Downstairs, Randhir was a mess. Vaidehi's words felt like a splash of cold water. They pierced his heart, but he knew, every word that left Vaidehi's mouth was his truth.
He knew, he had been coward all his life. He knew he couldn't protect his son.
He failed. Failed as a father. Failed as a husband.
He failed to fight back the tears. His mind was repeating Vaidehi's words.
The justified accusations were eating him up.
He knew, if today as well he acted like he had being every time,he's heart's desire to recouncile will scramble in his own hands.
He approached his mother, Soumyawatti, " Kyu maasa.. Kyu.. ", he cried. His voice wasn't harsh Or angry, rather that of a defeated man. Like Someone who was desiring for death.
" Kyu.. Aap toh humari maa hai na? Phir bhi humare sath har baar yeh kyu karti hai aap? Kyu har bar humse humari khushiya chinti hai?
Maa, Shanti ke sath aapne jis tarah se vyavar kiya, I kept quiet.
Jis tarah Raaghav ke sath vyavar kiya, tab bhi I kept quiet.
Par kab tak maasa?
Maasa! Kyu aap har baar humse humare sukh ko dur kar deti hai?
Itna mushkil hai kya aapke liye yeh samajna ki hum Raaghav ke pass rehna chahte hai? ", he sobbed.
He hitted his head and scrawled on the ground.
" Hum kyu.. Kyu kuch nahi kar paye! "
"Randhir yeh kya kar rahe aap? Kya halat banayi hai aapne! Bhuliye maat aap.. "
"Bhulna chahte hai hum! Bhulna chahte hai ki hum raj gharane se aate hai! Bhulna chahte hai ki hum Rana Amrendra aur Rani Soumyawatti ki aulad hai! Sab bhulna chahte hai.
Kash.. Kash hum kisi sadharan se parivaar se hote. Atleast, aaj sukh shanti se zindagi kaat rahe hote.
Aapne.. Aapke ego aur gaurav ke chakkar mei, hume barbad kardiya maasa.. Barbad kardiya.. Kash.. "He shouted while crying.
" Randhir, sambhalye khud ko beta! ", Rana Amrendra tried calming his son down.
" Hum thak gaye hai babasa!
Kis muh se Raaghav aur Vaidehi ko face kare ab!
Raaghav se na sirf unke haaq chine hai humne, par unka khush hone ka haaq bhi.. Unse.. Itne sallo tak.. Itna durvyavahaar hote dekha.. Aur kuch nahi kiya.. Ab kaise.. Kaise.. Maafi.. Mange.. Kaise.. Apne bete ko kho diya humne babasa... Kaise..
Kaise... ", Randhir cried.
("Why maasa.. Why.... "
" You.. You are my mother na..still why do you do this to me every time? Why do you steal me my chances to be happy?
Maa, With the way you behaved with Shanti, I kept quiet.
With the way you behaved with Raaghav, still I kept quiet.
But till when, maasa?
Maasa! Why do you take my peace away from me! Everytime?
Is it so difficult for you to understand that i want to stay with Raaghav? ",
" Why..why was I not able to do anything..!")
("Randhir what are you doing! What have you made of yourself! Don't forget that.... ")
("I want to forget!
I want to forget that i belong to a royal family.! Want to forget that I am Rana Amrendra's aur Rani Soumyawatti's child! I want to forget everything!.
I..i should have belonged to a simple family! Atleast, I would have spent a peaceful life.
You.... Your ego and pride, took away my everything,destroyed me to the bits...destroyed me... ")
(" Randhir, hold yourself up, beta! ")
(" I am tired babasa!
What face will I show to Raaghav- Vaidehi now..!
I hurt my child..my blood like anything....how do I even ask for forgiveness baba! ")
" Aapne yeh thik nahi kiya! Aap logo ko yaha aana hi nahi chahiye tha! ", Rutvendra said.
" Yeh tum keh rahe ho! Don't be a fool. Tumhe samaj nahi aah raha hai kya? Woh chinna chahta hai sab kuch tumse! ", Damyatti argued.
" Kya chinna chahta hai maasa! Mera paas hai hi kya chinne ke liye! ", Rutvendra replied.
" Kuch nahi hai?? Bhulye maat bhai, aap iss gad ke raja hai, family business aapke naam hai, sari jameen- jayadad aapke naam hai.
Iss takt ko, iss business empire ko aapse chinna chahte hai woh! ", it was Rushala who spoke.
Rutvendra chuckled sarcastically as he said, " Business empire. For God sake, you all know who he is! His empire is bigger than anyone of you'll can even imagine. Usse humare business empire ki jaroorat hi nahi hai. Frankly, agar woh chahe toh chutkiyo mei humare business empire ki bardbadi likh sakta hai, aur jaise bhabhi ne kaha tha, he is the reason why our business is actually running. Agar usne meri ki hui galtiya sudhari sawari na hoti tab toh kab ka yeh.. Yeh sab doob gaya hota.
