Part 55 About the changes

Rudra Pratap shot his grandson, making all of them shocked to the core.

"Are you that greedy to kill your grandson?" Arnav asked loathly.

"Prince Aparajith, have you forgotten the power of the sand clock? I will bring my grandson back with the use of The Sand clock, just like, how Khushi brought her parents back" he said pointing the gun at Arnav.

Arnav got his point.

"Prince Aparajith, give me the sand clock. This is a gun. If the bullet penetrated you, you will die immediately. So, don't try to play any of your tricks on me"

"Arnav, give it to him..." Khushi said.

"Yes, Prince Aparajith, more than the sand clock, your life is important to us," Shashi said.

"See, how your father-in-law is feeling sad...! Give it to me" Radra said.

Arnav looked at Shashi who gestured something to Khushi that had gone unnoticed by Rudra.

Arnav understood the father and the daughter were up to something. So, he extended the sand clock to him.

"I'm not that idiot to take it from you. Don't I know what will you do if I come close to you? Keep it down,"

Arnav bent down to keep it on the ground. That was when Shashi said,

"Police came..."

Rudra jerked and looked behind. In no time, Khushi rotated her leg in the air and shrugged the gun from his hand. The gun fled into the corner of the room. Rudra was shocked about the change of the scene. He tried to run away from there, but Arnav was faster than him. He came in front of him, blocking his way. Taking his sword, Shashi threw it to him, using his full strength. Catching it, Arnav aimed it at Rudra. It came out penetrating his chest. Rudra fell to the ground. The man who wanted Arnav's sword to become rich met his death, having the same sword in his body.

Arnav pulled the sword from his body. Rudra let out a deep sigh and his soul freed from his body with the sigh.

"How greedy this man is" Garima said.

Arnav looked at Shashi and said,

"You too come with us to my kingdom. You don't have to be in this era where there is no justice"

"We can't come with you, Prince Aparajith"

Cutting him,

"But why Babuji? How would you be alone here? Why should you be alone without anyone?" Khushi asked.

"Have you forgotten your father is a teacher? We could not leave our responsibilities here. I'm a teacher. I would like to teach good things to kids. The society needs it more." Shashi said

"As per the rules of the sand clock, nothing can be changed. I don't know what will happen if we go back" Arnav said worriedly.

"Nothing will change those were created by Khushi until she is with you... everything will change only if she gets separated from you and comes back to the modern era. If she is with you, the changes will remain the same. I suppose" Shashi said.

"But, the police may question you about this assassination" Khushi said.

"No one saw them bringing us here. I and Garima were on the way from our village to our house. We just got off the bus to have dinner. These guys brought us here. According to our neighbors, we went to our village. So, no one will doubt us"

"But, what will you tell people when they raise questions about me?" Khushi asked.

"We will manage"

"How will you manage, Babuji? This is why I want you to come with us"

"No, Khushi, if we are here, no one gets a doubt. If we are not found here, then only people will connect the dots because Nayak and Rudra are my father's friends. They worked with him in the archeology department. Police will easily suspect us. I don't want it to happen"

"Won't you come with us?" Khushi asked, making a sad face.

"We will surely come to your kingdom... as guests" he smiled.

"Ok, we will come after a week to know the happenings," Arnav said.

"As you said, Prince Aparajith," Shashi said.

"You don't have to call me Prince Aparajith. I'm your son-in-law" Said Arnav.

"Ok, Arnav" Shashi said making Arnav smile.

"How do you go home in this time, Babuji?"

"We will reach the highways within a five minutes' walk. We can get a means of transport from there"

"We will also come with you. We will go after dropping you" Arnav said.

Shashi nodded ok.

"That was when Shashi got a call on his mobile"

He saw the number and frowned.

"Who's call is it, Babuji?"

"Your college Principal's call," he said thoughtfully.

"Why is she calling you in this time?"

"Let me ask her"

"Please please, turn the speaker ON" Khushi requested.

