5 months later

"These need to be delivered to the kitchen as soon as possible. And what are you doing? Why aren't the flowers ready yet??"

"Didi Shaant." Medha whispers into my ears but she immediately stops after seeing my frowned face. Any moment now I might loose my patience and lash out but I had to keep my calm. Especially when Maa finally decided to visit us after these many months.

Rudraansh was not very keen on her visit but only stayed silent for my sake. I have not seen her almost in a year and neither I tried to mend things between us given the circumstances of my marriage. I did not go meet her only to keep my husband's respect. Though he would not have stopped me from doing so.

But I cannot easily forget the fact she has been the one behind the death of Rudraansh's father. And the only reason she is alive because Rudraansh wouldn't have me loose a parent.

The least I could have done is show gratitude for the his decision. But knowing that she would be visiting today has filled me with both nervousness and excitement.

So I have personally taken charge of decorating and preparing everything.

"Miraadhya." My body automatically gravitates towards the voice I have been missing since morning.

"Ji." I say with a smile seeing him reciprocating with his own.

"Abhijeet...your mother has arrived." He says, his eyes going a bit wary talking about my mother. I reach out for his hand to hold him.

"I am sorry." I say feeling suddenly bad and he quickly shakes his head.

"She is your mother. You have not seen her in a year. I know you have missed her so nothing else matters." He assures me and I breathe deeply to calm my racing heartbeat.

"Jiju Miraadhya Chale?" We see Sukanya entering wearing a beautiful sari and I smile at her, she was especially glowing today.

Five months ago Rudraansh suggested that we should be the one responsible for Sukanya. After all whatever happened it was not her fault. I was extremely happy that he would suggest something like this, it only made my love for him to grow more.

So we had went to Gauda and brought her back home. I had been nervous thinking she might not have liked it because she was upset hearing our proposal but after few days she had agreed.

Getting to bond with her as my sister has been my greatest joy this year apart from being blissfully married.

I tapped my head with my palm so as to not jinx it myself.

"You look so beautiful." I compliment her seeing the glow she has on her face. She just rolls her eyes dismissing me and just like that we giggle.

"There would be some guests visiting us next month.A very esteemed prince has also shown interest in Sukanya. I think we might soon hear a good news." Rajaji speaks as we walk towards the hall and I nudge Sukanya in excitement.

"Mujhe yeha se bhagana chahte hai aap dono."

She huffs.

"You know that's not true.We just want you to have a great future." I say holding her hand and she sighs.

"I know." She whispers but I could catch her sadness.

"Welcome!!" Rajaji speaks suddenly and our attention moves to the entrance. Uncle Abhijeet walked in with a big smile and hugged Rajaji.

Moving sideways I spotted the petite figure, wearing a beautiful yellow sari, she had worn minimal jewellery making her face more radiant. Her eyes met mine and I could feel my heart racing.

Somehow she looked more aged than before and subconsciously my eyes roamed over her features in order to memorise her face which has always been beautiful but not seeing it for a year definitely made her look less familiar.

Rudraansh nodded at her presence and walked back towards me. My mother's expression was unreadable, her stoic eyes and expression confused me. What exactly was she thinking?

Slowly I approached her and bent down to seek her blessing. A few moments passed and the disappointment creeped in, when I became sure she wouldn't bless me I felt a palm over my head. And I released a sigh that I was holding in my chest.

"Khush Raho."

She spoke and I got up. "How have you been?" I ask her and she just nods.

There was an awkward silence that creeped between us and I started fidgeting with my fingers .

"Let's proceed to the sitting area shall we?" Rajaji said breaking the tension and I internally thanked him.

The purpose of this meeting was to discuss on the trade deals we have been establishing with Gauda and since my mother had been working closely with Abhijeet on this matter she agreed to come today.

"I have few concerns and conditions over the treaty." My mother chimes.

"Yes." Rajaji says.

"Though I never wanted to share the secrets of our minerals with any one especially with you—"

A scowl forms on my face hearing her words and I felt Rajaji's hand on my knee when I tried to stand up, stopping me from doing so. Even now she acts so unbelievably shameless that it was making me feel angry.

"—but with the growing attacks Gauda needs more than what it had. Still I want restricted knowledge to be used, and only those substances will be allowed which I approve of, and only few people could have access to the manuscripts."

"But if limited knowledge is given then how are we supposed to research on the subject?" I ask, the slight edge on my voice apparent.

My mother dares to give me a stink eye and I gape at her in shock and in hurt but I quickly mask it away.

"Are you suggesting Jessore is not trustworthy? That I am not trustworthy?" Rudraansh speaks slightly tapping on his chair with his finger. He held a cool composure yet intimidating aura.

As I looked at my uncle, even he had a similar stance, it still baffles me how similar they become when it comes to challenging one another or politics.

"We are saying the past ruler of Jessore was not trustworthy enough. I hope you understand we would be wary this time looking at how this very knowledge was misused in the past." Uncle Abhijeet says nonchalantly and I could sense Rudraansh tensing up.

