( #Book 2 of Rathores )
The Rathores have been ruling over Jaipur for generations now. After the establishment of democracy, they might have lost their powers of monarchy. However, their power over society through the respect they have had earned in...
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The sound of tyres rolling on the road made Afreen anxious. The windows displayed the sprinting trees and mountains as they departed towards the private airport of Mumbai.
Afreen's heart thudded with anxiety. She was yet again going to face the most tormenting figure of her life.
She remembers how Abhiraaj had made sure his wedding with Neha Sharma was canceled six years ago after their first date at his penthouse. After a courting period of one month, he proposed. It was all too soon for her but she agreed nonetheless.
Abhiraaj's mother, Padmini, was still bitter about Abhiraaj cancelling his alliance with Neha. She turned even more hostile when she got to know about Afreen's religious practices. Afreen being orphan was another cherry on the top for Padmini's orthodox and vicious thought pattern.
Things got haywire for Padmini when Abhiraaj got married to Afreen.
"Chai banadu, maa?"
"Who the fuck do you think you are to call me maa? It's Rani saa for you."
Afreen still reminces. The supposed mother figure of Padmini was turned into yet another feminine figure of oppression in her life.
During the initial days of their marriage, Abhiraaj and Afreen resides in the palace at outskirts of the city with Abhiraaj's parents. His grandparents had already demised and Arunaditya and Sanskriti had their lives and businesses revolving around the urban areas. This left Abhiraaj and Afreen to be beside his parents.
Adhiraj, Abhiraaj's father, had to ultimately succumb to his wife's wishes of not financing his son's publication house for he did not fulfill the basic requirement of the contract- marrying Neha Sharma.
This broke Abhiraaj's heart. He ultimately decided to move out of the palace with his wife and into his penthouse in the city so he could remain at the beck and call of his office for any international calls.
Afreen motivated him to find financers in the market. Abhiraaj spent majority of his time in his office and Afreen. Things were on track with Abhiraaj's relations sour with his parents.
Soon after their first anniversary, Abhiraaj wanted to plan their first baby. Afreen agreed too. By God's grace they had conceived one after their first month of trial. Before she could share the news with her husband, her mother-in-law surprised her with a visit.
A cold look plastered on Padmini's face at the sight of a positive test kit on the kitchen counter. She didn't even let Vedansh volunteer for being the crown prince for he was Ved, a commoner's blood, even though it was her step son's head ache to deal with his children. She didn't object Ruhani's relationship with Ved for Ruhani was a girl, someone who couldn't provide her with any kind of dominating power- neither monetary nor political, in any sense.
