" I think you should tell Rivannah." Abhimanyu said hesitantly, " That her father's in a coma."
Badi Maharani-sa's beautiful face was marred with a frown. Her eyes showed hostility and displeasure.
" I can't lie to her forever. Eventually she will wonder why Raghav Kaka wouldn't meet her or talk to her. She..." Abhimanyu paused, choosing his words carefully,"deserves to know."
" It's unlike you to give such a suggestion." she said stonily, " Is something weighing your conscience?"
Abhimanyu opened his mouth to refute but couldn't force the words out. Badi Maharani-sa didn't know about his new found affections for her granddaughter. She would probably take Rivannah from his custody.He was torn between keeping the girl he loved safe and losing her trust for lying about her father.
" Is there something I must know?" Badi Maharani-sa pressed, as if she could read the turmoil of emotions in his eyes. She had practically raised Abhimanyu and knew his nature well.
" She wanted to wish her father on Diwali." Abhimanyu sighed, pulling out an envelope from his suit jacket. It felt incomparably heavy in his hands. He still remembered how excited Rivannah was when she gave him the letter. How she had warned him not to sneak a peak.
" A letter?" She asked surprised, before saying in a grave tone," You shouldn't indulge her whims and fancies. That obstinate girl can't help Raghu even if she knows about his condition. She'll probably demand to be at his side, no matter how dangerous it is for both of them.I don't wish to deal with her mess."
" I made a deal with BlueFreddie. He won't target both of them."
" He isn't the only person who murders for money." Badi Maharani-sa pointed out.
" I am just an ally." Abhimanyu gritted his teeth, " I won't intervene in your family matters. But she made me promise that I'll give this to Raghav-Kaka. Please take it with you in the next visit. I'm getting sick of lying to her."
He involuntarily slammed the letter on the table. Badi Maharani-sa narrowed her eyes and watched him stride out of the sitting room.She picked up the envelope and tore it open.
A bracelet with bright beads fell out of it.The bracelet was for good luck and health.Badi Maharani-sa skimmed through the neat cursive handwriting. Rivannah had poured her love and devotion for her father in the words.
She wiped a stray tear that had rolled down her eyes.
*
Riva sighed in relief when her friends were taken out of the wooden barn. Vikram snarled at the dacoits, Aditi was on the verge of tears and Shaurya was shouting that he didn't want to marry anyone.
" Relax." Maitreyi said kindly, " We've sorted it out with the villagers. They found another groom."
" How did you do it? What kind of black magic did you use?" Vikram asked in astonishment.
" We told them you two were gay. Don't give me that look." Maitreyi rolled her eyes," Do you want to marry Kalawati? Yeah, didn't think so. This was the only way to save your ass, you ungrateful punk."
" You could have said we were married couples." Vikram said pointedly.
" These people have a certain image of married women. We have neither vermillion, nuptial chains nor red bangles." Riva shrugged, " They will probably think we're lying.It's best to present them something they have no idea about."
Vikram swallowed his hurt pride and bowed his head.Shaurya was elated at being spared and nearly cried tears of joy.
" Wait a second." Aditi interrupted, " How did they find another groom so fast?"
Riva and Maitreyi glanced at each other.They had to offer an alternative to the villagers quickly. Then they remembered the silver Volvo following their car. It hadn't gone far on the highway and the Madhopur dacoits brought the two passengers along with them.
" I think I know how." Vikram smirked evilly, rushing towards the wedding. He peered through the thick crowds of villagers and stifled a chuckle. The familiar shrill voice drowned the pandit's chants. His annoying step-sister Soha, was struggling against two burly women, shouting at them to let her go.
The unfortunate groom had to be the lofty and pretentious Nikhil Sen. A thick veil of jasmine flowers obscured his face, hiding the fat tears rolling down his eyes. Nikhil was shaking in fear at the rifles pointed at him. He trembled and followed whatever the pandit asked him to do.
" Is the joy of saving your own skin?" Riva wondered, standing next to him, " Or the glee of seeing your enemy in misery?"
" I never feel mercy for those who have wronged me." Vikram snorted indifferently," His fate may seem cruel and harsh. But it's nothing compared to mine."
Riva opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but a bloodcurdling scream stopped her. The pandit had asked the groom's sister to tie the couple's clothes into a knot.A dacoit shove Soha towards the mandap. Soha hurled curses and threats as she fell on her feet.
" You guys will regret it!" Soha screamed loud enough to reach their ears, " I am the Princess of Prathampura! Wait till I bring my royal guards! No one will be left unpunished! Whether it's a child or elderly, everyone would suffer my wrath!"
" Her threats are futile." Vikram said derisively," Madhopur belongs to Raghavendra Rathore. He has been running his drug business for decades. These villagers don't even fear police or the government. Besides they she's lying."
It's simple, there's nothing wrong or right for him. He just wanted power over his brothers. And over the years, he did. Abhimanyu's voice echoed in Riva's mind. Things weren't as simple as the young prince had claimed.
" We have to leave this place immediately. Our lives are in danger since we're no longer useful to them." Vikram explained, grabbing her elbow, " Let's go back to the others. We have to make a plan."