And.. You guys have some alag hi obsession with the throne right!
Aap sab logo ko humesha se yehi lagta hai na ki woh sab chinna chahta hai, takt chahta hai, takt ke liye sab kar raha hai! Takt ki lalsa hai unhe!
When the fact is he himself said a crystal clear wala no to me, when I asked him to take over the throne! ", Rutvendra said.
" What? ", Rana Amrendra was shocked. In fact, everyone who were around were shocked.
Rutvendra recalled the day when he had asked Raaghav to take over the throne.
("" You'll didnt do it right! You'll shouldn't have come here! ",)
(" What are you even saying! Don't be a fool. Can't you understand? She wants to take away your everything!",).
(" What does he wants to take away maasa! What do I even have that he'll take away!",)
(" You have nothing?? Don't forget bhai! You are the king of this empire, the family business is yours, the land, everything is yours.
The throne the business empire is what he wants to take away from you! ", )
( " Business empire. For God sake, you all know who he is! His empire is bigger than anyone of you'll can even imagine. He doesn't need our business empire at all! Frankly, if he wants he can bring us to roads in a flick of his finger,and just as bhabhi said, he is the reason why our business is actually running. If he wouldn't have rectified my wrong business decisions, this would have gone down long back! ")
And.. You guys have some alag hi obsession with the throne right!
You'll always think na, that he wants to take away everything from me, take the throne, that he is doing everything for the throne.!
When the fact is he himself said a crystal clear wala no to me, when I asked him to take over the throne! ",).
(" What? ",)
~Past~
" Yeh takt humara haaq tha!
Yeh humari maasa se kiya hui unka ek waada tha! " , Rutvendra heard Raaghav speak.
"Wahi hum keh rahe hai Raaghav! Take over it! Hum tumhara haaq tume de rahe hai! ", Rutvendra pleaded.
Raaghav walked a little in front.
Rutvendra somewhere had a hope that Raaghav would accept his request. Moreover, since to have him sit at the throne rightfully, was what Randhir had promised Shanti. Rutvendra somewhere knew that Raaghav would say a " Yes" Since the matter had his mother involved.
But what he heard from Raaghav had him baffled, "Tumhari shapat grahan ke aakhri din tak, humara haaq tha uspe, Rutvendra!
Par ab nahi! ".
" Raaghav, yeh tu kya keh raha hai! Yeh tera hai! Yeh takt.. "
"Nahi!
Tu shayad bhul raha hai, par let me remind you!
Pallavgad ke rajsinghasana par betha Raja, jab tak uska successor appropriate age tak na aaye, tab tak yeh takt chod ta nahi hai!
Itihaas hai yeh is takt ka!
Is takt ka yeh maan hum nahi todenge aur na hi tumhe todne denge! "
"Par Raaghav...
" Tu is takt par betha woh mahatvapurn insaan hai, jiska jirk iss takt ke itihaas se judega!
Mei tujhe, iss takt ki aabroo, iske maan- samaan ko tehes pohochane nahi dunga.
So drop that thought. "
"But this is wrong na Raaghav! Kya karu mei iss position per beth kar, jaab ki iske responsibilities hi mhujse nahi sambli ja rahi.
Jo iss position ki requirements hai, importance hai, woh mei puri hi nahi kar pa raha hu! "
"I don't know about that. All i know is, the position is of great honour.
And I won't play with the honour that the seat holds. "
Rutvendra was stunned with Raaghav thought process. The way he thought about the throne position. It's importance. It blowed Rutvendra's mind off.
His respect for Raaghav increased a pint more.
He looked at his brother. This man infront was something else only.
No he wasn't someone great or so. He was just an ordinary man. Who had his virtues fixed.
It wasn't that Raaghav didn't wanted the throne. He did. At many points he did.
But, along with that he understood the fact that individualistic gains was not what the throne was all about.
Finally, Rutvendra spoke, " I.. I never thought of this in this manner.
Par you saying all this proves it very well to me, about what an ideal leader, an ideal king should be like.
I admire you Raaghav.
You are a testimony of the fact that, " Ek sacche Raja ko takt ki jaroorat nahi hoti! "
Par... I have a request, rather a begging Raaghav.
Humare iss samraj ko tuj jaise karnadhari ki jaroorat hai.
Tu na sahi, par ", Rutvendra paused. He wanted to say but was just contemplating on how Raaghav would take his words.
" Par? "
"Par.. The future of Pallavgad's leadership will be your blood.
Raaghav, Tu na sahi, par iss, takt ka waris tera ansh hoga.
Yeh, iss raja ki iccha hai! ", Rutvendra spoke.
Raaghav looked into his eyes. Rutvendra's eyes were screaming the truth of the words he just spoke.
