His Second Bride

Chapter 10 - His Second Bride

The next day, Aaradhya reached Mandalgarh Palace. A maid welcomed her with a warm smile and took her bag to her room. The palace was grand, and Aaradhya felt a bit out of place. Soon, Mahendra's secretary came to greet her. "Princess Aaradhya, your father is busy with some work but will meet you soon," he said with a polite bow.

Aaradhya nodded, her heart beating fast. She turned to her dai-maa and said gently, "Dai-maa, you should rest for a while. Your are not feeling well from last few days and It's been a long journey." She then went to her room to freshen up. She splashed cold water on her face, trying to calm her nerves. As she lay down to rest, she felt uneasy. Something seemed wrong, but she couldn't tell what it was. Her restlessness grew.

Meanwhile, Mahendra's secretary told him that Princess Aaradhya had arrived. Revati and Kumudini were also present there waiting for the news for Aaradhya arrival and on hearing this they were pleased, confident that their plan would succeed. They knew that Mahendra would ensure Aaradhya agreed to the marriage, as it was a matter of Revati's happiness, and he would do anything for his beloved daughter.

Mahendra, sitting in his chair, felt mixed emotions. It was the first time he was going to see Aaradhya, his daughter, whom he had never met. Unsure of his feelings, Trying to shake off these thoughts, he told his secretary, "Call Princess Aaradhya to my study."

After some time, Mahendra's secretary told one of Aaradhya's maids to inform her that the king wanted to see her. The maid knocked on Aaradhya's door and entered, bowing slightly. "Princess Aaradhya, the king has requested your presence in his study."

Aaradhya felt a lump in her throat. She nodded and said, "I will be there in a moment." After the maid left, she took a deep breath to calm herself.

As she walked towards her father's study, her mind was full of questions. What would he say? How would he react to seeing her? She reached the study and paused outside the door, gathering her courage.

In the Study Room

Aaradhya knocked on the door and, after getting permission, entered. One of Aaradhya's maids and her dai-maa stayed outside the room as they were not allowed to enter. Dai-maa didn't want Aaradhya to be alone with Mahendra because she knew how much he hated Aaradhya from her birth and didn't trust him with her.

Aaradhya greeted Mahendra formally, "Good afternoon, Maharaj," she said. Mahendra gave her a stern look but asked her to take a seat. Aaradhya noticed Kumudini and Revati were also present. She greeted them politely, "Good afternoon, Maharani. Good afternoon, Princess Revati," and sat down. 

It was the first time Aaradhya was sitting with them. Whenever she used to come here, no one talked to her. Whenever she saw Kumudini and Revati, she used to greet them, but they would leave without responding. Mahendra didn't even want to see her face. Whenever he came to where Aaradhya was, one of the maids would inform her so she could leave.

Mahendra received a phone call. "Excuse me, I need to take this," he said and walked out of the room to attend the call.

Aaradya started feeling nervous in their presence. She tried to look confident but couldn't hide her nervousness. She had a bad feeling about this meeting and wanted to run away. Her thoughts drifted back to her childhood when she was four years old, playing while the servants tried to catch her and feed her. Dai-maa would be there, requesting, "Princess, my baby, have your food," but Aaradhya, wanting to play, would run away, saying in her baby voice, "No, Dai-maa, I want to play."

While running, she saw Mahendra coming. She run to him with her baby steps and hugged his leg, saying, "Dada." Mahendra looked at her, pushed her away, and angrily told the servants, "How many times have I told you not to bring her in front of me? Don't you know how to do your work properly?" Then he walked away. Dai-maa, who saw everything, came to Aaradhya, who was crying on the floor. She held her in her arms and consoled her.

"Don't cry, my child," Dai-maa said softly, wiping Aaradhya's tears. "Everything will be okay."

Aaradhya sniffled and hugged Dai-maa tightly. "Why Dada doesn't like me?" she asked in a small, trembling voice.

Kumudini was feeding 13-year-old Revati with great care and affection. Aaradhya, who was watching them, wished she could receive the same love and attention from Kumudini. She approached them and said, "Badi-mumma, I also want to eat. Please feed me."

But Kumudini, without a word, took Revati's hand and walked away, leaving Aaradhya alone. Aaradhya's grandfather was the only one who showed her love and wanted to give her everything he could. He saw how everyone treated Aaradhya and felt deeply sad for her. He didn't want the small child to be mistreated by everyone. With a heavy heart, he decided to send Aaradhya away from there and only allowed her to come on his birthday.

While Aaradhya was deep in her memories, Revati interrupted and asked, "Aaradhya, how are your studies going? Is everything okay?"

This was the first time Revati had spoken to her and asked about her studies. Aaradhya replied politely, "Yes, Princess Revati, everything is good."

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Hello Readers,

I have just posted the 10th chapter of "His Second Bride." Please read it and share your thoughts in the comments. Your feedback means a lot to me!

Thank you and happy reading!