it came to sparing my younger self of any more abuse, torture and nightmares, I turned into a coward who was greedy to live more.

I hated dying while knowing my tormentors are still alive and happy. And as soon as an opportunity was presented to me, I grabbed it.

"Are you not going to answer the phone?"

I flinch, my eyes darting past the computer screen, at the man standing at the doorstep. Yuvraaj nods towards my burner phone ringing next to the pen stand and I spare it a glance. "It has been ringing for the last five minutes now."

I press the power button and flip the screen upside down. "It's the Chief Minister."

Removing his hand from the slacks pockets, he crosses them on his chest and stands straight. "And why are you not answering?" He asks me seriously.