"Good news guys, Shreya is two weeks pregnant, congratulations Abhay you're going to be a father" Rao informed happily but his happiness changed into seriousness when he saw Shlok and Abhay's faces.
There were no expressions on their faces, they both were constantly looking at each other.
"She's not ready for this child, Abhay…." Shlok said and sat beside him, who literally held his head in his palm.
"Our first priority must be to take her to her father's funeral," Shlok sighed and Rao's expressions changed. He was looking so shocked to hear this.
"Abhay, I know that it is compulsory to tell her everything about her father but She's not really well mentally nor physically and now this child, if you tell her anything then you will only hurt her" Rao suggested.
Abhay and Shlok looked at him like they were looking at some mad person.
"Are you out of your mind? If she gets to know that I have hidden about her father then she will never forgive me, and I can't bear her anger. It's her right to know about her father….Shlok you reach there with Priyal…I will be there with Shreya afterall she will light the prey of her father" Abhay completed and hid his face in his palms.
"Abhay, you know that in our tradition women don't lighten the prey" Shlok said but before Abhay could reply his phone rang.
"Why is Aravind calling?"
"Ohh so this news spread till Jodhpur" Abhay saw Shlok who nodded and spoke.
"Jii khama ghani papa"
"Ohh okay….yeah…But what about Aanya?...
okay, but still if only you will come then it will be okay because Aanya also needs someone there we can't leave her there alone…..
Are you sure?...okay then I am waiting"
Shlok cut the call and saw Abhay who was also waiting for him to speak.
"Papa and Aravind are coming, but Aanya's health is good so she is not coming, and Aravind will return today itself but papa will stay here for some days and I am sure that he and Priyal will handle Shreya, so now go and wake her up" Shlok put a hand on Abhay's shoulder and got up.
We left and Abhay stood up to leave for his room but his steps stopped in the middle when he heard Rao's voice.
"Abhay, think once again, anything can happen with Shreya or your child, it's your first child and the next boss of all of us" Rao said without turning to Abhay who was standing on the staircase.
Abhay looked at him and stayed silent, Rao took a relief sighed he thought that Abhay was going to drop the plan of telling her but Abhay replied straightly.
"I already thought about it and about something will happen with my wife then it's not happening until I am alive and my child then he came on a very crucial time if he came for being my child then Noone can do anything but if his life is just for some hour then nobody can save him. But I can't lie to Shreya '' He said and went upstairs in his room.
He went upstairs and saw her sleeping soundly, he went into the closet room and changed into a simple white kurta and pajama. Then he sat beside her and caressed her hair and he took her in his arms tightly.
"Shreya, jaan wake up…." Abhay called her and Shreya opened her eyes slowly. He looked up at Abhay, his calm face gave her peace but as was again going to keep her head on his chest she saw his attire.
"Abhay, why are you wearing this…you don't wear these kinds of clothes…" She asked because she knows very well how much he loves his dark color clothes. He usually doesn't wear kurta and pajamas as he hates to wear them.
"Shreya, first drink the water and listen to me carefully" He passed her a glass of water.
Now, Shreya's heart was beating fastly and tears automatically started flowing from her eyes.
"What happened, Abhay? Please tell me….I–"
"Jaan, first drink the water and change your clothes…and wear this…" He said and passed her a glass of water and showed her a white simple suit.
She gulped the water first and then saw him with a questioning look. Then he took the glass from her and helped her in changing the dress. While time she was looking at her with her teary eyes and her restlessness was not supporting her.
After making her change he made her sit on the bed and he sat on his knees on the floor in front of her. He held her both hands.
"Shreya, papa is no more and we've to go for his funeral" As soon as these words came out from his mouth Shreya felt like everything stopped around her only tears were flowing from her eyes.
After 2 hours at the graveyard when Shreya was standing in front of Aditya's prey, without any expressions, Abhay helped her lighten the prey and stood beside her. There were no expressions but tears were not leaving her eyes.
Raman came forward and held her in his arms, his eyes were also filled with tears. He caressed her hair and saw her calm and expressionless face, he said.
"Let it out my child, don't make yourself suffer…he has gone now" As he completed Shreya looked at him and a teardrop fell down from his eyes, after all he has also lost his best friend. But Shreya hid her face in his arms.
"Papa….." She yelled and cried out loudly, her whole body was shaking, she sat there and Raman supported her and sat beside her. She was still in his arms and crying her heart out.
Abhay also tried to take her in his arms but Raman showed him his hand and stopped him. Abhay also didn't want to create any drama, that's why he stopped himself.
After 12 days Shreya was standing in Banaras at Assi ghat, after doing the pooja and shedding the ashes of Aditya in Ganga they came back to the ghat. Shreya sat on the one stair and looked at the water of Ganga flowing and the sun setting. Raman sat beside her and caressed her hair.
The ghat of Banaras 👆
"Beta, don't overthink, just leave everything on time…" Raman said and hugged her from the side and a teardrop fell from her eyes on her expressionless face.
In these 12 days Shreya didn't speak a word, after coming from the graveyard she was very calm and expressionless but there was not a single moment when the tears left her eyes. She knew that in her family after the death the ashes shed in Banaras only, so she came here with Raman.
Raman didn't allow anyone to come along with them, he asked to give her some time. The Rajawats were not ready even when Abhay made a fuse over it but when Raman talked to Madhav he made him agree.
