The 2 years in the lives of the royalties passed smoothly
except the fact that still
there was no information about Tej.

"Kaha leke jaa rahe ho mujhe?" Tia's voice echoed in the darkness.

"Surprise ka matlab nehi pata kya tujhe!" Priya scolded.

"Aaj toh mera birthday bhi nehi hain. Toh phir surprise kyun?"

"Kitni bakbak karti hain tu! Thori der chup nehi baeth sakti?"

"Baethne kaha de rahi ho. Kabse chala rahi ho, thora ruk toh jao."

"Maasi surprise," a child's voice interrupted their argument.

"Meri guria, abhi nehi. Thori der baad bolna tha," Praneet's faint mumbling reached their ears.

"Yeh Pankhuri aur Praneet ki awaaz thi na?" Tia recognised the voices immediately. "Ab toh ankhen kholne do!"

"Just 2 more steps and.... We are here!"

She felt the hands convering her eyes slip away and she immediately opened them. In a split second, the lights were on and she took a moment to adjust in the brightness. Her eyes then landed on the walls adorned with some beautiful framed paintings.

"Pehchana?" Priya questioned seeing Tia gape at the paintings.

She spun around in awe, "Ye sab toh mere paintings hain!" and found Arjun in place of Priya, smiling fondly at her with hands behind his back.

"Aur ye apka exhibition hall. Ek hafte baad apke haathon se bani inn nayab paintings ka pehla exhibition hain," he said

"Inn paintings ki exhibition? Raja-sa, apne kuch zyada hi tareef kardi humari. Yeh itne bhi achchhe nehi."

"Very modest of you to say that, Rani-sa. Par logoko pasand ata hain ki nehi ye hume ek hafte mein pata chal jayega."

She nodded understandably, "But anyways... Thanks a lot for this!" She hugged him.

Someone cleared their throat to gain the couple's attention. Likewise, they turn around to find their besties, Priya and Praneet, with their 3-years-old baby girl, who squealed, "Maasi, surprise" making everyone go aww.

"Pankhu!" Tia took the baby in her arms and kissed on her forehead.

"Priya, I have something for you as well," Arjun said, taking steps towards Priya.

"Looks like Raja-sa is on a gifting spree," Praneet joked.

"Mere liye?" Priya was surprised.

Arjun nodded and took Priya's hand to keep a big brown envelope on her palm. Curiously, she opened it and her eyes went wide as soon as she read what it was.

"Arjun, I can't accept this..." Priya tried to shove it back in his hands.

"Aisa kya hain iss mein," Praneet also got curious. "Yeh..."

"Rani-sa ne bataya tum waha pe ladkiyon ke liye school aur hostel banana chahti thi. Yeh raha tumhara licence. Jo sapna dekha tha use pura karne ka waqt aagaya hain."

Priya was overwhelmed, "Thank you, Arjun. Thank you very, very much! Tum jaisa dost harr kisiko milna chahiye. You are the best!"

Their emotional moment was interrupted by Arjun's ringtone.

"It's Jai," he said after seeing the caller ID. "Hello, Jai," he took a pause to listen to the person on the other end, "We are coming."

"Kya hua?" Praneet asked.

Arjun's eyes had turned moist as he announced with a smile, "Beti huyi hain."

While the three others rejoiced over the good news, there was one person in the group who was not as happy as she should be.

~*~

Arjun was sat on the bed, caressing Gayatri's hair as she slept peacefully while the others stood near the bed. Her face was swollen due to water retention which is normal during pregnancy.

"Jai kaha hain?" Arjun asked no one in particular.

"Chhoti Rajkumari ko leke baramde mein baethe hain," a handmaid, standing by the door, answered.

As soon as they heard the answer, Tia walked out of the room which due to the speed of her walk felt as if she ran out of the room.

~

Jai was in the balcony which overlooked the whole city, with the newly born Princess of Pathankot safe and snug in his arms.

He was by the railings, probably showing his daughter how the city looked from such a great height.

"Jai!"

A yell broke his moment with his beloved daughter. He turned around to find Tia rushing towards him. Before he could understand the reason of her yelling, she had emptied his arms by snatching away the little Princess.

"Yeh kya kar rahe the aap?" Her yell continued as she pulled the yet-named Princess closed to her heart. "Chhoti si bachchi hain yeh. Ek hafta bhi nehi hua innke duniye mein aye hua. Innhone kya bigara hain apka?"

