Epilogue
EPILOGUE
S hivina and Ranvijay settled in for a movie night in her hospital room. It was slightly over a month since she was shot, and she was on the fast road to recovery.
For the first time since the incident, Shivina broached the topic of the shooting.
“What happened after I got shot?”
Ranvijay gave her a wary look.
“Didn’t your therapist ask you not to enquire about it for now?”
“I know, but I have to know. I need closure about the incident.”
“Well, there’s not much to tell. The police arrived soon after we did, and Ayush Goel was killed as he was trying to escape.”
“And Kavya?”
“She was arrested of course, but died of a drug overdose in prison.”
Shivina gasped and turned pale at the news. She hadn’t expected Kavya Baisa to come to such a sad end, but it was a result of the choices she had made in life.
“And what about the thugs I killed on the day Diya’s studio was bombed? Will I be arrested for that anytime soon?”
“Arrested for what?” asked Ranvijay. “Nobody’s filed any complaint against you.”
When she shot him a disbelieving look, he sighed deeply.
“Look, we’ve had to do a lot of questionable things in our bid to end the mafia rule in these lands. Which we did. It is finally all over. The police are grateful for our help and have chosen to look the other way as regards collateral damage since there’s nobody left to file charges against us. The mafia can’t complain about us without incriminating themselves. Let’s leave it at that, shall we?”
She nodded reluctantly.
“What happens next?”
“Next, we try and prepare Zarna for a good undergraduate program in the US because that girl could well become the next Kalpana Chawla. And as soon you’re up to it, we’re going on a long honeymoon,” he said firmly.
“Oh, and Sangram Singh is still banned from the palace,” he added.
Shivina laughed softly.
Diya had mentioned making her the showstopper for her next ready-to-wear show, which was only six months away. And this time, Shivina was confident she could do it.
If she could rescue her sister, survive being shot, and cope with the grief of not being able to bear children, she could do anything. With Ranvijay by her side, she could do anything.
“And maybe next year, we could see about starting on that cricket team of yours. Rani Ma knows a good adoption agency,” she said with a contented smile.
She laid her head on his shoulder and smiled because the Maharani of Mirpur was finally back where she belonged. In her husband’s arms.