Aksh had been feeling restless the whole night and the conversation with his sister had left him feeling worse. He had broken the news to her as softly as he could and she had spent a better part of the hours crying while he held her close. Bhavya drifted off to sleep in her brother's embrace feeling safe and knowing that nothing would go wrong as long as he was there. But sleep refused to grace Aksh's eyes, keeping him awake all night, leaving him with a stifling headache.

And that's how Aksh found himself in the kitchen late in the morning cooking brunch and coffee. Bhavya was still sleeping and he had let her, knowing that she wouldn’t agree to go to school and he himself decided to take a day off, feeling emotionally drained. He finished his coffee before going to his sister's room only to find her sprawled on the bed.

He went and sat down beside her, caressing her face as he tapped her awake. Bhavya stirred at the contact and hugged his midriff, recognizing his presence. “Wake up princess. It's way past your usual time to wake up. Freshen up and come out. I am hungry.” He announced and waited patiently as his sister slowly sat up rubbing her puffy eyes. Bhavya shifted towards him, leaning against his arms as she rested her head on his shoulder. His hand automatically went to her head, running down her hair as he let her take the comfort she needed.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Bhavya pulled away reluctantly and made her way to the bathroom to get ready. She wasn’t a morning person and needed time before her brain could function after waking up. Aksh watched his sister’s retreating back with a solemn gaze as he contemplated and dreaded the upcoming conversation. If it were up to him, he would not have told his sister the truth, but he couldn’t deny his mother’s request, especially when the situation was already so delicate. His sister deserves to know.

Bhavya didn’t take much time to join her brother in the kitchen as she was feeling hungry, and she wasn’t the one to shy away from eating. Food was her comfort, stress buster and solution to all her problems. They sat in silence as they had their breakfast. The lost look on Aksh’s face as he was searching for a way to breach the topic, did not sit well with Bhavya. She had been watching him play with his food for the past few minutes and finally called him out, breaking his thought process.

“Kya hua Dada? Why are you so lost?” (What happened Dada?) She asked him as she set aside her plate, gaining his attention. Aksh sighed and pushed away his plate, his appetite long gone and looked at his sister and knew he couldn’t procrastinate anymore. “Bhavi, we need to talk. There is something I need to tell you.” He spoke in a low voice as he got up and cleared away the table. “If it’s about what you told me last night, then I don’t wanna talk about it Dada. I am fine, I knew for a long time that she wouldn’t make it, I just didn’t want to think about it.” Bhavya spoke up, assuming it was about their mother.

Aksh rubbed his hand on his face, a clear sign of his frustration, before he approached his sister. “I understand princess, but it's not about that.” He sighed as Bhavya looked at her brother confused and invited her to follow him. She nodded and they both headed towards the sitting area and settled around. “What is it Dada?” She asked him, not able to take the serious look on his face. “I don’t know if this is the right time to even have this conversation, but Maa sa wants you to know.” 

“You are scaring me Dada. Stop with your riddles.” Bhavya spoke up feeling restless. It was not in her brother’s nature to beat around the bush and more importantly he rarely addresses their mother as Maa sa. Aksh looked at his sister as he made up his mind. “It's about your other identity Bhavya. Ma want’s you to know about your family.” His words were met with silence as she stared at him blankly. “Bhavya Thakur. That's my identity and you and Ma are my family.” Bhavya stated simply, ignoring the obvious implications that her mind came up with.

“Bhavya, I know this is gonna be overwhelming, but I need you to listen to me please.” Askhat pleaded in a soft voice, before his resolve wavered. “I am not denying anything but there’s more to it. You are not just Bhavya Thakur, you are Bhavya Devansh Singh Thakur-Rajawat, daughter of the Ex King and Queen of Rajasthan and the only princess of the Rajawat royal family of Rajasthan.” Akshat dropped the truth bomb, scared of her reaction.

Bhavya’s eyes widened in disbelief as realization dawned in her mind. “I am a princess? Stop kidding Dada.” Bhavya blurted out thinking it was a joke but sobered up seeing her Dada’s serious expressions. “Is that why you always call me princess?” Bhavya couldn’t stop herself from asking. “Part of the reason, but not completely. You are my princess regardless of your royal heritage.” Akshat said with a sincere look in his eyes and Bhavya nodded, not paying close attention to her brother’s words.

