Time And Love-PreRish ff

Chapter 2

Rishabh really hated the Mumbai traffic. If he did not love his siblings as much as he did, he would never make this horrendous drive from the Mumbai Airport to Ahil's restaurant in Malabar Hill to what the twins liked to call " The Bajaj Sibling Convergence Session." All his siblings loved to call Mumbai their home, Ruhi ran her clothing line from here, Arya ran a successful production house for movies and digital content and Ahil, though he had many restaurants all over India, Veena's Kitchen was his first venture. His brother was happiest here. So he always ends up accommodating his siblings and comes to Mumbai from Bangalore, where his Indian headquarters are.

So he sat in the VIP section with his siblings, a glass of aged whiskey in his hand, discussing the most important topic of the night, his coronation.

"What are you wearing?"Ruhi asked.

"Who is managing the event?" Ahil asked.

"You have to ask Maa about the details. The only thing I am required to do as Maa so aptly put was to show up on time," Rishabh replied. "You do not have anything to ask?" He asked Arya who had been quiet mostly ever since he showed up.

"Are you really going to have a coronation without them Bhai?" Arya simply asked though the accusation in his eyes could not be missed.

Of course, Arya would ask this from him. Ruhi was her best friend but the twins shared a bond with her that he was jealous of. If they had a problem they always went to her first. She was their hero, anchor, and defender. His one mistake had also cost them their best champion.

"You know I had my reasons but you both have always taken her side. I understand now that I should have handled things differently but still, it takes two to clap," Rishabh said looking at his brothers. "She is important to you all, I understand that and respect that but she is simply my life. It was not easy for me either" Rishabh replied. "They will be with us on this coronation, I promise you, Arya. I will not become king if she is not beside me. You have my word." Rishabh said.

"We love you as well Bhai," Arya said content with his brother's answer. Hell or high water when Rishab Samay Bajaj promised something, he delivered. His brother needed her, so if he has to make him angry to accomplish that, so be it.

Kalyani sat in her favorite spot in the palace, the balcony of the bedroom she had shared with her husband. It had been a long journey to get back here. This view of the palace garden and then the sand dunes beyond the walls always used to give her comfort. But ever since they have been back this view had been taunting her. It has been a month since the auction and they all moved into within a week after it. She inhaled deeply to breathe in the comfort of this air because even though she had finally achieved what she had aimed to when her husband was killed, this victory did not give her the contentment she thought it will. This hollowness inside her just refused to go away. She needed her best friend Veena to be here in her presumptuous good times when she had been her rock in her definite bad times.

Her kids would not be here if it were not for Veena. In the beginning when she was too busy to make ends meet, put a roof over their heads and food on the table it was Veena who had given them emotional safety. She was an equal contributor to their success as her. When she moved to Delhi money was scarce and she was faced with the impossible choice of putting food on the table or sending her kids to school. It had been Veena who had taken that burden off her shoulders and homeschooled them. Her kids get their determination and ruthlessness from her but their humility and humanity comes from Veena. Kalyani always said that she was the nature and Veena was the nurture.

Veena had loved them like her kids. She built on their strengths and worked on their weaknesses along with giving them a conventional education. Kalyani still remembered that fateful Christmas. It was after three years they had moved to Delhi.