EPILOGUE - 3
Abhyansh was all set to leave for his trip, this time his instructions list was much bigger than the last time...
Especially the don'ts.
Abhyansh was standing in the hall, iterating the instructions for the final time.
"You will follow all the 12 rules we have listed...", Abhyansh started and Isha nodded.
"12 rules ?", Ranveer asked, his mouth widened.
Isha pulled her brother towards her, holding the hem of his shirt...
"There were 40 before, I used all my acting skills to get it to 12, don't open your mouth and spoil it", she whispered to her brother who nodded, Abhyansh glared at the siblings.
"And most important...
You will NOT use nor let ANYONE use my children as your game board, pillow, dining table or any bl**dy thing... You have more than enough furniture at Ranawat and Rajput palaces, use them", Abhyansh said glaring at Ranveer. He is that 'Anyone' he specified.
"Yes I remember everything, don't worry, I will take care of myself", she said and he nodded.
He turned to Rajmata and "I'll leave now", Abhyansh said
"Stay blessed, take care", Rajmata said...
Amruta anxiously waited if her son would acknowledge her presence or not and finally her wait came to an end, her elder son looked at her and gave a nod before walking away that got her delighted.
"The situation in Europe is not at its best, take care", Pratap said to Abhyansh who is walking out, which surprised the whole family and servants.
Abhyansh gives a nod without turning, almost unnoticeable, and walks away, Rajmata gives an approving nod at her egoistic son's first step.
Isha, Ranveer wanted to bid bye to Abhyansh at the airport but he refused them, as he didn't want the media to spot Isha with her baby bump, the pictures will circulate and he didn't want that for obvious reasons.
What surprised them was he allowed Ragini to accompany him till the airport.
On his way, Abhyansh detailed Isha's medicines, her habits, her needs, and her food requirements, though Ragini had a word with Isha's nutritionist who would be following them to Rajput palace, Abhyansh detailed Ragini.
This was the most he spoke and it left Ragini in surprise and shock as well, every time she thought he couldn't love Isha more than this, he proved her wrong and Ragini is glad that her best friend got a partner who loves her to this extent.
Isha and Ranveer waited for Ragini in the Ranawat palace and after she returned, all three left for Rajput palace along with Rajput and Ranawat security.
The days at Rajput palace were good, in fact great with all the love her brother and Ragini showered on her, Ragini and Ranveer fulfilled every little wish Pallavi and Amar wanted to do for Isha overwhelming her.
Ranveer wouldn't tease her for overeating these days, he gets worried if she eats even a morsel less than her usual quantity, Isha understood that her brother used to tease her earlier because every other person used to pamper her with her husband leading the battalion and if her brother too did that, it would be so boring.
"Ishu...
look what I brought for you...", Ranveer barged into her chamber with a food parcel...
"Bhai...
Ragini would kill us if she saw this", Isha said
"Don't worry, she is sleeping", Ranveer said and both of them settled on the bed opening the food package revealing momos, Isha quickly removed the seal for the red spicy chutney, and the brother-sister started relishing the delicacy but to their dismay, Ragini entered the chamber...
"What the hell is all this, I promised Maharaj that I'd take care of Isha, and you brought momos for her", Ragini screamed in anger but Isha was surprised to see her brother unfazed, unlike every other time when his face pales on facing his wife's wrath.
"Here...", Ranveer took out a letter and threw it towards Ragini who picked it up glaring at her husband.
but soon her face is filled with surprise seeing the contents of the letter...
"Hi, this is Kamal, the chef approved by Maharaj Abhyansh Singh Ranawat, I made these momos in the presence of Rani sa's personal Nutritionist, these are completely safe for her, attached is the certificate provided by the nutritionist", the letter ended, Ragini turned the page to actually find a certificate by the nutritionist declaring the food 'safe for Isha and the babies' and it's pinned to the letter.
Ragini looked at Ranveer as if he had gone crazy...
"You...
My sister, and I are tired of your rules, hence this idea, now everything we wanted to eat will be prepared by Kamal, the chef approved by my BEAST of a brother-in-law and certified by the nutritionist he trusts with his wife", Ranveer said, resuming to eat momos...
"Awe...
Thank you bhai... I love you", Isha said hugging her brother but her stomach made it impossible, making the siblings laugh. Isha continued eating to her heart's content, Ragini made their way towards them and was about to take a momo when both the brother and sister hit her palm...