“There’s more to it, hai na.?” Bhavya questioned, as Akshat still sat there with a sombre look in his eyes. “Do you know why I never allowed you to call me Bhaiya?” Akshat asked her as he nodded his head. “That right belongs to the current King of Rajasthan and your eldest brother, Rishikesh Devansh Rajawat.” He continued, without waiting for her reply. The conversation was taking a toll on him. It had been years since he had taken any of those names and it brought back the painful memories of the past. 

But that didn’t mean he would take away the rights that belonged to them. He never allowed Bhavya to call him Bhaiya aur Bhaiyu as those weren’t his to claim and these words once meant alot to him. “Then, why don’t we live them Dada?” Akshat came out of his thoughts and stiffened listening to her question. He dreaded answering it and wanted to keep the truth away from his sister, it was too painful for him. Bhavya noticed the change in his demeanor and felt bad, knowing she had touched a sensitive nerve.

She had just questioned out of curiosity, wanting to know about them, but was ready to step back if probing meant hurting her brother. She would have loved to know more about her family but not at the cost of her brother’s pain. Nothing mattered to her more than her Dada, the man who had raised her, who was her anchor, her safe haven; not even her mother. She was happy as long as he was with her, the exalted titles and the royal heritage wasn’t that interesting. 

Aksh was about to answer but was cut off by the ringtone of his phone. He frowned seeing the doctor’s name flashing and immediately accepted the call. All the colour drained from his face as he listened to the man speaking. “I’ll be there soon.” He spoke and hung up the call, before locking eyes with his sister. “Ma has collapsed, and has been taken to surgery. We need to go.” He said in a calm voice, keeping his panic in check as he got up and grabbed his bike keys. “Grab your jacket and meet me here in a minute.” He instructed as he walked towards his room to grab his wallet.

Bhavya obliged quietly, understanding the gravity of the situation, and within minutes they were racing down the streets of Mumbai, on Aksh's old bike, breaking God knows how many rules. Once they reached the hospital they both rushed inside towards the OT. While Bhavya had a panicked look on her face, Aksh looked composed, keeping himself centered for his sister. They reached the OT just in time as a nurse came out of the ward with some documents. 

“Sister, how’s my mother? What happened all of a sudden?” Bhavya questioned, her restlessness visible on her face. “The doctors are doing their best. Your mother was already weak and it seems she was stressed about something that caused her to collapse.” the nurse informed politely as Bhavya nodded and stepped back leaning into her brother’s comfort. “Are there any formalities that I need to take care of?” Aksh asked in a steady voice, as he draped a comforting arm around his sister pulling her closer. “No need. All the formalities were already taken care of. You just need to sign this declaration” The nurse replied with a shake of her head, and forwarded a piece of paper towards him.

Aksh went blank for a moment, seeing the declaration form, but somehow managed to sign it and returned it to the nurse. “The formalities. Who took care of them? We are the patient's only family.” He spoke in a somber tone, his eyes glinting, as the nurse frowned in confusion. “It was an emergency and the man over there confirmed that he was family. That's why we let him take care of the formalities. He was with your mother when she collapsed.” The nurse replied while pointing out to the two men who were sitting a bit away, looking at him, and went away to get her work done.

The siblings had not noticed them when they had entered, but as the nurse pointed them out, their gazes locked on to them. Bhavya looked on with confusion written all over her face as she didn’t recognise any of them. One was a man in late 50’s and looked a bit familiar and the other man had a mask around his face, but his honey brown eyes were glued to them as he slowly stood up. On the other hand, Aksh was a completely different story, a single glance at the two figures sitting there was enough for him to recognise them.

His mind didn’t want to believe the scenario but he couldn’t avert his eyes. He froze in his place as they got up and moved towards them, thousands of emotions swirling in the older man’s eyes, while the younger man had a neutral look. He didn’t realise that he had tightened his hold on Bhavya with each step they took, to the point that his grip had become bruising. Bhavya’s eyes snapped to her brother, her confusion growing at the closed look on his face as he stared at the two men coldly.

The men were only a few meters away from them and Aksh pulled Bhavya behind his back, while maintaining eye contact as they continued to approach them. The protective stance was not lost to the men as they stopped dead in their tracks, taking in the icy glare thrown their way.

The silent confrontation would have continued if not for the muffled hiss that left Bhavya’s mouth as she felt her brother tightening his grip again. Aksh snapped out of his cold persona and immediately turned towards his sister, his grip loosening as realisation dawned on his face. “Sorry, princess” Akh spoke up, his voice gentle and guilty as he looked at the angry red marks on her hand. He could feel his frustration building up as he asked a nurse to get him some ice, all the while completely ignoring the two men standing there.

