City Hospital, Mumbai.

It was late in the evening when Aksh and Bhavya made their way to the hospital where their mother was admitted. She looked frail and it was evident that the illness was taking a toll on her health. They knew their mother was living on borrowed time but she had not told them that the doctors had lost hope.

But today, there was something different about her. Aksh could notice a happy glint in her eyes and her complexion looked better. “You look better Ma.” Bhavya said in a soft voice as she went and carefully took their mother into her embrace. The lady smiled at her daughter and patted her head as she reciprocated the hug. 

Aksh looked on as his mother and sister continued to talk, laughing and smiling, joking around as Bhavya shared snippets of her day and the lady listened with rapt attention. Aksh sat down near them and started checking the medicine box and the files, a frown ceasing on his forehead. The medicines did not match the last dosage he remembered and he could tell that his mother had skipped some.

“You skipped your meds, Ma?” Aksh questioned with a straight face, his eyes suppressing a hint of anger whilst his voice betrayed his concern. The lady looked up and sighed seeing the unasked questions in his eyes. “The doctor changed the medicines, Aksh, I did not skip them.” She replied normally while signalling him to stay calm, subtly guestring towards Bhavya. “Did something happen, Ma?” Bhavya stepped forward taking her mother’s hand on her own.

“No princesses. The doctor just adjusted my dosage, that's all.” The lady replied, squeezing her daughter's hand in reassurance, while Bhavya nodded slightly, stealing a glance at her brother who stood there calmly. “Bhavi, you have a presentation tomorrow right?” Aksh spoke after a moment and Bhvya's face paled as she completely forgot about it. “Don't tell me you forgot.” He continued in a stern voice.

Bhavya gave him a sheepish smile and slowly inched closer to her mother, wary of her brother's reaction. Aksh saw that and a smile threatened to make its way on his face but he held back and shook his head. He knew there was no point in scolding the cub, when she was under Mama bear's protection. “Go home Bhavi and finish it before I come back.” He instructed as he forwarded his wallet to her. 

Bhavya smiled in her mind, seeing her plan work and nodded, accepting the wallet but returned it after taking some cash. “I don’t need more. You keep the wallet.” She explained quickly before Aksh could stop her. She then turned and hugged her mother, placing a warm kiss on her cheek. “See you soon, Ma. And all the best for Hitler's lecture.” She whispered the last part as she pulled back causing her mother to chuckle.

She then hugged her brother, shot him a glare as he ruffled her hair and walked away annoyed. Aksh smiled at her antics, but it vanished as soon as he turned towards his mother. The lady was gazing outside with a troubled look, her fingers tracing patterns on her palm, a sign that something troubled her. Aksh's eyes softened as he approached her and pulled her closer to him, resting her head on his chest. “What happened Ma?” He asked her softly as he ran down his hand through her hair, helping her relax a little. 

“Tell her the truth, Aksh. She needs to know.” she breathed out in a whisper making him go silent for a while. “Why now Ma? We kept it from her for all these years, so why now?” He tightened his hold on her as he rested his chin on her head, dreading the answer. The lady understood what her son was trying to do and leaned back, forcing him to look at her. “My health is deteriorating, Aksh. I.. I cannot hold on for long. If not the whole thing, at least tell her who she is, about her father, her other family.” The lady almost pleaded, as she felt her son stiffen.

“You don't have to worry about Bhavya, Ma. I'll take care of her till I live. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, and I'll talk to doctor's. I am sure something can still be done.” He replied in a hard tone and got up, ready to leave, but the lady stopped him by grabbing his wrist. “Sit down, Akshat.” The lady commanded in a tone that he had not heard in a long time. Long gone was his mother and in her stead sat the Queen he once knew, because his mother never addressed him with his full name.

“I know my body well, beta. It's giving up and there is nothing the doctors can do. I don't have much energy left.” She finally relented on her stance, her grip loosening and Aksh obliged. There was a momentary silence and Aksh took the chance to carefully observe his mother. The slumped posture, drooping shoulders and the exhaustion in her eyes spoke volumes. He could feel the life ebb away from her as he held her hand.

“I'll tell her Ma. But when the time is right.” He said in a gentle yet firm voice, leaving no room for negotiations, while the lady nodded in agreement, trusting her son to do the right thing. He had always been a smart kid for his age and the only regret she had was that she had to watch her son mature and take responsibility for his sister in an age where he should have been enjoying his childhood. But the circumstances were such that she had to be out working so that she could give her kids a stable life. 

He had never complained and she was proud of her son for the way he had turned out and raised his sister as well. Even when he did not agree with some of her decisions, he never made her feel as if she had failed, standing by her side like a rock. Often it is the parents who play the role of pillars in their kids life, but here her son was her strength. She was not worried for her daughter, knowing she was in the safest hands, but her son was a different matter altogether.

