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Chapter 14 ~ Love is Important

Abhinandan POV

Abhinandan POV

I asked him to wage the war the day we learned about Rudra and Nandani. I wanted him to do it and kill him. I was willing to take part in it. Instead of listening to me, he blamed me and said that I was equally responsible for it.

And I hated it.

I was not responsible for it. Although I trusted Rudra and brought him into the Kingdom, he planned everything.

My father made us vulnerable in front of the whole Hind by listening to Nandani. He sent the message that we were weak.

But, it seems like everything has gone in vain.

I will never forget his decision. If he had wanted, Rudra would never have married Nandani. And I liked that. I wanted him dead.

I let out a deep exhale and freshened up. I did not meet anyone. Even after Nandani looked happy, I could not accept that she was pleased. I did not know if we were truly twins.

I would never marry a girl who would have betrayed me, not in this life and not in the other six. Even if I would die, I would never.

Strangely, I remembered Trisha all of a sudden.

"Abhinan," suddenly, my mother's voice caught my attention, and I lifted my head to notice her bringing the dinner for me.

"Maasa," I called out and sat straight.

She sat in front of me, smiled, and looked at me.

"How are you?" her voice was slightly weak, and I nodded.

"Better," I said, and she nodded, tearing a bite for me.

"I am big now, Maasa. I can eat with my hands," I exclaimed, pulling the plate towards me, and she smiled.

"You are certainly bigger now," she said, lowering her gaze and placing the torn bite on the side of the plate. I gulped with the stir of emotions. You know you only wished to eat with your hands when you were ten. Nandani would be so jealous of you as she started eating alone when she was three. And, to make her even more envious, you would continue asking me to feed you," she said, and I nodded, remembering it.

I liked teasing her.

"Yes, I remember that," I said, and she lifted her gaze to me.

"Her life is not a food bite, Abhinan," she said, and I inhaled deeply. When would they stop supporting her?

"When a person dies, it is not others who dig his grave; it's his own family who does that," she said, staring into my eyes. "Do not hurt yourself over her. It's over. She is gone. Whatever happens to her, to her family, the new one is her business now. Let her do that, live that and fight whatever comes in her path. She chose it by herself. If you cannot accept that, do not stand as a mountain before a flowing river. It might not affect the water, but it will part the river. Do not become that to your sister, knowingly or unknowingly. You have always told her she could choose for herself and let people say whatever they want. When did you stop becoming that brother? It's not your mistake, my child. It was mine. It was your father's. Suppose he had not married me before Suryadev and my wedding. Nothing of it had ever happened. Rudra would not have lost his father, nor would he have done what he did. It's your father's karma. That brought him here. It is my karma that brought me here. The battle is not your fight. You have a bright future ahead. You can mould your kingdom as you want and lead it as you desire. It's all yours to claim, my child. Leave whatever happened behind for your well-being and others, too. If you keep pulling it by yourself, our enemies will not have to do much to scatter us," she exclaimed in a slow voice, and I just looked at her.

I immediately lowered my gaze. For a moment, I realised that whatever she said was right. And, at least, unlike Rudra, she did not claim Nandani innocent. She thought about me.

I nodded silently and muttered. "Yes, Maasa, I will try to accept it," I said, and she cupped my cheek and kissed my forehead.

"I love you so much. A mother does not know how to be biased towards one child, especially when they are twins. I cannot tell who drank more of my milk. I cannot tell who got much of my love. Because whatever I had to give, I gave it all to both of you," she said, caressing my cheek, and I nodded with a weak smile.

"Thank you, Maasa," I muttered, and she lowered her gaze to the plate.

"You are the next King and must focus on becoming that. God knows when you will have to be prepared for the battle of reality," she muttered, and I knit my brows with confusion. I could not understand her.

"Shall I feed you now?" she asked, smiling suddenly, and I nodded.

"Yes,"

She tore a bite and fed me. I chewed on it, and I blinked nervously before saying it aloud.

"Maasa, there is one thing that is bothering me more now," I said, and she softened her eyes and nodded.

"Do you remember Trisha?" I asked, and she knitted her brows for a moment and then nodded.

"Your friend when you were young," she asked, and I nodded, taking another bite from her hand.