"They are mine...", both of them said at the same time...
Ragini glared at Ranveer which made him take a momo and hand it over to Ragini making her smile...
"Bhai...
that's my momo...", Isha fought...
"Sharing is caring, bacha...", Ranveer preached, Isha narrowed her eyes at him, she knew why he handed it to Ragini in the first place...
He was scared of his wife's very cruel punishments...
"I'm already sharing with 3 other people, and you and your wife made it 5 by joining me", Isha said and Ragini chuckled at her pregnant friend...
It's like there are two Isha's, before pregnancy and after pregnancy. Earlier she used to feed the whole world before feeding herself, now she feeds herself first and if at all something is left, she passes it to others which is very rare. Ragini smiled at the mother in her, she is happy that her appetite increased thanks to her pregnancy, but whenever she thought her best friend had to deliver triplets, she got worked up, she knew that's what was bothering her husband too.
Finally, the Rajput siblings and Ragini finished the Episode 'Midnight Momos' and retired to bed.
Though Isha enjoyed every minute at the Rajput palace, she missed her husband more than anything though she talked to him every day and Abhyansh terribly missed her just like her, in fact, he was having FOMO, he was afraid he had missed his children's growth, that's why he finished his months of work in a few weeks, making his immediate staff go crazy over the working conditions including Bhairav.
"Bhairav...
We are leaving now", Abhyansh said, after the president and his statement left the conference room...
"Maharaj...
We have 6 more....", Bhairav started but Abhyansh interrupted him...
"Ask them to come to India to discuss further", he cut off Bhairav, who bowed at him and went to convey the same to other leaders and arrange their journey back home.
Soon they were on their way to his Rani sa. Bhairav needn't be told about where to, he asked the driver to head to the Rajput palace from the airport.
Abhyansh quickly freshened up in the guest chamber and then headed to his wife who hugged him tightly, which was a task in itself, but he held her in his arms, fitting her perfectly.
He observed her belly grew a lot in just these few weeks.
"Told you, You will always fit in my arms, no matter what", he said and she kissed him, tears flowing from her eyes which he gently wiped...
"I'm sorry, I was gone for so long...
Now, I'll be here with you, no business trips until our children turn 1 at least, it's my pr..", he started but she shut his mouth with her palm...
"You never know what emergency might occur, the people need you, so don't promise such things", Isha said...
"You think like a queen before a mother, Hm ?", he said
"You always say that a queen is like a mother to all her people, so I'm a mother before a queen...", she said and he kissed her crown...
"I'm proud to be called your husband, Rani sa", Abhyansh said and Isha smiled at how he still made her heart flutter, just with a single sentence...
"Ranawat...", An irritated groan escaped Abhyansh's throat as soon as he heard his brother-in-law's tone...
"What a surprise...", he heard again, he could sense the unpleasant tone of Ranveer but he stayed silent.
"Yeah! I see, you are delighted with my arrival...", Abhyansh mocked
"Of course I'm", Ranveer responded in an equally disinterested tone...
"Maharaj...
How is your journey ?", Ragini greeted Abhyansh with a wide smile, passing on the water glass to Abhyansh.
"You are a queen...
You don't have to do such things", Abhyansh said humbly, accepting the water glass, his soft tone for Ragini surprised the Rajput siblings...
"Learnt from the best", Ragini said, pointing towards Isha, "And anyway, you are family", she added, which made Abhyansh nod, again surprising the Rajput siblings.
"You never respond to me this frequently...", Ranveer whined, which was again royally ignored by Abhyansh that irked Ranveer.
Abhyansh helped Isha settle on the couch followed by himself, Ragini sat on the opposite sofa followed by Ranveer, who stomped towards Ragini's couch and sat there.
"Shall I heat the food, Maharaj", Ragini asked, Isha was about to answer knowing her husband's unwillingness to converse but Abhyansh opened his mouth...
"No, I don't eat at odd times...", he responded.
"Oh! okay...", Ragini nodded...
"You can address me like a family does", Abhyansh said after a few minutes of silence, Ragini nodded with a happy smile, she called him 'bhai sa' earlier but it was just once, so he thought of making it clear that he didn't mind her calling him that.
"Okay, it's late, you guys take some rest, we'll come later", Ragini said standing up...