“You cannot run away from the past, Akshat.” she muttered softly but Aksh heard her and pulled back as she gave him a soft smile. “I know you don't like me calling you that, but you cannot refute the truth. You are my flesh and blood, own that if nothing else.” The lady said in a soft voice as she drifted off to sleep due to her medication. Aksh sat there staring at his mother for a long time, until the nurse assigned for the night duty came in, shaking him out of thoughts. 

He took one last look at his mother before going back to their apartment, where he knew his sister was waiting for him, but for the first time he hesitated going back as the looming task ahead weighed down on him. He wondered how he would tell his sister the news of their mother's failing health.

That night it rained outside as lightning thundered and winds howled, giving a total creepy vibe, as if warning of the impending doom. But so lost were the four souls in their own vices that they failed to notice the unpredicted abnormalities.

>>>>>>~<<<<<<

Next morning, Jaipur.

Devraj looked at his nephew, sitting opposite to him with his eyes closed, head resting on the head guard, his hands placed on stomach with the fingers intervening and his right leg crossed over his left one. Even in such a state he excluded the aura of authority and power, complimenting his status as the reigning king of Rajasthan and the business world.

After their conversation last evening, they had not exchanged a single word. Rishikesh had gone back to the palace to prepare for the flight, while Devraj had booked a hotel as they wanted to keep his visit a secret. And anyways Devraj would have not agreed to go to the palace, he had not set foot in there after his sister had left nor was he willing to anymore, unless the situation demanded it.

The morning sun looked beautiful as they traversed through yeh clouds, heading towards their destination. Both the men chose to embrace silence, lost in their own thoughts and would have continued to do so if their chain of thought had not been interrupted by the pilot announcing their landing. 

Rishikesh finally opened his eyes as the plane started to dip, his heartbeats rising with every passing second. His mind had been in turmoil since the moment he got his mother’s news. His gaze landed on his Uncle, who was staring out of the window. He looked tired as if sleep had eluded him last night, which he assumed to be the case as he also couldn’t sleep properly.

"Mama sa” he called out, gaining the attention of the man. “How’s Akshat?” He voiced the question that had been plaguing his mind since yesterday. He had missed his brother a lot in the past 15 years and the prospect of seeing him again filled him with different emotions. “I don’t know Rishi. Jiji sa didn’t say a word about him and evaded my questions too.” Devraj replied in a neutral tone as he nodded.

Soon they had reached Mumbai, and were heading towards the hospital. Both the men had neutral expressions as their emotions created havoc in their mind as the end of their journey approached. Rishikesh had dismissed his usual entourage of bodyguards taking only his security head with him to avoid media and recognition, while Devraj had also discarded his usual uniform.

They got down at the hospital and Rishikesh covered his face with a mask as they moved in followed by Mahira, the head of security. “Patient Mrinalini Thakur?” Devraj inquired at the reception and was guided to a private ward. Both the men halted outside the room, hesitation clear on their face as they slowly opened the door, stepping in. The room was decent enough, with white walls and the typical smell of disinfectant pertaining to every corner. 

They could hear the machines beeping in the background but the lady lying in the middle of the room, her eyes wide open as she stared at them, caught their attention. Devraj looked at his sister lying with wires attached to her looking all pale and fragile as he took small steps towards her, while Rishikesh stood frozen at the door. The person lying in front of his eyes was not the person that had left him 15 years back, it was a mere husk of that cheerful, strong and loving woman.

“Jiji sa” Devraj muttered as he embraced his sister after a long time, the feeling of familiarity moistened his eyes. The lady also teared up as she reciprocated the hug and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again and scanning the room, stopping at the young man standing still at the door. “Ri.. Rishi?” she whispered in disbelief as her heart rejoiced seeing her eldest son. The honey brown eyes, same as him, gained back a flicker of their spark as Dev pulled back and moved aside, giving Mrinalini a clear look at her child. 

Rishi was jolted out of his trance as he heard his mother call out to him and at that moment all the other thoughts flew out of his mind as he walked up to her. Mrinalini's heart looked to embrace her child to her bosom, but stopped herself and reached for his hand, caressing it slowly before bringing it closer to her heart and Rishikesh let her, taking in the tender touch of his mother as he observed her closely. 

Her skin had become thin and had gone pale. The soft hands that he knew once had calluses in them and the long vibrant raven black hair had lost their lustre. Her illness had wasted her away but there were still traces lingering of her past beauty. The once reigning Queen, now lay there all fragile and weak, but the fire still burned deep inside her, a testimony to her resilience and grace that transcended the passage of time.

“Thank you. Thank you for coming here.” She croaked out, her voice choking up with emotions. Rishikesh just shook his head, coming out of his thoughts and sat down as he pulled away his hand. “All these years…. Why now? Out of nowhere?” He voiced out the question that had been bugging him as he schooled his features. Mrinalini looked at her son, gathering her thoughts as she glanced at her brother who was leaning against the wall, his gaze pinned on the floor unable to look at her decaying frame.

