THE RULERS OF RISHABHAPRIYA

18

Surabhi's POV

Padmini didi and Jija ji were leaving and my heart was aching like never before. I decided to go see her once before she left and silently walked to her chamber. Jija ji let me in and left to give us some privacy. I covered my face with my scarf and walked in after dismissing all attendees. She was sleeping on the bed with her hands on her baby bump. I sat down beside her and made sure she hadn't opened her eyes. I held her hand with my trembling ones and brought it to my lips. She smiled softly and snuggled into the pillow making me smile through the tears. "I love you so much, di. And I miss you guys so much", I whispered and laid down beside her as tears started to pour out of my eyes. She had always been a heavy sleeper and the previous night, Sourabh hadn't let her sleep as he had kept crying for Radhika not being here. So, I was sure she wouldn't wake up. 

"I miss eating from your hands. I miss sleeping on your lap. I miss being your partner in crime and your number one enemy. I miss our old days, didi. When we used to play in the garden or just annoy Dheer bhaiyya who is now becoming a father apparently. I can't believe it. I always wanted to see his wedding but now, I'm not sure if I'll ever see him or not ever again. And Adi bhaiyya and Aparajitha bhabhi. Even our parents. I miss them so much. You people have no idea how hard these months have been for me to stay away from you", I wiped my tears and looked at her snoring softly. "See, I have always been right. You snore. You kept denying it every time", I laughed lightly.

"None of it will be the same, didi. Even if I return to Ratnagarbha, we won't be able to live those days again. Because we are not those children now. Adi bhaiyya is a king and you are a queen to a different kingdom now. Let alone playing, even talking like we used to will not be possible anymore. But those moments will live with me forever, didi. Even if I never get to return to our kingdom, you people will be the most precious chapter of my life", I sat up beside her and moved a strand of hair to tuck it behind her ears and cupped her cheeks softly. 

"Take care of the baby. Take care of Sourabh and Jija ji. Take care of yourself. I don't know if I'll ever see you again after this", my voice broke but I controlled myself and kissed her forehead. "I love you very much, didi. If I have done something wrong to this day to hurt you, please forgive me. You will be in my heart forever even if you won't be around me physically", I touched her feet and looked at her one last time and walked out of the chamber.

Jija ji and Maharaj were in the common area of my chamber when I walked in. They were looking like they were discussing something important. But as soon as he saw me, Maharaj acted strangely conscious and shifted in his seat. I sat on the couch facing the one the both of them were sitting on and asked," What were you talking about?", they looked at each other and Jija ji took a deep breath before he started," Surabhi, a lot has happened after you left. Good things and bad too. I believe you should know about it and before we leave, it is my duty to let you know about everything", I nodded and he asked," So, shall I start with the good ones or the bad ones....?", his voice shook a little while he said the last part but I ignored it and asked for the good ones first.

"Well as you already know, Haripriya was in labor when you left and she gave birth to a little girl, Sannidhi. Dheer got married to Roop Bhabhi and now she is pregnant with their first child. Turns out Roop bhabhi's parents had died while saving Haripriya when she was just a little girl. This changed Dheer's father's mind and they agreed for the wedding. Adi and Bhabhi have two children", my eyes widened in happiness," The eldest one is a boy, Dharm and the second one is a girl, Yashaswini", I grinned at how they had named their children after their parents. Dharm from my father's name, Dharmvijay and Yashaswini from bhabhi's mother's name, Yashoda. They were brilliant. I couldn't wait to see them soon. 

"Everything in Ratnagarbha is moving smoothly and even in Vajrasiri. With Padmini being pregnant, my mother did not want to let her go but she was stubborn to come here. And now, I know why. After all, you both share the same blood. So the pull is natural", I smiled at his words but it washed away when he said that it was time for the bad ones. He looked Maharaj once, hesitantly, he stood up and came to sit beside me. "Surabhi, your father passed away in the war", my ears started to ring with his words as I looked at him blankly. "W-whatt? M-my pi-Pita ji is no moree?", I stuttered. He shook his head slowly and my mind turned absolutely numb for a few seconds. I felt Maharaj kneeling in front of me trying to pull me out of the shock but I couldn't react at all. 

"Maa?", I asked worried for her. She was never shy to show how much Pita ji meant to her. She couldn't live a moment without him. He looked at me the same way and spoke," She too left us the same day you were kidnapped", a loud sob echoed in the chamber as the uncontrollable tears flowed and my heart ached. I had no idea all this time that my parents were no more. I looked at Maharaj who was rubbing my arms to try to console me, "They are gone, Maharaj. They left me all alone", I cried and he pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around him and he kept whispering that it would all be okay. But I knew nothing would ever be alright after this. All these years in the dungeon, I felt lonely but I knew my parents were living safely somewhere. But to know that they weren't even alive anymore broke my heart into a million pieces. 

My cries kept resonating in the chamber but I couldn't pull myself together. Maharaj pulled away and wiped my tears to say," Listen to him, Rajkumari. There is more you should know", I looked at Jija ji and joined my hands, "Please don't tell me anything more. I will not survive the pain of losing anyone else", he shook his head and said, "Surabhi you need to know what happened there. And you need to know that their death was not some thing negligible. Your father died in the battle field while fighting that evil witch. Aparajitha bhabhi apparently had somehow built a connection with your step mother and great grandmother. With their help, she got a sword, specially designed to destroy black magic and when Aparajitha bhabhi was almost killed, your mother stepped in and ended the evil witch, Mohana. The sword was built on one rule. Who holds the sword while the black magic is destroyed, will be sacrificed to its power and that is what happened the day you were snatched away from us".

Even though I was sad that they had left us, I knew that their purpose to live here had been served and that they had a death which would go down in the pages of history. They were treated like gods from the people of our kingdom. I had no idea how they had lived through the great loss.

"The best thing that could happen to Ratnagarbha would be your return. But I know that you are not ready for that yet. But whenever you think is the right time, just come back, my daughter. Adi has suffered enough. Bhabhi too. Just think about it. It is time for us to start our journey now. Maharaj Bhargav", they both stood up and I looked at them as I sat on the couch and wiped my tear filled cheeks, "Rishabhapriya has found a new bloodline to make them it's rulers. Use this wisely. At any moments of emergency, just sent me a message and my army will be here. And more than anything," he held my hand and pulled me beside him," Her real brother, Aditya has to be saying these. But she is no less than a sister to me. Take care of her for us. She can be tough sometimes but she is a sweetheart. We have left her here with you believing you will make sure no harm reaches her. Please don't disappoint us", I laughed as Maharaj nodded and they both hugged each other.

I stood in the back of the crowd when I saw the palanquins being lifted and the horses starting to walk away from the palace and the royal family of Vajrasiri started their journey back to their kingdom. "This is not a final goodbye, didi. I will come back for you. But before that I have to complete my work here", I promised her even though she couldn't hear me.

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This chapter was tough for me to type. 

I almost cried in the part where she talked to her sleeping sister.

Well, hope you liked it.

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❤️AISHWARYA❤️