Thank you voting and commenting on the previous chapter. I love you all ❤. 

Separated by destiny met by luck.
-Aditi

Saya felt fear crawling like ants on her skin as palasha moved towards her. As the distance between them started grew lesser Saya could feel her breathe getting hitched I her throat. Suddenly she felt she had stopped breathing when palasha's fingers held the outline of her veil.

She squeezed her eyes shivering in panic the moment palasha removed the veil from her face. She was vibrating with anxiety as she dangled on the thread of hope. Palasha couldn't see the face of the woman properly as darkness lurked in the small cell.

Saya choked on her tears cupping her mouth as she stood vulnerable infront of the trio. Palasha felt the sense of knowing the woman crying infront of her but she couldn't point out why was she feeling that.

"Who are you,"Palasha whispered her senses frozen as her brain functioned to get a single hint regarding the woman who stood infront of her.

Saya couldn't answer her question as the past memories started hitting her. She felt her own Saliva choking her after finding the woman she had feared to be dead standing infront of her eyes.

"Show your face, " Palasha ordered placing a hand on saya's shoulder who jerked away turning around walking few steps away from palasha.

Palasha sighed turning around her eyes met with her son who nodded grabbing one of the oil torches from the passages he moved behind his mother. The illumination emitted by the small torch mixed with the burning smell of oil and cloth created a hazy atmosphere in the cell. Palasha placed her Palms on saya's shoulders softly, feeling the vibrations as the woman who had her back turned around to her cried.

Her hands trembled as she applied pressure on the woman's shoulders slowly turning her around. Saya had her eyes closed as palasha turned her around. A gasp left from her mouth the moment her eyes fell on the familiar face she had been looking for since past 5 years.

Palasha's eyes widened in realisation when Saya opened her eyes, their eyes locked in a infinity circle as memories started to replay in their minds. Palasha couldn't hold any longer as the shock made her knee tremble she fell down on saya's legs wailing like a mad woman. Her hand rested on saya's feet as she respectfully placed her head on them showing her submission as she cried in realization. Saya hollowed her cheeks as tears trailed down her eyes.

"Why does she looks like female version of Vasaya" loki whispered bumping his shoulder with Ayas. Ayas sighed nodding at loki hinting his doubt was right.

Saya crouched down at palasha's level, she helped palasha getting away from her feet as both the woman cried remembering all the pain they both have endured all their lives. The hardwork to gain one Morsel of grain to feed their kids, the fear of being around men who could take advantage of a single woman with kid. They had suffered everything. But the hope of meeting each other again kept them alive.

Saya had unintentionally made Palasha a mother 26 years ago and palasha had made sure she took care of the kid she had been promised  with. And in return she had gained two more sons and a big family.

"Pa-palasha" Saya whispered as palasha hugged her tightly. She sobbed holding Saya closer to herself. Saya patted her back trying to comfort both of them.

"You. You are alive palasha. Maa bhawani blessed us. You are fine." Saya whispered caressing palasha's cheek as she laughed lightly looking at her friend. Palasha nodded holding her hands as they both looked looked each other.

"You are alive too. We have finally made it " She cried as they both laughed lightly tears falling down their eyes.

"Mother, sorry to interrupt but we should take this in somewhere private and secure. The dungeons are not safe " Loki interrupted both the women as ayas nodded agreeing with him. Palasha wiped her tears a smile resting on her face as she helped Saya getting up. She wiped saya's tears shaking her head to not cry any more. Everything was fine and it was going to be more fine.

Before palasha could take Saya out of the cell, Saya adjusted her veil covering her face. Palasha did not comment on it as she understood the turmoil Saya was going through. She had endured a routine over the past 26 years and getting her out of if will take time.

Saya followed palasha silently as they walked past huge royal passages of the palace of Rakshatra. Saya has always prohibited herself to enter the Royal quarters with a fear of coming across someone who would recognize her and the fear of all those memories coming back to her. She gulped tightening her hold on Palasha as they entered the royal quarters. She remembered it all too well, this was the same place where all her wings were butchered. Palasha placed her arm on Saya's back as she helped her getting into her room. Ayas and loki had left them alone to provide them the privacy they both deserved.

"Seculsion" Palasha ordered the moment she entered with Saya in her chambers. Everyone left the room leaving Saya and her alone. Palasha made Saya sit comfortably on one of the sofas as she moved around around fetch a glass of water for her.

Saya removed her veil looking at her surroundings, the place appeared different, very different compared to 26 years ago. Palasha smiled handling her the glass of water which she eagerly took gulping it like a thirsty man in the desert.

"I still cannot Believe that I have found you, again" Palasha whispered taking Saya into another hug. Saya sighed placing her head on palasha's shoulder letting all her worries fly out of her brain.

"Palasha, He, I mean to ask" Saya began with trembling lips her voice cracking as she tried to utter those words out of her mouth. Palasha moved away looking at her majesty as Saya held her tears back.

