Chapter 22-Mother Before Princess
After that night, Vinaya stopped waiting for Vikram.
Completely.
She did not wonder whether he would visit.
Did not ask whether he had eaten.
Did not look up when he entered.
Her world became smaller.
And fuller.
Ganga.
Ganga's first smile.
Ganga's ridiculous sneezes.
Ganga refusing to sleep unless Vinaya sang.
Ganga gripping Vinaya's hair with shocking strength.
The baby became the axis of her life.
And something unexpected happened.
Vinaya became happier.
Not entirely.
Never entirely.
But she laughed more.
With Ganga.
With Parvati.
With Kalyani.
Even with servants.
She stopped measuring each day by whether Vikram noticed her.
That should have relieved him.
Instead, it unsettled him.
He began seeing them everywhere.
Vinaya carrying Ganga through the gardens.
Vinaya laughing when Ganga drooled on Balram's robes.
Ranveer letting the baby pull his hair.
Amarendra holding her proudly before council.
Lakshmidevi singing lullabies.
Everyone had a place in Ganga's life.
Except Vikram.
Because he had stepped away from it himself.
One afternoon, he paused outside the nursery.
Vinaya sat on the floor.
Ganga crawled toward her.
Vinaya clapped softly.
"Come, my love."
Ganga squealed.
Vikram felt something twist inside him.
His daughter.
His wife.
A life continuing without him.
Then Vinaya looked up.
Saw him.
Her smile vanished.
Not from fear.
From indifference.
That hurt worse.
Vikram stepped back.
Later that evening, alone with his father, he said the words he would regret for the rest of his life.
"They should leave."
Amarendra stared.
"Who?"
"Vinaya and Ganga."
The room went cold.