But then he calms down, his demeanour changing drastically.

"So you mean the only antidote in this entire world for the most poisonous substance that Gauda possesses is developed by my father is considered misuse?"

"It's impossible!" Abhijeet stands up in shock and a slow smirk plays on my husband's face.

"Guruji." Rajaji says and we see Raghav entering the hall with Guruji carrying a wooden box in his hand.

"You may want to sit down for this Abhijeet." Rajaji says and he sits down still in shock but I could sense him thinking and staring at Guruji with curiosity.

"Pranam Guruji." We take his blessing and he proceeds to sit on the chair opening his casket.

"Rudraansh you cannot have me travel so much, I am an old man now. I might start charging you." Guruji jokes rolling his eyes while Rajaji shakes his head with a playful smile.

"Yes you can charge me as much as you want."

"So you plan to call me again?" Guruji gives a dramatic sigh and we all giggle including Abhijeet but there was only one person who had a scowl on their face— my mother.

"So around twenty four years ago Bikram, your father came to me with an injured soldier, he was poisoned, initially I thought it to be snake poison but when the man died even after giving him the antidote that's when we realised it was not an ordinary poison."

"Then Bikram disappeared for almost two years and suddenly came back with few papers and two small stones. He had said the papers had information about the rare substance. We studied it for years and we finally found a potential solution for the antidote."

Guruji finishes by taking out a small glass bottle with white liquid.

But my hands were numb thinking of the story he just said, it didn't take me long to realise how Bikramjeet was able to get a hold onto those papers. After all he had tricked my mother into giving him the papers.

"How do we know that antidote works?" Abhijeet asks and a shiver runs through my spine. Rajaji holds my hand. "You don't have to." He whispers to me softly knowing very well how difficult that phase was for us. He turns back to answer the question.

"We have only one subject on whom it was tested. The subject successfully survived." Rajaji speaks slowly, his grip on me tightening and I could feel his distaste talking about it, it must be reminding of the time I was poisoned.

"Do you really want us to believe this mockery ? I would want to talk to your subject myself!" Maa says haughtily.

"Ohh now the King of Jessore also lies?" She speaks in demeaning tone.

I close my eyes in frustration.

"The subject is here Maa." I speak taking her aback.

"Shona No—"

"I am the subject. I am the one who was poisoned and I am the one who survived after having the antidote Guruji had made."

"Huh? Now even you will lie to defend this man?" Mother shouts at me and I had to suppress the trauma I had experienced when I was young of being constantly scolded by her.

"I don't have the ring anymore Maa." I simply say gulping down the lump in my throat. Her eyes travels to my finger which had no trace of that vicious ruby ring.

"No-this—" she fumbles her words.

"I was attacked by few men.They knew about my ring and that it had poison in it—I managed to break the ring, the gas that escaped from it made my captures instantly dead. But I hadn't realised that even I had inhaled it slightly. Rudraansh and Guruji then saved my life."

"Miraadhya Oh god!"

"Why didn't you tell me about it!"

Abhijeet and Sukanya both speaks at once and I feel Sukanya presence beside me, her eyes filled with worry mirroring my Uncle and I just drop my head.

"Who the hell attacked you?? Rudraansh what the heck were you doing then?" While his anger directed at Rajaji who himself started an argument with him, my focus shifted towards my mother who looked at me with horror in her eyes.

She immediately closes the distance between us and almost after a year I feel her arms around me.

"Wha — you ...are you okay? Are there any side effects? How did this happen!! " It's when her voice breaks down that even I slowly embrace her. The shaky breath that leaves my mouth meets with her trembling heart.

"I almost lost my daughter!" She whispers in horror and suddenly her body starts shaking. I quickly made her sit making sure she is okay. Kneeling down in front of her I see her seeing me like I mattered to her. Ohh what I would have done to have her look at me like this.

"I am fine now. I have recovered." I assure her and I couldn't help but smile through my tears. From my naked eyes I could sense Rajaji and Uncle Abhijeet both seeing us. Rajaji gives a small smile nodding at me.

After a moment I sit beside her holding her wrinkled hand to provide warmth, "So I guess we now have a treaty? We clearly need more research and for that we require complete transparency."

I say trying to divert the topic. Both the kings sighs and looks at each other with a look of mutual understanding. After a moment Abhijeet nods and looks at me.

"Miraadhya we are family now. I hope you understand what that means. Gauda is your home and if you need anything just ask."

"I know." My heart warms up hearing the word family.

"And I want you to have regular check ups. " he adds.

"Already doing that." Rudraansh chips in and he receives an eye roll.

"Okay..." Maa says nodding her head. "I approve of the agreement. Jessore will have complete access to the resources." She adds and I smile in victory.

But then Looking at Rudraansh I saw him giving me a smile that changes to a frown when uncle Abhijeet says something that made his mood go down.

"What happened?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "Nothing happened. Let's go and eat." He adds but I don't miss how tensed his shoulder looked or how the frown stayed on his head even when he tried to smile.

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