Dipika made her way to Dev's room. It had been 2 days since the incident and she had to leave by evening, before that she had to give Dev his first lesson. She stood at the door for a moment, knocked and stepped in.

''Do you have a minute?''

''Yes!'' Dev looked a little detached. She understood his state, he wanted to leave violence and hate behind but he forgot that fight wasn't over yet.

Dipika sat beside him. ''Dev, it was necessary.''

''How long?''

''Till it ends.'' Her reply made him look up. ''I thought you hated all this, you wanted to end it.''

She cupped his cheek. ''To end it, I too had step into it. You will have to do the same.''

''When will it end.''

She smiled. ''It will, and soon. We will end it together.''

''I just want peace.'' 

She caressed his head. ''I know. Just like I wanted, for so many years and now I have the one who can help me.''

''Vikram could have done it too. May be better than me.'' He replied but it was a question.

''Vikram, yes he could, with more violence but you are just like me.'' Her words made him smile. After a minute of silence Dipika asked again. ''Thinking about Rolli.''

''Don't know where are relationship stands?''

''You will have to win Ananya's heart.''

''She will never forgive me.'' he said, his head hung low. Dipika lifted his chin up. ''Then stop proving your goodness. Prove your love. Show her that you can love Rolli the way she loves Ranvijay, and the way Bhai loves her.''

''I can never be Ranvijay Rathore.''

''No one can, but try being Dev. Your aunt too loved a man with all her an heart an for him, she was ready to give her life and unborn baby. You just have to be like me.'' He smiled. Taking her hand between his. ''Can you forgive my mother.''

''Your mother yes, but never mine and I won't let anyone wrong you the way they wronged me.'' He stayed silent. She lifted his chin up. ''Dev, you have an amazing teacher in form of your Patti. Her experience will teach you to fight without lifting a finger and when sword is needed, leave it on me.'' He nodded.

***

''I am so excited.'' Vansh said staring at the luxurious ship. They had to travel to Chennai to board the ship and from there, they were travelling to Bangkok and finally to Singapore. Advay shook his head, he knew Vansh was hiding his pain. He had noticed the longing Vansh's eyes held for Chitra, but she was nowhere to be seen. He deiced to let Vansh be and do his best to help his brother, but he was confused about who would help him forget the eyes which still stared back into his every moment

They stepped on to the foyer being welcomed by the crew, who helped them to their respective suites while explaining the activities they would be enjoying for next 10-12 days. 

''This way Sir.'' A smartly dressed  staff led the duo towards their suite. ''This is your suite. If you need anything, please call the desk.'' Advay nodded as Vansh threw his back on soft mattress. ''I can't wait for this journey to being.''

''What are you running from Vansh?''

Vansh sat up. ''What are you running from bro?''

''Is it that obvious?'' Advay asked a little shocked

Vansh laughed. ''You are sold. The way you looked at her, we all knew it, but why did you leave. Were you angry at your parents?''

''May be, I was but more than them, I was mad at her. Why the hell she had to be so honest? Had we met before, I would have asked her not to open up about her leg in presence of mom.''

Vansh gaped at him. ''And we thought you felt hurt.''

''Trust me, I don't know what I felt then and what I feel now, but something changed.'' Advay accepted.

''You have fallen for her, and yet you are not telling the family. Your dad is fine with her and so is her family, then why complicate?''

''I am not sure how she feels. If she liked me, why did she open about her leg? I think she wanted to avoid getting married"

''Or she just wanted to be honest.'' Vansh shook his head. ''You have lost it. Well, I am going to get fresh and then explore this ship.'' Advay nodded, he closed his eyes. He wanted to see those dark big eyes again. They had slowly turned into his relief from being the reason of restlessness.

Vansh quickly freshened up and decided to leave Advay be. The guy needed to figure out his emotions. He unlocked the door to step out and froze. A pair of dark eyes met his, Vansh blinked stepped back banging the door shut. Urvi frowned, she couldn't understand why someone unknown would react that way.

Vansh rubbed his check, was it just a coincidence or  Veer had intentionally planned for the trip. She shook his head, whatever it was, Advay was going to have roller coaster ride of emotions for next 10 days. Unlocking the door, he peeped and found another girl of his age helping Urvi in, she turned, frowned and narrowed her eyes on him with a warning. He quickly backed out shutting the door shut. 

''What are you doing Vansh?'' Vansh took a step forwarded, hugged Advay silently patting his back. ''I going pray for you.''

''What?''

''Urvi...your Urvi, is the opposite suite.''

''What?'' Advay repeated his eyes going wide.

''Yes! She is here but don't worry brother, I won't let you lose your mind.''

''What?'' Advay seemed to have forgotten  all words but one. Vansh patted his cheeks. ''Calm down bro. We will handle it together.''

''Are you crazy. She is here and I am not sure what I feel .''

''But you just said you like her.''

''Yes, but I don't know if its true or not. She can't be here, she should go back because I need to figure out my feelings. What am I gonna do?'' He paced around worried. ''Okay, we will do one thing. I will not step out of this room for 12 days. Hmm...this should work.''

Vansh shook his head, slapping his palm on his forehead. His brother just lost his mental balance and it was going to a exciting trip for all of them.

***

Ananya leaned against the headrest of her car seat, her thoughts going back to Ranvijay's words. They taken some time off and decided to spend weekend at Ranvijay's summer Palace. It was always their time and they celebrated it like if it was first one. He had painted her beautiful portraits over the years and now his summer Palace was full of them.

