FF: A CINDERELLA STORY: (Chp.57; pg113) Dec 10th - Page 81

Chp. 55 Chasing the ghosts in the sands of time

Shishodiya palace. Life in the interiors was changing swiftly. Relationships were reaching a new level. People were changing. Almost over two weeks since the death of Rani's grandma, the loss though irrevocable, Rani had now learnt to cope with it. With due credit to Niharika, Saksham and most importantly, Yudi. Life hadn't been easy but it didn't come to a standstill either. Rani had learnt to subsist, one day at a time.

It hadn't been unchallenging for Yudi either. Seeing her in pain, suffering and not being able to do much. He had to maintain his distance. He'd done what he could back at the village, but once at the palace, things were different. He didn't want her to think he was pushing. Guilt and stress wouldn't lead her to a decision. The decision had to be solely from her heart and Yudi, though difficult for him, was ready to give her all the time in the world.

Niharika, being the sweet girlfriend that she was, had made Rani's life easier. Niharika was the kind of person who with her ebullience could change your view of the world. Only one with an intimate bond with her would know what exactly lay beyond that vivacious facade. Her lackluster life didn't stop her from sprinkling colors in others' lives. Especially, when that other was so close to her brother's heart. Niharika hadn't been presented by her fair share of love by life but that only made her uncompromising when it came to her brother and Rani. And Saksham, a true gem-of-a-person, was always by her side. Unyeilding, undemanding, unwavering.

Saksham saw his love and life in Niharika. She was his sweetheart. His day began with her thoughts and ended with the same. He couldn't even begin to think of a single day of his life without her. Neither had expressed their love to the other but both, in their heart of hearts, knew about the other's feelings and for now that was sufficient to go about with life. Saksham knew that soon there would be a day when he would express his love for Niharika openly and things hopefully would be better. That he wished was not a wasted hope.

Rani had been spending a lot of time with Saksham lately without the knowledge of Yudi or Niharika. Her time with him had always been special in a unique way. In Saksham, Rani found the brother she had always longed for. His company helped her to think better. Maybe because he wasn't Royalty and just a commoner like her or something else, Rani didn't know. They both had a struggling background and life had been pretty hard on both of them. She seldom spent time with Yudi, more because she felt guilty for not having given him a proper reply yet. As promised, he'd been a perfect friend and his presence was always comforting. But Rani wasn't so selfish as to use him for her own benefit, toy with his feelings and then leave him shattered and broke. He deserved better. She had to reach a decision soon and Rani felt like the tunnel of darkness that she'd been trudging through for so long, was now finally, showing a tiny sliver of light.

Bhavyata's desperation for Ryan was leading her mind to deviation. She wanted to figure out the reason for his rejection and the extent of his feelings for Afra. She had a vague idea that his rejection had something to do with Afra. But Afra seemed to be juggling between Ryan and Garv. From where Bhavyata saw it, all the relationships were entwined and entangled and detangling them seemed to require a lot of patient effort which Bhavyata doubted she possessed.

Rudr on the other hand was enjoying his new found hobby -collecting dirt on Yudhishter. Since joining hands with his mother in her quest of defaming Yudhishter and securing the Shishodiya throne for himself, CR and Rudr were putting their heads together every single moment for their machiavellian tactics.

"So what's the latest on Yudhishter?" CR asked sitting on the regal white throne draped with white fluff.

"The latest might intrigue you, mom. You know Rani, BR's nurse?" Rudr asked with a conspiratorial smile.

"Yudhishter's involved with her," CR stated matter-of-factly.

Rudr stared at her agape, utterly impressed, "Wow. You're aware?"

CR shrugged, "My dear son. You always need to have all the low-down to stay a step ahead of your enemy. The question isn't whether I'm aware. The question is how deep the involvement is?"

"Hurt one of 'em and the other feels the pain," replied Rudr.

"Pretty deep," CR mused.

"So what's the plan? Blow up?" he asked casually.

