38.Home Sweet Home

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Raina got down from the cab, it was already dark. She looked here and there, the area was lighted with few street lights.

She gazed around in confusion. "Is it the same place?", thought occured to her.

That place was looking so strange but after gazing around for five minutes she could see the familiarity. Not her fault!!

Many things had changed over years, many buildings and shops are built which were making it impossible for her to recognise the place , but again some things were still there like that turning of road and a small temple in one side .

Involuntarily her legs started walking, after two minutes she stopped and craned her neck to look in her right side.

There was standing a mansion in all it's glory. She stayed at her place quietly gazing at that old styled architectural piece. She took few steps near the building, she couldn't see her house clearly but some lights were on, enabling her to see enough to recognise it.

Her hand went to the marble name plate 'Chauhan Haveli', she whimpered caressing it.

"Home Sweet Home", she whispered the same thing again which she used to scream happily while coming back from school.

She lifted her eyes and observed her home, it was not changed much, just the garden she used to love was not that green like before. She wanted to enter but the main door was locked from inside.

She thought that somebody lived there, she walked to a small gate just beside the large one. She pushed it, to her relief it was open.

She pushed the door to get inside but a hand came in front of her resulting in an abrupt stop.

Watchman came in front of her, "Oo ma'am. Where are you going?"

She motioned inside with her eyes.

Watchman looked at her weirdly, "Whom do you want to meet? Nobody lives here."

Raina raised her eyebrows in confusion, "Nobody?"

Watchman shook his head, "No. It is vacant from years."

"Can i go inside. Just once please.", she asked and tried to get inside without waiting for his reply but he again blocked his path.

"Ma'am, don't do this, you will be charged for trespassing."

"Trespassing? Nobody lives here so what's the problem?"

"Ma'am, this house is under the direct control of Royals, nobody is allowed to enter inside. I have been guarding this house from past three years. Even the watchman who was here before me never let anyone inside. It is highly restricted. I will lose my job. Please try to understand."

She looked upon the building.

"Raghu, your daughter is not listening to me."

"Dare you Mrs. Naina Raghav Chauhan to complain about my cupcake."

"I will kick both you and your cupcake out if you will be messing up things in my kitchen."

"Baby, see your mom is threatening me."

She sucked in a breath pondering over those blissful moments.

"Raghu.. Raghu. Get up. Please "

"Naina. Go away with Ria. Go."

"Ria baby, Always remember I love you..."

The moment those memories hit her, her mind went numb. She couldn't take it anymore, taking some steps back, she started walking away without glancing back, she didn't mustered that much courage. She walked away from the place she called home, away from the souvenir of her past, away from those hunting memories.

She was walking on the footpath barely controlling herself. She tripped over a stone but her hands fell on the bench placed in road side. She slumped over that, keeping her sling bag on her lap she hugged it tight ducking her head down .

Her body was trembling slightly and her breathing was turning more uneven as the time passed.

.

.

.

Adhiraj was driving his car looking here and there in hope that he will get a glimpse of her. Road was quite silent in that area as it was almost night. He stopped his car at a turning and looked here and there. His eyes fell on a group of boys smoking, he was going to ignore them but their nasty comments drawn his attention.

He looked at them to find out that they were staring in a particular direction murmuring something. He looked at the other end of road and found a silhouette of a girl seating on a bench.

He tapped on his stearing wheel for a minute thinking and then decided to go towards the girl and check if she was in need of something.

He drove smoothly towards her, she was few meters away from her when he noticed her cloths, it striked him like an electric current, that girl was non other then Raina. He couldn't see her face but her cloths and body structure was recognisable.

He stopped his car at a distance and came out of car , he fisted his hand to control the anger building inside him,

'What the hell is she doing here at this time?' ,with this thought he marched towards her but his pace slowed when her trembling figure came into his view.

His eyes widened, he went near her and called, "Raina??"

No reply.

"Raina!!", he called her in comparatively softer tone but again it went unanswered.

He went near her and tapped her shoulders, her hands clenched around her bag loosened and she looked up. Adhiraj had left car engine and headlights on, the light falling in her face revealed her terror stricken condition. Raina couldn't bear the extreme brightness so she closed her eyes still breathing heavily.

Adhiraj kneeled in front of her shocked, he removed the hair falling on her face with one hand while holding her shoulder with other hand.

"Raina. Are you okay? What happened?", Adhiraj asked her, his voice was full of concern.

Raina opened her eyes and tried to reply but words doesn't come out of her mouth.

"Is this because of them?", he motioned to those boys still staring at her. Raina looked over his shoulders, some boys were smoking in corner. She again tried to say something but her ragged breath made her choke on her breath. She put her hands on his shoulders for support. He was hesitant a little but forwarded his hand and started rubbing her back.

