Love and Redemption

Chapter 79

The magnificent sun rose over the horizon radiating the golden hue along with different shades of orange and pink all over the sky early in the morning. The morning bells were ringing in the ancestral temple of Vijaygarh. The chirping of birds and melodies of devotional songs in the serene atmosphere was pious and peaceful.

Maharaja Vijay Singh Rathore, the old king of Vijaygarh was on his way to the ancestral temple early in the morning. Since the day, the king took retirement and his daughter, Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore ascended the throne, he visited the temple daily. While praying to the Almighty, he remembered the days he had spent with his wife. He missed his son and wished for the welfare of his daughter every day.
As soon as he reached the temple, he saw a woman watching him keenly.

Dressed in a dirty cotton sari, she did not look like a native of Vijaygarh. Her appearance depicted her poverty which was unlikely as the people of Vijaygarh were prosperous enough to have wear good clothes and eat their meals thrice a day. He wondered if she belonged to Shivgarh. He decided to confront the woman after finishing his morning prayers.

After an hour, the old king came out of the temple along with the head priest and he was shocked to the rural woman standing at the corner inside the temple perhaps, waiting for someone. After a short conversation with the priest, the old king asked the woman, “Who are you?” politely yet, in a loud voice to garner attention of the two royal guards who accompanied him in the temple every day to ensure his safety as per the orders of the prodigious queen.

The middle-aged woman walked timidly inside the temple and stood a few feet away from the old king. She bowed in front of the king out of respect and paid her regards. Nervously, she introduced herself, “Your Highness, I am Meera, a messenger from Pranathgarh”.

“Pranathgarh?” The old king questioned suspiciously. His heart began to beat very fast as he wondered what his brother was up to. Closing his eyes in despair, he asked in a dejected tone, “On whose orders?”

“Your Highness, honorable lady Nandini Singh Rathore has sent a letter for you”, the woman spoke nervously leaving the old king flabbergasted. At once, he could not make out who Nandini was but after a while, he realized Nandini was none other than the daughter-in-law of the Rathore clan.

Despite, he hated his brother for ruining his family, he could not develop the hard feelings for the young girl who was married to Vikrant, his nephew. He was puzzled at the sudden need of communication but nevertheless, he took the letter wrapped neatly with a cotton thread.

The old king was anxious to know about the contents of the letter. He noticed his bodyguards were surrounding the messenger. To quench his curiosity, he opened the letter that read,

Respected Uncle

I hope this letter finds you in the bliss of your health.

I was just passing by the corridor in the castle when I heard my husband and my father-in-law conspiring against your kingdom and the queen of Vijaygarh.

Their treacherous plans are not only dangerous for Vijaygarh but also harmful for the innocent lives at Pranathgarh.

On earlier occasions I also heard them discussing about the sins they had committed to ruin the happiness of your family.

Having heard a lot about your principles of justice, herein, I request you to take the justifiable action against my husband.

I request you to make sure that my husband pays for his sins.

I request you to inform the queen about the lurking danger on her and the throne of Vijaygarh so, she would take appropriate action against the culprits.

With due respect, I end the letter.

Regards
Nandini

The old king appreciated the selflessness, truthfulness and courage of Nandini. The young girl was truly an epitome of the righteous Kshatriya woman, he realized.

On the one hand, his heart pained to see her first name written in black ink at the end of the letter. He could realize that the poor girl was perhaps, unhappy with her married life which is why, she did not want herself to be associated with the Rathore clan. On the other hand, he thought that Nandini was indeed, the perfect daughter-in-law.

“Guards, take the messenger to the royal palace with respect”, the king ordered adding more to the nervousness of Meera.

The guards escorted the tribal woman to the royal palace where she was met out with respectable treatment while the old king headed towards his bed chambers to pen down a letter for his daughter-in-law.

Dipping the quill in red ink, he sat on the upholstered chair in his chambers and wrote,

Dear daughter-in-law

I respect your courage and concern for Vijaygarh. I ensure you that I will make sure to punish the culprits.

At the same time, I will ensure that your people at Pranathgarh remain protected from any kind of danger.

Daughter, I welcome you in the Rathore family with open hands.

God bless you, child!

Stay safe and take care.

Regards
Maharaja Vijay Singh Rathore

Folding the letter neatly, he kept it inside the metallic scroll along with a sleek gold chain that had a small diamond pendant. After all, he realized he should not send the reply to the courageous woman without sending her any present after all, she was a daughter-in-law of Rathore clan and her position demanded respect.

The old king realized that he had not even attended Nandini's wedding and hence, he wanted to shower the poor girl with the gifts she deserved but he also comprehended the fact that it was not the right time. As of now, his only priority was to protect Vijaygarh. Praying for the well-being of his daughter, he walked out of his bed chambers.

Handing the scroll to the messenger, the old king bade goodbye to the rural woman. Once she left, he decided to talk with Aparajita about the strategies of upcoming attack at the abode of his disgusting brother, Ajeet Singh Rathore. Finally the time had come to break the old traditions of Rathore clan which prevented Vijaygarh to initiate a war against anyone.

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Hi everyone

I am in love with Nandini for her presence of mind and that true Kshatriya spirit. Despite, she is not as strong as Aparajita, yet, she is truly an amazing human!😍

How is this chapter? 🤔

Sneak peak of next chapter,
War

I will try posting it soon. ♥️♥️♥️♥️

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