Aradhya ||Indian historical fiction||

29| MYSELF OVER YOU

The land beneath Vihaan's feet started to slip away. Her name responded in his ears. He found himself having it hard to maintain his composure. He turned to Chavi who stood there with a confident look on her face.

Vihaan backed away from Chavi in disgust as he thought she was lying. Nandini and Rihit glanced at each other. Rihit's heart was beating louder knowing that both Aradhya and her child were alive. Little did he know.

Darsh's eyes lit up. He held a great deal of respect and love for Aradhya. He was raised in her light but the light which was held by Nandini.

"Stop telling an untruth." Vihaan bellowed which made Chavi flinch a bit. He wasn't able to accept the fact that Chavi -who he thought was his daughter- standing before him with hate in her eyes.

"Lie? Maharaj, I have better things to do than lie to you. More to talk about my mother. And the king." Chavi clapped back.

Vihaan's throat dried up. He felt his eyes starting to blur out and yet he stood.

"You cannot be my child!" Vihaan let out again. Agony getting to him. Chavi just scoffed at his audacity.

"Of course. I am not your daughter. And I am glad I am not the offspring of some king with delusional rules to be a king,"

Both Nandini's and Rihit's hearts all but broke to a hundred pieces as he heard about Chavi not being Vihaan's child. Vihaan returned to his disgusted self.

"And you, Maharaj, should be already beating yourself up. And more thanks to you, you cast Maharani Aradhya out. Without even knowing the fact that she was with child. And more thanks to you, Ma was attacked on the night you cast her to out. You," Chavi pointed to Vihaan accusingly, "you killed your own child that was growing up in her womb, Maharaj."

None of what Chavi was telling was Vihaan able to comprehend. More than accept than comprehend. Self-guilt and hate for himself pricked him more severely than anything had ever hurt him. Not even his father or mother dying. Not Sadhana dying. Nothing could fill in for the empty hate he was feeling at the moment.

"Why did Aradhya not tell me? Why would she keep it a secret?". Vihaan thought to himself.

"I can give you an account of how much you ruined her, Maharaj. How much you disable her. She didn't get a lick of sleep for the years she spent in your thoughts. She was unconscious for four months after she lost her child and was almost killed by the Dharini kingdom."

Every fact Chavi dropped was a needle that pricked the hearts of every single person. Their hearts were knitted with hurt and disbelief as Chavi openly attacked them all with the hard truths.

Darsh looked over Chavi as she spoke so effortlessly and wondered how much stored anger she had. He saw the tears that flowed freely out of her eyes even when her voice didn't hinder for a minute. He knew now why she hated Vihaan and for all he knew, she had the right to hate Vihaan to her heart's content.

"I thought you were at least a wise king but no. Your wife, the one you all called a traitor, a criminal and a concubine's daughter filled in the role of being a leader for all those you cast out without a sensible reason. And you are here, as pathetic as ever." Chavi went on.

Vihaan fell back to the ground, feeling helpless. He was left speechless. He didn't know what to believe. For all he knew, he didn't even know if Chavi was telling the truth, but the way his conscience blamed him told him everything.

"Tell me this is all a joke..." Vihaan trembled. His blood ran cold. He looked up at Chavi almost with eyes pleading with ber.

"No, I won't. You are the most, excuse me for my language, stupid and gullible king I've seen. You blamed my mother so easily. You never wondered about the hand that lead you to the crime scene every single time."