A malicious smile flickered on CR's face and lingered there, "Yeah. But not now. Let the buds bloom into flowers and then it would be impossible to stop the fragrance when it spreads."

Rudr's face lit up in an identical grin, "You're amazing."

"Some credit is to be given to experience. It is well meant when one says 'practice makes a man perfect'," CR said.

"In this case, a woman," Rudr replied.

They both laughed.

"Mom, when exactly did this begin? How did you get this idea? What triggered off the whole plan?"

CR released a sigh and something in her demeanor changed, "It's a long story, son."

"I have all the time in the world," Rudr pushed. "C'mon, mom."

"Now that you're a part of the game, you're entitled to some answers. You might as well have the whole story," CR relented.

Rudr flashed her a victorious smile, "That's like my mom! Bring it on."

"The roots date back to thirty years, the kingdom of Maharaj Upendra Singh Rajput. He didn't have a male child, the heir in the true sense, to carry on his legacy but he was bestowed by two beautiful daughters, Princess Rajeshwari and Princess Sanyogita," CR began.

"Princess Rajeshwari, that's badi maa and Princess Sanyogita is my evergreen, ever-beautiful mom," Rudr chimed.

CR rolled her eyes and then nodded, "Maharaj Upendra and his wife, Maharani Janki loved their daughters and would turn the world upside down for them. Whatever they desired, their wishes were always fulfilled. Di and me, we had the best of everything. Dad was a strict disciplinarian, but when it came to us, he was the sweetest father in the world. Mom often complained that he was spoiling us, but dad didn't pay much heed to it. We grew up with all the pampering with everything being presented to us on a silver platter. Life was beautiful with not a worry in the world. When we reached our late teens, proposals started flying in. Di was very shy and I was very naughty. Along with my friends, I convinced Di to help us and we kept rejecting the proposals that came in. Dad never pressurized us because he wanted us to be happy and choose the best and so it happened. Di was 18 then and I was 16 when we saw RS for the first time."

Rudr listened intently hanging on to every word that escaped his mother's mouth. "OhmyGod! Don't tell me you and badi mom both fell for Dad at the same time!" he exclaimed.

"Rudr, shut up and listen," CR reprimanded with a smile.

"Alright."

"RS, 24 then, was the only son of Maharaj Jaikishan Pratap Shishodiya and the heir of the Shishodiya kingdom. He'd been assigned some important task and was visiting our palace for the same. Dad and Mom both liked him at the first instant. They were impressed by his clever wit, sharp business acumen and strong sense of responsibility and were seriously considering him for Di. They talked about the same to her and as I'd guessed, Di didn't refuse. Since Di was shy, my friends and me teased the hell out of her. Funny thing was even RS was shy! But I was really happy for Di. Things picked up pace and soon Di was already getting married. We were so happy and excited for her. RS loved Di deeply and that wasn't hard to notice."

"The wedding was to be a grand affair. Princes along with their families from all the neighboring kingdoms were invited. Since Di was already getting married Mom and Dad wanted me to pick someone soon too but fortunately or unfortunately, my Prince was yet to catch my eye. With the events and ceremonies in full swing, we had a swaggering amount of guests and also a wide collection of Princes to choose from. I'd noticed that a particular Prince had caught my friends' eye and they were nothing short of praises for him. They were bowled over by his charm and charisma so much that he was the only topic of their talks. I found this annoying and irritating. I mean how crazy can someone be? I was yet to see him and so got roped into a bet with my friends. They were positive that I wouldn't even be able to remember my own name when I saw him. Silly. I took up the challenge and found him. Prince Sushant Singh Chauhan. Charming he was alright! In fact, he was more of an unconventional prince. The charming rake. But thankfully, I didn't lose it before him and remembered my name and a lot more in his presence but that was it. I won the bet and decided there wasn't any need for me to go seeing him again but Sushant thought otherwise. He was of the types who get what they want and his intention now was to befriend me. So after a lot of comings and goings and ups and downs, he finally got what he wanted but not before I'd given him a hard time," CR laughed. "He wasn't as bad as I'd given him credit for and I soon found myself liking him."

