Agastya
My footsteps raced through the gallery, and my fingers trembled. After sending the letter to Mahabaleshgarh, I came to Bhaisa ’ s chamber. But I stopped my rapid steps like any other man waiting outside their bedroom.
Bhabhisa was screaming. I had never heard a voice so intense and painful in my life, except for once I saw her lying on that pyre.
Strangely, life and death can make you cry the same.
I didn ’ t know why, but these screams—though they signaled good news and a new family member—brought back memories of her painful screams.
It ’ s been over a month, yet the image of that pyre, her lying there alive, a man lighting the flames, and the crowd awaiting to hear her screams remained as vivid as that reality was. Dangerous—something that could break someone for the rest of their life.
I did not know what came to mind when I read her letter. I had known her as much as I had known the soldiers of our army—living in the same kingdom but having little interaction. Still, I couldn ’ t stop myself from saving her.
But our conversations were no longer restricted to formal messages. I understood that it meant nothing, at least not for either of us. Yet, that incident instilled in me a sense of guilt.
I couldn ’ t erase the visuals of her crying in my arms, her tiny hands, which used to serve food to me, fisting on my clothes, and her voice, shaking, crying, begging, that used to bring me messages from Bhabhisa, everything told me she was a nice person, that she did not deserve to die.
I couldn ’ t calculate the consequences back then and still can ’ t.
Now, whenever I see her, I feel a connection. I believe it's my duty to keep her safe from those people.
I felt deeply drawn to her. I couldn ’ t figure out why I struggled to stay away whenever she walked into my room. Each time she stood before me, I felt an irresistible urge to engage, tease, or do anything to make her want to linger with me.
Her skin felt soft against mine. Her lips had never looked so beautiful. Or perhaps I was just noticing this now. She had stunning eyes, and whenever she applied kohl to them, like today, it made me feel, maybe without my choice, that she was mine.
In the past two weeks, I ’ ve noticed that she has been ignoring me, and I ’ ve also done my best to ignore her. However, just glancing would have made me feel that everything with her was real.
Still, she couldn ’ t be my secret affair. Even though my defenses crumbled before her, I tried hard to mask them with my rudeness. I couldn ’ t get close to her.
Everything was going against my original plan.
I wanted to be close to her before I left for Mehrangarh again. Because if anything happened to me, she would blame herself.
Believe it or not, it was evident in her eyes that she saw me as more than just a prince now. Her fierce demeanor towards me and her ferocious words implied she felt a claim on me. Everything was driving me crazy.
Suddenly, Bhabhisa ’ s screams grew even louder, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I intertwined my fingers and felt a hand on my shoulder.
I turned to look at Ranvijay Bhaisa. “ Bhaisa,” I said, prompting for a hug.
“ Oh, what happened?” he asked, amused, as I felt him gently patting my back.
“ It ’ s okay, ; it happens during childbirth; she will be fine.” His words made me even more tense, and I closed my eyes.
“ I don ’ t know, Bhaisa; she ’ s the only person I ’ ve ever known as my mother figure,” I mumbled.
He brushed his fingers through my hair and replied. “ Just a little more time, and we will both become a father figure to someone,”
I immediately broke the hug and looked at him.
“ Yes, yes, I will become Kaakusa,” I said with a slight smile. He narrowed his brows. Chote Kaakusa .” He corrected me, and I smiled.
“ Sixteen days fast, no, no, twenty-one, twenty-five, twenty-five days fasting, I need a girl, a girl…” I continued negotiating with God and walked toward the corner.
My gaze landed on my half-wife walking through the gallery to the other side of the chamber. I sprinted to stand in front of her.
“ How is she doing now?” I asked.
She furrowed her brows while looking at me. “ Same.”
Okay, she was mad about the Hot thing. She hurried past me.
“ What does ‘ same ’ mean?” I asked, following her while keeping my eyes open not to get noticed by anyone.
“ In pain,” she replied, stepping into Bhabhisa ’ s dressing area. I followed her inside and watched as she opened a trunk.
“ When is the girl coming out?” I inquired politely.
She lifted her ‘ Unbelievable ’ gaze to my eyes. “ It ’ s going to be a boy,” she countered.
My eyes widened. “ No,” I said. “ It ’ s definitely a girl.”
She clicked her tongue in frustration and grabbed a fresh pair of clothes. “ No, no, her symptoms indicated a boy,” she stated.
I didn ’ t understand; it upset me. There were three boys; we needed a girl. I had never even seen a baby girl.
“ But I asked for a girl,” I countered, “ I even told Bhabhisa that I wanted a girl,”
She immediately looked at me in disbelief. “ Girls or boys do not depend on a woman; it ’ s up to God,” she said.
“ But I negotiated with him, too,” I replied. “ I know it will be a girl. The Princess of Suryagarh, and she will call me Chote Kaakusa ,”
She side-eyed at me. “ It ’ s going to be a boy. The next king of Suryagarh, the physicians said,” She said, closing the trunk.
I didn ’ t know why, but blood rushed to her cheeks whenever she got furious, and her lips looked redder. Kissable.
Fuckable too.
I let out a sigh to control my intentions with her.
"Girl," I affirmed, biting my lower lip and following her back slowly.
She shook her head. “ Boy,”
I couldn ’ t help but click my tongue. "Girl," I repeated.
“ Boy,” she turned her furious gaze at me. “ Boy, who will call me Maasima ,”
My heart raced, gazing into her eyes. “ It ’ s going to be a girl,” I repeated, but she shook her head and walked away.
I seized her hand, pulled her back, and pinned her against the wall.