" Agar mere bete ya beti ko yeh manjoor hoga, agar unhe yeh takt sambhalne ki iccha aur kaabiliyat hogi. Aur agar unhe yeh responsibilities manjoor hogi, toh i dont have any issues! But, it will be their decision. Solely theirs! ", Raaghav said.
He walked away from there after that.
("" The throne was my right. It was a promise that he made to my mother.)
("That's what I am saying Raaghav! Take over it! Take our your rights!",).
("Even till the last moment,before your coronation,I had the rights over the throne! But not after that,Rutvendra! ".
" Raaghav, what are you saying! This is yours..The throne..")
("No!
I guess you are forgetting but let me remind you!
The king sitting on the throne of Pallavgad,remains the king, till the time, his successor reaches appropriate! It's the history of this throne!
And I won't change,neither allow you to change the course of how it has been happening all this while. ")
("But Raaghav... )
(" You are an important person sitting on the throne, your decisions, are related tot he throne,
It'll be attached with the history of the throne.
And I won't allow you to play with the honour of the throne, the position that you are in.
So drop that thought. ")
("But this is wrong na Raaghav! What will I do of the position when I can't handle the responsibilities!
When I can't fulfill the requirements that the position demands!")
("I don't know about that. All i know is, the position is of great honour.
And I won't play with the honour that the seat holds. ")
(" I.. I never thought of this in this manner.
Par you saying all this proves it very well to me, about what an ideal leader, an ideal king should be like.
I admire you Raaghav.
You are a testimony of the fact that,"A real king doesn't need the throne! ")
(But... I have a request, rather a begging Raaghav.
Our kingdom requires a person like you..You denied..but..",).
(" But? ")
("But.. The future of Pallavgad's leadership will be your blood.
Raaghav, if not you, then your child will be the successor, the king.
This is the desire of this king! ",)
(" If my son Or daughter are okay with it. And if they are capable enough to handle the responsibilities.. If they don't have an issue,I wont! Either!
But, it will be their decision. Solely theirs! ",)
~Present~
All the family members were shocked.
The one's that were banging the drum of Raaghav being behind the throne, felt on their face, as all their arguments stood void over the fact that Raaghav had himself said "no", to the throne.
_________________ _______________________
~Next day~
Raaghav and Vaidehi came out of their room directly on the next day.
The day before, Raaghav cooked for her in the small room kitchen only.
As they walked down, Vaidehi was hoping that the family should have left. She didn't wanted to face them at any cost.
But,she saw Randhir downstairs.
She stared at him, feeling his eyes welling up.
Walking to him, she stood right in front of Randhir.
"Babasa, shayad humne kal bohot kuch keh diya! Par i am not sorry for what I spoke.
I felt what I said.
But, agar aapko humari baateino thes pohochayi ho toh maaf kar dena! ", she spoke.
"Nahi Vaidu.. Please aur sharminda maat kar mhuje beta!
Beta.. Tune jo kuch bhi kaha ekdam sahi tha.
..
Par kya kahi beta,.. Janta hu, yaha rehkar tum dono ko pareshani paida kar raha hu!
Par maan mei hai hi nahi wapas jane ka khayal.
Raaghav, beta!
Mei nahi karunga tujse yeh expect ki tu mhuje maaf kare. I am not worth it.
Par, jaab tak hu, tab tak tere aas-paas rehne ka mauka de de beta. Please! ", Randhir folded his hands infront of Raaghav.
Raaghav just released Randhir's hands from the folds, saying nothing he held Vaidehi's hand and walked towards the table for breakfast.
Randhir stood, contemplating the situations.
(""Babasa, Maybe i said too much yesterday,but i am not sorry for what I spoke.
I felt what I said.
But, if you felt hurt by my words, then I apologize.", )
("Nahi Vaidu.. Please dont!
Child.. Whatever you said, was totally correct! ")
..
But...child.... I know.. I am troubling you'll by my presence here, but.. I don't want to return.. I don't..
Raaghav, child!
I don't expect you to forgive me..I am not worth it.
But, till the time I am there, please allow me to be around you... Please! ",)
__________ ___________________ _____________
Months passed in a flicker.
Vaidehi had entered her ninth month. Her due date was just few days ahead.
Raaghav had opted to work from home. He had no intentions of leaving Vaidehi's side for even a moment. In his words, he had basically, taken the paternity leave.
Randhir too was staying with them only. He didn't leave.
He used to take care of Vaidehi. A lot.
At times, Raaghav was amazed.
He wanted his father to be their with him.
He wished, if Randhir would have been their , like he is now, with him, all throughout his life.
But alas! It was useless to dwell in the past right?
So, Raaghav was satisfied. Satisfied with whatever was happening around.
Currently,
Vaidehi was in the hall, while Raaghav was sitting there only, with his laptop on his lap, when Vaidehi screamed.
Her water broke.
___________ ____________________ __________
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