41. Her home

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Finally it is my birthday.

Guests were arriving for the ceremony. Mostly were the people related to the family only. Dada Hukum and Bhairav were sitting in the hall. " Very good Alok Pratap Singh. You are doing the same thing that happened 50 years ago." said a loud female voice.

Dada Hukum and Bhairav looked at the gate. A lady whose age was around the age of Dada Hukum was standing there. Dada Hukum got up in anger. " Nandani, what are you doing here? I ordered you not to come near my house ever." said Dada Hukum.

Nandani walked forward. " Namaste Maa." said Bhairav. Nandani gave Bhairav a cold look. " To hell with your Namaste. " said Nandani in anger.

Akshita, Anita, Kashi and Naina came out of the room. " What is happening?" Naina asked. Akshita quickly held the hand of Naina, stopping her from saying anything else.

Nandani looked at them. " Akshita, wouldn't you touch the feet of your mother-in-law?" she asked. Dada Hukum looked at her. " You are no more her mother-in-law. We are divorced." said Dada Hukum.

Nandani smirked. " Don't you remember that I have taken care of Bhairav and Anita when their mother died. And I only told you to get Akshita as the wife of Bhairav. Otherwise who would have accepted an orphan?" said Nandani.

It felt like a taunt to Akshita. " How can you speak to my mother like this?" said Naina in anger. Nandani looked at Naina. " Oh looks like you don't know me. I am your grandmother." said Nandani.

" Step-grandmother. No need to give her respect." said Dada Hukum. Nandani looked at Dada Hukum. " Okay, I know that you all don't respect me. But at least let me meet the Hukum Rani Sa." said Nandani.

Everyone looked at Kashi. " Kashi, go beta. " said Akshita while tapping her shoulder. But Kashi didn't move even a bit. Nandani folded her arms. " Don't you have manners how to treat your elder?" said Nandani.

" I am sorry. But I don't think that those people deserve respect when they can't even respect the people who are younger to them." Kashi began, her voice steady and composed. The room fell into a hushed silence, all eyes on her.

Nandani's smirk deepened, a look of disdain flickering in her eyes. "Ah, so the little girl who couldn't keep her first marriage intact is now trying to teach me manners? It's no wonder your first marriage fell apart, Kashi. With such arrogance, how could any man tolerate you?" she sneered.

The words hung in the air like a poisonous cloud, intended to wound deeply. But Kashi, instead of shrinking back, lifted her chin slightly, her gaze locked onto Nandani's. Her response was immediate, sharp, and precise.

"You're right, Nandani Ji. My first marriage did end, but not because of arrogance. It ended because I realized my worth and refused to settle for less than I deserved. If that makes me arrogant in your eyes, then so be it. But I would rather be labeled as arrogant than live a life where I'm disrespected and undervalued." Kashi began, her tone deceptively sweet

Nandani's smirk faltered, her eyes widening in shock. Kashi's words had hit their mark, and the older woman found herself momentarily at a loss for words.

Kashi didn't stop there. She took a step closer, her voice dropping to a level that only Nandani could hear. "Respect isn't something that's given freely; it's earned. And from what I've seen, respect is the last thing you've earned here." she said.

Nandani's mouth opened as if to retort, but nothing came out. She stood there, visibly stunned by Kashi's boldness. For a moment, the air was thick with tension, the silence deafening as everyone processed what had just happened.

" Shivansh's coronation is not right. Aarav also deserves a chance." said Nandani. Finally, Dada Hukum spoke, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "Kashi is right." he said, his tone firm and authoritative.

"Respect must be earned. And as for your claim that Shivansh's coronation isn't right, let me remind you, Nandani, that only the King's son can be crowned as the Hukum Sa. Bhairav's only son, Shivansh, will be the one to take that title. Aarav has no claim to it." said Dada Hukum.

Nandani's face twisted in anger. "You're making a mistake, Alok Pratap Singh. Aarav deserves a chance!" said Nandani.

"There is no mistake. The traditions of our family have been followed for generations, and they will not be broken now. Shivansh is the rightful heir, and that is final." said Dada Hukum.

Seeing that she was getting nowhere, Nandani took a step back, her expression one of cold fury. "You'll regret this decision. Mark my words, this family will pay for disrespecting me." she hissed, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

With that, Nandani turned on her heel and stormed out of the palace, the echo of her footsteps fading into the distance. The tension in the room began to dissipate, but the atmosphere remained heavy with unspoken questions.

Kashi and Naina exchanged a glance, both of them equally confused about the whole situation. Naina, ever the curious one, finally voiced what was on both their minds. "Who exactly is Nandani, and why was she here?" asked Naina.

Dada Hukum sighed heavily, his face lined with the weight of old memories. He motioned for everyone to sit down, knowing that the explanation would take time.

"Years ago. Nandani was my second wife after the death of Bhairav's mother. She came into our lives when Bhairav and Anita were still very young. At first, she seemed like a caring stepmother, but as time passed, her true nature began to show. She was strict, manipulative, and always had her own interests at heart." Dada Hukum began, his voice carrying the weight of the past,

Akshita nodded in agreement. "It was Nandani who pushed for my marriage to Bhairav ji. She saw me as an orphan with no family ties and thought I would be easy to control. But she underestimated our love and the strength of this family." she said.