"Yes. Baapusa asked her to talk to me. He called her here and asked her to convince me to come back," I said, and she stared at me blankly.

"It's wrong," I declared, and she inhaled deeply, nodding.

"Yes, it does," she said.

"You did not know about it?" I asked, and she looked away for a moment.

"I do not remember much these days," she said, and I looked into her eyes. It seemed like something was bothering her.

But what?

"Do you remember when you wanted something from your father, and he would deny it?" she asked, and I nodded.

"Yes, I would come to you to talk to him," I said, and she nodded.

"He did the same. When you were not listening to him, he asked one of your good friends to talk to you," she said, and I looked away.

"But why? Why involve her? It was not like I was going to live there for the rest of my life," I said, and she tore another bite and brought it closer to my mouth.

"Maybe he wished to see you sooner," she said, and I inhaled deeply.

"She is getting married, Maasa," I could not stop myself from saying.Another Update!!!

She pulled her hand back and looked at me.

"And?" she asked.

"What and? I do not want her to marry. I asked her to deny that," I said, clenched my jaw. "And she did not listen to me," I added.

"Why did you ask her to do that?" she asked, and I looked at her blankly.

"Because I do not want her to get married," I stated, and she nodded.

"But why? Is she being forced to marry?" she asked, and I shook my head.

"I do not think so. But I think she deserves better," I said, and she looked into my eyes.

"Better like whom?" she asked, and I looked back at her in confusion.

Better like whom? I did not know that.

"I do not know. I do not want her to get married," I exclaimed, and she asked.

"Who is she getting married to?"

"A soldier," I replied.

She nodded. "Okay, then your father and I will talk to Guruji and suggest a higher-ranking soldier, like a commander-in-chief or maybe Ashwin. His parents are looking for a girl, too," she suggested, and my eyes widened with shock.

"But, why a soldier? Why not a Prince or a King? Does not she deserve to be a Princess or a Queen?" I asked, and she knit her brows.

"Does she want that?" she asked, and I shook my head. "I do not know," I declared.

"Well, if you want that, I will suggest a good Prince to her father. There will be plenty wanting to marry a girl like her," she said, and I looked away.

So that you know – the matter remained the same. I did not want anyone to touch her. It was better when she tried to become a sage.

"Is that alright?" she asked, and I shook my head.

"No!" I looked at her. "I do not think that either Guruji or she will agree to that," I added, and she looked at me with the lines on her forehead.

"Then, what do you want?" she asked, and I stood up from the bed.

That was the reality, and I did not know exactly what I wanted with Trisha, Nandani, Rudra, and my family.

My emotions for them were like the roots of the trees, scattered and intertwining.

I could not settle on hating them, standing by them or loving them.

I was still determining what I wanted.

"I do not know, Maasa," I declared, and she stood up and held my hand.

"No one knows what exactly they want. That's why people make decisions with impulses. At one moment, something seems good for others, and the same might be bad by the end of the day. You are not alone in this, Abhinan," she said, and I turned around to look at her.

"Maasa, can I ask you something?" I said, and she nodded.

"Is love truly that important? Cannot someone live his life without it?" I asked, and she inhaled a deep breath.

"Love is a different word for everyone, Abhinan. For some, it's the definition of devotion. The sages, the saint, and the devotees love their idols and spend their lives contently serving them, asking for nothing in exchange. That is the purest form of love. They do not love a person. Instead, they fall in love with the supreme. But, it is love. There are people like Kings, soldiers, and martyrs who love their Kingdom, people, and religion the most. They spend their life serving them contently until the last breath them. It is love, too. And, there is a love of a woman who loves others in the shadow of mother, sister, wife, and daughter and spends their whole life contently loving them. It is love, too. The forms of love can vary, but it is impossible for someone to live without love. Love is a motivation that wakes us up in the morning; sometimes, it is in the form of discipline; sometimes, it is in the form of habit, but it is there. Love is not only a man and wife. It is much deeper and like a tree; the more it spreads its leaves, the bigger it grows and the sweeter the fruits come," she said, and I sucked on my lips.