"What's so hurry ? Ishu won't sleep this early, and Ranawat doesn't sleep at all...
This is why I don't want him to return this early, when he wasn't there, my sister and I used to have fun till late night", Ranveer complained
"Bhai...", Isha tried to stop him, as her husband would again lecture on it.
"We are going to Ranawat palace, first thing in the morning, tomorrow", Abhyansh declared.
"No...
My sister will stay for a few more weeks...", Ranveer said
"Few more weeks? You are out of your mind", Abhyansh said and got up, helping Isha to stand up as well, and led her to the bed, and Ragini pulled Ranveer away.
"I have missed a lot, didn't I ?", Abhyansh asked Isha, softly rubbing her belly which has grown a lot in the last few weeks...
"No, you didn't miss even a single scan...
We'll go tomorrow for the growth scan, I postponed it, I didn't want to go and see your children without you", Isha said and Abhyansh kissed her forehead. "Can we stay here for a few more days, bhai grew very attached to the kids, he would talk to our children daily at late night, his talks to his nieces or nephews are my lullaby all these days...", Isha requested
"Rajput will never be ready to part away from you or his nieces/nephews, it's better we go tomorrow, or else it will become even harder for him", Abhyansh said
"You suddenly made your presence today, so he was taken by surprise...
in a few more days, he will prepare himself, then we can go", she said and Abhyansh nodded after some time, not to upset his wife.
-----------------------------
After a few days, Isha and Abhyansh shifted back to Ranawat palace and as Abhyansh predicted, Ranveer did a lot of drama to make his sister stay back but Abhyansh failed all of it.
"Babies, I know your 'Baap' is very rude, but remember mamu's teachings, don't get irritated with his presence, because if you get cranky it will suffer mumma...
You should be always good to mumma, okay ?", thiswas Ranveer's parting speech to Isha's baby bump, directed towards his nieces/nephews which irked Abhyansh.
Isha entered her 8th month and even taking a few steps became difficult for her, and Abhyansh completely worked from home now.
He barely let her go out of sight, even if he had meetings he did it in study after she slept.
It was one such meeting that he scheduled at 2 AM when his wife finally fell asleep.
He tried for hours to put her to sleep and after 3 hours of his attempts, finally, a position suited her, and she fell asleep. He left for his study after that. But she woke up just after an hour feeling the wetness on the bed. She felt disgusted realizing she peed on the bed. Due to the heavy weight of her babies, holding up her bladder became extremely difficult for her, but she never wetted the bed to date, she was careful enough...
What happened was so embarrassing for Isha that she stood up from the bed and started sobbing...
She pulled the bedsheets but the cot too got wet, she felt so angry that she wanted to set the bed on fire and that's when she found a tiny black mark on the bottom of the wall just behind the bed, and that scar on the wall triggered the first night of her marriage, but she wasn't upset by the fact of what happened on that night, she was past that phase, she forgave her husband for all that, but these days, what frustrated her is the suffering her husband subjects himself for troubling her, all these things messed up with her head and her own embarrassment mixed with her worry and pain for her husband's suffering prompted her to set their bed on fire and she did... Isha kept staring at the blazing fire without moving an inch, the fire alarms went off, and Abhyansh quickly rushed there followed by Bhairav... Abhyansh pulled Isha away protecting her from the heat, though she was at a safe distance, he was worried about the heat, and Bhairav quickly extinguished the fire.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS ?", Abhyansh asked his wife, screaming at her for her stupidity.
But she didn't say a word, she kept staring at their now bed, that turned to ashes...
"LEAVE", Isha commanded and everyone left from there without a second thought, luckily the family's chambers were away from the king's chamber, so they didn't know about it.
"Why did you do it ? What happened ?", Abhyansh asked calming down a bit...
"D...Did it trigger your past ? I'm so sorry I hurt you then... I'll do anything to make up for it bacha... but please don't suffer yourself like this, I was so scared seeing....", Abhyansh trailed but Isha cut him off... Hearing his regret-filled words didn't go well with her, It's been more than 3 years since that incident, she has forgiven him, he had made up for all his sins, yet he tortured himself for all the pain he caused her, if her past pain is hurting him to date, then wouldn't his present pain and regret hurt her? Why is he not understanding her?
"I set it on fire because I peed on it", she replied casually, causing him to look at her with worry and pain...