Bhairav's expression darkened as he remembered those days. "She never truly cared for me or Anita. It was all about power and control for her. When we realized the harm she was causing, Papa made the difficult decision to divorce her. And Kushal, is my step-brother." said Bhairav.

Anita spoke up, her voice tinged with sorrow. "Even after the divorce, she tried to keep a foothold in our lives, using whatever means she could to stay connected. But we cut ties with her completely. That's why her presence here today is so unsettling." said Anita.

Naina frowned, still trying to piece everything together. "But why does she think Aarav should be given a chance to be crowned? He tried so many times to kill Bhai sa." said Naina, " That's right Naina." said Dada Hukum.

" And the reason why I chose Bhairav over Kushal was only because Bhairav was more calm and Kushal, he only knew how to snatch things from the others. " said Dada Hukum.

Kashi held the hand of Dada Hukum. " Dada Hukum, you are right at your point of view." said Kashi. Dada Hukum nodded. He kept his hand on the heads of Kashi. " You are very understanding." said Dada Hukum.

In the evening, Shivansh came home. He was very tired and wanted to meet his wife. He went straight to his room and was shocked as his wife wasn't there. " Kashi, Kashi." he called her out while roaming around in the room.

But she wasn't there. He went towards the balcony and looked at the garden. From the balcony, the treehouse was visible and he saw Kashi sitting there while straight at the moon. Shivansh nodded his head and then headed towards the treehouse.

Shivansh stepped into the treehouse, the cool night air wrapping around him as he approached Kashi. She sat quietly, her gaze fixed on the moon, its soft glow illuminating her face. The treehouse, with its rustic charm, seemed to be a world away from the grandeur of the palace—a place where she could find solace.

He walked up to her, his footsteps soft on the wooden floor, and sat down beside her. For a moment, he simply watched her, sensing that she was lost in thoughts that weighed heavily on her heart.

"Kashi, why are you here all alone? I looked for you everywhere." he said gently, his voice breaking the silence.

Kashi turned to him, her eyes reflecting a deep melancholy. "I just needed some time to think. This place... it reminds me of something I've been trying to hold onto." she replied softly.

Shivansh took her hand in his, his thumb brushing over her knuckles in a comforting gesture. "What is it, Kashi? What's been on your mind?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

Kashi sighed, her gaze returning to the moon. "I was thinking about the house where I was born,. The house where I spent the first five years of my life before everything changed." she began, her voice tinged with a mix of nostalgia and sorrow.

Shivansh listened intently, sensing that this memory was something deeply personal and perhaps painful for her. He remained silent, giving her the space to share her thoughts.

"That house... it held so many memories. It was where I felt the safest, where I was loved unconditionally by my father. It was more than just a house—it was my heart, my refuge." Kashi continued, her voice barely above a whisper.

She paused for a moment, her fingers tightening around Shivansh's hand as she gathered the strength to continue. "But after my father passed away, everything changed. Manisha—my mother—decided to sell the house. She didn't want me to be surrounded by memories of the past, of my previous life... and my previous marriage." said Kashi.

Shivansh's heart ached as he listened to her. He had always known that Kashi carried the weight of her past, but hearing it now, so raw and unfiltered, made him realize just how much she had endured.

"That house was the only connection I had to my father, to the life I had before everything fell apart. It was where I was the happiest, where I felt whole. But it was taken from me, and with it, a piece of my heart was lost." Kashi said, her voice breaking slightly.

Shivansh gently lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a tender kiss to her fingers. "I'm sorry, Kashi, I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you." he murmured, his voice filled with empathy.

Kashi gave him a small, sad smile. "It was difficult, but I've learned to live with it," she said softly. "But sometimes, like tonight, I find myself longing for that place, for the comfort it brought me. I wonder what life would have been like if my father had lived, if I could have grown up in that house." said Kashi.

Shivansh felt a deep sense of sorrow for the pain she had endured. He wanted to take away that pain, to fill the void that had been left in her heart.

"Kashi, you may have lost that house, but you haven't lost the memories. They live within you, in your heart. And I promise you, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you never feel that kind of loss again." he began, his voice determined yet gentle,

Kashi looked at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You've already given me so much, Shivansh ji, but it's not about material things. It's about the love, the connection that I felt in that house. It's something I've been searching for ever since, something I've longed to find again." she said.

Shivansh leaned closer, his forehead resting against hers. "Then let's create that here, Kashi." he said softly.

"Let's build a home together that's filled with love, with warmth, with everything that house once meant to you. I can't change the past, but I can promise you a future where you'll never feel that emptiness again." he said.

Kashi closed her eyes, letting his words wash over her. For the first time in a long while, she felt a sense of hope, a belief that maybe, just maybe, she could find that sense of belonging again.

"Thank you, Shivansh," she murmured, her voice choked with emotion. "Thank you for understanding, for always being there for me."

Shivansh pulled her into his arms, holding her close as the night air wrapped around them. "I'll always be here for you, Kashi and I promise that you will get that house back. NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES." he said.

As they sat there in the treehouse, with the moon casting its gentle light over them, Kashi felt a small part of her heart begin to heal.

She knew the journey ahead would not be easy, but with Shivansh by her side, she felt stronger, more capable of facing the challenges that lay ahead. Together, they would build a future that honored the past while embracing the possibilities of tomorrow.

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