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RINA instantly became tensed and got up at the shouting of Raghav, he gave her a cursory glance and it got her tensed and curious the more.
She then walked up to him and slowly wrapped her right arm around him, placing her head on his shoulder.
“Mom? When? How? Like how? My gee!”, Raghav exclaimed into the phone, reeling out questions.
He heard Queen Arya laughed.
“It’s a miracle son. You have to come and see him, you and your sister”, she said.
Ahh, another appointment? Raghav splayed his fingers on his forehead.
“Alright mom, it’s fine. Can I talk to him now?”, he asked, his hopes too high.
“Oh, well nope, you can’t. He is actually sleeping right now”, she replied.
“Okay mom, we will be there”, he said and used his free hand to caress Rina’s back.
“Good son. Inform the Council of Elders”.
“Alright mom, bye”.
The line went dead.
He dropped the phone and turned to Rina, hugging her properly.
“Your mom?”, Rina asked.
“Yeah, she said dad’s awake”, he said.
“What!”, she raised her head up, “seriously? Oh my God!”, she squealed like a child.
Raghav laughed.
“Yes baby. Prisha and I will be going to see him soon”, he said.
Her countenance fell, Raghav could sense it, she was sad. He chuckled and kissed her.
“Come on, I won’t be long. Come here”, and he carried her up, making her feet come off ground, she giggled.
“Oh my goodness babe, I’m hungry. Aren’t you?”, she asked.
“Well, I will eat after eating”, he kissed her stomach.
Her eyelids flickered, looking befuddled.
“I don’t get, you will eat after eating, how?”, she asked.
“Bush girl”, he laughed and began proceeding to the bed.
He carefully placed her on the bed and begin kissing her bare stomach. She felt the sensation, her fears swept in and increased.
“Oh my God! Raghav?”, she called, trying to stop him. But it wasn’t Raghav she was talking to, he was all into it.
“Maharana? Can you please stop?”, she continued calling, trying in vain to push him away.
He suddenly raised up his head to look at her.
“Come on, man is enjoying this, I promised the second time would be more enthusiastic and less painful right? Then chill”, he said and continued kissing her.
Rina sighed and let him have his way. Raghav arrived at Hotel Presidential and Suites two days later, he had come alone. Prisha would be flying in later, maybe tomorrow or next, she was presently writing an exam.
Raghav looked around the suite and inhaled the air freshener used in freshening the room, he flopped down on one of the couches scattered around the room, and awaited his mother.
He was in the suite they had booked throughout her stay in the hospital with his dad. Queen Arya had been to the hospital as usual, and it was just a few minutes drive from the hospital back to the hotel.
Soon the door creaked open and Queen Arya entered, looking all exquisite as a queen should.
“Sweetie!”, she exclaimed and walked up to him.
“Mom”, he called and got up, slightly bowed, then engaged her in a hug.
“How are you doing son?”, she asked, disengaging from the hug.
“Just fine”, he shortly replied and sat back.
Arya smiled, watching him sit. Then she sat on the couch adjacent him.
“I won’t be long here mom, just came to see dad”, he said, looking away.
She sighed. Was her son still mad at her, over frivolous things?
“You marred the sweet mother-son relationship we were having mom, I didn’t make you do it”, he said.
She scoffed.
“Indeed”, she said. “Marred the relationship with what? Because I’m only trying to want what I believe is best for you?”, she asked.
“There you go again”, he replied. “That’s where you always go, infact, that’s where women who thinks they can dictate for their kids always go”.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
“Son? You dare not talk to your mother, in that manner you know?”, she sat up.
He sighed.
“Mother all I know is that, you can’t dictate for me. I mean I’ve grown past that, you can’t bring me a bride, tell me who to marry, or tell me what’s good for me. I won’t condone that”.
She smiled and shook her head.
“Kids, kids of nowadays”.
“Mom I’m not a kid, don’t call me that”.
“Hmph, whatever”, she said and waved her left hand, dismissing the discussion.
