THE PRINCE WHO LOVED ME

20

A week had passed since the hospital ordeal began, and Rudransh and Priya had stepped in to help Yamini care for her mother, Vasuki. The tension that had hung in the air when they first arrived at the hospital had settled into a quiet, unspoken understanding. Yamini still maintained her distance, but she was more open to allowing others in, especially Rudransh and Priya, who had been there for her through the unspoken turmoil.

Despite Yamini's efforts to convince her mother to move in with her were in vain. Vasuki is stubborn as always, had declined the offer, insisting on staying in her own space. It pained Yamini to see her mother so resistant, but she respected her wishes. After all, her mother had always been fiercely independent, even when that independence had caused so much pain in the past.

That morning, Rudransh had arrived at the hospital to meet Vasuki. He had been visiting regularly, but their interactions had been brief, always with Yamini at the center, serving as a buffer. Today, though, Yamini decided it was time for an introduction.

As she walked towards the hospital room, her steps slow and deliberate, she turned to Rudransh and said, 

Yamini : Hey Rudransh ! What are you doing here ? 

 Rudransh : I just came over to enquire about your mom's health. How's she ? 

Yamini : I'll introduce you to my mother now. You haven't met her properly yet. You only ask her.

Rudransh nodded by offering a quiet smile, his curiosity growing. They entered the room together, where Vasuki lay in her hospital bed, looking fragile but composed. Her eyes followed them as they approached.

Yamini : Mom !

Yamini began and her voice is soft but steady.

Yamini : this is Rudransh. He's my friend and is helping me a lot lately.

Vasuki, despite her condition, sat up a little straighter, her gaze sharp as she assessed Rudransh. She offered a faint nod and  her demeanor is formal but polite. 

Vasuki : It's good of you to help my daughter.

She said and her voice is cool but not unkind.

Rudransh smiled by bowing his head slightly in respect. 

Rudransh : It's no trouble at all. I'm happy to help.

Before they could talk further, the doctor came in, signaling that it was time for Vasuki's discharge. Yamini excused herself, telling Rudransh to stay and chat with her mother. As she stepped out of the room, the door closed softly behind her, leaving the two of them alone.

Vasuki looked at Rudransh with a calculating gaze, her sharp mind already piecing things together. 

Vasuki : where are you from ?

Vasuki  began by breaking the silence in her usual formal manner

Rudransh : Chandrapuram. 

Vasuki : you've come from... Chandra Puram, is that right ? 

Vasuki asked in a tense tone.

Rudransh is surprised but not thrown off, nodded. 

Rudransh : Yes, that's where I'm from.

Vasuki's eyes flickered with something, curiosity, perhaps even recognition. 

Vasuki : And your family ? 

She asked and her tone is now sharper, as though she was waiting for something specific. 

Vasuki : Your parent's names ? 

Rudransh hesitated for a brief moment, sensing the sudden intensity in Vasuki's gaze. 

Rudransh : Shivarama Raju and Khaatyayini Devi.

He said simply, not thinking much of it.

At the mention of his parents' names, Vasuki's entire demeanor shifted. Her face went pale, her eyes wide with surprise and something darker, something like tension. The room seemed to grow quieter, even though the soft beep of the machines continued in the background.

She stared at him, unblinking, her mind suddenly racing. She asked no more questions, but in her silence, it was clear that something had struck her deeply. Vasuki's thoughts began to spiral back, a flood of memories rushing in. She could feel the weight of the past pressing down on her chest, and for a long moment, she was lost in it, her mind racing, heart thudding, as she tried to make sense of how Rudransh and Yamini had ended up crossing paths. Something that shouldn't have happened but had happened.

Vasuki didn't say anything further. She just sat there, frozen in thought, as Rudransh, oblivious to the storm brewing in her mind, shifted awkwardly in his seat.

In that silence, Vasuki recalled the past. The years long buried. The decisions she had made, the people she had left behind, the unspoken connections that had long since faded. How could it be ? How had this come to pass ? 

Her mind was a blur, but one thing was certain , there was something much more complicated between her, her past, and Rudransh than either of them realised.

Yamini reentered the room and  her expression is calm but firm. She had just finished speaking to the doctor, and now it was time for them to leave. 

Yamini : We can go home now.

She  said and  her voice is soft but insistent as she approached her mother's bed.

Vasuki, who had been lost in her thoughts just moments ago, blinked slowly, as if she were only just coming back to the present. Her gaze shifted toward Yamini, then reluctantly towards Rudransh. There was a subtle tension in the air that neither Yamini nor Rudransh acknowledged directly, but it was palpable , especially in the way Vasuki's eyes flitted nervously between them.

Yamini is clearly determined and she repeated her offer one more time. 

Yamini : Mom, please. At least until you're fully recovered, stay with me. I've told you already......there's no reason for you to be alone.

Vasuki's lips parted as if to argue, but instead, she only nodded. However, it wasn't a reassuring nod, but one that seemed almost involuntary, her eyes flickering quickly to Rudransh. There was something in her gaze, something heavy with fear, something that didn't quite make sense.

.............

How's the chapter ? 

Eager to know more ? 

Does Vasuki know Rudransh and his family ? 

I thought of writing this story in 30 chapters but that seems to be impossible now. 😆

I should really start writing short stories again.