"Hamare paas samay nahi hai, aur jane se phele humari akhri amant tumhe saump dena chahte hain.” (“I don’t have much time left and I wish to hand over my last responsibility to you, before I depart.”) Mrinalini whispered softly as she tightened her grip on his hand, her eyes boring into his with a silent plea. 

“What are you talking about?” Rishikesh asked, confused, as her behaviour unnerved him. “I was pregnant when I fled the palace with Akshat.” Mrinalini muttered out, finally revealing the secret she had been guarding for the past 15 years. “What!?” Rishikesh almost shouted as he got up, while Devraj’s eyes snapped to his sister staring at her in disbelief. “Whose… whose child…?” Rishikesh stuttered, not being able to complete the sentence, the thought itself felt like a sin and Mrinalini sighed. “I see… The past never lets you be, hmm!” She replied dejectedly. Although she was prepared for the doubts, it didn’t mean it hurt any less.

“I loved your father Rishikesh, never doubt that. My youngest child, who also happens to be your sister, is not a child of my so-called affair.” She replied in a firm voice, her eyes solid like steel, daring anyone to question her sanctity. It was the fierceness of a lioness, protecting her cub, and Rishikesh recognised that very well.

“I am sorry. It came out the wrong way, I didn’t mean to question your loyalty. No child can believe such accusations against their mother, and I wasn’t any different Maa sa. Never, not even for a moment.” Rishikesh explained in a pained voice as he approached his mother, his head hanging low. “Look up Rishikesh. A king never bows his head in front of anyone other than his Queen and the Almighty himself. It’s fine my child.” Mrinalini comforted her son, her gaze softening as she caressed his arm.

Rishikesh took a deep breath, getting a grip on himself and looked up. “I.. I have a sister.?” He asked hesitantly, as his mind processed her words, looking at her for conformation. Mrinalini hummed in affirmation and nodded her head and Rishikesh sat down, overwhelmed by the information. Devraj on the other hand was a completely different scenario. Although his face was expressionless, millions of thoughts were running through his mind. “Does.. Did you tell him?” 

Mrinalini just looked at her brother, the silence and the turmoil in her eyes speaking volumes. “Why?” was all he could manage to ask, as he started connecting the dots. “The palace was in turmoil when I learned that I was pregnant. It wasn’t exactly the safest time to tell anyone about it, so I decided to wait till things calmed down a bit, but the situation escalated quickly and spiralled out of control.” 

“You could have told me when I came to find you. I could have helped.” Devraj questioned her again as he berated himself for being so blind. “Don’t blame yourself Dev.” Mrinalini comforted him, understanding his thought process. “At that time it was necessary to keep my pregnancy hidden. Akshat and I were already made a target, and revealing things would have aggravated the situation. There was no way I would have dragged you in the mess when our own lives were in danger. Trust me Dev, leaving was the only option to keep both of my kids safe.” Mrinalini finished and turned to look at her eldest child.

“Rishikesh, I am so sorry bacha, I abandoned you, left you behind, and I regretted it every day. The first born is always the special one’s, it’s you who made me a mother for the first time and I failed you. I wanted to come back, but that would have put your life at risk, so I held back. I consoled my heart every time I heard about you or saw your pictures in the new paper and it always made me proud to see you climbing the ladders of success. I wish I had been there to see you wear the crown, to see my son step into a new phase of life, but…” She trailed off. Her voice choking and wavering with the weight of the emotions.

All the lingering pain, hurt and anger accumulated over the years washed away as Mrinalini’s words crashed over in his soul. At that moment all he wanted was to feel the warmth of his mother, so he approached her and gently pulled her into his embrace, running a soft hand down her hair, just as she used to do in the past. “Don’t fret over the past Maa sa. I am here now, I’ll arrange for the best doctors..” He stopped as he felt her breath hitch and she tightened her hold around him.

“Don’t worry about me Rishi… I don’t have much time anyways… Lung cancer, last stage.” Mrinalini said with a sad smile, before looking at him. “Bhavya, her name is Bhavya, Rishi. She doesn't know… I never told her. Promise me you will look after her.” Mrinalini gasped out and Rishikesh tried to lay her down, but she refused. Devraj was also getting worried and immediately pressed the emergency button

“Jiji sa, relax. Try to calm down. We can talk later.” He also tried but mrinalini was adamant. “Aksh.. Aksh needs you. He resents you… all strong and mature…don’t leave him Rishi. Promise me you will give him a chance. Help him Rishi… he needs you.” Mrinalini breathed out, her words slurring as her chest heaved with the efforts of talking. She was rapidly losing consciousness and collapsed as soon as her mind registered the hazy confirmation from her eldest child, scaring both of them.