Abhayankara...

"Who are you talking to ?" I asked him. He blinked. He was still looking at someone whom I couldn't understand. "Devendra..." I whispered and placed my hand on his shoulder. He saw me and turned towards the other side. "Someone so familiar was here. She was not looking at anyone but crying. She was hiding herself from everyone and when i spoke to her she ran out. She seems too familiar but too distant." With every word he spoke my breath was raging heavily.

Is that she he she i am looking for ??

"Who was she ?" I asked desperately. "I don't know but she seems so known to me...." he said and then his eyes were widened. "Hey vasudev" he slapped his forehead. What has he done ? I ran towards the back gates but the sena has made the dass and dasi to start to their house. I rushed out to find them but Dhushyanth stopped me. 

"Where are you going ??" he asked me really in a doubtful voice. "Dhushyanth... vaidharbhi was here. In this palace but as a dasi not as a queen. Hey narayan what all hardship she might have faced. How much she was strained. She is here Dhushyanth your sister was here in your wedding but not as a sister but as a dasi a slave...." i broke down and cried hard. She was here. It was that reason made me rejoiced today. I wanted to have each and every food which she loved and made for me. She was haunting me and when i had her i let her slip her again. 

Dhushyanth stood as a rock. He couldn't say anything so was mitra. She suddenly fainted when she processed the news. Indra held her before she could collapse. Dhushyanth held her by shoulder and picked her up and nodded his gratitude to Indra. 

"Sevak...." i commanded them making them freeze in their spot. I walked towards them as a lion towards their prey. With a low voice i said " Dhushyanth or myself will go to houses of the dasi who has served here. Someone who has been missing for many months are finally found out that they are here. If i find out anyone who is trying to not to say from where do you all got them, your head will roll down as a dice on the ground. Clear ??" i yelled at them. 

"Maharaj..." they spoke in their tone. Nodding my head i rushed outside to go but i stopped myself as i have to take care of certain rituals as maharaj and when a family of the royals are getting married there are certain rituals to be followed which is been done by many generations. Closing my eyes and taking deep breath i walked inside the palace. Please be with me for few more days priye  i am coming to find you my rani. -

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Days have passed but nothing seems to be fruitful. It has been practically a month which has passed but i couldn't find her. Many who have come for the weddings were from the other villages. We were searching but nothing seems to be fruitful. I was personally searching myself from house to house to find my priye. But she is not found. A sudden sound from the palace murasu made me halt from whatever i was doing. 

Rushing to the palace i found Dhushyanth really worried. Running to him i placed my hand on his shoulder while he looked so terrible. 

"What happened ??" i whispered. He busted into tears fearing for something which made me panic. "I... i don't know Abhaya.. we were just walking in the andha puram (royal women's chamber arena) and... and she suddenly collapsed on the floor and she did not wake up since then." he said in a small tone. He is equally troubled as me. I just nodded my head and squeesed his shoulder to give some support. After some time the ayurvathi came out and saw us with a small smile. 

"What happened ayurvathi ?? is she alright ?" i asked her with concern. She smiled and saw Dhushyanth and said " it is all because of you senapathi Dhushyanth..." came her giggling reply. What did he do ? i thought. He asked the same. 

"It is because of you she is going to become a mother..." came her response. I lost my breathe. I am going to become chithappa (younger uncle). My eyes were burning with happy tears. But the problem is i couldn't help but feel so void about my priye. How much she would have been screaming on top of her voice thinking she is going to become a chithi (younger aunty). I just walked back to my chamber and saw every where but my eyes were now burning with fresh and painful tears. I cried sitting on the floor. How much more days it is going to take for her to come to me. How much more tears would wash away paapam ? how much more sufferings would make her come to me.

Dhushyanth was yelling his happiness. I could hear that even away from him. Chuckling at the sound i closed my eyes only to think my priye how she would have felt about this news. I didn't know i should be happy or sad but i was not myself any more. The entire nation was now celebrating for the yuvaraj who is going to be born. In our family the first born was always a boy. The celebration for a boy in this desam is huge but when it comes to mahalakshmi coming to our house in the form of yuvarani the desam turns upside down. Because they are a treasure to us. 

I want a small priye in the form of my daughter and a strong son to protect his sister and mother. But they are waiting for their mother to come to their father. I would even be issue less but all i wanted was my priye. What paapam have i done to have everything but i am nothing without her. If i have made any paapam i should be the sufferer but she is the one who is suffering. She is away from her family. Her father was brutally killed and she is been kidnapped , sold. Why mahadev why is she being suffering like this. Why is my priye not me. I cried hard holding my heart. 

"Maharaj..." came a sevak voice. Wiping my tears i nodded my head and stood on my feet. He bowed his head to me and i acknowledged that and waited for him to speak. He stood up and saw me and gulped and said "Maharaj there was a thief who stole a royal jewellery. I creased my forehead. Who is going to steal in my palace that too from my place. Is he really that careless that i would never find that. 

