Lost and Found

18. Gear up, Yuvraj

Ranvijay's point of view

My morning came too early as usual.

I was up by 4.00 am. I put on my jogging clothes and went to my every day running. I got out of the palace's gate. The gate keeper bowed to me and opened the gate.

I was running and so was my mind.

I needed to solve this problem that arised in royal court of jaigadh. And I had asked the royal advisers to meet me. I need to get clearer picture of what is happening.

I had reached to the outskirts of the city. But I kept running.

There was a small deserted hill out there. I kept running till my breath allowed. So after a long run of hiking for a continuous hour, I reached the peak.

I stopped to catch my breath. I saw my riyasat.

I know my heart is soft for my family and love of my life. But this doesn't mean that I will show my softness towards the culprits who tried to dethrone my family and make the unstable conditions for my riyasat.

I bear the responsibility of the people of jaigadh. I will safe guard them. Being Yuvraj of jaigadh will expect me to be the strongest and mightiest ruler ever. And I will make sure that I will complete every aspiration and every expectation.

When I returned palace, I went straight into the gym and started working out. After some time, a royal attendant brought me my protein shake as I had told him. I sat down to gulp my protein shake.

And there another attendant came to inform me that royal advisers mr. Surjeet has arrived. I asked him to guide mr. Surjeet to my study.

I quickly freshen up and joined mr. Surjeet in my study. I directly wanted to come to the point.

So I sat in the chair and mr. Surjeet bowed to me. And I nodded to him politely. And I immediately asked, "what is the issue with court ministers? Why would the counsel want to rebel?"

He dabbed sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief. He seemed intimated by me.

He replied,"Yuvraj, they feel that royal family of Rathore's is losing control over the jaigadh province. They are feeling there is no one to handle the throne after maharaj retires.
Its because... because Yuvraj of jaigadh, never lived in India let alone in jaigadh for last 13 years."

he looked so scared, as he spilled the beans out, in one go. I looked at him. He looked scared as he updated me about the allegation on my absence, all these years.

He thought I would get angry listening this. Infact I was impressed by surjeet's honesty. But I was annoyed by the ministers.

But I was not intending to waste time in anger and shouting at ministers. I want to use my time and resources to prove my own worth to the royal court of jaigadh.

I scratched my forehead and asked, "mr. Surjeet you really don't need to be afraid of anything. All you need to do is to be honest and upfront with me. This will help me solve the problem. "

With this declaration he seemed to relax.

I asked him to arrange a royal court meeting next week.

And before that, I asked him to arrange a meeting with the only party that had applied for the election.

He seemed so baffled but he didn't question me. He hurriedly got up , bowing down to me, he left.

I also left the study and went to babasa and maasa's suite. They were having tea. I went to them and sat near babasa's feet.

I said, " babasa, I was far from my responsibilities for so long. I was fighting my past memories. But you always supposed me. Now it's my turn to support my babasa. And I promise you babasa I will make you and maasa proud." With this babasa pulled me up on knees and hugged me.

He tapped on my back emotionally and the strong and intimidating voice of maharaj pratap of jaigadh riyasat came,

"I know son, you will make us proud. I know that. I have missed my prince. " and my maasa came to us and she gently caressed my head.

And with this small instance, I got an idea of how much my parents have missed me.

I was so selfish. I never ever thought of my family while settling in London. I was so busy with my work and getting over my emotions I never thought of my responsibilities.

Night came with the burden of so many years I had missed, staying away from home, from family, from my riyasat, from my responsibilities.

Now I was again sitting on the swing in the balcony. And there... I made a decision. I am here to stay. I will not return to London. I will be there for the people that love me. I will be here standing besides my family. I will become the Yuvraj, that jaigadh needs right now.

Now that I had made up my mind. I was preparing myself to go to any extent to support my family. My family always stood behind me.

After her sudden disappearance, I had lost the interest in life. I was as good as dead inside. Every thing around me used to make me think of her.

Maasa tried so hard to heal my broken heart. Babasa made every attempt to make me forget all of it. He changed my school. We left Mumbai and settled in our ancestral jaigadh palace. He changed my whole ambience.

But nothing helped. Rakshu was so damn fond of her. But only for my sake, since childhood, rakshu never uttered her name in front of me.

I was beyond any repair. But finally babasa tried to tell me that, she(rudra) wont be coming back. Maasa persuaded me to let go of her thoughts.

I still remember my reply to my parents. I told my parents that If I stay here where I spent my childhood with her, I will never be able to forget her.

This broke my maasa's heart. But seeing, this was the only solution, she decided to send me off to London. Babasa never wanted me to be far from him. But he finally gave in. He agreed with maasa.

He prepared the school admissions, my stay and my whole new life in london. This was all because my family wanted me, to be at peace.

Rakshu just kept crying , clinging to me like a koala till i reached the airport for my flight to London.

Maasa asked rakshu, "beta , please leave the cuffs of your dada's shirt. He has a flight to catch rakshu. Dont you want your dada to be happy.? "

This question of maasa stopped all the cryings of rakshu. She held my hand, asking, " dada, if you stop being sad and become happy after going to london, I wont stop you dada."

She was so small for all of this, but she had also lost a friend. And her dada also left her when she needed her dada the most. But she still supported me. My family was there for me.

All this London thing was just so that I can forget her and live peacefully.

But how to explain my family that She still rules my heart. I couldn't forget her. I dont say her name even in my thoughts but whenever I sit down just for a moment; away from this crazy race of life, my every thought runs towards her.

But it's ok now. I have learnt to live this way.

And now from tomorrow I will live for my family and my jaigadh riyasat. There.... after so many years, I felt the rise of the Yuvraj in myself, who was lost somewhere back..