Miraadhya :The Royal Mistress

43- Love

Miraadhya

What is the feeling when you fall from a cliff? I have no idea but it must feel like what I am feeling right now.

Maa sprints towards me and I have never seen her so angry before and before I could process anything a tight slap lands on my face. The sting so hard that I feel it spreading till my neck.

She raises her hand again and I shut my eyes to accept another slap but then it never comes. I open my eyes and see Rajaji holding her hand and I think this sight is more scary than her seeing me with him.

"Aapne ek baar Maa ke haq se haath utha liya par aab mat uthayega" he says in a tone which instantly makes my eyes burn with tears.

"Now you will tell me how to treat my daughter!" Maa jerks her hand from his grip and again approaches me but Rajaji again comes between us.

My tears couldn't stop, the feeling of guilt, pain and anger coursing through me as I remain rooted on the floor.

"Move away!" She now starts hitting him and he doesn't say anything while taking slaps from her and I couldn't bare it any longer.

"Maa please stop!" I cry out loud and hold her hand, though her wrinkled face softenes me but it doesn't make my grip loose. "Please!"

"How dare you? How could you Miraadhya! I asked you one thing...one thing to stay away from him and you couldn't do it!" She screams and her eyes shines with fresh tears which held fury and betrayal and I couldn't meet her eyes, I made a huge mistake.

"And You! What did you do!! You killed the Prince! Are you out of your mind!" she screams at Rajaji and to my horror she falls down abruptly in dismay, her head shaking vigourously and I stand there nervously to realise how hurt she must feel now, how her own daughter could not keep the promise she made her. I look at Rajaji with remorse and I noticed he had been staring at me only, his own concern covered his face and my heart pounds.

The reality hits me much sooner than I intended, we could never work, my mother took his father's life, he killed a prince which I have no idea but could bring unprecendented havoc in our lifes, his family hates me, I have betrayed him countless times and he infact ruined my reputation in the eys of every person. All because I could not control my heart, could not control my longing for him. All becase I could not become a good daughter.

"Don't do it Mirasaadhya" Raja suddenly says and I come out of my deep thoughts,

"Don't you dare give it a second thought, I know what that mind of yours is spinning but don't. Just don't " his voice lowers as he slowly picks up my very reluctant mother, she quick;y moves away from his grasp and holds me.

"If anything happens to my home, you will be responsible, you have signed an agreement , to marry the daughter of King Harshadip, otherwise all your soldiers will be ours and Harikel too"

I look at him in shock, what agreement he had signed?

"What did you sign?" I ask him in fear and he looks at me with tensed eyes and I immediadetly remeber the scroll Maa had carried the day we arrived Gauda and had left Harikel,

"Why would you sign such agreement?" I find my own voice rising and he sighs heavily contemplating his next set of words.

He looks at Maa who now had a fierce look in her eyes as if challengeing him to speak and I find the anxiety within me increasing with each passing moment.

"You have ruined my daughte's life just like your father had done to me! I will make sure you suffer for this!" A long set of profanities leaves my mother's mouth as she keeps shouting at Rajaji and pushing him away, Rajaji stands there silently not uttering a single word as he takes in my mother's  brutality and I feel horrible - embarrassed and mortified all at the same time.