“Let’s talk about why you are here. Wait…”, she suddenly stopped and looked around, like she was looking for someone.
“She is still writing her exams, thought I told you”, Raghav said.
“You did?”, she turned to him.
Truly, she wasn’t aware.
“Of course I did, I texted. Prisha would be coming either tomorrow or next, depending on when she will be done with her exams. She is already aware of the news”.
“Oh!”, she replied, still pondering about it. She had actually wanted them both to be around.
“So, how did it happen mom? How did Dad wake? When? What prompted it?”, Raghav asked.
Arya laughed, then went ahead to explain in details how it had happened that fateful day.
“Your dad is out of coma but, he is still recovering. He can’t stand, he can’t sit, neither can he walk about. Let’s say, he is kind of incapacitated, or should I say, bedridden”, Arya concluded.
“Jeez! This is serious”, he lamented.
“You can say that son. But I thank our Creator, that he is out of coma”.
He kept mute, saying nothing.
“He talks?”, he suddenly asked.
She nodded.
“Yeah, he is talking, but slowly”.
“God! What kind of problem is this?”, he wondered aloud then turned to his mother. All these was her fault, yes, all these was happening because of her deeds. The Guru had said so.
He sighed and looked away, it was going to be a thing of the past soon, he knew it.
“I will be going to see him now”, he said and got up.
“Not so fast son”, she held him.
“Mom what is it again?”, he asked, getting irritated.
“How about Vidya? Is she back at the palace?”, she asked.
What! What the hell! The questions hit him like a bomb as he almost gave her a punch.
“What kind of question is that mom? Why are you asking me about her?”.
“She is your betrothed”.
“She is not my betrothed”, he replied, almost interrupting her. “She is just a mere girl you picked up from the streets and forcing on me”, he said.
“What?”, she was taken aback.
“You calling the bride I brought you mere? Picked from the streets?”.
“God! What are we still even arguing about here. She isn’t my betrothed, neither is she a childhood friend of mine”.
The words hit her so hard, like she’s been stung by a bee. This her son was just so difficult and stubborn.
“Mom please, can we go now? I don’t have all the time”, he said and began walking towards the door.
She watched him, then nodded knowingly.
“I know what to do”, she said and got up.
“You better not force her on me, it will only be disastrous”, he said.
***
Vidya walked into the dining and flopped on her favourite seat, tossing her phone on the table, and making a hissing sound.
Her mother who sat by her left hand side at the edge of the dining table, noticed her discomfort.
“What is it again this time daughter?”, she asked, folding her table cloth.
Vidya hissed the more, and looked away, something was really bugging her. Whether to say it or not, was another problem.
“Go ahead, tell me what the problem is”, Mrs Roshan nudged, like she could read her thoughts.
Just then, Ava entered from the kitchen carrying with her the enamel bowl of soup. She dropped it on the table, and went back into the kitchen.
“It’s the Queen, what exactly is going on? I haven’t heard from her, and she said she’s gonna reach out to me, my gee, I’m tired”, she said, almost breaking down in tears.
Roshan sighed.
“You see dear, there’s one thing about the Queen you need to know”, she said and Vidya turned to her.
“Queen Arya loves taking her time to do her things, she doesn’t like rushing. So just chill, she gonna call ok?”.
“Really?”, she snorted, “she should better do that now. I can’t afford losing my position as the future queen of this kingdom”.
Roshan smiled.
“I understand dear. Cheer up, let’s eat”, she said and began setting the plates.
Vidya looked around.
“Where is that gullible maid? Ava!”, she shouted.
“Why you calling her?”.
“She should come dish out the food, or does she want me to do that?”, she rhetorically asked.
Ava rushed in immediately, and began dishing out the food. Just then, Vidya’s phone which laid on the table lightened up, and made a beeping sound.
She cussed and picked up the phone, then looked into it.
It was a text, her eyes ran through the lines of the text in a jiffy, and her eyes widened.
What!
It was a text from the Queen!