"Are you m-marrying Seya?"
He immediately cupped her cheeks and said assuringly "No! Never! Why would I marry her? Who told you that I am marrying her?"
She tried to wipe the tear from her eyes by back of her hand and replied "I heard your conversation with father. You said you will marry her for your kingdom." Doesn't matter how hard she tried to control her emotions, seeing his face made her cry hardly.
"And?" He asked
She looked at him "And?"
"Didn't you heard what I said after that?"
She shook her head "I wasn't able to hear anything after that. I didn't wanted to hear more so I left from there."
He clicked his tongue in disappointment and hugged her. "So that's why you did that last night. You should have talked to me about it instead of hurting yourself."
She hugged him tightly and asked again "Will you really marry her?"
He chuckled and broke the hug "Of course not. Why would I marry someone I hate the most? I hate her family, her father, her kingdom. I know they want to destroy our family then why would I marry her."
He cupped her cheeks and pecked her forehead "You should have listened our conversation for some more time. I refused to marry her. You are my only wife and you will be forever. I will never marry anyone else. I promise."
"But father said it's good for our kingdom, so I thought you will agree for it." She said in low voice, feeling guilty for misunderstanding her husband and not trusting him.
"Father know I hate Bayar and Bakshi family so he didn't forced me. He know when we love someone, we can't replace them doesn't matter what. Even the whole world force us to replace them, we can go against the world but can't hurt our loved one. Father had gone through it, so he can understand my feelings. Mother is the only one father love and he can never replace her. And me too, I can never replace you." He explained and saw her slowly stop crying.
"Not only my family, but in your family too. Your grandfather have only one wife. Your father also have only your mother as his wife."
His words made Ira look away with sad face. "Yes, they do. But it's not completely true."
He looked at her confused and asked "What do you mean?"
She rested her head on his chest and hugged him. He hugged her back and she started telling.
"My grandfather have only one wife but they don't have good relationship. They fight a lot and they don't share the same chamber. They have separate chambers. Grandfather said grandmother had spoiled father that's why he don't like her. And about father, beforey my birth, he used to love mother a lot. But after my birth, they started fighting everyday."
She looked at him and continued "My father hate me and he used to hate to see me in their chamber when I was a kid. They started sleeping in different chambers because of me. And after few years, mother got to know that father have an affair outside."
Raksheet eyebrows raised in shock and she continued "He wanted to marry that woman. Mother cried whole night while hugging me. She was broken but she didn't wanted to leave me. I was the reason of her suffering but she still love me."
He cupped her cheek with one hand and said "You were not the reason of her suffering. It was your father who cheated on her."
She just looked at him and smiled with teary eyes.
"What happened after that?" He asked.
"Father tried to pursue grandfather to allow him to marry that woman but grandfather didn't allowed him. After few days, I heard that grandfather made that woman leave kingdom and helped her settle down somewhere else. Father was angry on grandfather but he love him too so he didn't protested against him. Slowly, everything became normal and mother and father started sharing the same chamber."
"Because at first place, I was the reason they started fighting, I asked mother to give me a separate chamber. Grandfather knew my intentions but didn't wanted to let me feel alone, he gave me the chamber beside his."
"At what age you started sleeping alone?" He asked.
She tried to think and rested her head on his chest."May be five or six."
"Were you scared to sleep alone?" He asked again, combing her hair gently with his fingers.
She nod "Grandfather used to stay in my chamber until I fall asleep. But whenever I used to wake up at middle of the night, I used to feel scared. The chamber was dark and no sound could be heard. It was too scary." She hided her face in his chest and he gently rubbed her back.
"You are so strong." He said and she smiled.
She looked at him "Our families are totally different. Your grandparents love eachother. Whereas my grandparents don't like eachother. Your father only love your mother and mother told me that he rejected all the marriage proposals he got after marrying her. But my father...just because of a small reason, he started fighting with my mother and even wanted to marry someone else. You have a clean family background. No past affairs, no cheating, no heartbreaks. But my family, it's filled with problems only."
Seeing that Ira don't know everything about his family and calling his family perfect, he felt guilty. He want her to know everything about him and his family. Until now, he didn't wanted to scare her or make her feel uncomfortable so he didn't tell her anything. But now, it's time for her to learn about the family she is living with.
He caressed her head and said "Do you want to know a secret?"
She looked at him for a while and nod. He smiled and kissed her forehead.
"Then let's go to meet grandfather. He will tell you."
After taking the bath, they came out of the bathroom and quickly got dressed. Raksheet asked a soldier to summon everyone to meet him in family room after breakfast. He also asked the maids to bring their breakfast in their chamber as his wife is too tired to go in dinning hall and eat with everyone.
After having breakfast, Raksheet took Ira to the family room where everyone was waiting for them.
As soon as they entered in the room, Ahil asked "Why did you called us?"
Raksheet ignored his question and joined his hands infront of his elders "Good morning."
Following him, Ira did the same. "Good morning."
"Good morning. Ira, come here." Avanya gestured Ira to come and sit beside her.
Ira nod and walked towards her and sat down. Raksheet also went towards his wife and sat down beside her.
Avanya held Ira's chin and turned her face towards her to look closely. "Are you ok Ira?" She asked.
"Yes." Ira replied.
"Your face is slightly red. What happened? Do you have fever?"
Ira quickly touched her face and her cheeks turned even more red after recalling last night. She looked at Raksheet and he quickly looked away.
She again looked at Avanya and replied "I am just a little tired. I went out for shopping that day and it was hot outside so may be my skin is affected by it."
Avanya nod understandingly and let go of Ira's chin. "Take care. Tell me if you are not feeling well."