THE RULERS OF RISHABHAPRIYA

10

Surabhi's POV

"The young prince of Vajrasiri, mam. Prince Sourabh", one attendee said.

"Son of Maharaj Vallabh and Maharani Padmini", the other one said.

My hands fisted unable to hold back my tears. Everything made sense. It had been two years since the war and their wedding had happened the very previous day the war started. I couldn't believe that I was someone's aunt now. And that someone stood in the same palace as me. I realized I had zoned out in front of them and cleared my throat and asked," Did his parents arrive in the palace?", one of them nodded and replied," Yes, mam, they have"

"Ok, now come with me", I said and walked down the stairs not before I grabbing a dark colored scarf and tied it so only my eyes were visible. I went to the royal kitchen and everyone continued their work as normal. Without drawing much attention, I cut up an apple and removed the seeds before placing it in a small plate. I drizzled some honey on it and then sprinkled some cinnamon powder on it. I looked at the end result and smiled at myself. Padmini loved eating apples like this. And I hoped this was what her son was looking for. 

I walked out of the kitchen and made my way to the chamber he was in while telling the attendees behind me to not let anyone know about my presence in the chamber we were going into. The guards in front of the chamber bowed to me and I nodded and entered the chamber. My eyes landed on a small boy jumping up and down the bed with his back turned to me while a woman stood there trying to get him off the bed. I handed over the plate to the attendees behind me and gestured them take it to them as I hid myself in a far corner in the chamber so no one would see me. 

"Get down, my prince. You'll get hurt again. If your mother sees another scratch on you, she will kill me this time for real", the woman pleaded. The boy stopped jumping and turned around and my breath hitched. He looked exactly like his father but he did look a lot like Padmini too. "I know my ma, Sarala Chachi. I'll just shmile and say sorwwy and she'll fworgive us", the lady face palmed at his gibberish words and I smiled looking at his cuteness. He would be great friends with Radhika, I thought. 

That is when I heard the sound of tinkling anklet bells and a few attendees walk through the door I had just walk in. I closed my eyes and fisted my palm as mixed emotions took over my mind. I heard absolute silence when a pair of footsteps walked into the chamber but I did not open my eyes. "Are you making problems again, Sourabh?", I closed my mouth with my palms as I felt like I would let out a loud sob and bit on my tongue to control myself. It was my sister. My Padmini Didi. She was in the same chamber as I was in but I couldn't even meet her. 

I slowly opened my eyes to look at her as tears flowed down my face uncontrollably. She was pregnant. The bump was not too big which meant she was just a few months in. She was glowing. She had a huge smile on her face while she picked her son up in her arms and kissed his cheeks. She was saying something to him but I heard nothing. She was right in front of me. Just a few steps away. I could just throw this facade of being a guard and get back to my home. I could reunite with my family. But I couldn't. I would be a burden and a bad name to them. 

I looked back at the door when Jija ji walked in and dismissed the attendees. "Hey, young man! That is my wife you are causing trouble for. Watch out! Okay. You don't want to fight me", he said dramatically. I smiled through the pain and wiped my tears as I continued to look at them. The young man he was referring to left his mother's embrace and attacked his father with a lot of punches making him fake groan dramatically. "Hey, you are getting so strong. I can't fight you anymore. Padmini, you're on your own. This guy is very tough to fight against", she gasped and said," Oh! Who will save me and my baby now??", placing her hand on her heart.