Her eyes widened with shock.
“ Bet,”
She inhaled deeply, paused momentarily, and declared, “ Bet!” I gulped. “ And if it ’ s a boy, you will never touch me again!“ she exclaimed, lowering her gaze to my hand and holding her wrist between our chests.
A challenge.
I sucked in a deep breath, replying. “ And if it ’ s a girl, you are going to suck me on her every birthday.”
Her eyes enlarged, and words stuck in her throat.
A smile remained on my face.
The loud scream of Bhabhisa broke the eye battle. “ Go,” I left her hand. “ She needs you, Kaakisa .” I said.
She sighed before walking away.
When I walked out, Ranvijay Bhaisa ’ s voice caught my attention. “ What ’ s going on?” He noticed me coming out of the dressing room after her.
“ What were you talking to her about? Huh? You ’ re getting married in just four months. Cut out the flirting,” he said, and I immediately chuckled, shaking my head.
“ Flirting? I was just asking her about Bhabhisa, Bhaisa .” I smiled.
He pulled away from my ear. “ It ’ s alright then.” He said.
Suddenly, the whole chamber turned chaotic, and we both heard a faint sound of crying.
"Finally!"
"Finally! Congratulations.”
We hugged each other tightly, and I felt goosebumps all over my body.
The attendees ran with the loud announcement. “ It ’ s a girl, Ranisa is fine!!”
“ It ’ s a girl, Ranisa is fine!!!”
My smile widened by two inches, and I felt like I might suddenly die from happiness.
“ It ’ s a girl, Bhaisa. It ’ s a girl, our daughter.” I squealed, though tears filled my eyes.
“ Yes, , it ’ s a girl, the Princess of Suryagarh,” he said.
I immediately shook my head. “ I need to ask the attendees to make the sweets; our Bhaisa has become a father! Oh, my God!” Tears of happiness rolled down my cheeks.
Ranvijay Bhaisa laughed. “ Yes, I need to prepare for the baby ’ s first shower.” he said.
I noticed my half-wife approaching us.
“ Prince Ranvijay, Prince , Ranaji is asking for you both.” she drawled, and I noticed her red cheeks.
She didn ’ t even raise her eyes to meet mine, and I couldn ’ t help but chuckle. You are dead.
Ranvijay Bhaisa and I walked into Rudra Bhaisa ’ s bedroom. Nandani Bhabhisa ’ s curtained bed caught my attention. Rudra Bhaisa walked to us with the baby in his arms.
“ Come in and meet our daughter,” he said, his voice emotional and his cheeks glistening with tears. The baby appeared tiny in his arms, like a small papaya. My gaze fixated on her tiny face. She had a bit of hair on her head, and her lips were a soft pink.
“ Her height is going to be the same as Bhabhisa ’ s.” I couldn ’ t help, and laughter broke in the bedroom.
“ Can I hold her?” I looked at Ranvijay Bhaisa, and Rudra Bhaisa nodded. “ Of course.”
I watched closely as Rudra Bhaisa passed the baby to Ranvijay Bhaisa, and I couldn ’ t understand why my palms sweat with nervousness.
What if he could not hold her, and she fell?
No, no, why was I having such disturbing thoughts?
I quickly shoved those thoughts aside and glanced at Ranvijay Bhaisa, cradling her in his arms.
“ She is really so small and beautiful, Bhaisa,” he said, and I nodded.
“ She ’ s a girl,” I said, and Rudra Bhaisa chuckled softly. “ Yes, yes, she is a girl, just as you asked,” he said.
Ranvijay Bhaisa slowly tried to hand me the baby. I immediately shook my head and took a step back. “ She is so small. Bhabhisa will kill if something happens to her. I will play with her in a few months; I just want to look at her,” I said, and everyone laughed.
“ Then give her to me,” Aishwarya Bhabhisa said in a voice that caught our attention. She walked toward us and took the baby from Bhaisa ’ s hand. “ She needs to be fed,” she informed, carefully taking the baby in her arms.
“ How is Bhabhisa now?” Ranvijay Bhaisa asked, and Aishwarya Bhabhisa replied, “ Weak and in pain,” before walking away.
“ , instruct everyone in the kitchen to prepare sweets for the entire Kingdom, comprising all one hundred and nine villages, and Ranvijay, dispatch invitations to all our allied Kingdoms and arrange a grand feast for the sixth day,” Rudra Bhaisa commanded, and we both nodded in agreement.
“ But, Bhaisa, you know I ’ m a little weak on ingredients,” I said, “ I mean, I could use someone ’ s help.”
He turned his gaze to the half-wife and called. "Suman,"
She looked at us and came running. “ Ji, Ranaji,”
Rudra Bhaisa ordered, “ Go with Kunwar , help him make the list of ingredients needed, and take care of the preparations for the sweets.”
I noticed her eyes widen at the mention of my name, and I couldn ’ t help but bite my lip slightly to suppress a smile.
“ But, Ranaji, Ranisa might need me. Should I send someone else?” She asked.
Bhaisa shook his head. “ I ’ m here with her, and I ’ ll send the message if she asks for you. The sweets are pretty important,” he said in a slow, slightly pleading voice.
She nodded immediately. “ Yes, Ranaji,” she said, slightly bowing while glaring at me.
I felt like celebrating twice: first for the girl and second for winning the bet.
“ Let ’ s go,” I said, but she walked past me without glancing. I nodded at Bhaisa, and he smiled back.
I walked away and noticed her hurrying to the kitchen.
"Ab bhaag kyu rahi ho?"
“ Why are you running now?” I called.