Shashi attended the call and turned the speaker on.

"Hello..."

"Is this Shashi Gupta, Khushi Gupta's father?"

"Yes,"

"Sir, I'm really sorry to say this, your daughter is missing," Khushi's Principal said.

"Whaaaat?" Shashi said looking at Khushi.

"Yes, sir. She was just here with us in the campfire. We don't know how she vanished all of a sudden. No one saw her going anywhere. We are sorry sir"

Shashi was speechless.

"At what time did she vanish?"

"Exactly at 9:30 pm"

Shashi closed his mobile's edge and asked Khushi,

"When did you reach this era?"

"Around 9:30 pm"

Shashi understood why Khushi vanished from the campfire. She vanished when Khushi stepped into the modern era exactly at the same time with Arnav.

"We will file a complaint with the police sir," The Principal said.

Shashi's brain worked fast. He didn't want to step into the police station for any reason. He was not good at acting. He could not be pretending for long to be sad. Being a father of a missed daughter, he should be sad but he could not do it when his daughter was living like a Princess. So, he decided something.

"One minute, Madam... Khushi is coming..." Said Shashi Gupta.

"Whaaat? Did she come there? But why?"

"One minute..." he waited for a few seconds and answered as if he asked Khushi the reason.

"She came to us because she could not be without us" Shashi said.

"This is too much, Mr. Gupta. If she doesn't want to be here, she should have told us. We would have arranged a means of transport for her return. Do you know how nervous we are here? How could she be careless? We died in fear thinking of her" she was angry.

"I know Madam. You are a motherly Principal no one could find. That was why I made my daughter join your college. I'm very sorry for the mistake"

The Principal melted. Her tone softened.

"I'm not talking for that Mr. Gupta. The matter went to the management. They will take sever action against Khushi. She is a very good student. That was why I worried"

"What action will be taken against Khushi?"

"They may suspend her"

"No problem even if they dismiss her"

"Whaaat? What are you talking?"

"Yes, she got an opportunity to explore the Mauriyan Empire."

"You mean, the places related to Mauriyan Empire?" she asked. Shashi smiled.

"She won't come to the college anymore"

"But, doesn't mean she should quit the college. She can take leave and could explore. I will give her permission. If our student is an explorer, it will bring goodwill to our college. I will recommend to the management not to take any action against her"

"I will surely let you know our decision madam"

"Please consider"

"Sure..."

Shashi disconnected the call and smiled at Khushi. Arnav was silent as he could not understand Hindi. He raised his brows.

"When you came to this era with Khushi, this era Khushi vanished from her college tour," Shashi said.

"Is it?" Arnav asked surprisingly.

"Yes, that hints to us that you guys should be together. Until you are together, everything will be alright. Or else, whatever changes Khushi made will change"

Khushi nodded yes and Arnav smiled. He was relieved as Khushi's parents had no intention of stopping her from going to his kingdom back. The sand clock was also working in his favor. That satisfied him.

"Let's go"

Arnav and Khushi accompanied Shashi and Garima to the highways.

"We should move a little far" Arnav said.

"Haan, then only police would not spot you" Khushi said.

Shashi and Garima nodded ok and walked half a kilometer. They saw a bus coming in the distance.

"A bus is coming," Garima said.

"Will you come next week?" Shashi asked.

"We will surely come" Arnav said before Khushi did.

"Take care" Garima caressed Khushi's hair.

Khushi hugged Garima and said,

"You too take care, Amma. We will come only at nights. Then only no one would get to know about the sand clock"

"Yes, it's very important. People will do anything for the sand clock. Keep it carefully" Shashi said.

"Ok, Babuji"

"You go..." Shashi said.

Khushi looked at Arnav. Clutching Khushi's hand, he twisted the sand clock. The next second, they appeared in Arnav's bedroom from where they went to the modern era.

To be continued...

Note: Yes... the next update will be the last update of QUEENLY VALUES. Thank you for giving your support, accepting my thoughts.