Nodding my head i took a deep breath. "Show me the jewel sevak." i said. He nodded his head and placed his hand in his small pouch which was in between his swords. Pulling the small cloth pouch he dug in his fingers just to get the jewel. 

Something does going to change. I feel that in my heart. Slowly i opened my hand and he placed something on my palm. His head was not straight but just bowing in fear of some crime he has done. I took it with my other hand. Looking at the jewel i sucked a harsh breath. 

That was the ring which would be given from Raja matha (former queen) to the Maharani (present queen). That was the ring which i gave to my priye. How did this come here. Is she here ? I remembered the last time looking at this ring. 

"Mukundh.." she whispered.

"Shush..." i said and saw her as if i am seeing her for the first time. I don't know i could come back alive from the war or just turn into ash. I want to look at her and just her. 

"I will come back winning the world to marry you the way I always promised i would do it." i murmured against her by placing my forehead on her's . She closed her eyes. I was just caressing her cheeks but she is crying. 

"I would come back for you , ok ?" I said. It was not for her but for me. I am assuring myself to come to her and be with her. I have to come back."I hate sharing, you know that too right ?" i  asked her, making her smile in between her tears. She nodded her head again.

"Until i come , would you hold something very important to me ?" i asked her. This was a family ring which is passed from generations to generations. It was the only one of my amma which i am now giving to my pathni. I took that from my dhoti just to give that to her. Pulling her hand i placed them on her's hand.

"Until i come you have to keep it as yours so that i would put it on your fingers on the day of our wedding , if anything happens to me or if i did not come back to you, you make sure you find your peace but pass them to your first born as it was the custom of mine and i don't want that to be broken." i said which made her step back.

"I cannot live without you, you senseless puppet. In you i want to bloom and in you i want to shrink and die but without you this flower will never live. You are my sun towards whom this flower would bloom. Come back to me or watch me suffer to die from the pitru logam (heavenly abode of the previous generations)." she yelled at me which made me blink for a second. The next moment i pulled her to me. She was fighting calling my name but i was in no way to leave her just yet. I was speaking on her neck which made her cry hard.

"I would dare if yaman (god of death) would come near you. You are mine and only mine and death is something which would never come to you unless i ask them to come and which is not happening at all. We are going to live a long life but until i come back in the name of mahadev have this ring of my mother and we will pass that to our first born. I promise." I spoke my words and  gave a small kiss on the neck.

She nodded her head and her hand went tight and i know she is holding that tight. We were just standing there where i wished i  was like this always. 

"The rath has come, we need to leave." it was Dhushyanth. Which means mama has sent the sena for me.i I held her hand tight and she was walking with me towards the rath."Stay safe Vaidharbhi, until we come don't go any mad and break anyone's head." I spoke to make her smile even for a minute. But i never expected she would punch my stomach. It was unexpected. I blew the air out. 

"Ahh sister you are strong. Wish you would come with us to make us proud" dhushyanth said, making her smile big. We took our bags and started to walk out. She held my hand and was in no mood to leave them.

"Mukundh..." she whispered with tears. That broke me. I should have said who i was but i am scared that this may make her an easy target for my enemies. 

"I will come back to you, how many even years it takes." i said.

"I will wait for you , so come back." she cried hard.

"I promise..." i whispered before bending to her level to give her a small kiss on her foreahead. She smiled at me but the eyes were full of pain. When i removed my hands from her it stunk in my heart. Something is so void which didn't know until now. 

Vamsi came running to her nudging his face on her legs. She pulled him to her and held him tight in her chest. I turned to see her. She was standing there infront of her small village with my son who is waiting for me with his mom to come back to them. Both eyes of theirs were holding hopes but what i never knew was they are going to be shattered all so soon. 

I gasped for air. This is so hard for me. I couldn't breathe. I gasped few more times but the pain in my chest seems to make as if a huge rock is been placed on my heart. 

Vaidharbhi... 

Vaidharbhi....... i screamed. Before i could go any further Dhushyanth came. What happened ?? He asked me. I saw the ring and he saw that too. His eyes widened. "Little one ?!" he mumbled. Before we could go Sangamitra called him.

"You go i will take care." i said but he was not in a mood. I held his hand and squeesed. I want to know who is the one who they are calling as thief. Turning to the sevak i asked him " where is the thief." 

"In the darbar hall maharaj..." he spoke. Nodding my head i walked out. There were a yelling claiming that the person was not the thief. But when i saw the scene infront of me my heart stopped. 

Hey mahadev......

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You guys asked for an early update so here it is. Hope it is worthy. So did you like it ?? 

We know who it is but did you expect it was Indra ? He he he i know. 

Until next update 

Most probably soon. 

Your love...

Shri...