The Royal BEAST

PART - 31

Isha woke up, completed her morning chores, and is about to go and give coffee to her husband in his study when she received a call from him asking her not to get his coffee to the study, instead asking her to meet him in their room after breakfast... 

She frowned at her husband's unusual request, he acts very grumpily if he doesn't have her coffee, one day she was busy with cooking so asked her mother-in-law to make his coffee and sent it with a servant, well that was a very brave move from her side and she was afraid inside but acted all fine, her mother-in-law and the servant was very apprehensive about it but got very surprised when the king didn't say a single word and silently had his coffee but only Isha knew how grumpy he had been throughout the day, that night he told her missing her coffee makes him like that. 

She shook her thoughts away and continued cooking with her mother-in-law... Cooking time with Amruta is one of the best times of her day, she and her mother-in-law discuss all the things in the world, Amruta explains to her about their traditions and culture so that it would help Isha in the future... Isha got more attached to her mother-in-law and feels free to ask anything from her... She observed her mother-in-law rarely spoke about Abhyansh's childhood and today is one of those times...

"Abhyansh used to like this a lot when he was a child", Amruta recalled stirring the milk, they are making Rabri Ghevar for sweet for the day... There is at least a single sweet dish every day which is offered as 'Bhog' for God before serving it to everyone during breakfast and since Isha did not have to go and offer her husband 'coffee', she has half an hour extra with her, so she proposed they could make something special for the sweet and Amruta instantly agreed... Amruta too loved feeding good food to her family but was not as obsessed as Isha... Isha could cook even when she is dying if it meant her family could have the food they loved and desired, she is obsessed with feeding people with delicacies. 

"Ma... What was he like ?? as a child ??", Isha asked, it's very rare for her mother-in-law to open up about her husband's childhood, she always avoided talking about it...

"He...He was a typical mamma's boy... he was less expressive and barely talked even then... When he was 5 I took him to a doctor afraid he had some speaking disabilities, but then I got to know that he hates to communicate, that's all... I was relieved knowing he was fine. I didn't think his hatred for communication is such a big problem until...", Amruta stopped suddenly looking at Isha, and quickly wiped her tears...

"Ma... What happened ??", Isha asked, she wanted to know more about her husband...

"I can't tell you, Isha... I want to share this burden with someone for years and when I found you, I know you are the person with whom I can share it, I'm sure you'll understand  and support me, but I can't... it's Abhyansh's orders that I shouldn't talk about it again", Amruta said with tears...

"Ma... Don't cry...", Isha said hugging and comforting her mother-in-law... "Don't think about bad things, I know how much you love him... tell me all the good memories, memories that make you smile", Isha said, Amruta kissed her forehead for the affection and understanding Isha always showed towards her... Both the ladies resumed their cooking and Amruta started narrating things making Isha giggle in excitement...

"He always wanted me to feed him, he was very mature, hard, and tough for his age, but with me, he was always a child, he loved me, he used to follow me to the kitchen holding my pallu till he was 10... I had to try hard to get him off that habit as his father hated it...", Amruta said, a wide smile forming on her face remembering those times... Isha smiled imagining little Abhyansh holding Amruta's saree, tailing behind her... He hardly smiled even in her imagination...

"You know why I wear the burgundy color saree so many times ??", Amruta asked and Isha shook her head... "Abhyansh used to gift me a saree every birthday, when he was 3, Ma sa(Rajmata Devyani Devi) asked me to get a good saree for my birthday, after she left, I went to our chamber and cried, I thought Abhyansh's father would accompany me, but he hardly cared, my son saw me crying, he understood it without any words, he said he would come with me and from then, he got me a saree for my every birthday until he was 16, I have all those sarees with me, the burgundy saree was the last one he gave me before he stopped...", Amruta suddenly cupped her mouth unable to control her sobs...