In the Wake of the War

Chapter-11

A few days later, Radha stepped into the Palace, following her husband and grandson with great trepidation. An array of servants carried their belongings behind them. It had taken Karna and then later Vrushali over a decade to get used to the Royal life and they had still seemed relieved whenever they arrived at Radha and Adhirat's home  and took off their Royal attire. Their grandchildren on the other hand had lived their whole lives in Palaces.

Radha and Adhirat had stayed as far away from all of it as they could, considering that their son was a King.

And now they were stepping into this palace which had been one of their son's homes, apparently to settle there, after her boy was no longer there.

Her son. Her son. Radha swallowed hard. She had initially broken down when her darling boy had-had---- She still shuddered to think of it. She hadn't thought she could live with her son gone. She had been bedridden for a few days, ill with fever. What was the point of Radha without her Radheya? But then Adhirat had begged her not to give up. That she still had a husband, a daughter in law, a grandson and she couldn't leave them as well. Radha had eventually recovered her health, but she had not recovered herself.

She had been sort of numb since then and she was glad for it. She did not know what she would do if her grief came back in full intensity again. She certainly wouldn't survive again at her age.

Her son had been her life. Without him she was... barren.

She remembered vividly the day when she had first set her eyes on him. 

Adhirat had been late in returning that night. She was very worried. What if something had happened to him, what would she do? She had been sitting with some of her friends in the courtyard while their husbands had promised to look for him.  

Suddenly, they heard footsteps as a group of men--her friends' husbands, returned. She cast her eyes about and sighed in relief seeing Adhirat at the back of the group.

"What happened? Where were you?" She hurried towards him and then she saw it. A basket clutched tightly in his arms like the most precious gift. The basket was heavily bejeweled. All sorts of heavy gold ornaments and precious stones, the likes of which people of their social standing could only ever dream of possessing, were carelessly stuffed into it. But that was not what made her breath catch. Inside it was the most beautiful baby she had ever laid her eyes on, swaddled in a rich golden blanket and adorned with.... heavy Gold earrings?

She stared at the baby, transfixed. "Who is this?" she asked in a whisper. Surely it must be a royal baby? How on Earth did her husband have the infant?

"I found him in the river, floating in the basket." Adhirat said. 

Radha's head snapped up. "WHAT?" 

By now all the other women had gathered around them as well.

Adhirat shrugged helplessly. "I was about to return home, but as I was walking along the riverside, I heard a sound of crying coming from the Ganga. And then I saw this basket flowing past me. I jumped in to pick it up. I have been wandering the whole evening trying to look for his parents, trying to find out if anyone lost their child. Clearly, he is from an aristocratic family, so I went to the Nagarpalik, but he did not have any reports or rumors of a rich family losing a child."

One of the men along with her husband picked up from there. "That's where we found him with the baby. We tried to look for the parents some more, but to no avail. Then the Nagarpalik said that as long as no one comes for him, we should take care of him. Adhirat said you might like to do so...."

Radha gasped as she leaned over the baby. She and Adhirat had gotten married a few years ago and they had been trying for a child ever since, but to no avail. It had been a hard pill to swallow for Radha that her womb might be barren, that she might never get to experience Motherhood. Adhirat had never held it against her and her friends had comforted her, but Radha had still been heartbroken. Everyday she still prayed to the Gods that one day she might have a child. Had the Gods finally listened to her prayers?