"So the Princess fell in love with the Playboy," Rudr deduced with a grin.

"Yeah, I saw in him what Di saw in RS. Finally, Di's big day arrived and she was united with RS. So my Di was no longer Princess Rajeshwari, she was now Maharani Rajeshwari Chandrapratap Shishodiya. Di was now happily married and I was happy for her. Dad was unaware about me and Sushant because neither of us was in any hurry of tying the knot. I decided Princess Sayongita was enjoying life and could take some time before she went on to become Maharani Sayongita Sushant Singh Chauhan. We enjoyed our time together. Di's joys soon multiplied when a year later she gave birth to Yudhishter, the apple of RS' eyes. The Shishodiya kingdom celebrated its joy and happiness at the birth of its heir with unrestrained vigor and craze," CR continued.

"So what about Sushant?" Rudr asked. He had a vague feeling that things might've taken a nasty turn somewhere around here.

CR ignored his question and continued from where she'd stopped, "Two years later, Niharika was born and their joys knew no bounds. They were one happy family content to have everything they'd ever wished for. All of Di's wishes had been fulfilled. Di soon found out about Sushant and the extent of my feelings for him. Niharika was six months old by then when Di came to visit us. I loved her kids and treated them as my own. She talked to me about Sushant and I confirmed her thoughts. However, Di was of the opinion that I should talk to Dad and tell him everything but I refused because Sushant wasn't in the country and I wanted us to be together when I told Dad. Di understood. But that was the worst decision of my life and I only wished that Di wouldn't have understood but rather gone to Dad and told him about everything. Because what followed next changed the course of our lives."

"Since Di's marriage, the Shishodiya palace had become like a second home to me. I used to visit and stay there often. That day too, I was going to the Shishodiya palace with Di. Di wanted to visit some temple before returning and so she had a headstart. I had Yudhishter and Niharika in my car and we were headed to the palace. We reached the palace by nightfall. I saw to it that Yudhishter and Niharika were fed and tucked them in bed. It was getting late and Di hadn't turned up yet. I had a sinking feeling something was wrong. Terribly wrong. I tried my resources to get to Di but to no avail. When RS returned late from a trip I immediately told him about the situation. He instantly sent the guards to lookout for her and an hour later they returned with the news that turned our world upside down. Di's car had met with an accident and the chauffer had died on the spot. Di was found in a terrible state barely breathing. She was rushed to the hospital where she slipped into a coma," CR said her face grim.

Rudr was baffled by what he heard. This was the first time he was having the whole account of what had actually happened to Yudhishter's mother, his badi maa, to confine her to the bed for the most part of her life.

"The docs had little hope that Di would survive. RS was totally shaken. That was the first time I fully realized what Di meant to him. He couldn't comprehend what his life would be without her. He stayed at the hospital day and night; not bothering to eat or drink. He never left the hospital. That was the only time of his life when he behaved like a commoner, a person to whom his wife was his life. The king in him had vanished. He was just like any common man who loved his wife and prayed day and night for her quick recovery. I took on duty with the kids. With Niharika so small, it was difficult but I managed it somehow. Days turned into weeks and weeks slowly started turning into months but Di was still in coma. With Yudhishter and Niharika so small, the kids needed a mother. The docs didn't have hope that Di would ever surface back and so the elders of both the families thought it was time for a decision. The kids needed a mother; RS was decreed to marry. The search for a bride began and what I failed to realize was that my intimacy to Di's kids would drop the axe on me. Neither RS nor I were ready for this relationship and we were given 6 months before the wedding. The six months were pure hell. Sushant was still away somewhere. And I was desperately praying for Di to get well. Every day dawned with the same hope and every nightfall extinguished the light of hope only to be reignited the next day. Most of my time was spent with the kids and then with Di, urging her to get well soon. The docs had given up on Di's revival both RS was adamant; Di would be given the best treatment till her last beat. Both of us hoped Di would revive soon but as the six months were up, we realized it was a wasted hope. We were to enter into a marriage and live it till the grave," CR closed her eyes as the painful memories came storming back bringing the stab of pain and the throb of ache along with it.