"Come", he sneaked his hand in her waist to support her and pulled her up from the bench. He took her to the passenger seat of the car. He made her comfortable in the seat and rummaged through the dashboard , he found a sealed water bottle. He made her sip a few gulps of water who was resting her head on the headrest.

He was still standing beside her, the door of her seat was still open. When he saw that she was calm a little, he closed the door and went to the driver seat.

Silently the started going back to place, Raina was still trying to calm herself, back at that roadside she was on the verge of having a panick attack but Adhiraj came on time, that distracted her mind, only a bit but that was enough for her.

After ten minutes, Raina opened her eyes, till then she was back to her regular self. Adhiraj was glancing at her now and then, he sighed in relief after seeing her seating straight, she was looking outside.

Adhiraj asked,"Are you okay now?"

Raina turned her head slowly at him, he took in her face with red nose, eyes and cheeks.

She nodded her head slowly.

Adhiraj also gave a curt nod in return and focused back on road.

"Wanna talk about it?", she heard him speaking.

Her eyes went wide as she thought about a perfect excuse.

"Umm...Actually.. That.", she stammered trying to say something.

"Relax. You don't have to if you don't want to.", be said in a calm voice still looking ahead.

She looked at him for a moment and then nodded her head seating straight.

Her eyes were roaming here and there, sometimes outside the car and sometimes inside it. Her gaze fell on the mess he created to find water at that time. Slowly she started putting back the contents of dashboard inside it. Adhiraj's gaze flickered to her, he didn't said anything.

She picked up a newspaper and was going to put it in also, but something else caught her attention. Some small photographs of people were printed and to her surprise a photo was of the attacker in it.

She unfolded the newspaper and observed the article, approx. four people died in an accident and their body also burnt badly in the fire caused in the car.

She checked the date and paper was of that day itself.

Adhiraj again glanced at her and found her looking worriedly at the paper.

Her eyes full of uncertainty collided with his strong ones.

"Sir. This person... He is dead? But..", she stammered not knowing how to question him, her assumptions was scaring her.

She jerked a little forward as he hit the break. He ran his hand through his thick black hair, he was not going to run away from her questions, he never learnt to run away.

He looked back at her directly without any hesitation.

"Sir! They are dead. Accident? Uhh...", Raina's mind was going haywire.

"Accident? No Raina. They got what they deserve.", he didn't try to cover even a bit. His voice was clear and either Raina was not so naive to not understand the meaning behind those words.

"But this is wrong. You can't take the law in your hand. They must have a family, what about them? Those men were no good, I agree but their families lost them,they lost someone close.", her words were urgent, unknown to her, her heart was clenching at the thought of him being so ruthless.

"Family?", he raised his eyebrows in amusement and chuckled darkly.

His voice turned very serious as he spoke, "Raina, a woman doesn't want a man as her family if he is a killer, if he is a rapist. A child doesn't want a father as his family if he beats him and his mother in a drunken state on regular basis."

"They were not good persons Raina. And about family, they are already sent to NGOs under royals. Don't worry.", he calmed a bit and said in a smooth tone trying to make her understand. The innocence she was showing towards this case was not practically right in this world.

She nodded slowly and put that newspaper back on the dashboard.

Much to her relief the car came to stop, she was feeling very weak both mentally and physically. She fumbled with her seatbelt but she retreated her hand back when she felt someone's touch.

Adhiraj undone her seatbelt and came out of his car, he opened her door and let her get down.

🔅🔅🔅

Uday Singh was standing near the balcony, he was disturbed. He didn't wanted to talk like that to his mother figure. Like the cherry on the top, his Bua sa left for Udaipur an hour back.

Vasudha came and stood beside him. She said in a flat tone, "Hukum sa, you shouldn't have talked to Bua sa like that. She didn't know anything, not his intentions,nor his deeds."

"I know Vasudha, it's just that I lost my composure. I didn't meant to do it. But that crap is now using Bua sa to lure me.",he seethed in anger.

"Then let him lure you.", Vasudha looked at her husband.

"What do you mean?", Uday Singh looked at her with confusion dancing in his eyes.

"Use the same trap he is using on you, trap him in the same way. Call bua sa and tell her that you will think about the proposal. Let's end this years old chapter. But make sure that Bua sa is safe.", she said with a calm smile on her face.

He turned to face her and smirked.

"My queen is really very diplomatic.", he said tilting his head a little.

"I know.", Vasudha flipped her hair haughtily making the king chukle at her antics, she too giggled along with him.

"But is it good to involve Adhiraj in this matter?", her smile disappeared at the thought of her son.

"He is grown up Rani sa. He will handle it maturely. Let me talk to him.", Uday Singh Rathore assured his wife and the latter nodded understanding his words.

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