"Should I find love in my life, too? Will it give me a sense of purpose or motivation? Because these days, I feel like I do not have anything to wake up in the morning. And, you know, Kingdom and power never motivates me to step forward," I said, and she smiled weakly, looking at me.

"It is yours to find, Abhinan. Who am I to tell you what to do? I cannot guarantee that love will change everything for you, but maybe a companion you love and the one who loves you might help you find that purpose," she said, and I knit my brows.

"Are you suggesting that I get married, too?" I asked, and she suddenly smiled.

"Well, there will not be any greater joy than seeing your son get married, but marriage is not the answer to what you seek. Maybe a companion who could listen to you without interrupting you is the first step to begin. Once you start speaking, the rest of it will make sense," she suggested. I did not know why, but only Trisha came to mind when she mentioned someone listening to me without interrupting.

She was the one who listened to me like that.

"And, what if I never found that companion?" I asked, and she smiled.

"That companion cannot only be a person; it could be an art, a habit, or something that allows your mind to go free. And everyone does find one in their life. Do not worry," she said, and I bit on my lips.

"And, what if that companion would be a person?" I asked, looking away, and she stayed silent for a few moments.

"And, she is getting married?" she asked suddenly.

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Chapter 15 ~ Ashwin and Shantanu

Abhinandan POV

Abhinandan POV

I stood stunned hearing her and shook my head.

She laughed a little and said. "You should rest,"

I heard her footsteps as she walked out, and I sat on the bed. She had cooked for me today, and she loved me.

I knew it.

The next few were like water for me. With each passing moment here in my home, around my family, missing my sister's presence, I felt my rage calming down.

We would have fought about a thousand things if she were here. But she was not here. She was at her home.

I sat on the stairs of my garden attached to my chamber, feeding the birds.

They looked beautiful. They had a habit of sitting down here and waiting for me. I would wake up hearing their noise. A few of them were way too impatient to enter my bedroom to wake me up. I had a habit of sleeping late at night.

My brain keeps wandering, thinking, and remembering until I get frustrated. Maybe this is why I have had impatience and rage since childhood.

I needed to learn how to work on that.

"Abhinan," my grandmother's voice caught my attention, and I looked at her walking in with the cute steps. I smiled, looking at her.

"Daadisa," I stood and helped her walk towards the couch.

"An invitation has arrived from Suryagarh. Rudra and Nandani have their crowning ceremony in two days," she informed me while sitting down on the couch with a deep inhale. She was getting old, but her smile was intact.

"Ohh," I exclaimed, and she touched my cheek. I sat down to my knees before her.

"You will go with us, right?" she asked, and I nodded weakly.

"I do not think there is any reason not to go. If everyone were there and I would not, people might confuse it as the breaking of Suryagarh and Mahableshgarh's newly made bonds," I said, and she nodded.

"You are intelligent and a pure soul, Abhinandan. Trust me, no one can even get closer to you. After all, you take after Abhishree," she said, and I smiled. She always said I was more like my mother than my father. And, for some reason, she was always happy about that.

Crowning was an essential day for Rudra and Nandani. If I were not there, it would reflect my displeasure with them. I did not want any confusion between Suryagarh and Mahabaleshgarh. Whatever it was, I did not want to see Nandani's effort go to waste.

"Yuvraj," Suddenly, an attendee's voice caught my attention, and I looked at him.

"There is a letter for you," he informed me, stepping closer to give it to me.

"Okay, I should leave now," Daadisa said, standing up, and I helped her a little.

"Abhinandan," she turned around.

"I took an oath to visit the Devi temple with you once you return. Let me know whenever you are free after we come back from Suryagarh," she said, and I nodded.

"Ji, Daadisa," I muttered and helped her walk out of the chamber.

Once she left, I sat on the couch and opened the letter. It was from Nandani. A tiny, weak smile appeared on my face.

"Priya Abhinandan Bhaisa

Hume Aasha hai aapka taapman ab nyuntam hoga. Hum bhi bata de, ki bahut khush hai yaha.