"Let's go to the temple, c'mon my child…." He stood up with Shreya and went inside the Kashi Vishwanath temple. They entered it and after worshiping as they turned to leave a aged person stood in front of them.
He was in a simple dhoti and a white cotton kurta, his beard were and hair were long. There was a Moti's Mala in his hand. When Raman saw him in front of him, he touched his feet and joined her hands.
"Pranam, mahant ji…." Raman bowed his head then he kept his hand on his head then he looked at Shreya who was looking in only one direction without any expressions and her focus was not on them.
"Kya soch rahi hai, meri bachi, ek din jana toh sabko hota hai…aur Jeevan aur Maran ab hamare haath mein toh nahi haina…par ab chinta mat kariye sab sahi hoga thoda intezaar kariye aur kabhi bhi apne liye ladna mat chodiyega. Aap jisse chod kar ayi hai wahi aap ko lene ayega aur apki andar pal rahe ye bache aap ki daal aur aap ke rishto ki majbuti bnege bhot seh liya apne par ab sab kuch khatam karne ka waqt aa gaya hai aur Banaras se sirf khushiyan aur apno ko hi wapis lekar jayengi…"
(What are you thinking, my child, one day everyone has to go and life and death are not in our hands. But now don't worry everything will be fine, just wait for a while and never stop fighting for yourself. The whom you left will come to take you and these children growing inside you will become your shield and strength of this relationship. You have endured enough and it's time to end everything now, and you will take only happiness and your loved ones back from Banaras.)
He caressed her head and Shreya looked at him with confusion but before she could say anything he turned and went away. Shreya looked at Raman with shock, she only focused on the words which he said about children.
Raman knows that she is pregnant. Her sicknesses during the 12 days make him suspicious then before coming here Abhay told him so that he can take care of her. But still Shreya has no idea about it.
"Let's go, Shreya…" Raman held her from her shoulders and took her outside of the temple then they started walking.
The Hustle bustle of Banaras streets were very beautiful with the fragrance of incense as there were too big temples at every other corner. With that she saw the small stalls of junk food, clothes and many more things.
Their cottage was not so far from the ghat so in 10 minutes they reached the cottage which belongs to Abhay, who bought it as soon as he got to know that she was going to Banaras.
They came inside and sat in the living room's big L-shape couch. The cottage was big enough for more than 10 people to stay here comfortably.
"Shreya, what do you want to eat for dinner?" Raman asked and a servant came and placed a tray of two glasses of water in front of them.
"Whatever you like…by the way uncle, I want to stay here for sometime. I kind of like this place and its vibes give me peace. So, please inform everyone that I am not coming tomorrow, but if you want to go to Jodhpur then you can. I will go to Udaipur after sometime" As she completed, Raman smiled and caressed her hair.
"Beta, Banaras is just too beautiful that it makes the people love it and if you don't want to go then I will also stay here with you. Because of you, I will also remember the god and enjoy the Ganga aarti every morning and evening."
"Okay, then I am going in my room" She went in her room and opened the glass door and entered the garden which is not so big but not small. This garden is in the backside of the cottage and Shreya can easily come here just by her room.
Even though her bed is also placed near the glass window, she enjoys the vibes of her room. She came out and felt the breeze. She took the stall correctly and covered her up.
She heard her phone ringing so she went inside and saw the caller ID. It was Abhay. She picked it up and stood on the door frame of the garden.
"Hello…"
"How're you sweetheart??"
"I am fine"
"Hmm so are you coming tomorrow, right?"
"No, I need some time so I will stay here, anyway it's been so long that I came out of Rajasthan"
"Okay, but make sure to take care of yourself and I will come to pick you up after 2 days"
"Umm…no…I mean I'll call you when I feel like coming…please Abhay…"
"But how will I survive here…and your health is not good also, so without any arguments you have 2 says after that I will come there"
"Hmm…how can I forget that I have a husband who always takes my decision or always throws his decision on me…do whatever you want" She cut the call and sighed. On the other hand, he was shocked to hear her because she never talks back like this.
Next morning, Shreya went to ghat for Ganga aarti, she didn't wake up Raman as she didn't think to go in his room early morning. She wore a simple light pink suit and a dupatta in his neck.
Firstly, she went inside the temple and after worshiping she came out of the ghat and saw the blissful Ganga aarti. A beautiful smile crept on her lips when she saw the sunrise along with that.
After the aarti she joined her hands and turned to the left but she bumped into someone and was about to fall in the water but he held her hand, her eyes were closed but as she opened them she looked at the person who saved her. A very dashing personality was standing in front of her.
His eyes were covered with black sheds and his dark complexion with muscular body, and his tracksuit was making him more handsome. The sun rays which were falling on his face were making his face shining.
As he made her stand still in her place she looked behind him and saw many guards in black formal suits.
"Thank you" She said not looking at him because of his guards who were only staring at her. She quickly climbed the stairs of the ghat and went away.
The person glared at his guards and they lowered their eyes. Shreya was gone but she didn't know that she woke someone's feelings again for herself.
He looked in front of the water and the sun which had risen completely and took off his sheds.
"Thank god that I met my love here, otherwise I would have killed that bastard. But now I am satisfied and if I am satisfied then everyone is satisfied in their life" He smirked and again wore his sheds.
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Megha❤️❤️