The villagers lived in poverty, poor-heath, illiteracy and hopelessness. Her father destroyed Madhopur and its people for his own selfish reasons. Riva felt unsurmountable guilt at the barbarity and malevolence suffered and inflicted by the villagers. Every sin committed by the dacoits was indirectly her father's fault.
Maybe his suffering was God's punishment.
"Come on, Riva." Vikram cajoled her, " There's nothing you can do to make this better."
*
" Listen carefully." Vikram drew a box on the mud with a dried stick, " Here's the barn." he pointed to one corner, " That's the shed my car is kept in. We can't reach there without crossing the mandap and villagers." he drew squiggles around the box, " Maitreyi and I will sneak past them and get the car. There's currently no one guarding it.Aditi, Shaurya and Riva will take cross the fields behind the barn and meet us at this point."
" The only thing I understand is that your drawing is crappy." Shaurya said unhappily.
" Just meet me at the edge of the poppy fields." Vikram simplified it.
" I'm so thrilled." Aditi beamed, " It's just like that one episode of Bahu Humari Sab Pe Bhari where the heroine-" she paused at the gloomy look on Riva's face. She was standing alone, hands clenched into fists.The others were huddled over the master plan, discussing the fine details.
" What's wrong, Riva?" Aditi nudged her friend.
" Do you think a person always suffers for his misdeeds?" Riva asked uncertainly, "That his bad karma always makes him pay?"
" Of course, that's true." Aditi answered without hesitation," Man cannot escape his sins. Even if he at the epitome of power, God will punish him befittingly. That's why we must walk on the road of honesty and kindness."
" But there's hope, right?" Riva said vulnerably," To stop God's wrath by undoing those sins?"
" God is kind and merciful if one repents his mistakes." Aditi assured her, " But why are you asking-"
" Come on. We don't have much time to escape this dump." Shaurya instructed, nudging them towards the iron-wrought fence. He helped Aditi climb over the fence, freeing the dupatta that was stuck on the thorny edge.
" We have to hurry Riva." Shaurya pressed, breaking her from the deep contemplation.
She hopped over the prickly fence and followed them through the white sea of opium poppies. The blooming flowers stretched as far as eye could see. White petals rustled in the cold wind.The fields were picturesque and breath-taking, unlike the death and destruction they left behind.
But it only filled Riva with disgust and shame. She could find the enemy but she couldn't save her father from God.Her father was receiving only a fraction of the pain he had brought upon others. There would be no end to his suffering until he repaid his sins.
" I'll pay it in your stead, Dad." Riva whispered under her breath.
The dirt trail twisted and turned. They walked brusquely, always looking over their shoulder lest someone might catch them.Riva sighed in relief when the white fields tapered. Vikram's black SUV was speeding on the mud road.They hurried through the poppy nodes and the car halted abruptly, its breaks screeching loudly.
" Hurry! Those dacoits are on our tail!" Maitreyi shouted, flinging the doors open. Angry shouts and horns followed them.Loud gun shots sounded the quiet fields. Riva and Aditi clambered into the car, panting heavily and ducked their heads, as the bullets broke the back window.
" Fucking bastards!" Vikram swore, ramming his foot on the accelerator as soon as Shaurya jumped inside. The car sped away on unfamiliar roads, twisting and turning sharply while the dacoits chased them. He had no idea where he was going but he had to lose those filthy villagers.
" You're hurt, Shaurya!" Aditi said mortifiedly.A bullet had grazed his arm and blood trickled down his sleeve. In the panic and fear he hadn't even noticed it. She bundled her dupatta and pressed it against his wound. Her dark eyes were filled with panic and remorse.
" Why isn't this car speeding up!" Vikram yelled in frustration, pressing the accelerator again.
" Because the rear tire is punctured." Riva looked back concernedly," We can't go on like this. We have to discard this vehicle and seek shelter somewhere else."
" Look at the signboard!" Maitreyi shrieked, " There's primary health centre nearby!"
" Okay, new plan." Vikram growled, " Everybody run for their life once I slam the breaks."
Riva hissed as her body jerked forward, barely waiting for the vehicle to halt before she stumbled down. She kept her head low and ran towards the thick foliage. Aditi supported Shaurya and tailed behind them. The dacoits jumped from their vehicles and pursued them on foot.
" They're going to kill us!"
Riva tripped on a fallen branch but Vikram grabbed her hand, saving her from falling.He guided her through the low lying branches and overgrown roots.Their pursuers' noise became distant and the five people hurried towards a single storied house in the clearing.
" Hello, is there anyone here?" Aditi called out, supporting the injured Shaurya, " We need help!One of us seriously hurt!"
The musty curtains on the entrance parted, revealing a man in his early thirties. The man looked at them in shock. His gaze fell upon Shaurya's wound and he quickly beckoned them inside. The small room had a white cot on one side, some medical instruments. Various health care posters lined the walls.
" Quick, lay him down here. My name is Manish and I run this clinic." he said urgently, " Are you running from the Madhopur dacoits?They don't come in this part very often."
