"Ira, are you okay?"
"Yes. I am ok." Ira faked a smile. She is really missing her grandfather but can't let her in-laws notice it.
Knowing what Ira was thinking about, Abhiveera spoke "She must be missing her grandfather. She love her grandfather so much. I have seen how good her bonding is with her grandfather. Am i right Ira?"
Ira smiled sadly and nod "Yes."
"Don't be sad. What if your grandfather is not here, i promise we will never let you miss him." He reassured her
Ira just smiled, without saying anything.
"By the way, did Raksheet tell you about tomorrow's party?" Abhiveera asked, trying to change the topic.
"Yes. He told me." She replied.
"Good. It's a welcome party for you. There will be so many guests from kingdom and out of the kingdom. The whole focus will be on you. But don't be nervous, Raksheet will be with you all the time. If you need anything just tell him. You both should look beautiful couples. Indeed, you are actually beautiful." He said to Ira, making her smile shyly.
And it made others smile too.
Raksheet was admiring his wife. How cute and shy she is. 'she is adorable!' he thought.
"You look even more beautiful when you smile." Neisha said to Ira.
"Thank you." She replied.
"Sorry to disturb, but can we start eating?" Ahil asked, making a puppy face. His stomach was growling in hunger but his other family members were busy chit chatting about everything but not paying attention to this poor hungry soul.
Raksheet looked at Ahil with annoyed look. He interrupted Raksheet's beautiful moments. 'BRAT!' he said in his mind.
Abhiveera laughed at his question "Yes yes, please start the dinner."
"How can you be a commander, if you can't control your hunger?" Raksheet asked to Ahil, feeling annoyed by his behaviour.
"I can. I am strong and powerful to be a commander." Ahil protested while filling his plate with food.
"You-" Raksheet was about to scold Ahil but before that, Avanya interrupted him by saying.
"Now stop you two. Stop your argument. What will Ira think about you? You are fighting infront of a new bride."
Ahil turned his gaze back to his food, ignoring Raksheet's glare.
Raksheet looked at his mother and then at Ira. She was looking at him from the corner of her eyes.
"What would you think? Huh?" He whispered to her.
Again, Ira didn't replied and continued eating her food.
In Aaro kingdom,
Everyone was having dinner. Everyone was behaving normal, like nothing happened. But Viraaj and Daksha were quiet. They both were thinking about Ira.
How is she? Is everything good there? Is she feeling alone there? will she be able to get along with her new family? She didn't met new people before, is it hard for her to live with them? Is she missing me? Were the questions roaming in their mind.
"What happened father? Why aren't you eating?" Dhishva asked to his father who was lost in his thoughts, staring at the dining table blankly.
"Huh....?" Viraaj came out of his thoughts after hearing Dhishva's voice "Nothing. I was just thinking about something." He replied.
"What is it about?"
He looked at Dhishva for a while and then spoke "I was thinking about Ira."
Daksha looked at them, hearing that she is not the only one thinking about Ira.
Dhishva rolled his eyes and sighed "What is there to think about her anymore? She is not here. She is in her new family. They will take care of her. They will worry about her." He turned his gaze to food and continued eating "You don't have to worry about her. After all, she is not our family member anymore."
"Dhishva! Mind your words!" Viraaj yelled in anger "She is still my granddaughter. This is her family and she is our family member. She got married, it doesn't mean she is not our family member. This family, this kingdom is still hers. She is still princess of Aaro kingdom. Don't forget that!"
Dhishva didn't replied. Everyone was quiet too. No one have guts to say something when Viraaj is angry.
"One more thing." Viraaj spoke, controlling his anger "After a week, i will go to Jwalana Kingdom. To meet my granddaughter and make sure everything is good. You have to take care of everything when i am not here." He said to Dhishva.
"Ok." Dhishva replied.
Daksha wanted to say something but she don't know how others will react. Should she say it? gathering her whole courage, she finally spoke.
"Your majesty."
Everyone's gaze turned to her.
"Yes?" Viraaj replied.
Daksha gulped in fear. Hesitatingly, she asked "Your majesty, c-can i come with you too. I want to meet Ira too."
Viraaj was about to answer Daksha but Veera interrupted him.
"Why?! You can't go! How can you leave me here and go to meet that Ira. Why you want to meet her? Let her stay in her new family. Why do you have to go there?"
"Veera is right. You don't have to go there. A queen should not go to her daughter's house. It's inappropriate. You shouldn't go." Dhishva warned his wife who was already expecting this reaction from him.
Daksha looked at the table, feeling disappointed. She knew it's inappropriate for a queen to go to her married daughter's house but she still wanted to go because she is worried for Ira. Ira has never been out of her sight for so long. She has never been alone with new people.
"Don't worry Daksha. I will make sure she is happy there." Viraaj reassured Daksha.
Daksha passed a slight smile to Viraaj and again looked down at her food with sad face.
Ira was standing at the window, looking outside. The view infront of her was so beautiful. The kingdom was lightning like stars in the sky. The night breeze was touching her body, causing her long silver hair to wave in the air. She closed her eyes and let the wind play with her hair.
"Your highness, the bed is ready." Said a maid.
