48. Only you are allowed to help her!
I and Ishaan reached the warehouse where Raman and the other people who tried to harm Isha were kept. We walked in and were greeted with the cries of those men due to the torture imposed on them by my guards. I walked into the cell where Raman was kept. My blood boiled seeing him. Ishaan lunged at him and threw punches on his jaw making his head turn.
His body was covered with blood and his face had multiple cuts. I walked to him and punched hard on his jaw which made him fall to the ground along with the chair he was tied to. I kicked in his guts. With his every cry, I remembered the time when my Princess shivered due to his fear. Ishaan joined and we both beat him mercilessly.
"This is for all the sleepless nights and nightmares my sister faced because of you," Ishaan yelled kicking in his stomach.
"This is for trying to use my Abhigya and luring my sister!" He kicked again and that bastard lost his consciousness. Khanna poured ice water on him which made him sit up with a jerk. After torturing him for some more time I asked them to get him treated and make him ready for his next torture session. He is going to pay for every tear my princess shed with his blood and I am not going to let him die before he loses all his blood. They took him away. I got a call from the officers who are going to stay with us for a few days to get hold of the corrupt minister. The commissioner asked me to invite him to Coronation and I did so. I want my people to get rid of this type of minister who is involved in drug trafficking.
I and Ishaan went back to the palace. I went to my chamber and took a relaxing shower. I saw my princess sitting on the bed deep in thoughts. I sat beside her and she immediately snuggled into me like a koala bear. I kissed her hair and started caressing it. It was already night and we both slept with my princess safe in my arms providing me the utmost warmth and peace.
The next morning I met Prisha along with Ishaan and we were in my study talking random stuff when Isha came in with coffee. She passed the coffee to us. I and Ishaan took our cups without looking at her and she sighed before passing a cup to Prisha.
"Bhai, when are you going to marry Abhigya?" Prisha asked Ishaan who replied with a 'soon'.
"Bhai? I thought you were older than them?" Isha asked confused. She looked at me and Ishaan for an answer but we turned away. I can't do this but I have to, so that she would never repeat such stupidities again.
"I am, by a year. But the first time we met, they called me Chotu seeing my height. From then I am calling them bhai to irritate them." She replied making me and Ishaan roll our eyes. Now, she was looking like a kid with round specs back then. It was not our fault, right?
"Oh! You people continue. I will get going." She said and was about to walk away. But Prisha stopped her.
"Isha, sit with us na!" Prisha asked giving her puppy eyes. But, Isha shook her head in denial.
"No, Prisha Di. You won't be comfortable with me around. And, I have to meet Priya and Abhigya. We have to make Rangoli for the evening." She said and walked away from there before Prisha could react.
"What's happening here, guys? Why are you both ignoring her?" Prisha asked us like she was our lecturer, with her hands on her hips and eyes glaring at us.
"It's nothing." We shrugged it away and she didn't ask any further and we started talking about all the random things till lunchtime. We had our lunch and I went to meet some officials and village heads in the afternoon to learn about the villages and the development activities going on there.
It was 7 p.m. by the time I returned and Isha was not in our room. I took a shower and sat down with my laptop to do some work. Abir came running to me.
"Bhai come with me. Bhabi is calling you." He said but I did not attempt to move from my place. He sighed and started speaking.
"Bhai, Bua Dadi is making Bhabi maa light all the diyas in the temple and asked her to light the whole puja room in the Palace. She also made Bhabi Maa make all those wicks by herself. She said today the Queen has to light up the whole palace and no one other than the king is allowed to help her. There are many of them to be lit bhai sa. How will Bhabi maa complete all of them alone? Bua Dadi is doing it on purpose knowing you are angry with Bhabi maa. She thinks you won't help Bhabi maa now. Please, come with me!" He asked in a pleading tone and I found myself running towards the temple in the palace premises.
There stood my family looking worriedly at someone. It was Isha sitting in the middle lighting Diyas. The earthen Diyas and the light they emit were adding to her beauty, with their light adding a divine glow to her features. She looked like an epitome of beauty and care glowing in the radiant light of Diyas.
"Bhai sa, finally you are here. Bhabi maa was lighting Diyas for an hour and Bua Dadi sa was not allowing any of us to step in to help her saying this is a ritual that only the Queen should perform with the Kings' help as it would be them who are responsible for fill the light in the darkness of their subjects' lives!" Abhishek and Abhigya chided me as soon as I went to them.
I was about to step in when I heard Bua Dadi speak.
"If you are going to help her, you should hold her hand and you both should use only one hand to light the Diyas. You are not allowed to leave each other's hand until you both complete the task. It signifies that you both will never leave each other's side in any situation even in the darkest of nights and fill light in that darkness together." She explained and I nodded before stepping in.
I walked to Isha and held her right hand in my left hand. She passed me a smile but I didn't return it. She passed me a Diya she was using to light the others and took another Diya. I started lighting the Diyas with her chanting 'Om Namah Shivay!'. Finally, when we were done lighting the Diyas in the temple we lit Diyas in the puja room in the palace and all the way from temple to Puja room.
"Couldn't you wait for me to come before starting the ritual? Is it paining? " I asked holding her hand while walking towards the puja room.
"No, I am fine. Bua Dadi said we have to start it before sunset and I knew you would definitely come." She replied with a smile and I couldn't stop the small smile formed on my lips knowing the confidence she had in me.
Once we were done we did Aarthi and took blessings from elders. We took blessings from Bua Dadi and Isha said, " I told you na Bua Dadi sa, my Nav can be angry with me but he would never leave my side?" I smiled looking at her and Bua Dadi went away gritting her teeth. At least, my Princess speaks up in front of her and doesn't give in to all her demands and taunts.
I and Isha walked out hand in hand admiring the diyas we both lit together.
"They look beautiful and divine!" Isha exclaimed and I nodded in affirmation. They do look beautiful and divine. The entire palace radiated the vibrant lights of Diyas and the workers took the job to lit up the Diyas in all the hallways and our palace felt heavenly in the shine of divine light emitting from the diyas. But the most divine one in the entire palace for me is the one standing beside me, admiring the shining Diyas.
"The diyas are adding more glow to our royal flags, and symbols, aren't they?" She asked admiring the royal signs on either side of the pathway with Diyas lit on the stands placed near them.
"They are!" I said and she closed my eyes suddenly getting on her tip-toes. What is she up to?
"What are you doing, Princess?" I asked but she didn't say anything. I felt her moving closer. I wrapped my hands around her to prevent her from falling.
"You are just like these Diyas to me Abhinav. You light up my entire world and make it beautiful despite the darkness surrounding it! I love you Nav! And I know you are angry with me. I am going to pacify you no matter what and, the last thing is... I missed you since the afternoon. " Saying that she kissed my cheek and ran away. I stood there smiling at her. She is surely a very precious jewel and I am going to cherish and protect her with my entire being.
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