Bhavya let her brother do as he wanted, while her eyes flickered between the two strangers and her Dada, her mind trying to connect the dots. It was the first time she had seen her Dada react in such an extreme manner and the cold aura that surrounded him for a moment didn’t sit well with her. She could feel the stiffness in his body as he tended to the marks, his eyes had gone soft but the earlier coldness lingered there. Even though Aksh shielded Bhavya with his body, they both could feel the stares pinned upon them.

Bhavya placed a gentle hand on her Dada’s shoulder, making him look at her as she rested her head against his chest, feeling his increased heartbeat and restlessness. At that moment all the thoughts flew out of her mind and she gave up on understanding the situation, trusting him to do the right thing. Aksh sighed as he placed his hand around her shoulders, pulling her in while rubbing his face with another hand. “I am fine Bhavi and sorry I lost control.” He whispered against her, understanding what his sister was trying to do.

Bhavya hummed and nodded her head and pulled back as she felt his heartbeats calm down a bit. She was startled to see the two men standing near them, a soft look on the elder man’s face while the other man still had his face covered. Aksh took a deep breath, his eyes going blank as he got up, taking Bhavya’s hand in his own before turning to face them, knowing he couldn’t avoid them anymore.

“Khamma Ganni Hukumsa, Thakur sahab” (Greetings King, Mr. Thakur.)  Aksh joined his hands, and gave a slight bow of his head in acknowledgement. There was no warmth in his tone, derived from any emotions as he locked eyes with his uncle, skipping over the young man. “Fifteen years, and you are still stuck on the formalities. You better drop them young man.” Devraj warned, annoyed with the formal tone of his younger nephew as he moved towards him. He didn’t give Aksh time to react before he wrapped his arms around the boy, ignoring the fact that the boy stood an inch taller to him. “You already have your hands full, don’t add to it. I am not your enemy beta, baki it's your wish.” Devraj whispered softly as he tightened his hold.

Aksh hesitated for a second before putting his arms around his maternal uncle with a sigh. He knew that Devraj was right, seeing them after such a long time had reopened his wounds and somewhere the frustration had come out on him too. “She called?” Aksh muttered as he pulled back and Devraj nodded his head, looking at his nephew and sighed at the blank look on his face. Aksh had already concluded that his mother must have called them. ‘No wonder she wanted me to tell Bhavi the truth.’

Aksh came out of his daze as he felt a small tug on his right sleeve and looked aside to see Bhavya clutching his shirt while staring at the elder man, who in turn was looking at her with a complicated gaze. “Dada, are they…?” Bhavya finally voiced out the question that had been bugging her and trailed off as Aksh nodded his head, understanding the unsaid words. “Bhavya, this is Lieutenant Colonel Devraj Thakur, a man of principles, younger brother of our Maa sa and our only Mama sa.” Aksh introduced and showed his acceptance at the same time.

Bhavya looked at the man for a moment before stepping forward and bent down to touch his feet, a sign of respect. “Daughters don’t touch others' feet, beta.” Devraj stopped her, overwhelmed by her gesture and patted her head, taking in her appearance, his heart feeling with joy. Aksh averted his gaze, knowing well that he should have taken his blessings, the etiquettes dictated that, but was not ready to do so. He may have dropped the titles, but he couldn’t just behave as if everything was normal and Devraj accepted and respected his decision.

Rishikesh had stopped dead in his tracks when Aksh had addressed him as Hukum. It was as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water on him, snapping him back to reality. Mrinalini had warned him of Akshat’s resentment but the cold look in his brother’s eyes had jolted him. He couldn’t help but compare the brother he knew to the man standing in front of him. The Akshat he remembered was a five year old kid, whose eyes held the stars shining in the sky, the chocolate brown eyes that would lit up in admiration and love once, had a cold and empty look in them. 

The man before him was a young man tempered by hardship. The warmth in his smile had faded, replaced by weariness. Gone was the boy who once clung to his waist, replaced by a man now offering comfort to his younger one, just as he once had. The boy who barely reached his stomach now stood tall and proud, almost surpassing him in height.