Ananya recalled how she found him engrossed in his canvas spread on the floor. She smiled with excitement creeping in her heart about a the colour he was going to paint her in, but it turned into a curiosity when she found he was painting a couple in wedding attire. Ranvijay never painted himself and she knew the one in the picture were some one else.

''Whom have you given my place to?''

He smiled with his back to her. She sounded cuter when jealous. Grinning wide, he turned aound to face her, ''Can I ever give your place to someone?''

''Who knows? You still have so many admirers.'' She replied with a roll of her eyes making him chuckle. He extended his hand and she took it. Ranvijay pulled her to him, moving behind he wrapped her both arms around her middle whispering in her ear. ''Look at them closely, they aren't us.''

She narrowed her eyes, he was still not done with the faces but he had done the eyes of the bride. ''Rolli!''

''Yes, it's her with Dev.'' Ananya pulled herself out of his grip.

''Why are you so hell bent on going against me?''

Smiling, he held her chin between his fingers. ''Who can dare to against the Queen of Jaingarh , but she is our daughter.''

''And this why, I won't let her commit a mistake.''

''Dev, isn't a mistake. He has been wronged.''

''He tried to kill you, he wronged me and that's enough.''

''Anu, I have read his soul. Its pure, that boy has a heart of gold. Please give him a chance, he lost too much , let's not make his life more difficult. Rolli is his hope.'' 

''He is Netra's son.''

''Dipika is Mahendra and Vasudha's daughter, yet you love her then why punish him? He was misguided, and he has paid enough with all the hate. You will give him a chance.''

She crossed her arms at his tone. ''Is that a warning?''

He shook his head, this was why he had fallen for her. She was fearless then when he married her and she was fearless now.  ''No, I won't dare that but I want you to think about what I said.''

''Why?''

''Because its high time we end this hate.'' She stayed silent . He was aware they had to cut the trip short as she would turn silent but it was necessary . He wanted Dev to have a chance. A chance which could have changed Brijesh.

Ananya opened her eyes when the vehicle came to a sudden halt. She took a deep breath , it was time to meet the one she hated.

''Hey, why are you so nervous?'' Rolli asked Dev who looked pale with the thought of meeting the Queen of Jaigarh.

''Do you know how hard it is for me to face her? She is the one I hurt the most''

''It isn't, she is is like a coconut, hard on outside and soft inside. The only thing that brings the Devil out of her is wrong against my dad.''

''And I did the same thing.''

Rolli rubbed his arm. ''Dev, she agreed to meet you. This is a big step, I asked her to give you a chance an now its your turn.''

''I hope I survive this.''

Ananya stood at the distance watching the couple. Rolli said something, he smile. Small lines appeared at the corner of his eyes, reminding her of Dipika. She huffed, even when Ranvijay's words echoed  her mind she still wasn't ready to believed that he was like her beloved friend.

Dipika had proved her love and loyalty through her sacrifices. She had put her life, relations and child at stake for the ones she loved. She smirked, Dipika didn't have to yet she did but Dev will have to prove his feelings, and she knew just the right thing.

Dev got up with the jerk when his eyes met that of Ananya, watching him like a hawk. He couldn't understated if she was warning on reading his thoughts. Even if she was, he had nothing to hide. He loved her daughter with all his might and was ready to prove his love.

Ananya's eyes moved from him to her daughter. Rolli had looped her arm around his, offering him the required support. She smiled moving around the table to take her seat. Dev shifted in his place. The Queen looked merciless and ready to kill, he felt blood leaving his body but then Neelambari's words came back. ''You should not bow down if you are not wrong. You are sorry and they should understand that.'' 

He relaxed, he would have faced her sooner or later, it was no brainier running from it. He smiled and Ananya blinked. Strange emotion passed through eyes but she masked it, her gaze turning harder. Rolli looked from one to other, praying for things to go smooth.

*** 

''You said our days will change once late king's family is back but this Devansh Singh is a wuss.'' said a man in his early thirties.

A woman sat on the old bed, cracking the beetle nuts with the nut cutter. Her mind working on next move. Frustrated, she kicked the plate hard. ''I didn't warm Mahendra Singh's bed to live the life of poverty. My kids are his blood, and we will take what belongs to us.''

''He is backed by Rathores. Dipika Rathore his back.''

''Then we hit the weakest point, which will hurt them all. Stay low, I will tell you what to do next.''

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A humble request to readers. I took 2 weeks to write this because I have  been busy. I had put a message about the same last week. I have  mentioned this earlier and now again, I am a working person who devotes 12 hrs just to the job and at time even  the weekends.  So please be patient. I understand, readers lose the track but so do I. I have to go back and read the chapters to write a new one every time.

There has been a time I posted 3-4 stories every week and replied to all comments. I enjoyed it, but with my new profile, I hardly get time to think . I have put all my stories on hold for this reason and writing just two. 

Please understand, at times I am not is a situation to think let alone write, but that doesn't mean I am ignoring my own work. I don't write or will write for the heck of writing, I wish to be good and for that I needs time. Some stories come like a flow and others need time.

Also, there will be no new book on Royals and I will be finishing all couple stories in this book itself. I could post this one because I took a day off and have to work again this weekend. Hope you understand my situation.Its just a request.