"Bacha...
you are scaring me, Don't hide your pain from me... tell me, is something bothering you? Is something hurting you, Rani sa ?", he asks her
"Do you tell me if something is hurting you ?", she asked him making him narrow his eyes...
"Let me get this straight, you didn't forgive yourself, you are spending every second of your life in guilt and regret, do you think it wouldn't hurt me to see you like this ?", Isha asked him, holding his collar...
" Isha ...
You are not in the right mind, let's get you changed and put you to bed, hm ? We can talk about this tomorrow", he said but she pulled him harshly towards her, fire blazing in her eyes...
"Not tomorrow, we will talk today, now...
Let go of the past, forgive yourself", Isha told him, pleaded him, she couldn't see him like that anymore...
"The things I did to you doesn't deserve forgiveness bacha, please understand me", Abhyansh said
"You have made up for all those things, please...
It's hurting me even more to see you like this", Isha said, finally letting her tears drop... He pulled her into a hug calming her down, No, he couldn't see his wife like that, he couldn't hurt her again, but forgiving himself was out of option... He closed his eyes to do the one thing he would hate doing...
"Okay, I'll try to forgive myself, It will take some time, but I will try", Abhyansh said, and he felt his wife visibly calming down...
He gently kissed her forehead, before cleaning her and changing her into a comfortable maternity gown, before taking her to their second bedroom. Due to tiredness, sleep took over her, but his was evaded for months now... her suffering never let him sleep, not in the past, not now.
"I'm sorry", he apologized to her, for lying...
For the next whole day, Isha stayed inside their chamber as she didn't feel like going out, how she set the bed on fire felt so bratty to her, and the reason seemed embarrassing, her emotions were all over the place, she was scared of her mood swings so she avoided meeting people especially Bhairav who helped in putting off the fire.
But the next day, she woke up, her husband helped her freshen up and wear her maternity gown.
She started wearing maternity gowns Ragini designed for her, right after her baby shower that occurred in her 7th month. It was a grand event but due to tiredness, and exhaustion, she slipped to her chamber early that day. Isha's thoughts broke upon hearing her husband.
"Go and talk to Bhairav...
He was scared for you, yesterday he asked me at least 10 times about how you were", Abhyansh said and Isha felt guilty.
She walked out of the chamber where she spotted Bhairav.
Of course, he would be standing there, after all in Abhyansh's absence, Bhairav was asked to take care of Isha, and in their language, taking care meant stalking her like her Shadow.
"Rani sa...
How are you doing?", he asked, Isha forwarded her hand which Bhairav held, and slowly helped her walk to the elevator to reach the dining hall.
"Bhairav...
I am sorry, I might have scared you that day...", Isha said and Bhairav nodded, accepting her apology.
"Don't do that again, Rani sa...
I was so scared. If you are upset with Maharaj... Show it on him, but don't risk yourself like that...", Bhairav said
"I wasn't risking, I was at a safe distance...
Anyway you were right, I shouldn't have done it in the first place... By the way, what do you mean by if I am upset with Rana sa ? ", Isha asked
"Whatever is upsetting you, is upsetting me as well, Rani sa, I couldn't see Hukum like this, but according to him, it was his way of giving himself peace, you were only looking at it in a single direction that he is suffering himself, but look at it from the brighter perspective, it was his way of love, and loving you always gave him peace", Bhairav said and Isha looked at him in awe...
He changed her perspective, though she is still against her husband hurting himself mentally by not forgiving his past self, she now decided to give him some more time to forgive himself, now that he had told her he would try, then he would.
"Bhairav...
Why didn't you marry ?", Isha asked suddenly, Bhairav seemed a very mature man and he would make a very good lover and husband, why did this elder man not marry, doubts filled Isha's mind.
"That's a story for another day, Rani sa", Bhairav said, helping Isha sit on the dining table.
Abhyansh made his way, since Isha couldn't stand, he allowed everyone to stay seated and joined them.
Well, that was a first and Isha smiled at the changes in her husband, he started treating his family more like their son, brother, and grandson, not as a king, though the things were minor, it brought bliss to his family, especially his mother, he allowed her to sit beside him and serve while having her food.
The privilege only Isha got till date was now given to Amruta as well, though she knew it's just until Isha's delivery, still it made her happy.