Is hafte ke ant me Rudra ka Mukut Samaroh hai. Bahut varsho ke pachshat jiske vo hamesha se layak the, unhe mil jaega. Unke saath hamara bhi mukut samaroh hai. Hum jaante hai jaane, anjaane hamare kuch nirnaye se aapko bahut kasht hua. Hum kshama maangte hai dobara uske liye. Lekin aap hamesha kehte the ki jab kuch na samajh aaye to sirf apne liye sochna chahiye kyuki agar sochenge tab bhi bure banenge, or agar nahi sochenge tab bhi bure banenge.

Apne jeevan ke kuch nirnayak nirnay humne aapki anupasthiti me liye hai. Jiska hume sadev hi dukh rahega.

Parantu ye pal hamare liye or Rudra ke liye bhot bada hai or hum isse aapke bina nahi jeena chahte. Hum chahte hai ki kisi ke liye na sahi aap hamare liye awashya aaye. Jab hum dukhi the, to chahte the aap hamare saath ho, par aap nahi the. Hume uska koi afsos nahi. Aapka sochna bilkul thik tha. Parantu ab hum chahte hai ki sab pehle jesa ho jae hamare beech. Aap aaenge to hume lagega ki sab thik ho gaya. Hamare man me aapke liye kabhi koi kadwahat nahi rahi. Kisi ne kuch bhi kaha ho, lekin hamare hisaab se aap sahi the or hain. Aasha hai aapke man me bhi hamare liye koi kadwahat nahi hogi.

Hum aapki prateeksha karenge.

Aapki behan, Nandani,"

"Dear brother Abhinandan,

I hope your temperature will be normal now. I must tell you that I am thrilled here, too.

This is to inform you that Rudra has his crowing ceremony at the end of this week. Finally, he will get everything he always deserved. I have my crowning ceremony, too, along with him. I know that a few of my decisions have hurt you deeply, knowingly, and unknowingly, and I apologise again. But, as you always said, when you cannot think about anything, think about yourself because if you think about yourself, you will come on the wrong side, and if you do not think about yourself, you will also come on the wrong side.

I have made a few decisions in my life in your absence, and I will always feel upset about that.

But this moment is huge for me and Rudra, and I do not want to live without you. I want you to come for me, if not for anyone. When I was upset, I wanted you to be my side, but you were not there. I do not feel sad about it. Whatever you thought was right. But, now I want everything to be like before between us. If you come, I will consider it re-bonding. I never had any sour feelings for you in my heart. No matter what people say, you were never wrong and will never be. And I hope you will not have any sour feelings for me either.

I will wait for you.

Your sister, Nandani,"

I inhaled sharply, finishing the letter. Rolling it, I kept it aside. I could not figure out if I hated her or not. I wanted everything to be good again, but it was not easy.

I laid back on the couch and closed my eyes.

It took work. Trisha was getting married in a few weeks, and I still did not know how to stop her.

But I wanted to stop her, and I had no two thoughts about it.

I could not see her getting married to anyone. I could not stop my sister, but I would stop her—even if I had to do anything for it.

The next day, I went out near her village. I changed into soldier clothes and went near the river and the Ghats, but she was nowhere to be seen. Even when I visited Ashram and went near her home, she was not there either.

Something was wrong. But I could not step inside like that. What would I say if Guruji asked me?

Dull-heartedly, I came back home.

I could not figure out why she was not denying the wedding. How could she marry anyone his father had suggested?

She did not even know him completely. She did not know his interests, hobbies, nature, attitude, or anything else about him.

And I could not imagine her having someone else's children. How would she let him come closer to her? Would not it disgust her?

Urghhh.

I had to talk to her.

I waited for Rudra's crowning ceremony, hoping she would attend. But she did not. Only Guruji arrived, and it broke something in me.

He was not even letting her walk outside.

"Abhi," I heard Rudra calling me after the ceremony. I was sitting in the garden, and he sat beside me, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" he asked, and I nodded, teasing him.

"More than okay after enjoying the crowning ceremony of my biggest enemy," I said, and he thinned his eyes and looked at me.

"By the way, how did you get this foot imprint on your Kurta?" I asked. I noticed a red small foot imprint on his clothes. I wondered why he did not change it if it was stained.

"Umm, it's nothing," he said and smiled.

"You tell me. Are you happy with Trisha's wedding?" he asked, and I stared at him confusedly.