"I mean" She gulped inaudibly looking at palasha who nodded at her urging to speak further.

"My son, he how's he?" Saya asked desperately the Mother in her dreading over the fact that what would happen if her son couldn't make it.

Palasha nodded smiling back as tears brimmed in her eyes.

"He is fine all healthy and grown up. He looks just like you, same eyes same face and same nose. He is a walking replica of you. "Saya smiled thinking about the last image of her son which she had seen.

"He's the king. " Saya' stiffened when palasha whispered those words.

"Yes, he is the king. He came back and killed rametu in the most brutal way. He made sure that he yearned for his death as he killed him. He choped his body parts one by one to make him go through not even half portion of the pain you endured. We all endured. And I am proud to say that I witnessed all that reminiscing all the brutality he had foreseen on us. " Palasha gritted her teeth cursing the dead King of Rakshatra.

"But, but they said the king was a barbarian invader" Everytime Saya spoke her voice trembled it felt like she was forcing those words out of her system. But she wanted to know she wanted to know everything to clench her thirst of longingness.

"He is a barbarian invader for the people who think that this throne, this kingdom does not belong to him. He is the rightful heir to the throne and he has claimed it. We arrived from Romania, from the other side of the seas that is why they love to call us invaders." Saya nodded rubbing her cheeks as palasha continued.

"He misses you. He has searched for you everywhere. We send troops in every part of hind to get one clue of you. To get one clue to confirm that you were alive. I have died every single passing moment since he ascended the throne. Zravasaya he-"

"Zravasaya, you named him Zravasaya. That's a very beautiful name " Saya smiled as she remembered a baby Zravasaya who was just hours old when she had birthed him. She had missed everything about him, about his childhood about his glory everything. But the only relief she had was he was alive and he had took the revenge she wanted.

"Yes, it' means Glory. Zravasaya, Son of Saya. " Palasha replied pride lurking in her tone as Saya cried silently. She was grateful for having a friend like palasha who had blown her whole life to serve her.

"Your majesty, but what about the princesses. She would have grown up Into a very beautiful Woman?" Saya nodded rubbing her Palms. Kaya has indeed grown up into the most beautiful person.

"Her actions are just like you. Stubborn and courageous. Your shadow did affect my womb and look my daughter behaves like you" palasha laughed hearing Saya as she imagined the princess. 

"I named her Kaya, she is my shadow but I wanted to make her the stronger version of myself, the wiser and stronger version of my weak self."

"You are not weak. If you were weak you would not have been sitting infront of me right now "

Palasha coaxed as she denied saya' claims. Both the women spent hours talking about everything they had suffered and gone through the past years, crying and reminiscing the bitter sweet memories, finally the two friends separated by responsibilities and destiny those two relived everything.

Loki was standing beside ayas as they both gazed at the trees appearing as ants from one of the  Royal terraces of Rakshatra. Loki sighed smiling lightly as he looked at ayas.

"What?" Ayas asked loki which made him smile wider.

"Zravasaya deserves this. I have seen him hiding the pain of not meeting the person who confided him a goal all his life. Now that we have found his mother i feel that he is complete. " Ayas smiled as the breeze flew around him.

"I am happy for him too. I am glad that he found his mother and his sister. " Ayas smiled not only because Zravasaya found his family but also happy for kaya, as she deserved to be worshipped as a royal.

"Sister? That woman kaya is Vasaya's little sister. Goddess, what a damn coincidence " Loki gasped as he sat on the thin marble railing. With one move he could clearly fall down but death didn't scare him.

"I don't think this is a coincidence. I think that woman anamika has something to do with it. The way she kept forcing the narrative of kaya being the culprit makes me appear very suspicious and how much I know we know nothing about the person who added the poison"

"You could be right. But if Anamika was doing this out of pure jealously then we have another dead end. As we now know that the woman who made the dish is not at fault, she is the queen mother. She was herself scared enough for her surroundings how could she hurt someone. We need to think out of the box. Because if that person knows that Queen Saya is alive and Kaya is the lost princess then we need to hurry up and hunt him down. " Ayas nodded agreeing with him as whatever loki said was true. If the person who had attempted a murder on Tanirika was still free and out there it was dangerous.

"Anyways you need to hold your horses back, king of Persia. Because your woman is now the princess of Rakshatra. You need You need move her out of your room before her brother gets to know " Loki smiled sarcastically looking down at Ayas who rolled his eyes in annoyance.

It was going to be harder to win Kaya back. Earlier he had planned to take her away with him as she was just a village girl. But now her being the princess of Rakshatra and his bestfriend's sister would arise more problems. And Kaya already had enough problems on her plate.

"I think we need to take the princess to her mother as soon as possible. Both of them should stay together and away from the eyes of people who could hurt them. I will increase security and appoint My most trusted men for them." Loki said moving away from ayas, not finding ayas behind me he turned around and sighed as the love sick man was in dilemma. After all he could see his love story breaking. Good, he deserved that.

