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Rudra POV
She ran after Agastya and I just smiled looking at her feeling excited and happy again.
When she left, I got into the bathing room and refreshed myself quickly by taking a quick bath and doing my morning business.
And, just then I got out of the bathing room, I looked at Ranvijay waiting for me.
"Here it is,"
He said to give me extra pairs of clothes that I asked him yesterday to bring with him.
I changed into the fresh white pair and ran my finger through the wet hair.
And, just as I got ready my sight fell on her father entering the chamber with a few officials.
I did not know but a kind of uneasiness built up in me but I could not avoid him being in his Kingdom.
"Rana Rudra Dev Singh,"
He said with a wide smile and opened his arms for a hug.
I abruptly walked to him, holding my sinking heart, and indulged in a loose hug. He patted my back heavily and I smiled weakly.
"Happy Holi, Rudra,"
He wished and I planted a small weak smile on my face and released the hug.
"Happy Holi to you too, Rajaji,"
I said with a plain voice and he patted my shoulder. We just looked at each other and I honestly did not what to say or where to start. And, abruptly he started speaking.
"Rudra, pehle to hamare beech me jo kuch bhi hua un sab me aaram se aapse baat karne ka mauka nahi mila... lekin ab hum chahte hai ki hum kuch waqt saath bithaye, ek Sasur or Jawai ki tarah nahi balki do Rajao ki tarah,"
"Rudra, first of all, because of whatever happened in the last few months we did not get enough time to talk to each other properly... But now I want us to spend some time together, not like a son-in-law and father-in-law but as two Kings,"
He said and I nodded.
I did not know but a lot of things had changed between us. I stayed here for three months with all these people back when I first came here, disguised as a friend of Abhinandan. Despite knowing that I was the son of Suryadev Singh, they welcomed me with wide hearts and for that, I always praised them.
"Ji, bilkul, hume bhi aapse kuch baat karni hai,"
"Yes, of course, I also want to talk to you,"
I said and looked at him signalling the direction towards the outside of the chamber.
I, Ranvijay and him were walking through the gallery maybe towards a hall and there my sight fell on Nandani yelling at Agastya and running behind him. She was all wet and coloured from top to down and running towards us.
Agastya suddenly hid behind her father and she warned him to step aside.
And, she threw a pot full of water right at him leaving her father all drained in the coloured water.
He scolded her a little but she tried to justify herself and I just looked at them having a small chit chat and the kind of love this family shares made me feel so unlucky.
But, I was happy for her. Even though she never mentioned but she did miss her family a lot. I could see it on her face but now she was looking more than happy.
But, seeing her shedding tears for her brother made me twist something in me. I knew I had done wrong to Abhinandan and Nandani by punishing them for their parent's deed.
Suddenly, I came out of my thoughts when her father said.
"You all must enjoy and Rudra and I have something to talk about,"
She nodded at him and then looked at me for a moment with timid eyes.
And, I just left with her father to the meeting hall.
"Please have a seat,"
RajaJi said once we all reached the meeting hall.
I took a seat along with Ranvijay and then looked at attendees coming with huge plates of food and fruits with juices.
"Have something, Rudra,"
He said and I held a glass of Juice in my hand.
I looked at him and said.
"I also want to apologize for whatever happened at the wedding,"
He shook his head and smiled.
"Do not worry about that, what ends well is all well,"
I smiled weakly and had a sip of juice. I did not know where to start and then suddenly looked at him standing up.
I also stood up and looked at him walking close to me.
He stood in front of me and I looked at his face turning a little emotional.
And, suddenly I noticed the noise of anklet bells approaching and I turned to look at her mother entering having a veil till her nose.
She walked towards us and stood by his side.
"Rudra, Maharani Abhi aapse kuch baat karna chahti hai,"
"Rudra, Maharani Abhi wants to talk to you about something,"
He said and I nodded lightly.
"Ji,"
"Rudra, pehle humne kabhi ye baat karni jaroori nahi samjhi lekin ab aap sirf Abhinandan ke mitra nahi hai balki hamare jawai hai,"
"Rudra, I have never thought it important to talk about it before as you were just Abhinandan's friends back then but now you are our son-in-law,"
Her mother said and my fist tightened around the glass.
"Please, I do not walk to about any of this. I love Nandani and this is the only thing that matters to me now,"
I tried to say and looked at her mother and father joining their hands together.
"Rudra, aaj se bees varsh pehle jo bhi hua, hum nahi kahenge ki hum galat ya sahi the, lekin kam se kam hamari tassali ke liye hum batana chahate ki kya hua tha, hum nahi chahte hamare beech ki kisi bhi galat fehmi ki wajah se Nandani ko dukh pahuche,"
"Rudra, almost twenty years ago from today, whatever happened, we would not say that it was right or wrong but for our content, we want to tell what actually happened, We do not want Nandani to suffer because of any of the misunderstanding between us,"
Her father said and I inhaled a deep breath and blinked nervously. My heart was already sinking deeper and I did not know what to say or do.