"And, why would not I be?" I asked, and he looked away for a moment.

"You were with her in the tent the other day?" he asked, and I nodded, hiding a tiny smile.

"It was nothing," I declared, and he stared blankly at me.

"So, going to her wedding?" he asked, and I knit my brows in confusion.

"Why are you interested in her and me?" I asked in return, and he sighed deeply.

"Because it's clear on your face, stupid," he said, and I gulped nervously.

"What is clear on my face?" I asked, and he shook his head slowly.

"That something is bothering you," he said, and I nodded.

"Yes, it is you who bothers me the most. I am still wondering what people saw in you," I said, and he looked at me.

"You are never going to get over it," he asked, and I shook my head.

"Never," I declared, and he inhaled deeply and stood up, caressing my shoulder.

"Abhi, life does not give you much time or options, so choose wisely and fast," he said, and I lowered my gaze.

I did not know what he wanted to say, but he was the last person I wanted to talk about myself with.

"Go away," I muttered, and he walked away.

He went away, and I had a few glasses of drink and sat in the garden. After some time, Agastya joined me, too.

"What are you doing here alone?" he asked, and I smiled, looking at him.

"Drinking, come on," I said, and she smiled and rubbed his hand.

"Let me in," he said, sitting beside me and he asked.

"I hope we are celebrating the same occasion," he said, filling his glass, and I shook my head.

"Just celebration is not the right word in my mind," I said, and he chuckled.

"I can understand. Do not worry; you can speak your mind to me. I would not remember a bit of it in the morning," he said, and we both lay back against the couch. The weather was pleasant.

"I wonder why people become stupid after love," I asked, and he chuckled.

"I could not get the chance to do so, so I cannot tell about it," he said, drinking the whole glass in a single breath.

"Hahahahahha," I laughed, looking at him. He also chuckled, looking at me.

"Tell me, what's going on?" he asked, and I looked at him blankly.

"Well, another occasion of celebration is coming. Our sister is getting married. But, yes, we cannot drink in front of Guruji," he said and laughed.

"Your sister," I corrected him, and he looked at me with lifted brows.

"And not yours?" he asked, and I shook my head, lowering my gaze.

"I am tired of one; I cannot handle another one," I said, trying to act brilliant, but I believe he caught me.

"Abhinandan, if I am not wrong, she is four years older than you," he said, and I looked at him.

"She stands up to my shoulder, weighs half of me and looks young as a twenty-year-old girl. She does not have her age imprinted on her forehead," I reminded him, and he nodded.

"How drunk you are?" he asked, having another glass.

"A jar," I told him, signalling towards the empty one, and he nodded.

"So, suppose something happens, and you end up marrying her. Will you accept her?" he asked, and I stared at him.

"What a stupid question it is?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"Just imagine if this happens," he said, and I looked at the dark liquid in my glass. My brain went to the possibilities of her and I together.

"I do not know. Maybe I will accept her," I said, and he stayed silent momentarily.

"What then?" he asked, and I bit on my lips.

"She will not accept me," I said, looking at him. He lowered his gaze for a moment before having another glass.

"She is getting married to a soldier," I said, and he asked, "What's his name?" before taking another two sips into his mouth.

"Shantanu Kumar," I said, and he knitted his brows.

"I know this man, I think," he said, and I had another few sips.

"How?" I asked, and he knit his brows.

"I am not sure, but I have seen him a few times with Ashwin," he said, and my eyes opened wide despite my feeling deadly sleepy.

"Ashwin, the head commander of Pratapgarh's army?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Yes, he was there in Gurukul, right?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Yes, I knew Ashwin from there," I accepted, and he suggested.

If you are worried about Trisha, you can ask Ashwin about him. They seem to be close," he said, and I knit my brows.

"How could could they be?" I asked, and he stared at me with a lifted brow.

"What?" I asked.

"Never mind," he said, and I nodded, focusing on my drink.

"Yuvraj, Kunwarsa," suddenly, I heard a womanly voice, and I looked at Suman and a few others.

"Nandani has sent sweets for both of you," she informed the attendees, who placed the sweets on the table.

"Now, this is the real celebration," Agastya laughed and immediately grabbed his bowl.

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