"Meenakshi, Guruji wants to see you." Chitrama had announced to Meenakshi, who was sitting in the garden lost in her thoughts, perhaps dreaming about Aditya.
Hearing Chitrama she quickly stood up and walked to her chambers to get dressed properly. To her surprise Guruji was seated on a chair in her chambers. She quickly walked towards him and bowed at his feet offering him her respects.
"Chiranjeevi bhava!" Guruji blessed her.
Seeing her confused face Guruji spoke to avoid further worries for her. "I am here to talk about your marriage dear. Sit down with me." He spoke.
"Marriage?" She asked, finding it difficult to digest what he had said.
"Yes, Meenakshi. It might be surprising to you, but I think it's time you get married." He spoke again asserting his words.
"But why? And to whom?" She asked, unable to comprehend why her teacher was insisting on her marriage suddenly.
"Why? It is something that should have been done long ago. We should not delay good things in our life. And to whom? To Raja Vikramaditya as promised. I hope you remember the treaty that had been made between the two kingdoms." Guruji Dandapani's voice was as calm as his posture. He showed no signs of tension or happiness, just his way of living life in a neutral way.
"Oh, so this is all because of the treaty." She muttered disappointedly. "If that is the deal then I think we should cancel the treaty or change the conditions of this pact Guruji. This is no more fair." She replied with a disheartened look.
"Why dear? I thought you liked Raja Vikramaditya and were interested in this marriage." He pressed on.
"My interests no longer make sense Guruji. Just because I had my consent to this marriage doesn't mean that it applies even now." She stood up from her seat and walked to the nearby window.
"Why dear, may I ask?" Guruji wanted to know what was going on in that mind of hers.
"Because I can't give him an heir." She took a shivering breath as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.
"Who told you that?"
"I know what the war did to me and how severe my injury is. I overheard Vaidh ji telling Rajaji about this. I don't think it is fair for a king to marry a barren woman just because of a deal. Please call this marriage off." She pleaded, as she absently caressed her wound that was slowly healing.
"The chances that you may not conceive are very less. And with sufficient rest and time you shall heal Meenakshi. Also, since when did you become so insistent about an heir. Is that the only purpose of a wife, of a queen?" There was a hint of disappointment in Guruji's voice as he shot his questions.
She faced him, tears flowing freely. "It may not be the only purpose Guruji, but it is important for the Queen to provide an heir. People depend on a queen for everything, for security and a sense of security comes from having an heir." She asserted her decision.
"So, by any chance if you have a daughter, you wouldn't consider her as an heir?" He asked her.
"Son or daughter, a child is an heir. I will never be able to differentiate my children, but my chances of having a child itself is uncertain. So this discussion is futile." She said, bringing an ultimatum to their talk.
"Okay. Raja Vikramaditya wants to talk to you. He is waiting in the garden downstairs. Tell him about your final decision." Guruji blessed her before he left her chambers.
Another blow to her. Aditya was here? Waiting for her? Why?
She quickly fixed her hair and appearance and walked the corridors as fast as she could. She was dying to see him and now that he was here, she started to worry if something was wrong.
She entered the garden and found no one there. She walked further ahead, moving closer to the small fountain that had been placed where birds usually take a sip. He was standing there in all glory, dressed as the perfect king he was, royal attire and jewels adorned his sculpted body, the dupatta was draped over his hand while the other end was pinned to his shoulder. Meenakshi stopped at her tracks seeing him. All these days she had pined to see him, talk to him and now that he was here, she didn't know what to do. Her throat ran dry and she felt as if she had developed cold feet. And seeing herself, she felt so underconfident about herself. She quickly turned around before he could see her. But before she could take a step further, Aditya called her. "Meena."
Meenakshi stopped in her tracks hearing him. Tears unknowingly sprang out of her eyes hearing her name. Afraid of him seeing her vulnerability, she stood still, not finding the courage to face him. Aditya stood in front of her, and looked at her rigid posture. He placed his index finger beneath her chin and lifted her face to see her. Luckily she composed herself and faced him with a bold face. Aditya smiled seeing her. It was not only her who had pined alone, but also him. He had tried his best to stop himself from eloping her and taking her away with him. He had patiently waited for weeks now and nothing would stop him now. He would only leave after making her his wife, the only place where she belonged.