Ira took a deep breath and opened her eyes "You can go now."
The maid went out.
After a while Ira went inside and walked towards her bed. As she was about to lay down, she saw Raksheet entering in the chamber. Standing up quickly, she greeted him.
"Ahh...No need to be so formal. I am your husband not your owner." Raksheet tried to offend Ira, just to see her annoyed face. But for his disappointment, she just nod and sat down on bed.
Seeing her reaction, Raksheet sighed and removed his robe. He hung it on stand and went towards the bed.
Ira was expecting Raksheet to lay on the bed but he didn't.
"Good night." He grabbed the pillow and was about to leave.
Ira looked at him confused "Where are you going?" She asked in low voice.
"To my personal chamber." Raksheet simply replied.
"Why?"
He turned towards her "Actually....I thought you need some space. It's ok, I will sleep in my personal chamber. Don't worry. Sleep well. Good night."
Ira looked away in hesitation and asked "Don't you have pillow in your personal chamber?"
He looked at the pillow and laughed softly "No no, I have pillows in my chamber too but I am used to this one. The royal physician had specially made this pillow for me. I can't get good sleep and suffers from neck soreness so he made this pillow for me." He looked at her "Do you want it?"
She quickly shook her head "No. I am fine."
"So...may I leave?" He asked.
She nod slowly.
"Good night." He said and walked outside.
Ira looked arround, feeling uncomfortable to sleep at new place alone. The weather was too windy and rainy. Suddenly, the balcony door banged because of the wind. She flinched on her place and looked around. Getting up from her bed, she quickly closed all the doors and windows and ran towards her bed and lay down, covering herself with the sheets, feeling scared.
The room was completely silent. The sound of wind and trees moving outside was heard. She can hear the rustling of the leaves.
"Grandfather.." she cried out in low voice. Her eyes closed tightly. She was regretting getting married and leaving her grandfather, her home. No one is here to comfort her.
The next morning
When Ira woke up, she heard some noise in her chamber. Two maids were cleaning her chamber.
"Shh...don't make noise. Her highness may wake up." The first maid said.
Ira removed the sheets from her body and sat up, looking around with sleepy eyes.
Seeing her getting up, the maids stopped their work and greeted het "Good morning your highness."
Ira nod and stepped down from bed. "Prepare my bath." She said and walked towards the bathroom to wash her face.
The maid nod and started preparing her bath.
After a while, when Ira came out of the bathroom after taking bath, wearing her bath robe and two maids helping her, She found her husband sitting on the chair near the window, waiting for her.
When he heard the sound of bathroom door opening, he turned his eyes towards it. As soon as his eyes fell on her wet mesmerizing appearance, his heart skipped a beat. A red tint started to appear on his cheeks and he felt a bunch of butterflies flying in his stomach. He quickly looked away, feeling shy.
Ira's eyes widened when she saw him. Wearing only bath robe, hair wet open. Her newly married husband is sitting infront of her, making her feel too shy. She wanted to run inside the bathroom to hide herself but because of the maids standing behind her, she was unable to react.
"Greetings, your highness." The maids said to Raksheet.
He slightly looked at them and nod.
"G-Good morning." Ira said hesitantly, to not make the situation more awkward.
He slowly looked at her, heart still racing like a horse. "Good morning."
"I...I will be ready in few minutes. Will you wait?" She asked.
He nod "I will. Dry your hairs first. Don't catch cold."
She nod and walked towards the changing room in hurry.
As she left, Raksheet sighed heavily and placed his head on table infront of him "Ahhh....what was that? She is driving me crazy. Thanks to the lord, I didn't slept here last night."
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Ira said as she came out of the dressing room.
Raksheet stood up "It's ok. Let's go for breakfast. Everyone is waiting."
When they reached the dining hall, they found everyone waiting for them.
"Good morning everyone." Raksheet said.
"Good morning." Following him, Ira said in low voice.
"Good morning." Others replied.
As Ira sat down on her seat, Avanya asked
"Ira, did you slept well last night."
As Ira remembered the last night alone in new unknown place, the sound of wind blowing and the silence of night that scared her, a shiver ran down in her spine.
"Last night was too windy. Even I couldn't sleep properly. I hope you didn't had any problem."
Ira looked at her and faked a smile "Yes, I slept well. Thanks for concern mother."
"That's good." Avanya said and started to eat the breakfast.
Ira gulped in fear, thinking that she again have to sleep alone tonight. She glanced at Raksheet, the only way she can escape sleeping alone.
As she looked at him, he looked at her. He smiled at her and signalled her to eat her food. She smiled weakly at him and continued eating.
"Ira, are you excited for the party?" Abhiveera asked.
Ira smiled at him and nod "Yes."
"Ira, sorry we can't accompany you today. Avanya and I have to take care of party arrangements. But don't worry, Raksheet will be with you. He will show you around the palace and at the evening, I will send Advika to help you get ready." Neisha said
"It's ok."
After finishing breakfast, Raksheet took Ira to show the palace. He took her to a room, even the door of that room was so beautiful and colourful that Ira was already excited to see what's inside.
"Which room is this?" She asked.
"The special one." He replied and opened the door.