Akshat felt a piercing gaze and looked up, meeting the man’s eyes. Once, he would have run into his embrace, but today he remained rooted, haunted by the past. The man was once his safe haven, his Bhaiya, but now he was merely the King of Rajasthan, a stranger. Devraj sensed the rising tension and retreated, pulling Bhavya with him as Rishikesh approached, his heart hardened.

But before he could open his mouth, Aksh joined his hands and spoke up. “Thank you Sir, for handling the formalities in my absence.” Rishikesh stared at him before nodding slightly. “You don’t need to Thank me Akshat, I did what I had to. And stop calling me Sir.” He replied in a calm yet firm tone, as he reached out to pull down Aksh’s joined hands. “It’s Aksh, Hukum.” Aksh said in a stiff voice, averting his gaze and moving back while dropping his hands. Rishikesh felt the rejection cutting deep, and he also stepped back with a curt nod, his eyes settling on Bhavya, who was watching them both with a complicated gaze.

Rishikesh couldn’t help the small smile that formed on his face as he saw his sister for the first time. She looked like a perfect photocopy of both her parents. Her petite and small stature a stark contrast to their dominating genes, and she was the only one among them to have inherited the raven black hair from their mother. Her chocolate brown eyes were an exact replica of their father’s, along with her body structure, but her mannerism replicated their mother’s. She carried herself with grace and innocence, and Rishikesh knew that he would have a hard time saying no to her.

At the same time Bhavya also studied the man talking to her Dada. He stood 6 ‘4, a good 2 inches above her Dada, a fact that annoyed her no end. ‘Why do they have to be so tall?’  She thought as she sneaked a glance at her maternal Uncle who was also above 6 feet and sighed before focusing back on the duo. They both had the same brownish black hair, which she assumed they inherited from their father. What stuck her was his eyes, the only feature visible due to the mask, the honey brown eyes, same as her mother’s. The man excluded an air of authority and elegance that commanded respect. 

Although the man wore casuals, it couldn’t hide his lean body or the well defined muscles of his hands. Bhavya noticed that the man had long fingers, a sign of creativity according to her, adorned with a gold band, marking him as a married man. Another thing that caught her attention was the watch in his hand. It was The Grandmaster Chime, one of the most expensive Patek Philippe models and Bhavya couldn’t help but fall in love with it; she adored watches. She would have continued ogling the watch if the man had not shifted his focus on her. There was a depth in those eyes that pulled her yet her guts warned her to be wary of the man; there was an all too familiar predatory agility in his movements that sent shivers down her spine.

Subconsciously she reached out for her Dada as Rishikesh moved toward her, removing his mask. As if sensing her distress, the expression on Rishikesh’s face softened as Aksh moved closer to her, keeping a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Rishikesh Rajawat. Your eldest brother.” He introduced himself softly, while stretching out his hand. Bhavya hesitated for a second, but then accepted his hand in a firm shake as she felt Aksh squeezing her shoulder in assurance. “Bhavya Thakur…-.. Rajawat..” She replied, adding the Rajawat after a moment, as her eyes flickered towards her Dada, not sure about the form of address.

Before Aksh could reply the doors to the OT opened and the doctor walked out, looking tired. The look of sympathy in his eyes as they looked at Aksh, confirmed his fears as he walked towards him. “Aksh, we managed to stabilize her, but there is nothing we can do. I think you should be prepared, young man. She is awake, you can meet her. I am sorry.” The doctor patted Aksh back before moving away, giving the family the privacy to talk.

Bhavya staggered at the doctor’s words but Aksh caught her, before she could fall and pulled her closer. He closed his eyes, taking a moment to regain his composure as he coaxed Bhavya to calm down and they both entered the ward slowly. Devraj and Rishikesh both stood outside, not wanting to intrude on the moment as they both were brought back to reality, and sat down, lost in their own thoughts.

Mrinalini felt a familiar presence and opened her eyes to find her son and daughter standing beside her, their faces a mix of emotions. Bhavya softly held her hand, her eyes filled with unshed tears, a mix of love and fear. “The doctor told you, hmm?” she asked softly and Bhavya threw herself into her mother’s arms, fighting back tears, while Mrinalini tightened her grip. Her gaze then fell on her son, who stood with a stoic expression, revealing the weight of their recent meeting. His eyes held unspoken questions and pain, but as always, he chose silence, respecting his mother’s decision, even if it hurt him. He understood her sacrifices and suffering, and if this brought her fleeting happiness, so be it. He wouldn’t hold it against her. He simply couldn’t.