Both brother and sister were head over heels for Zravasaya and his sister. Loki snarked clapping his hands bringing Ayas out of his trance.

When Ayas entered his chambers he found kaya sitting on the bed as Aaban and Neera fought over something. Ayas rolled his eyes as he entered the room, aaban and neera stood frozen like deer caught infront of the Lion while Kaya smiled softly getting up from the bed as her eyes fell on Ayas. He frowned when kaya's smile turned into fear as she ran behind him clutching his coat she hid behind him her eyes stuck on the redhead who stood in the middle with a smirk evident on his face.

Loki found kaya very interesting,  she was the female version of Zravasaya but oddly unique. It was her eyes. The way she ran behind Ayas like a scared kitten he laughed loudly, Zravasaya was going to throw a fit. The drama brimming in the palace was interesting and he was enjoying it.

"You are scaring her" Ayas stated as he looked at him who kept staring at Kaya.

"Its just that we always say that if we want to see a female version of a man then you should see their daughter but here both mother and father comprise of Zravasaya. It's funny to look " He laughed as he walked towards Kaya who stick to ayas like a second skin. 

"I would advise you to get away from the king of Persia, Princess if you want to see him alive. Your brother would kill him to touch you. " loki sighed scratching his eye brow looking at the the duo.

Kaya gulped hearing the word princess from loki's mouth as Ayas slowly gathered her in his arms. She slowly lifted her gaze meeting Ayas' who sighed maintaining a distance from her. Kaya immediately felt empty the moment he created a distance between them.

"Your mother is waiting for you, Princess Kaya. We should really head towards her. " He replied respectfully his face held no emotion which broke something inside Kaya.

He knew that she was a princess which clearly implied that he had eavesdropped on her last night.

Zravasaya walked towards the bunch of men standing infront of the one of the biggest dam constructed in hind. He has been working on this dam since last 4 years and was the one who had architectured the whole layout of the Dam.

Advisor achyut bowed respectfully at Tanirika who smiled nodding back as they both stood away from Zravasaya and the men he was talking too. Tanirika and Zravasaya had arrived near the dam to check the final finishing of the construction as it was getting ready for the upcoming rainy season.

"Your majesty, The construction looks magnificent " Achyut replied looking at the huge wall of stone built infront of his eyes. Tanirika smiled at him as they both conversed about nothing in particular. After few minutes zravasaya walked towards them with a frown.

"Where is Ayas, Advisor Achyut? He was supposed to be here the day we left the palace. He wanted to study the wall for architectural purpose. But the men informed me that he has not yet arrived?" Advisor achyut bowed slightly looking at a very annoyed Zravasaya.

"Your majesty, The king of persia canceled his carriage unexpectedly and we could not question him. He said he wanted to rest. " He replied.

"When I pushed my plans for the old palace behind for him, it was him who pressurized me to give him sometime as he wanted to study the Dam but now he is nowhere. I don't know what is wrong with him?" He muttered clasping his hands tightly behind him back restraining his anger. 

Tanirika signaled Advisor achyut to leave them alone as she moved towards her husband. She placed her palm on his biceps looking at his handsome face.

"Zravsaya it's fine. Maybe he was tired out of the journey "

"Then I expect to be informed about it. I don't know what's going on these days. I received a letter stating we still don't know who tried to poison you. We are slacking behind " He gritted his teeth as he stared at the men working on the dam. Tanirika sighed rubbing his bicep as she leaned on him. She placed her face on his shoulder as making him sigh. 

"I don't know I feel very agitated and nervous. " He stated making her smile at him.

"I guess we should back and you should talk to your friend. " She whispered, Zravasaya kept staring at front as he considered tanirika's words. He really needed to go back and know what was actually going on in the palace.

"We are going back to the palace " He stated.

Zravasaya could feel something was wrong. Loki had not written a single letter to him since past 3 days. He did not expect anything from Meglos but surprisingly he had received a letter from him which stated how he was going to tell Tanirika about him and lekha when they come back. He was forcing him to come back to the palace as soon as possible.

Stupid meglos.

Tanirika thought about Ayas and then at his sister Mehfil. She could not help but think about all the possibilities which were waiting for them as they traveled back. Was mehfil trying something?

And was her brother helping her?

YOOO GUYSS!!!!!!! I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS CHAPTER!!!!

my little puddings

And I don't know why do yall doubt palasha. Trust me she ain't a grey character. She has literally sacrificed her whole life for Saya.

This chapter was too dramatic lmao.

Good thing is Zravi are going back. And I think things won't be good for Ayas and Kaya in future lmao.

Plus we have mehfil too 👀.

Ayas is very smart though.

Anyways take care and stay hydrated.

Bye guys

Love Aditi ❤