The Rising Phoenix // Vani Fanfiction

#49. The Queen Never Forgets

Bani should have been smarter. She looked around her and saw the trap laid by Jay. She was naïve before. Bani would choose to call herself rather foolish. Hadn't she learnt anything from human world? 25 years of living in human world and she hadn't learnt the two kinds of humans. Gullible and Clever. Two things in their personality that drives them. Morals and Greed.

Since her childhood, Bani had lived in a fairytale world. She was so imbibed in the stories of Princesses that were loved by everyone and treated everyone with love and care that she had never known the part of a Queen.

"Jis second main yahan se uthi, Jay. You're going to regret this." Bani threatened Jay. Her voice wasn't loud but held that threat sharp. Dangerously close to bursting out into rage.

Bani had been foolish enough to believe that every single person in Naagvansh were her friends. She now learnt that you don't have friends when you're at the top. You have those who are loyal to you and those who are jealous of you.

"Main Bholenath ki kasam kha ke vachan de rahi hun ki jab tak apne aap ko saabit na kar dun, yahan se nahi jaaungi." Bani had given them a word.

"Maa, yeh galat hai. You seriously can't believe his words." Amar tried to tell his mother.

Kashyap Family was an odd mix. One side was Kushal Kashyap, the oldest man in Kashyap Family. He was someone who believed in peace. A man who had firm belief that if one put their human side before, even enemies could be friends. A man of his age with thoughts that were modern. A revolutionist his his thoughts. Other side was Shreya Kashyap. Once Naagrani to Sheshnaag vansh. She was the traditionalist in her beliefs. She firmly believed in not mixing among humans. Those same old prejudices. It was difficult for her to accept the change. Both Amar Kashyap and Aishwarya Kashyap had taken after their father. Both having spent enough time among humans to know that there are ones who are nice and ones who are bad. They had known enough other icchadhari kind to know even they had good and bad in them. Amar and Aishwarya, the siblings were very protective of Bani. Aditi Kashyap with her upbringing was the same old traditionalist. Hence, Aditi and Shreya went with each other really well.

The independent side of a snake meant that they weren't a group. Naag-Naagins had learnt to live in groups and work together but majorly still had that independent factor. They didn't stand together in a team. The dynamic was different. Stark in contrast with the cheels. There, being in a family meant that till last breath, you're meant to stand with each other. Anyone abandoning the troop was declared outsider. Naag-Naagins didn't have that team work factor. They worked independently.

"Shreya, bhagwaan bhi har ek ko apna saathi chunne ka pura haq dete hai." Bani's dada, Kunal tried to tell his wife.

"Abhi bacchi hai, Kushal. Bas 25 saal dekhe hai. I have seen 77 years. Apni bacchi ka accha bhala chahti hun." Shreya argued.

"25 saal ki hai, Shreya. Tumne usse bacchi samajh rakha hai. She's old enough to make her decisions. Don't try to make them for her. Tumhari nazar mein Jay ho sakta hai Bani ke liye sahi but Bani ko kya chahiye yeh sirf use pata hai. You don't choose a life partner for someone else with your pre-requisites. You and Bani are two different people. The kind of person you see as an ideal partner might not be the same as hers."

"Kushal, mujhe yeh argument karna hi nahi hai. Bani kisi insaan ki nahi ek cheel ki baat kar rahi hai. Cheelon ke ghar mein rehke, cheelon ki tarah sochne lagegi."

"Mom, yeh aapka imagination hai." Aishwarya countered.

"Tum toh yahi kahogi. Khud hi un cheelon ke baccho ke saath waqt barbaad kiya hai." Mayank, Vanshika's dad, commented.