Jaipur, Shiv mandir.

Author's POV

Garvi glanced at her father with confused eyes, she never came outside alone, so she was following her father where he was going.

She was anxious seeing so much crowd and hid behind her father, trying to avoid the gazes of people.

She had never been with this many people, and after seeing this many people gathered around she was feeling insecure.

Prabhakar noticed it and caressed her head, "Take a veil on your head Gudiya."

Garvi nodded her head and obediently followed her father's order.

Prabhakar smiled and said in a calm voice, "And now Don't follow me."

Garvi's face tensed upon hearing his words and she looked at him with confused eyes.

Prabhakar glanced at his daughter and smiled at her confused face, he caressed her head affectionately and she loosened her tense muscles.

He caressed her cheek and lovingly said, "Gudiya I have a job as Hukum's PA ( Harshvadhan) and I need to take care of it, you can't come with me there, so go and stand there where females are standing, Look your brother Veer is also doing his job."

He showed his finger toward his son Veer who was standing beside Abhiraj.

Garvi saw those women and said in a timid voice, "I will not follow you Baba Sa."

Prabhakar took a sigh of relief and pulled her veil in front of her face, which was transparent but enough good to block an outsider's view.

Garvi turned towards the direction where her father told her to go and gulped hard.

She was hesitant but like the good daughter, she didn't want to trouble her father so she obeyed and went towards the direction where her father told her to go.

In the Temple.

Hundred of priests were chanting the Sanskrit mantras sitting in front of the holy fire, and the member of the Royal family was sitting on their respective chairs.

The commoners were standing near the pond, male at one side of the pond and female at the other side of the pond.

Women were carrying their veils on their heads hiding their faces under those veils and men were looking downward bowing their heads in respect and fear.

There were some rules set by the Royal family of Jaipur and if someone broke them there were several punishments.

The commoners very well knew their limits, and they never crossed them, it was forbidden for common women to show their faces to Royals and they followed it quietly.

The monarchy ended long ago in the country but the Royal of Jaipur still holds the power to destroy the person who went against them.

The elder son of Digvijay Singh Rathod, Baldev has his clutches on politics and his younger son Harshvardhan rules the business world, so no one ever dared to set their feet on the land of Rajasthan.

There were so many politicians and businessmen also attending that event.

They were aware of how profitable is it for their businesses to attend an event of the Royal family from Jaipur.

Digvijay glanced at his younger son Harshvardhan with anger-filled eyes, and he just lowered his eyes.

Harshvardhan knew why his father was looking at him angrily, there were no traces of Rudra, everyone was there except Rudra, and he knew his son was not going to come as always.

There was no use in waiting for him so he decided to make his father understand that Rudra isn't eligible for the head of Rathod's.

His gaze fell on his elder brother Baldev who had a victorious smirk playing on his lips, he knew why.

He cleared his throat and turned his attention towards his father before saying apologetically, "Sorry Baba Sa, But I don't think he will come here, you should declare Arth as the next head of the Rathod Empire."

Digvijay sighed, he knew what Harshvardhan said was true, his third grandson was too stubborn to get convinced, he still remembers how happy he was when his grandson took his first step, but now everything is different.

He sighed and was ready to speak when  his wife Ratnmala Devi spoke, "I think there is no need to hurry he will be busy we can wait for some more time."

Baldev didn't like his mother's words, he always saw this partiality his parents did in his and Harshvardhan's kids.

He wanted to interrupt and let out his frustration but his wife Aarartika held his hand and stopped him from saying anything, she glanced at her elder daughter-in-law Aparna and whispered something in her ear.

Aparna glanced at her husband Abhiraj and forwarded her trembling feet with extreme fear in her eyes.

She hated that man from the core of her heart, but fate sealed her with him to endure the pain that he gave her.

She went near him and touched his hand, Abhiraj turned his eyes towards her and her whole body trembled with fear, she quickly took her steps back and signed him to look at her mother-in-law.

Abhiraj glanced at his mother and understood what she meant by that look, he cleared his throat and spoke taking everyone's attention, "I think it will be inconvenient if we wait for him, there is everyone present from our party members to business associates and famous politicians what they will think about the Royal family that we don't value their time."

Digvijay cleared his throat and let out, "I don't think he will come here and I never saw a man stubborn like him if it is his choice then I don't care anymore, I am going to declare Arth as the next head and no arguments will be heard now. "

Gayatri who was listening to this conversation was not feeling bad that her son would not get that position, but her mind was occupied with the thought of that curse, She knows how many prayers she made to the lord Shiva only to get him, and after 4 years of her marriage she got blessed with her first son Rudra, she just wanted her son to attend the Puja, and take blessings from Bhagwan Shiv.

She knew that no one cared if her son died also, they just needed a next head who would extend their empire.

The whole family was just thirsty for power, money, and status, but her son was different, too much different from this greedy world.

He isn't greedy nor he is selfish, he never ran behind power nor did he show his thrust for the position.

Rathod called him ill but she knew her son was a diamond if she knew that she was wrong in his case, it was just an illusion of her eyes,

A delusion, that was created by her beloved son, a son who wasn't a diamond but a demon, a ruthless devil with no mercy in his heart.

But she is a mother and she loves her son more than anything, she signed Rakesh to call Araysh and glanced at her younger daughter-in-law Maya who was holding her elder 11-month-old grandson Rishabh.

She always felt guilty looking at Maya, and after thinking about what her elder son did with her it always worsened.

Nothing can be heartbreaking for a girl more than seeing your soon-to-be husband leave you in the middle of the marriage altar, and Maya went through that pain, just because of her elder son Rudra.

Rudra left her in the middle of the wedding altar, and then Rakesh married her, to clear his elder brother's mistake.

She knew it was all her fault if she had not forced Rudra into marriage then he had never done that.

She doesn't want that same thing to happen with Tara, so she will first convince Rudra to meet Tara, and if he doesn't listen to her.

She would not force him, as she knows her son does what his heart says.

Rudra never listened to anyone it's just his nature, and she knew we can change someone's habit but we can't change someone's nature.

Her thoughts broke when she heard Rakesh's astonished voice,

"Masa Bhai Sa is here."