Did it all matter now? When I had already decided to drop on my revenge plan?
"Rajaji, Please I do n-,"
"Please, Jawai-Sa,"
Her mother cut me off and I inhaled a deep breath. I could feel her turning emotional.
"I was around nineteen or twenty years old when RajaJi's army attacked pratapgarh and killed my brother. He captured me and the only hope that I had in me was the Prince of Suryagarh, your father. Because, my brother Abhidev Pratap Singh tied the knot with him, without asking me, without telling me. I wholeheartedly accepted it. Because, I trusted my brother, Blindly,"
She started to say and then the mention of my father refreshed a few memories of my father and mother altogether.
"He came to Mahabaleshgarh to help me escape Rajvardhan and his torture, Obviously. But, I had no idea that he was already married, had almost fifteen wives, and was in his forties and the kind of intentions he had towards me was so sick. I did not know any of this. Neither Raj told me anything but rather forcibly married me. But, the very next day when I first saw him, first interacted with him. You know what did he say. He called me a 'Whore' and said that he would come back and make me roam all naked in the streets of Mahabaleshgarh,"
She said and I lowered my gaze.
"Being a girl I was feeling really thankful to a man who forcibly married me to protect me from a man who was my fiance and still called me a 'Whore' and many disgusting things. And, he did not stop there, we let him go because he was a guest in Mahabaleshgarh at that time. And, one day... when I went to Devi Maa's temple, he attacked me, kidnapped me and tried to force himself on me. And, that time he told me that he had sight of me since the first he saw me. He befriended my brother and pushed him into the well of alcohol, drugs and betting. He slowly started leaking all of Pratapgarh's wealth and then asked my brother for my hand in exchange for a hundred thousand gold coins. They traded me, it was worse than a political arrangement. And, if you do not believe me, see this,"
She said and handed me a scroll. Honestly, my hand were shaking a little. Because, all my life I believed that she was promised to my father because of a political alliance and if this was true, then my whole life was a lie.
If this was true then I did not deserve to be alive, if this was true then I did not want to live anymore.
With trembling fingers, I unrolled the letter and the first thing I noticed was Suryagarh's stamp on it along with Pratapgarh's.
My eyes unwantedly turned teary as I immediately recognized my father's handwriting. Inside me prayed to the Lord that it was not true. Whatever she was saying was not true, I wished.
But, as soon as I started reading the letter, my breathing slowed down and my heartbeats raced. Back of my mind played all the sweet memories of my childhood that I had with my father slowly fading away questioning if was it ever true.
The scroll fell from my hand and I just sat frozen on the couch.
That meant that my father never loved my mother, all those marriages were not just political but a way of calming his physical hunger down. And, even having so many wives and children he laid eyes on her just for his hunger. I could not believe he steeped so low.
How could he?
Tears started to fall from my eyes and Ranvijay held my shoulders.
"Bhaisa,"
"Rudra,"
The voices slowly faded away and I just stood up from there to leave.
My whole body was shivering and shaking doubting what part of my life was true. What part of my life was real? What part of my struggle, hard work and sacrifices was real? And, for what?
"Bhai-sa,"
"Rudra, wait,"
I could hear their faded voice of them but I just wanted to leave. It was all suffocating me, not letting me breathe, not letting my heartbeat. I could feel as if something heavy had been put on my chest.
My hand cupped my mouth as I walk through the gallery, in the middle of the crowd in search of a lonely place.
Suddenly, in just a snap of a finger, everything had changed. Honestly, my mind was blasted.
I held my tears back and walked back to her chamber. Closing the door behind me, I sat against the door and burst into cries.
My mother loved him, my mother sacrificed everything for that stupid man and what did he do? He ran for another woman and lost everything just to claim her.
How could he try to force himself on her? How could he steep so low?
Why?
Why did anyone not tell me this before?
For who I was struggling with my whole life, for who I was sacrificing myself, for who I did all this? Someone, who did not deserve it all. Someone who deserved to be killed and I swear if he was alive and he did anything in front of me, I would kill him myself.
Was all of this just a lie?
Was my whole life a lie?
I did all of this to avenge his death because I always thought and knew that he did not deserve to be killed. I always thought that he was just fighting for the right thing. But, I never knew that his intentions were just physical hunger.
"Bhai-sa, open the door Bhai-sa,"
I heard Ranvijay's voice and I wiped my tears off.
Inhaling a deep breath I tried to say.
"I am okay, Ranvijay. I just need a little time alone,"
I heard him inhaling a deep breath before saying.
"Alright, please take care of yourself and always remember you are like mine and Agastya's father, a big brother, Bhabhi-sa's husband and a King now, do not do anything that you will regret,"
He said and I burst into even more cries.
"I know,"
I tried to say with a shaky breath and burst into silent cries.
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