He was left with only confusion as Tia didn't give any explanation for her weird behaviour. "Aap kya keh rahi hain, Rani-sa? Hum to bas mehel ghum rahe the. Par aap aisi chillai kyun?"

There was silence for a moment as she couldn't find any answer to his query.

"Aap...apko Arjun bula raha hain," she diverted the topic.

Jai nodded and stretched his arms to pick his yet-named daughter but Tia took a few steps backward.

"Main thori der innko mere saath rakkhu?" Her voice was low, contrasted to her yell.

Jai nodded and walked towards the exit. Watching him leave, Tia pulled the 3-days-old Princess closer to her heart while a silent tear made its way to the ground from her eyes.

~*~

"Dhire, sambhalke. Haan," Priya helped Gayatri sit on the bed. "Aur ye rahi Rajkumari Vanshika," and put the new Princess on her lap.

"Thanks, bhabi. Apne aur Bhabi-sa ne bohot hi achchha naam chuna hain."

Priya patted her cheek and sat beside her, "Ek raaz ki baat bataun... Mujhe bohot khushi huyi jab Tejaswini ne kaha ki vo naamkaran ke liye nehi aayegi. Usske absence se mujhe aur Tia ko iss nanhi pari ka naam rakhne ka mauka mila."

Both the ladies had a hearty laugh till something caught Priya's eyes. She hastily walked towards the window. She saw a woman rushing away, at times looking back, mouth covered with a shawl but eyes uncovered. She quickly exited the bedroom but bumped into Tia in haste.

"Kaha bhaagi jaa rahi ho?" Tia questioned, helping Priya to get steady.

"Bahar maine kisiko dekha."

"Kisko dekha?"

"Pata nehi! Par maine usski Gayatri aur Jai ke shaadi ke waqt bhi dekha tha."

"Kaun tha? Pechanti ho tum use?"

"Vo hi toh! Usska chehra dhaka hua tha. Main Jai ko bolne jaa rahi hu. Mujhe kuch thik nehi lag raha hain. Tej ke tarha agar Gayatri ke..." Priya stopped realizing what she was saying. "I am sorry..."

"No, you are right. Hume Rana-sahab se baat karni chahiye. Main nehi chahti ye rajwade ke dushmani mein mere bachche ki tarha Gayatri ke bachche ke saath kuch galat ho," Tia was determined. "Chalo."

~

"This was called the Court of Justice of Pathankot," Jai walked into a big double-height hall, decorated with antique things, with a group of 8 foreigners following him. "Anyone and everyone was allowed to come here with their complaints. Any judgement passed here was like the word of Bible for them as people believed that the court will be impartial to anyone."

"What purpose does this court serve now?" A foreigner with a strong Australian accent asked.

"Now this court is like a hall of fame. The portraits of every ruler of our family is hung here. Take a look around."

The foreigners dispersed in different directions to look at things that interested them.

"Your Majesty, who was the ruler from 1890 to 1905?" A foreigner called Jai, pointing at two portraits. "These say His Majesty Kannan was the ruler from 1850 to 1890 and his son His Majesty Harman ruled from 1905 onwards. Then who was the ruler in between this period?"

"Unfortunately, His Majesty Kannan died when his son was just 3 years of age. His first-born was a daughter, Princess Parmeen, who was 20 years old at that time. So it was decided that Princess Parmeen will conduct all the affairs till her brother is 18 years old. Back in those days, only sons could be successors even when they had older sisters. Thus, no portrait of her was ever made nor was she ever titled as a 'Queen'."

"Was the rule ever changed? Did any daughter ever ascend the throne?" Another foreigner enquired.

The questioned didn't seem to go well with Jai, "Yes, it was..."

"When?"

"After 90 years, a daughter was born to my uncle, His Majesty Viren. She was his only child as his wife died in a accident. So he named his daughter as the heir to the throne and declared that irrespective of gender, the first child will be the heir to the throne."

"Ow. Then where is her picture?"

Sighing, Jai answered, "Later she renounced from her position and the throne went to my father and gradually passed on to me."

"But now that your first-born is also a daughtet, will you let her be your successor?" Tia's sudden and abrupt question gained everyone's attention.

"She's right. Will you?" A foreigner agreed with Tia.

