It takes every fibre from your body to love a person.
When that person disappears your body feels inanimate.
"What are you saying Digant?" Randeep questioned him puzzled.
Digant wiped his tears, took a deep breath and exposed a conspiracy that will shake the walls of Swarnbhoomi.
"Hukum, my name is Digant Dushyant Singh. Yes, I am the ill-fated son of the demon king." The ground beneath the feet of the royals slipped. The man they trusted blindly was the son of their biggest enemy.
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"LEAVE HER!" Abhedya shouted and the guards who were holding Swarnima turned to the source of the voice.
Time stopped!
The two pairs of eyes met.
The hearts that beat in sync were throbbing inside.
The souls of Abhedya and Swarnima left their bodies to unite again and the dark dungeon illuminated with their love.
Swarnima freed her left hand from the powerful grip of kidnappers and pointed at her belly and then at Abhedya. The non-verbal message was loud and clear... "the baby inside is yours."
Abhedya regretted the last words he said to Swarnima. He doubted his flesh and blood. God punished him by separating him and his wife. He wanted to hug her, apologise to her, kiss her, make up for all the wrong done and time lost. Only, if he could get this last chance.
"Stay away! you take a step ahead and we will stab this knife inside her." A guard warned Abhedya.
Abhedya obeyed him and stood still. His eyes never left Swarnima's. He was seeing her after months. The boy who could not spend a minute without his love by his side stayed away and survived? Abhedya pinched himself to believe Swarnima was actually in front of him.
"So, Raja sa, you came? Good! It will be an honour to kill the mighty King and Queen of Swarnbhoomi together." The guard commented and others laughed.
"Sadly, that won't happen. Your head, Dushyant is almost dead and his evil daughter will be arrested too. If you don't wish to bear the same fate, leave my wife and I shall set you free." Abhedya proposed a deal.
"Our head would have anyways died in a few months and his crazy daughter was driving us mad. So, if the King as any other proposal we can consider?" The guard's demand made one thing clear that nobody wanted to help Dushyant but they were with him for their selfish motives.
"What do you want? Money? Property? Say and I can arrange anything." Abhedya was moving towards them slowly.
"We know. That is why your wife is still alive. We want Ten million dollars, not rupees, a house in Dubai, a legal visa and a passport and free us from all the charges against us. Do it else one slight push and your lady will die." The guard threatened.
"NOoooo! I will fulfil all your demands. But, you have to release my wife first." Abhedya bartered with them.
"Raja sa, your wife is so fragile that the moment I leave her hand she will fall. Want to see?" The guard loosened his grip and Swarnima was about to fall. He caught her hand on time and laughed.
Abhedya wiped his tears and shouted, "I will give you more, that's my word. But, let me take her from here. A man will contact you as soon as we leave." Abhedya was slowly covering the gap. The distance between Swarnima and him was killing him.
"No! We can't trust you! We want the money now. These are our accounts." Another guard gave a phone to Abhedya with a list of accounts.
"Fine! Let me come close to my wife I won't leave until you get your money." Abhedya tried hard to persuade them. He just wanted to cease the distance.
The guards thought for a while then nodded. In a second Abhedya grabbed his 'gold'.
When Abhedya touched Swarnima he felt a divine power. He looked into her eyes but they were closed because of extreme exhaustion.
"Sona," Abhedya whispered in her ear and Swarnima fainted. Probably she lost hope she would ever hear that name again.
Abhedya panicked. He patted her cheeks and asked for water.
"You think we will provide water and food for our prisoner? Just give us the money first." Only Dushyant could hire such evil men.
"Please arrange water. I beg you, please." Abhedya cried for help but the guard didn't budge.
"Fine! Maan transfer the money to the account number I sent you, NOW!" Abhedya was angry and helpless. Money was one thing the royals and Swarnbhoomi had in abundance.
The phone of the guards beeped indicating the transfer and one of the guards left to get water. When he returned Abhedya sprinkled some and forced Swarnima to drink some. She sipped slowly and took a breath of relief. Abhedya smiled between tears.
"Abhey, Nim needs medical help ASAP." Maan prompted from the other end.
"Look, I stayed true to my words. Your other demands will be attended to as soon as I leave. The house in Dubai cannot be arranged from here. And, I ain't leaving my wife." Abhedya declared with finality.
"Hahaha! The king can do anything at a snap of fingers. Ask your man on the other side." The guard showed no mercy.
"As you wish! Don't tell me I didn't warn you." Abhedya had an evil glint in his eyes which the guards failed to decipher. He took out a hidden knife from his pants and the guards were cut accurately from places that could do maximum harm. They were still alive but could not fight, for sure. He confiscated their guns and threw them at a far end.
"A... Ab..." Abhedya reached to Swarnima who merely whispered the first syllable of his name.
"I am here Sona. Let's go." Abhedya picked up his wife like a dainty flower and marched out. The wounded guards kept warning and threatening him but when has the king bow before any cruel being?
Never!
"Maan! I have Sona. Maan, I have Sona! I found her. We found her." Abhedya was overwhelmed and so was Maan.
"Jai Bhawani!" Maan shouted from the other end and Abhedya repeated after him.
"I need force and medical aid quickly Maan." Abhedya stopped after reaching the top of the stairs. He was coughing because of climbing fast. He sat there with Swarnima still in his lap. He kissed her forehead to believe she was with him and safe.
He took out an energy bar from his pocket and unwrapped it. He was thankful to Maan who suggested he take it in case Swarnima felt low on energy. He was experienced being a father twice.
