Love and Redemption

Chapter 65

Maharaja Abhinandan Pratap Singh was shocked to the core at the newly found information. As much as he trusted his father and the Rajputana values ingrained in his family, he despised the shrewdness of his brother-in-law, Ajeet Singh Rathore.

Being a sensible man, he knew that his father could have committed the grave crime of plotting the murder of the late queen of Vijaygarh, Maharani Manjughosha Devi, under the influence of his vile brother-in-law.

As the middle-aged king rushed to his kingdom, Rajgarh, in his ostentatious chariot, a strange turmoil of emotions built up inside him. His resolve of punishing the wrongdoers began to weaken as he closed his eyes and remembered the moments he had spent with his father. He could not imagine his aging father getting punished ruthlessly by a young queen as he reminisced his childhood days when his father told him stories about the righteous Kshatriyas.

Maharaja Abhinandan Pratap Singh was indeed, torn apart between his duties of a righteous Kshatriya and a loyal son. The virtuous Kshatriya inside him pressurized him to ethically handover the culprit to the mighty queen of Vijaygarh, Maharani Aparajita Singh Rathore while the loyal son inside him wanted to save his old father from the clutches of the queen.

With tears flowing from his eyes, the saddened king wished the accusations on his father are proved wrong in future, as he entered his palace with disgruntled face. He was greeted with a sight of surprised royal guards and his wife who looked at him questioningly. Choosing not to answer the unasked questions, he rushed towards the bed chambers of his father, the old king, Maharaja Dushyant Pratap Singh only to find him sitting peacefully on the rocking armchair.

Controlling his emotions, the annoyed king kneeled in front of his father and kept his rough palms on the knees of his father startling him. Composing himself, Maharaja Abhinandan Pratap Singh spoke, “Dear father, I will ask you a question and I expect you to be truthful.”

The old king, Maharaja Dushyant Pratap Singh had been day-dreaming of his victory over Vijaygarh so that he could crown his grandson, Vikrant Singh Rathore as the new king when the voice of his son astonished him.

“What are you doing here, Abhinandan? Are you not supposed to be in the battlefield?” Maharaja Dushyant Pratap Singh questioned his son baffled at his presence. With all his hopes crashing down, the experienced old man scrutinized the resentful face of his son as unexpected fears rose up inside him.

“No, I am not supposed to be at the battlefield, dear father. I am expected to be very much in the palace, just in front of you, for an important conversation.” Maharaja Abhinandan Pratap Singh bellowed gritting his teeth leaving his father shocked for once.

“Did you plot the inhumane murder of the late queen of Vijaygarh, Maharani Manjughosha Devi?” Maharaja Abhinandan Pratap Singh asked his father hopefully after all, he wished whatever the queen told him hours ago to be a blatant lie but all his hopes crashed when he was greeted with unwavering silence.

Shaking his father vigorously, he hollered, “Answer me, father and answer me, truthfully.”

“Whatever happened in the past has nothing to do with our present, Abhinandan so stop yelling and save your kingdom, your pride and your people.” Maharaja Dushyant Pratap Singh said cautiously trying to avoid the confrontation. Connecting the dots, he realized his deeds in the past were reason of the war.

“Did you commit that unpardonable sin or not?” the middle-aged king asked his father with disgust and rage laced in his voice.

“How does it matter, Abhinandan?” the old king negotiated as guilt began to rise up inside him.

“Yes or No”, Maharaja Abhinandan Pratap Singh asked his father as he stood up in front of the old man.

“Yes, I did”, the old king answered closing his eyes. For a moment he realized, he committed a heinous crime after all, his kingdom was suffering because of his deeds.

“Why?” the enraged king questioned his father. He was utterly disappointed at the turn of events. As much as he desired to save his father, he also knew, as a righteous king, it was his duty to punish the wrongdoers even if they were a part of family.

“For my daughter who deserved to be the queen of Vijaygarh”, Maharaja Dushyant Pratap Singh retorted without an ounce of remorse in his voice shattering his son even more. Maharaja Abhinandan Pratap Singh realized his father was blinded with greed when he committed an unpardonable sin.

Turning his face towards the empty walls of the bed chambers, the middle-aged king expressed his guilt as he confessed, “I am ashamed of you, father”.

Taking a deep breath, he composed himself as he revealed, “Now the queen of Vijaygarh demands you to be punished otherwise she would decimate Rajgarh”.

“That filthy girl!” Maharaja Dushyant Pratap Singh exclaimed with disgust laced in his voice for the young queen. Gritting his teeth, he bellowed, “I regret that my men were not able to kill her that day”.

Maharaja Abhinandan Pratap Singh was shocked at his father. He wondered if he was the same man who taught him to be a righteous king at a point of time. As much as he wished to punish his father himself for committing a grave crime and standing in front of him without any remorse in his eyes, he knew he was not the right person to do that.

The annoyed middle-aged king warned his father, “Watch your words, father. At least have some fear of the Almighty. You killed a woman. You snatched a mother from a young girl. You shall not even find a place in hell. You are not even guilty of your deeds. You are anything but a Kshatriya. I am ashamed to be your son.”

“You need to go to Vijaygarh. You deserve all the wrath of the queen.” Maharaja Abhinandan Pratap Singh spoke unwaveringly as he walked towards the door. He lacked guts to face his father. He was truly ashamed of the deeds of his father. Despite he could continue fighting in the battlefield to save his father, he chose to handover the ruthless murderer to the young girl whose mother was brutally killed by his father.

“No, you cannot do this. I am your father. You have certain duties of a son which you need to fulfill forever, even after my death.” The old king tried to negotiate with his son. As much as he knew that his son, being a righteous king would not change his decision, he realized it was still harmless to emotionally persuade his son for his well-being.

“I am also bound to fulfill my responsibilities towards my kingdom and my people. I cannot let my people suffer because of a murderer.” The king announced as he moved out of the room.

Controlling his emotions, he tried not to break down. Summoning the royal guards, Maharaja Abhinandan Pratap Singh commanded, “Guards, arrest Maharaja Dushyant Pratap Singh”.

Everyone in the palace was utterly shocked. The loyal guards complied with the order of their king with questions in their mind. The queen of Rajgarh tried to question her husband about the sudden turn of events but before she could voice her apprehensions, the king left the palace with the culprit. 

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Hi everyone

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