"Are you running away from me?" He spoke after he took in her face until his heart's content.
"No. Why will I?" She asked back.
"Nothing. I just felt so. How are you? How's your wound?" He asked, his eyes trailing down to her waist.
"It's fiâfine." She stuttered, trying to avoid his burning gaze.
"I want to see it for myself." He said, shocking her. She stepped back but Aditya put his arm around her waist and gently pulled her towards him. Meenakshi placed her palms on his chest and she could feel his heart racing beneath her palm. She looked at him in winder while Aditya chuckled. "What did you think? I can't help but feel like this around you. My heart really beats for you, Meenakshi." He said, making her shy. He carefully pulled the pallu of her saree to the side, his fingers caressing her bare waist making her clutch his kurta tightly. Aditya smiled at her reaction while he ran his fingers ever so lightly over the wound. "Does it hurt?" He asked her, and she shook her head in a no, her eyes still tightly closed.
When she found him silent, Meenakshi opened her eyes and found him looking guilty. She cupped his face making him look at her, he sighed and kissed her forehead. "I am sorry for doing this to you. I should have known that you would never, never try to betray me. I should have never doubted you at all." His eyes brimmed with tears as he spoke.
"If you are guilty, then so am I for playing with your feelings Aditya." Meenakshi was surprised when he smiled at her words. She raised her brows in question, asking him what he was up to.
"You finally called me Aditya. I thought we had gone back to being strangers when I was addressed as Maharaja Vikramaditya." Aditya retorted.
"You are still a king to me." She said, trying to put some distance between them, but Aditya held her close. "By the way, what made you decide to bless us with your presence?"
"Our marriage." He replied. Meenakshi pushed him away and stepped back. "No Aditya, that cannot happen." She spoke, turning away unable to face.
"And why is that so?" His anger was evident in the tone of his voice and choice of words.
"Because I am infertile. I cannot be a queen that you and your people desire. It is better if we part ways." She replied back with equal vigor.
"And that was because of me, isn't it? So I can bear with that fact." He spoke, walking towards her.
"So what now, you pity me?" She spat, her eyes blazing with anger and tears.
"You want me to pity you? Huh? The truth is I draw strength from you. What happened to you is my fault and not yours. It will never be."
"What about the questions that would be raised? What kind of circumstances will that lead to for the kingdom?"
"Then it will be me who will face them. It will be me who is the infertile one. It will be who is incapable of raising kids." Aditya took a deep breath before he spoke again. This time his tone was much softer. "Anything and everything that reaches you shall go through me. If it's happiness then I shall double it for you and if its sorrow then it shall never reach you."
Meenakshi was speechless at his confession. It would be very difficult to convince the people and the courtiers about an issue like this. "I don't want to create any problems for you Aditya."
Before she could add anything he cut her off.
"All I want is you, your support and your companionship. Is it too much to ask for? I want to share my life and bed with you. I want to wake up next to you knowing that I am the luckiest man in this universe who gets to be yours. I want to spend the rest of my life talking to you, touching you, seeing you, growing old with you. If children or an heir is the only purpose of this marriage then I don't want a child at all, Meenakshi. I know as a king I have a responsibility as an heir, and when time comes we shall face it together. We can adopt or pass on the kingdom to the next royal, who has been loyal to the throne. All I want is just a life with you."
Meenakshi was surprised by his words. They stirred an emotion that felt so familiar yet foreign to her. She wanted this, she deserved this. But she was afraid of a lot of things. Aditya was right when he said that marriage didn't just mean an heir, but much more. It meant a lifelong companionship, an eternity of love, and a life full of being Aditya's. Meenakshi wanted all of this for herself but she was hesitant to take the first step.
"Will you never choose me?" Aditya asked, his voice pained.
"Aditya, it's not that. IâI don't know why, or what is stopping me from taking this step with you."
"Then let me do it for you. Hold my hand and I shall take care of everything."
Meenakshi placed her palm in his extended hand and Aditya's smile said it all about how happy he was. Meenakshi reciprocated his excitement with a smile of her own and let Aditya guide her.
**********
Big chapter for all the lovelies. I guess a few more chapters and we are over.
Love you kittens.