"Sona, here eat this. I got your favourite energy bar." Abhedya tried to wake up Swarnima who was feeling weak.
He touched her lips and retrieved his hand immediately. The current that followed with the touch was more than 1000watts and Abhedya felt like a lovesick teenager who touched his crush for the first time. He pushed the bar inside her mouth and when the chocolate hit her taste buds she took a small bite and a smile graced her face. Abhedya was unwrapping the chocolate as Swarnima was taking bites in a hazed state.
"What the hell guys?! I am fighting all the guards and you two are romancing over a bar of chocolate?" Arya wanted to scold them, tease them but his tone faltered the expressions he wished to convey. He hugged his friends tightly and tears left his eyes.
"Arya, please check her. She is not opening her eyes. I guess the rascals starved her." Abhedya came out of the emotional moment.
Arya checked her pulse and eyes. "Nim what was the meal you had and when?"
Swarnima didn't answer. Abhedya picked her up again and they came to a less dark place. He gently placed Swarnima on a sofa. The police had reached there and arrested the guards who were still alive. Kristina and Dushyant were handcuffed but they stood proud and happy at Swarnima and Abhedya's state.
"What a fine work we did, dad. Even if, Swarnima lives, I doubt her unborn will survive." A tight slap from Arya shut Kristina.
"I will save her and her unborn." Arya along with the medical staff quickly attached an IV for glucose supply. He was in constant contact with his mother who was instructing him.
"Where is that girl, what was her name, Deeksha? She was hurt badly. Look for her." Abhedya told the police after describing them in brief. He didn't leave Swarnima's free hand. He was too scared.
"Don't waste your time on that mere bundle of ridicule. I wonder she survived and met you?" Dushyant was trying hard to escape.
Swarnima's moved her eyeballs in sleep. With heavy eyes, she turned to look towards Dushyant.
"I...I told you to stay away from my sister. What did you..." Swarnima was too weak but she could see no harm on this girl.
"Deeksha was indeed a traitor. Even in your dying state, you wish her safety, which means she must have helped you immensely." Dushyant analysed.
"Yes. I did. Because even after knowing I was one of the members who planned her kidnapping, she didn't hate me and gave me a chance to explain. She treated me like a human and loved me like her sister. But, you who donated your sperms to my birth, left your men to rape me? What makes you stunned? How I am still in front of you after falling from the third floor? Well, I was trained by the queen the skill of jumping. I just tried today." Deeksha lashed out at her father.
"Relax! Come, let me check your wounds." Arya asked Deeksha to sit for checking.
Deeksha came to Swarnima limping and bleeding. "My Queen, my Sister, my saviour, I salute to your bravery and kindness. Raja sa, she is the sun, moon and all stars in the galaxy, not only your's but mine too. Nim Bhabhi, I have obeyed all your words till date but I apologise that I am going to break your one promise." Deeksha kissed Swarnima's forehead and smiled. Swarnima smiled back but gave her confused look.
"Goodbye!" Deeksha said and shot her father and step sister finishing the monsters once and for all. "For all the sins I have done conspiring against a family so pure, Ma Bhawani, please forgive me." Deeksha shot herself in the head and died instantly.
The bloodshed was massive. An entire family lay on the floor dead. Swarnima could not speak and her eyes went blank. Abhedya hugged her tightly. With the little encounter, he had realised how close Swarnima and Deeksha bonded. Swarnima's breathing was heavy.
"Nim, please breath! please! He was a monster and deserved to die." Any more stress would be harmful to Swarnima and her unborn and with limited medical facilities Arya could not afford it.
"Rani sa, we would have respected your word but you very well know how Dushyant and his men exploited us. They treated us like trash and no better punishment than this, is what he deserved. Deeksha bai sa, had her plans clear since day one, that she will kill her father and step sister with her bare hands. Which father orders his men to rape his daughter? This was her last limit. Please smile so that Deeksha bai sa's soul finds peace. Please Rani sa, it was bai sa's last wish to see you go back to your family, your king, happy and safe. Regard her last wish." The lady in Dushyant's room justified Deeksha's act and Swarnima held her hand and smiled through her blurred eyes.
"Please clear this mess and we will carry a proper cremation for Deeksha, so, keep her body in morgue till her brother comes for last rituals," Abhedya ordered and the local police along with Swarnbhoomi commandoes went into action.
"Okay! So, ladies, you will be free after you give your statement to the police. Don't be afraid we are with you." Arya instructed the ladies.
"Hukum, please stay by our side. We don't trust anyone but you." The ladies requested and Arya decided to go with them to the police station.
Swarnima's IV drip was over and Arya could see visible improvement in her. "Abhey, while I go the station you take the Queen back to her kingdom."
Arya's remark received no acknowledgement from Swarnima. Probably she was too shaken by Deeksha's demise is what he deduced and left.
Abhedya picked her up in his arms and his chocolate brown orbs met her's. She was wearing contact lenses so he could not make out her feelings but she must be feeling the same jitters like he felt. He carried her out of the doomed haveli and made her sit in his jeep.
"You got an open Jeep to get your pregnant wife?"
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Dear Readers,
Hit the like button and comment if you please.
Baisa: a respectful way of addressing the females in Rajasthan.
I hope this chapter was up to the mark. I am a romance writer and writing action was a tough task. I tried hard and pushed my creativity.
Digant was the mole in the palace and confessed in front of the royals. Deeksha was his sister who killed her father and step sister so that they cannot ruin anyone's life anymore.
So, finally, the demon king and his evil daughter are dead.
Who said the last dialogue? Swarnima?
stay hooked!
lots of love!