The king's first wife

Meet

I know it has been long but I was finally able to write a chapter... 

It's not long but here you go ^-^

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It had been months since she had been in that place. Months since she'd seen any of them and months since she'd longed to come back... 

But this was different. It was different from when she was allowed to run in the palace halls. It was different from when she felt safe in that vast place. It was much different than when all she had ears for were her husband's calls for her. 
" Pari," word was still ringing in her heart as the sleep-deprived princess walked back home. Thin as a stick, her eyes had dark circles under them and honestly, she didn't know how to react. 

Should she have been happy? Because she wasn't. She wasn't one bit happy or felt even a tinge bit of happiness in her heart. Should she have been scared? Probably. Knowing and feeling the angry and disgusted gazes of the elders', she did feel scared. But then again, she was tired to the point where she couldn't feel anything. She was tired to the point where she couldn't think or comprehend anything. Was just like a walking zombie at that moment, walking towards the one place she could feel warmth emitting from. To the man standing in front of her, worried yet, happy to see her. 

For a moment, in fact, she felt happy to have seen his face. Thought that she'd never see him again and that really brought the tears out of her eyes but as she kept walking towards him, everyone heard the cackling of a kid... It came from the kid in her arms and made everyone stare at the small baby. Surely, most people couldn't see his face. In fact, most people didn't even know that she was going to be brought back. Only the Royal family and a few guards were there. No maids were allowed and no Aarti would be taken of the princess who walked back into her house with a child. 

A child... 
That was going to be an issue. Surely, the old hag already had a reason to bring a fight into the court later on but at that moment, she couldn't really say anything. 

Because that time, it was their moment to not be bothered by anyone else... 

He couldn't see her face, nor see the expression on her face through her ghunghat, but he could make out that she was crying. Softly, gathering tears in her eyes with each step that she took toward him and he wished to run up to her and hold her in his arms. Along with the child in her arms, he wished not to spare a second and pull her close to him. But he was a prince and he needed to keep his composure. 

People already knew that she was his weakness now. They knew that if she was hurt, he would very well be hurt equally as hard but they'd also understood that he was a determined fellow who wouldn't spare anyone who kept even a hand over her. After all, he managed to get her out of that place... Somewhere no woman had ever come out from. They'd tried to run but, never succeeded. At least not the women who were gifted to that place for punishment. 

" I missed you," his heart wished to tell her over and over again. No matter what anyone else thought about the situation or felt, he knew that at that moment, there was nothing more important to him. But he couldn't even say that in front of so many people... He just couldn't. As the crown prince, it was his duty to stay poised and confident in all situations. He couldn't show his vulnerable side to everyone. 

Both wished to say so many things to each other. Had so much in their hearts. One wanted to apologize till he died and the other wanted to just pull him in a tight hug but they couldn't. Not when her condition was as bad as it was because, just one step before reaching him, she stumbled down. 

" Pari!" 
" Bhabhi!" had a child in her hands. It could have ended pretty badly if he hadn't moved on his instincts and held both of them in time. Yes, the child started crying when he felt being moved out of his mother's arms but, she was unconscious. She couldn't even stand still for the sake of it. And the man holding her in his hands couldn't help but see another man holding her hand and trying to keep her from falling down... 

Who was he? 

Sohit now wondered with his child in one of his hands and his wife's waist in his other hand. Who was the man who dared to touch her and even hold her hand? 

When she was with him, he wouldn't let a man even see her face... How dare someone touch her all of a sudden if it was just to help her out? It was his job to help her, not someone else's. But he couldn't even ask anything. All he could do was glare at him before his mother came toward him and held the kid in her hands. 
" Sohit... Bring her to the room," He would have loved to stay right there and ask that man with what right he dared to hold his unconscious wife's hand but, his son's cries were deafening and his wife was still in a very uncomfortable position. So, he immediately held her up, bridal style, and began walking her to her room. His mother was walking with his kid right behind him but, he was really much more bothered by how she fell unconscious before they could even say anything. 

How had those people kept her? And why was she so very weak and thin? Did they torture her? Oh, he hoped not... 

Did they force her... 

No. He didn't wish to think about it. Didn't know how he would deal with it if they had forced her but, if he didn't know, he didn't need to react. So, he was hoping not to find out. Was hoping that he could keep his mouth shut and not ask her what happened... Then again... His heart couldn't help but want to know everything... 

" Pranav... I need to talk to you,"