After hearing Ranasa's wish, both yuvraj and Anamika were confused about how to convince him. Ranisa started to talk sitting beside Ranasa but Ranasa showed his hands and said, "No more discussions". It was not his intention to avoid any suggestions but he didn't want to talk to her though they are already pretending to be normal as if there is nothing abnormal between them.

Ranasa doesn't even talk to yuvraj, anything apart from official works. So yuvraj didn't try to talk him into changing his decision and felt helpless. Anamika looked at Ranasa and said, "Ranasa, I respect your wish. I just have one question." Ranasa nodded at her to ask the question and she continued, "If we name him as Shivadithya as per our grandfather, how will you call him? "

Ranasa opened his mouth to answer her question, but no words come out of his mouth. He realised what she is pointing out. He cannot call out his father's name just like that. He cannot even scold his grandson by calling his name. He smiled at Anamika and said, "I get what you are trying to say, bahuranisa. I won't oppose your decision to name your son. Go ahead". Ranasa finished with a smile but still the disappointment was clear in his eyes.

Sensing his dejected feeling, Anamika came up with a compromise and said, "Ranasa! I have a solution for this. We can name him both of our name choices but we won't ever use the name of your father. Just to respect him, we can use his name in the ceremony. Is that fine? ". Ranasa was happy with this arrangement and nodded with a full blown smile.

Every body present in the hall felt relaxed and happy as the tension is relieved. The naming ceremony was completed with everyone giving a drop of sweet water to the baby boy and calling his name in the ear "Abhimanyu Singh Rathod".

Once the ceremony is completed, Sunaina asked Anamika to take the baby to the chamber and rest along with him since they have the crowning ceremony tomorrow. Anamika went away to her chamber for rest. While here in the ceremony hall, yuvraj was talking with some of the neighborhood kings, who asked for the hand of his daughters. Usually the marriages are fixed when girls cross the age of five. Since yuvraj was never present in the palace for more than fifteen days and also went on war expedition with these same kings present over here, none of his daughter's marriage is fixed yet. Infact his eldest daughter crossed ten years of age now. So expect his youngest daughter suchi, every other daughter's hand was asked in marriage. Though the last of his daughters is only 4 years old, she will be married away next year but the alliance will be fixed.

Yuvraj was against this idea of marriage at young age since even he was married after 18 and even Anamika and Saudamini were married after 15. So he asked his doubts to Ranasa who told, "Your marriage was also fixed at a young age when Anamika's father died and that's why Anamika was not married off to any other person till she got married to you. The marriage happened late because it was Anamika's father's wish that she become strong in weaponry before getting married. That's why we waited while I made the same excuse for you so that any other alliance will not come for you. As for Saudamini, Ranisa promised Saudamini's mother about your alliance with her and that's why they waited. The promise shouldn't have been broken but it was done without the king's knowledge, that is my knowledge so when you refused to marry her, I couldn't do anything to keep up the promise."

After hearing Ranasa's advice, Yuvraj decided to move forward with the alliance. While here the men were having some discussions on politics, Ranisa directed all the other queens towards the other discussion hall where everyone congratulated her for having a grandson after all these years.

On the other hand, Anamika made Abhimanyu sleep. Once he slept there was only silence prevailing in the room. Anamika thought about the past few days and closed her eyes.

Anamika couldn't feel anything, not even looking at the lifeless body of Saudamini in front her eyes. She wanted to cry on her loss, the one which she never had an idea about. She couldn't sit there anymore and so she left from there to her chamber. Once she reached her chamber, she fell on the bed abruptly which got the attention of her mother who was swaying the cradle.

Sunaina came to her immediately and saw that Anamika was crying without making any noise. She asked, "Anamika! Why are you crying? I know we have lost a family member but you are the future queen. You should keep your emotions in check always. I thought you came over this ten years ago. Now why are you reacting like this?". Sunaina couldn't understand why her daughter is crying so much. Even years ago when yuvraj got married the second time, she didn't react this much. What happened suddenly?

