Page 100 of Rudra Nandani: The Saga of Control And Seduction

“No, no, no. My son has told me to wait for him,” she said, looking at me suspiciously. I didn't know what to say; I wasn't convinced about her son.

“We’ll let you know when he’ll be back. But where did your son go?” I questioned, and she said,“He went; the dacoits took him. He borrowed money and failed to repay. They took him, and I’ve been waiting since then,” she said, breaking into tears. Her pain triggered my tears, and I held her hands.

“Please calm down, don't worry, we’ll take care of you,” I tried to console her, but suddenly she shoved me back, causing me to lose my balance.

“Bhabhisa…” Ranvijay instantly reached out to hold me, but I stopped him immediately, balancing myself on my hands.

“I’m okay.” Even though they were both my brothers-in-law, I didn't validate any other man touching me except Rudra. Unless it was truly necessary, I wouldn’t let anyone touch me, even if it was for help.

Regaining my composure, I looked at the elderly woman again. I inhaled deeply and removed my gold bangles. I handed them to her,“Just keep them for now. Our people will come here in two days. If your son doesn’t return by then, you’ll be coming to the palace,” I said. She narrowed her eyes, intently looking at the bangles.

After meeting her, I moved on to meet more ladies. I attempted to help every woman I encountered by donating my jewelry to those in dire need. By the end of the visit, I was left with only my toe rings, headpiece, and nose ring.

I even encountered a pregnant woman, and looking at her baby bump, I remembered that my husband was celibate and was enraged with me.

Honestly, the state of the village and the people’s condition left me astounded.

The storm devastated the peasant’s farming. The unavailability of products caused a spike in commodity prices due to low supply and increased demand, making it impossible for extremely poor people to afford anything. Additionally, dacoits looted the entire village.

The village tour made me realise that there was so much for the king and his pillars to do.

By the time we returned to the palace, the sun had already set, and it had become dark.

“Thank you so much, Devarsa,” I said, looking at my brothers-in-law.

“We’re glad we could help, Bhabhisa. This tour will help us in many ways—to form new policies and schemes for the villagers,” Ranvijay said.

“And it’ll help me maintain the finances, too,” Agastya said.“But you’ve a challenging task ahead,” I smiled weakly, and Ranvijay furrowed his brows in question.

“Is Bhaisa angry with you?” he asked, looking at us. Agastya nodded.

“Not exactly angry, but hurt. I jokingly called Bhabhisa my wife for a mission, and he went insanely mad,” Agastya answered, and Ranvijay sighed in frustration.

“What do you expect from a man who went against all odds and fought a whole Kingdom just for her? And, how dare you call her your wife? She is like our mother,” Ranvijay angrily grabbed hiscollar.

“It's not his fault, Devarsa,” I intervened. He looked at me and released Agastya.

“By the way, Bhabhisa, if you can’t find him anywhere, the light of the moon and the shade of the stars might help you,” he said, puzzling my mind.

“What?” I looked at him, perplexed, and he gave a soft smile.

“Well, you’ll have to figure that out,” and with that, they both took their leave.

I tried to comprehend his words when Suman’s voice reached me.“Nandani, I believe you should take a bath before dinner.” I nodded, and we both headed toward my chamber. On our way, I asked an attendee about Rudra’s whereabouts.

“Ranisa, I apologise, but we are unaware of Ranaji’s whereabouts. The last time we saw him was in the late morning,” she replied, bowing her head. I nodded, dismissing her.

I kept replaying in my head where he might be. It wasn’t that I was missing him, but I… I just had a few matters to discuss with him.

After taking a quick bath and changing into my nightgown, I ambled out to find my dinner already served on the table. Even though I wished to have dinner with my dearest husband, my stomach rumbled with hunger. Giving up on waiting for him, I sat down to eat.

My mind was in a state of turmoil.

I didn’t want to pursue him any longer. There was no point in doing so if our feelings weren’t mutual. I agree that he opened up to me about his feelings and expressed his love for me in words, but somehow it didn't seem sufficient since actions speak louder than words. Moreover, his actions were often contradictory to his words.

There were a few of his habits that I entirely detested. First and foremost, the way he always grabbed me by my neck in rage. And to add to that, he unintentionally and unnecessarily disrespected me. I loved him, no doubt, but not at the cost of my self-respect.

When I married him, I didn't consider my self-respect because my love was more important than anything at that time. But now, as his wife and a queen, I wanted him to treat me well. It is not wrong to expect respect from the one we love dearly and who claims to love us.

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