" Yes. We managed to lose them with great difficulty." Vikram nodded desperately," Do you have a phone I can use?"
Riva panted for breath, sweat trickling down her face.The adrenaline rushed through her veins, and pounded in her ears. She had managed to get kidnapped twice in a short period of time.
Abhimanyu had been right after all.She was a trouble magnet.
*
Shaurya's wound had been bandaged by Manish, and he was dozing off on the cot. Aditi was sitting next to him, her hands joined in prayer for his wellbeing. Maitreyi had passed out on a chair, snoring softly. Riva and Vikram were standing outside with Manish.
"Thank you for helping us." Vikram said profoundly, " I've called home and my grandmother is sending people to pick us up. Shaurya also seems to be doing well.If you ever need help of any kind, you can find me.I belong to the royal family of Prathampura."
" Shh." Manish said hurriedly,"Don't say it any more! My grandfather goes berserk whenever he hears about royals. It's very difficult to placate him."
Vikram glanced at the old man sitting on the stairs. The man had wrapped a thick blanket around his frail body, his white hair was scattered over his face. A pair of dark glasses covered his eyes.
" There's hardly anyone who is elated by our name." Vikram said self-deprecatingly.
" Oh, I didn't mean it like that." Manish said nervously, " He has horrible history with noble families. His trauma unfolds every time somebody talks about them."
" Why is that so?" Riva asked curiously.
" Twenty-five years ago, he was a well-known doctor. We used to live in Tarapur at that time. One day a pregnant woman showed up at his clinic. She was on the verge of labour." Manish shuddered, " Grandfather didn't even ask her name or creed before admitting her.
She gave birth to twins- a girl and a boy. Later that night, a group of royal servants came searching for her. Apparently she was an unmarried Princess. To stop her reputation from being slandered... they removed... grandfather's eyes. So he could never recognise that Princess again." He paused thoughtfully, " I should probably take him home.It's getting late."
"That's devastating." Riva breathed out.
Manish nodded knowingly, helping his grandfather to stand up. The old man mumbled something incoherent and hobbled away from the small clinic.
" Royal families are shrouded with such stories." Vikram said icily, sitting next to her, " It's an inevitable part of our honour and tradition. Just like splendour, power and wealth. Our families are not built on foundations of love and trust. Every individual is deeply selfish and working for his own interests."
" But your parents must love you unconditionally." Riva suggested, thinking about her own father.
" Oh, they love me, but it's not enough." Vikram snorted coldly, " At the end they went on their separate ways and left me alone."
Riva furrowed her brows in confusion. She thought life was completely different for the male successors. Her cousins were spoilt rotten with grandeur and attention. Her uncles considered even their most wastrel sons as their highest pride.
" I guess you haven't heard about the Ranawat scandal." Vikram smiled wryly, "You're not from Prathampura, so I'm not surprised."
" You don't have to talk about if you don't want to." Riva shook her head.
" It's fine.I want to tell you the true story." Vikram said morosely, " They are too many sensationalised versions. From where should I start?My father usually lived in Delhi due to his MP responsibilities. Mom stayed in Prathampura to look after me and our estates. At least on the surface, we were happy.
Two years ago, the paparazzi caught my father with Gitanjali Sen, a retired Bollywood actress.Turns out she had been my father's mistress for the past ten years. Mom felt betrayed and broken. She divorced him right away and just...left. My father wanted to piss her off, so he married Gitanjali as revenge."
" Are you mad at her for leaving?"
"I try not to be. I know our traditions aren't fair towards women. She didn't need to suffer in a pathetic marriage. But a stupid part of me hoped that she could make it work." Vikram sighed despondently, "They had been together for thirty years. I never guessed that my parents were like strangers, bound to their duties and not each other.
She lives in London now and has immersed herself in philanthropy.But I can't bring myself to call or visit her. Talking to her makes me yearn for the old times. I would trade everything I own if she could come back again. Money or power doesn't console the ache for love anyway."
"At least you still have her." Riva grazed the dial of her blue watch, "I don't even know what my mother was like.She took her last breaths when I was barely taken from her womb.My father remarried two times after that.But I've never known what it's like to have a maternal figure.If your fate is cruel Vikram, then so is mine."
Vikram's gaze softened at the ancient pain in her voice.No wonder she always wore that garish blue watch. It must belong to her mother.He felt that her demons were similar to his own. Like finally someone understood the longing and turmoil inside of him.
" People always looked at my pain with contempt. Eventually, I stopped expressing it." Vikram confessed, wanting to empty his heart to her, "Because of my name and status, they think it's impossible for me to be sad.The riches they envy...suffocate me, the power they crave... hollows my soul, and the nobility they admire...disgusts me inside.I just want..."
" To live a simple life away from the expectations, pain and hatred." Rivannah completed his sentence, whispering her own deepest desire.
Vikram nodded weakly, staring at her beautiful face. Her eyes were brimming with empathy and warmth. A deep sense of serenity engulfed him. The anger and sorrow bottled in his heart began to dissipate away.