Anamika just told only one thing to her mother, "Maasa, please take the baby to his chamber. I don't want his sleep to be disturbed. Please". Though Sunaina was shocked to see her daughter trying to control her hiccups while talking, she complied with her request.

Making sure that the baby is settled comfortably in his chamber, Sunaina asked Kamala, Anamika's head maid to be there with the baby. When she came back to check on Anamika, she saw her daughter crying bitterly without trying to hide the noise. She ran to the bed and tried to console her and asked the reason.

"Maasa, you told that I have to follow some etiquette as a future queen. I saw you doing the same while babasa passed away. But how can I be calm and composed when I came to know that I have lost my blood without even knowing its existence, without even feeling it once. And above all, I didn't mourn for fifteen years", Anamika expressed her thoughts. Sunaina was shocked with the revelation. She understood what Anamika meant.

"My baby would be angry with me, right Maasa. I don't even know how many months old it was, whether it was he or she, nothing. Why did that little soul had to loose it's life for having me as its mother? I was not able to protect my child then, may be that's why god had not blessed me with a child all these years till I become strong enough to protect his gift. I will not make the same mistake again Maasa. I will protect my baby with everything I have", Anamika poured her heart out while still crying in her mother's lap. "Your baby wouldn't be angry on you, Anamika. You didn't even know about the news. So please don't blame yourself. Instead take care of what you have and it would be the best way to mourn. Pour all the love for both of your children on your son. I will let you cry today Anamika but not anymore. You should make yourself strong. If you just cry, you will neglect your son. And your anger for the loss will wave off. Don't let it go this time Anamika. Forgiving is good but forgiving everything is like letting them walk over you. So decide yourself. I don't know who did this but I can understand that it was definitely intentional one, since you got to know this from someone after all these years. Be a strong mother, that your son would be proud of. I am leaving for some privacy for you", Sunaina left after her long speech. Though she also lost her unknown grandchild, she couldn't feel weak and let her daughter drown herself in the past.

Once she left the chamber, Anamika continued crying while muttering sorry to her unborn child.

On the other hand, after Anamika left Saudamini's chamber, Yuvraj closed Saudamini's eyes and controlled his tears which were once because of guilt but now full of anger. Anger for not able to protect his child under his own palace, Anger for bringing Anamika in a position where she suffers only loss due to him and nothing else.

The child they both dreamt of, the child they wished they had and the child they begged from God. They got the blessing but he couldn't protect it from the evilness of this world which is the primary duty of a father. He failed at it already. And later he failed as a husband as well. No wonder, Anamika has nothing to do with him.

A day ago, he told Anamika that he would do everything in his power to mend her broken heart but now he don't even know how to go in front of her. Previously it was his wife from whom he was trying to earn his forgiveness even though she said that she forgave. But now, it is a mother who had lost a child and he don't know what to say anymore.

Thinking all this, Yuvraj was standing still on his place. That was when Ranisa shakes his shoulders and asked him to compose himself. He wiped his tears and looked at her. She said, "We have to know everything about this matter Pratap. Saudamini said something about Mala who was her head maid and now in prison. We should ask her about the truth. "

Yuvraj said in a hoarse voice, "It's yuvraj for you. And I can get the truth from her. After all, you were also one among them right". Ranisa shook her head and said, "No yuvraj! I didn't know anything about this. I swear, I wouldn't do anything as such with my grandchild, even though I didn't like Anamika. Please believe me yuvraj."

Yuvraj just went from there to the prison to get the truth about his unborn child. Whereas Ranisa looked at Saudamini's lifeless body and cried for her fate. Ranisa thought that May be all this chaos started from herself.

be ....

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Precap : Mala's confession. Saudamini's last rites. Blank promise.

Sorry guys, my description about a scene makes the chapter look longer. I will try to reduce my wordings.

Do vote and comment if you like the chapter.

Thanks,

SM.