"But Mom, why didn't you or Dad refuse to the marriage when neither wanted the relationship?" Rudr asked astonished clearly feeling his parents' pain.

CR shook her head, "Ours wasn't a time when we could go against the decision of our elders. Wishing to marry your beloved and requesting their approval was one thing but once a decision was made there was no going back. Defying their decisions was something we couldn't even begin to think of. So the wedding occured as planned. But for both of us, it was an empty relationship. There was trust, faith, belief, understanding and most importantly respect. But there was no love. Our hearts belonged elsewhere. His was with Di and mine was with Sushant. Even after the marriage I spent most of my time with Di, mursing her caring for her and still hoping somewhere in my heart that if Di recovered I might still be able to free myself of this forced relationship. Di didn't show the slightest sign of recovery. Di's unchanging condition and our marriage changed us both. RS immersed himself in work and I busied myself with Yudhishter and Niharika. But with every sundown, I died a little and the final straw came two months later when I heard the news of Sushant's marriage. I hated myself, I hated my Di and I hated Sushant. I didn't know what was I living for. I wished myself dead. RS, despite his wounded heart, consoled and comforted me. He knew that try how hard he may; he couldn't shirk his responsibilities towards me. I was his wife. Gradually, I stopped wishing Di's recovery -I never meant any ill either- and started accepting whatever life had given me. Our sudden marriage had turned us into strangers but with time we slowly became friends. But that didn't stop me from wondering as to the reason of my existence. Sometimes I still cursed myself for not listening to Di on that day and talking to Dad about Sushant before Di's fateful accident. But then I wondered if that would have done any good. Did Sushant really love me? Had he ever loved me? I didn't know and nor would I ever know because I had no intention of confronting him ever. As far as we were concerned, it was finished. There was no 'we'."

Rudr couldn't believe that beyond the 'happy couple' facade was a story so heart-wrenching. He'd always wondered what had caused his father to marry his mother. He'd seen his father treat his mother with love. He'd never understood how a man could be in love with two women at the same time. But now he understood. His father wasn't in love with two women. His father was in love with badi maa and loved his maa. The kind of love you earned due to respect and understanding. A friendly love.

"The dull monotony of our lives was broken one day when we received a call from the hospital. We rushed to the hospital and discovered that Di had regained consciousness. After almost over a year. But our happiness was short lived when the doc informed us that Di would never be able to speak or move on her own all her life. The functioning of her brain had been disrupted due to the accident and her vocal cords had been damaged too. But she could see and hear and take in everything that happened in her surroundings. After a year of pure hell, even that seemed to be good news. RS decided to shift her back to the palace where she would be nursed and cared for. But life was still the same. Until the day you were born. When I held you in my arms and looked at you for the first time, something happened. The universe tilted and I realized the reason of my existence. My baby, my son, my Rudr."

For the first time, Rudr realized, he saw his mother smile. A smile he hadn't seen even when she'd talked about Sushant.

"And then life changed. You became the centre of my existence. I wanted for you the best of everything and I wanted you to be the best so that no one could ever measure up to you. Not even Yudhishter. Being the elder son he was always the shining star. The perfect son, the true legal heir. I hated comparisons and I resolved that I would never let Yudhishter win over you. Never. Ever. Be it academics, extra-curriculars or the royal hobbies --swordfighting, horseriding, archery- only you would excel. And Yudhishter always made it easy. He trained you during practice sessions and let you win during the actual events. And now my dream is to see you as the King. I want you to beat Yudhishter to it. Prove to RS that you're the more eligible of the two. This is the era of meritocracy and not seniority. With his wacky ways like falling for lowly ladies and changing the sacrosanct traditions, he's making it all the more easy for you," CR concluded.

"Yeah Mom, you're right. I'll do everything I can to not let you down," Rudr replied with a strange gleam in his eye. And to not let myself down.