Jai was silent for a moment as Tia and Priya reached the group, centering Jai. The look on Tia's face was different which he tried and failed to read.

"Of course. After all, it's her birthright," he looked right into her eyes to find the reason of her weird behavior with him.

Tia nodded understandably.

"Anyways," he looked away from her towards the group, "This is Her Majesty The Queen of Jaipur, Tia and this is Madame Priya," and introduced them.

While the foreigners greeted them with a little bow, they just gave a small smile in return.

"It's an honour to meet you," a foreigner said to Tia.

But their conversation was gradually fading away for Jai as his head spun and he stumbled backwards. All he understood was that a few pair of arms helped him from falling.

"Rana-sahab! Aap thik hain?" He saw Tia's panic-stricken face in blur.

"Look he's becoming pale!" A non-Hindi speaking voice commented.

"Guards! Innko innke kamron tak pohocha do," he heard Tia order the guards to escort the foreigners away.

"Kuch boliye?" He heard Tia's voice again as he was helped to sit on a sofa.

"Hu...hum thik hain," Jai managed to say, trying to keep his eyes open. "Bohot garmi hain na, iss liye thora..." He drank the lemonade Priya had handed him.

"Hum abhi doctor ke paas jayenge, chaliye," Tia's tone was now full of concern.

"Nehi, hum thik hain..." Jai tried to walk past the ladies.

"Aap thik nehi hain!" Tia grasped his arm and stopped him from moving, "Aap harr baat pe itna zidd kyun karte hain?"

"Aur apka humare liye behvior baat baat pe change kaise hojata hain?" Jai retorted, silencing Tia. "Kabhi aap humare kisi apne ki tarha concerned hoti hain... Toh kabhi hum apke liye dushman se bhi battar hote hain! What is wrong with you, Rani-sa? What the hell is going on?" His voice echoed in the hall.

Tia was speechless, looking into Jai's angry eyes. She tried to find something to say but failed. Taking two steps back, still looking at him, she zoomed out of the hall which was once the Court of Justice.

~*~

Staring at the night sky from the balcony was Tia's second favorite thing to do after sketching when she felt down. Tonight as well she was busy doing her second favorite thing.

A pair of hands wrapping around her body was the reason why she looked away from the twinkling stars. She was very well acquianted with those hands. In a swift motion, she spun around and clung to the person.

But she didn't feel enough close. So she stepped on his feet covered with black leather shoe and hugged him tightly.

"Lagta hain apne hume bohot miss kia," Arjun joked, gently running a hand on her hair.

He tried to part but her hold was unusually tight. He sensed something wrong and then noticed the expression on her face. She was in her chirpy-self. She looked tensed.

"Hum sirf 4 din ke liye gaye the. Aur aise pehli bar nehi jab hum alag rahe hain." He cupped her face and made her look at him, "What's wrong, Rani-sa?"

"Arjun.... Mujhe lagta hain ki..." she hesitated for a moment.

"Ki...?" He was looking at her expectantly.

"I think... I think I am pregnant."

It took him a few moments to register the news because her expression was not matching her news. Neither did she looked happy nor excited.

"Sach? I am so happy." He kissed on her forehead. "Aap doctor ke paas gayi thi kya? Kya kaha doctor ne? Sab thik to hain na?" Noticing the tension instead of happiness on her face "Par aap khush kyun nehi hain?"

"Kyun ki main.... Main bohot confused hu... I don't know mujhe kya feel hona chahiye!"

"Apko aisa kyun lag raha hain?"

"Arjun, mujhe bohot darr lag raha hain. Darr iss liye ki agar ye sach hua toh... Toh kahi hum..."

"Toh kahi hum Tej ko na bhul jaye...right?" He completed her sentence.

Sighing, she nodded and looked down. "Aur ab toh khush hone se bhi darr lagta hain, Arjun. Agar humare iss bachche ke saath bhi vo hua jo Tej ke saath hua toh..." she took a pause and closed her eyes. "Ekbar jaise taise khud ko sambhal liya tha, dusri bar hua toh main marr jaungi..."

"Rani-sa, look at me," he made her look up at him and said, "Darrne ki koi baat nehi hain kyun ki Tej ki jagah koi nehi le sakta! Tej humare liye kya hain ye humare ilava koi nehi samajh sakta. Aur kisi bhi natije pe pohochne se pehle, ekbar confirm karlena chahiye. Kal hum doctor ke paas jayenge, okay?"

