Queenly Values (Completed)

51 Hero of the Story

"Then? What happened?" Shashi asked.

"The chevalier looked at us oddly as our clothes didn't match with the era. We introduced ourselves as foreigners and became friends with him. We learned many things from him about the Ashoka and Kalinga war. He treated us so humbly. We liked him very much. We spent three days with him. He took us to the bank of Yamuna to take a bath. But, as we didn't expect, the chevalier died by a poisoned arrow that shot from the opposite bank. We felt bad as we could not save him from the poisoned arrow"

Khushi looked at Arnav gulping down. Arnav smiled at her as he understood what they talking about by the SINGLE word, river YAMUNA.

"We didn't know what to do...! A man rushed from the nearby bush and checked his breath. He cried miserably as he understood the chevalier was no more. That was when we got to know the man was not just a chevalier but the Prince of the kingdom... APARAJITH. His squad was always around him. They followed wherever he went and he knew that. Thank God, that's why no one doubted us"

"We returned back with a broken heart. That was when my daughter gave birth to my grandson. Rishi was surprised as the baby was born with a BEETLE-LIKE MOLE on his left upper arm because Prince Aparajith also had such a mole on his upper arm. So, he named the baby Aparajith" Rudra Pratap said.

Khushi looked at Arnav shockingly who could not understand anything.

"What is he saying?" Arnav asked.

"Try to remember, did you ever meet foreigners in your life and save him from a tiger?"

Arnav nodded NO.

"You are the only foreigner I have ever met" he chuckled.

"Or, did you kill a tiger two days before you met me?" Khushi asked.

Arnav nodded yes.

"I killed a tiger that came into my path. Before it attacked me, I killed it... how do you know about it? Why are you asking me that?"

"I will tell you later... we have to save them first," Khushi said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes..."

"You stay here... don't come out unless it's necessary," Arnav said, removing his sword.

"Very interesting story...! Now tell me, where is the sand clock?" Nayak asked.

"See, I went to only the Muryan Empire with Rishi. After that, I don't know where Rishi went using it. Trust me..."

"It seems talking to you is a waste of time" Nayak removed a gun from his pocket.

All of them looked at the entrance and frowned, seeing a martial man who was in an article of ancient clothing entering with a sword but, one of them was shocked, surprised, stunned, whatnot... Rudra Pratap...!

"Prince Aparajith?" he uttered in utter shock and all of them looked at him with shock. He could not believe Prince Aparajith who died in front of his eyes was standing in front of him alive. How was it possible? How did he come to the modern era? What was happening?

Nayak extended the gun towards Arnav. In no time, Arnav rotated his sword. Natak's hand, that was holding the gun cut off. He started screaming in intolerable pain. Before the goons composed themselves, four of them fell to the ground losing their lives to Arnav's sword. The remaining four took out their knife which were not even one-fourth of Arnav's sword's length. They stood surrounding Arnav with the knife. It was clear they were shivering inside.

"Kill him..." Nayak shouted with pain.

The goons looked at Nayak and that time was enough for Arnav to defeat them. They left their precious lives shouting miserably.

Arnav looked at Nayak who was trembling in fear. Without a second thought, Arnav's sword penetrated Nayak's chest. Nayak lost his life without knowing the truth, that the man in front of him was none other than Prince Aparajith, the hero of the story, he had heard from Rudra Pratap a few minutes ago interestingly.

Arnav removed the ropes that were tying them up with the chairs.

"Prince Aparajith, how do you come here?" Rudra Pratap asked.

Shashi and Garima glanced at each other unbelievably hearing that. Arnav looked at Khushi who entered the bungalow.

"Khushiiii..." Shashi and Garima were surprised.

"You went on the college tour, right? Then how do you come here?" Garima asked.

"Amma, I'm not coming from my college tour but from the Muriyan Empire"

"Whaaaat?" Both Shashi and Garima were shocked but Rudra Pratap.

"Yes, Amma... I did that with the help of Dadu'd sand clock. As per the actual happenstance, Nayak killed you today"

"Whaaat?"

"Yes, after that, I became an explorer. That was when a few goons chased me for the sand clock. I got to know about it from Nayak. He said the goons who chased me were Rudra Pratap's men"

"Lair..." Rudra Pratap gritted his teeth.

"I searched for the sand clock in our house and found it in my Teddy bear toy. I called Nayak and told him about it. I wanted to give it to him but seeing one of the goons in front of Nayak's house, I backed off. I decided to give it to the archeology department. When I went there, Rudra Pratap's grandson was inquiring about me through the phone. So, I changed my mind. When I came out of the office, a few goons rounded me up. To escape from them, I twisted the sand clock and went to the Mauriyan Empire"

"I told my grandson about you and about the sand clock. He would have inquired about you to help you I suppose" Rudra Pratap said.

"Maybe... now, I came here from the Mauryan Empire to save you, Amma"

Shashi and Garima looked at Arnav and joined their hands. He nodded his head.

"Your Dada would have been happy seeing your friendship with Prince Aparajith if he had been alive" Rudra Pratap smiled.

Khushi's next stance shocked them to the core.

"He is not my friend but my HUSBAND"

To be continued...