She nodded in agreement. He pulled her close and she rested her head over his chest. They stood there in comfortable silence in each other's embrace for a while until she came up with something to break it.

"Arjun, ek baat puchhu?" She ran a hand over that portion of his chest under which his heart was present.

"Puchhiye."

"Do you still miss Tejaswini?"

He smiled knowingly because he knew someday this question would arise.

"Aap janti hain, yeh sawal Praneet ne bhi humse puchha tha. Rani-sa..." he broke the hug and said looking into her eyes, "Tejaswini humari bachpan ki dost hain. Aur zindagi mein jo bhi hojaye, vo kabhi badal nehi sakta kyunki jab bhi hum humare bachpan ke bare mein sochenge, unnki yaad ayegi hi. Lekin aap Tia hain...humara present aur future! Jo hum nehi chahte ki yeh kabhi badle. Dono ko na hum compare karna chahte hain aur nahi kar sakte hain...kyun ki dono ki jagah alag hain."

She gave a clipped smile as he pecked on her forehead before walking away.

"Lekin agar kabhi tumhe meri jagah Tejaswini ko deni parjaye...tab kya, Arjun?" She asked the question silently, watching him walk away.

~*~

Arjun and Tia were sitting outside the doctor's cabin. After talking to the nurse, he turned and found her anxiously fiddling with an end of her saree.

He held her hand, causing her to look up at him and said, "It's going to be alright."

"Arjun, you might think why I am saying all this now. But just hear me out once..." she closed her eyes to ready herself to confess something.

"I know you love still love Tejaswini..." she clasped his hands tightly when she saw him sighing in frustration hearing her, "Just hear me out once... I really don't have any problem if you still love her. I am happy that...that you are at least very clear and loyal about your feelings for someone. It's good, nothing bad."

"You are joking, right?" He withdrew his hands from her clasp, trying not to yell at her in a hospital, "Are you really being serious, Rani-sa? How can you be even serious about this! Do you realize where we are sitting right now? We are in a hospital waiting for your pregnancy reports! And you are telling me that you are totally fine even if your husband, that is me, loves someone else. How can you..."

He paused to take a deep breathe to control his anger. "You know what... I am tired of having this conversation with you over and over again."

If he stood there for one more second listening to her baseless and selfless reasonings, he might have lost control over his building anger. So he simply left.

"Ekbar reports aajane do, Arjun. Main tumhe sab kuch sach sach bata dungi!" She thought watching him walk away from her, leaving her alone.

He didn't exit the hospital. He just needed to step away for a momeny to calm himself.

He came to the water purifier and poured a glass of cold water for himself, hoping it to cool his anger.

He wasn't angry with her. He could never be angry with her. Because she didn't deserve his anger, she deserved love.

He was angry with himself because he was incompetent to love her completely. Luckily, she was very understanding for him. She was too lenient with him. If it was someone else, she must have left him by now. But the girl he had married, Tia, was too good to be true.

"How can anyone be so selfless?" he thought.

"Why would anyone be so selfless?" he thought again.

~

The nurse had just come and handed her the reports with a "Congratulations". Excitedly, she decided to call Arjun.

But when she pulled her phone out from the handbag, it was already ringing. The caller ID "Gayatri" was flashing on the screen.

"Chalo, sabse pehle khush-khabri 'Bua-sa' ko dete hain," with that she answered the call.

But before she could greet her, Gayatri cried from the other end.

She panicked hearing her sob, "Gayu, tum roo kyun rahi ho? Kya hua?"

"Bhabi-sa, Jai... hum hospital mein hain," Gayatri was choking on her words.

"Veer-ji...."

Luckily, Arjun had decided to come back at the right time as he witnessed her phone slipping away from her hand. He sprinted towards her and held her from stumbling backwards.

"Rani-sa! Kya hua?" He panicked.

"Gayatri...." she pointed towards the phone which was on the ground.

He picked the phone and answered the remaining call.

~~*~~

So here it is...
The beginning of the end.

Don't forget to leave your thoughts on the chapter here.

And
Did the chapter name match the happenings of the chapter?
I had a tough time choosing a name for this one.

Hope you enjoyed it!

~~*~~

Reads: 74292 || Votes: 4696

Published on 12th July'19