Pregnant For The Royal Prince

THE next thing Vidya did was to scream out, so loud that both her mother and Ava, became shocked. Then she began to squeal, squeal and squeal non stop, holding the phone to her chest, like she had just won a jackpot.

The duo looking at her were dumbfounded, and anxiety was written all over their faces as they patiently waited for her to finish, and then spill the beans to them.

Finally, Vidya came back to normal, after screaming to her satisfaction. She quietly dropped the phone and picked up her cutleries, ready to eat now. Happiness filled her.

“Okay now, can somebody tell us the jackpot she just won?”, Mrs Roshan asked, smiling knowingly. Ava who had by now taken a seat, was also part of what was going on.

Vidya inhaled deeply, then let out a sigh. She turned to her mother, her face full of smiles.

“Momma”, she dropped her cutleries, “my prayers has finally been answered”, she said.

“Okay”, Mrs Roshan nudged her, smiling as well. She already suspected what the ‘jackpot’ could possibly be, she just wanted her to confirm her suspicion.

“The queen just texted me…”, she paused.

“Alright, what’s the text all about?”.

Vidya kept mute at first, just smiling and still eating, then suddenly she squeaked out.

“She has asked me to return to the palace in two days”, she screamed, laying emphasis on the last word.

“What!”, Mrs Roshan exclaimed and instantly, dropped her cutleries, glancing at Ava, who was also surprised at the news.

“Repeat what you just said Vidya”, Mrs Roshan said.

Vidya took a deep breath.

“I said, that Her Grace, Queen Arya has reinvited me to the palace, and that I should return in two days”, she put up two of her fingers to emphasize.

“Wow!”, her mother exclaimed clapping her hands simultaneously. Then she dabbed her mouth with the table cloth.

“Seriously? This is a welcome news”, she added.

“You can say that again mom”, Vidya said smiling and scooping food into her mouth.

? The Next Day ?

Lady Aarti opened the door to her daughter’s room and walked in, closing the door behind her. She was on the phone with Raghav, he has just called.

She walked in further into the room and gazed around, searching for her little princess, she found her as usual, busying herself with some paintings on the tiled floor.

“I can hear you Teddy, go on”, she said and sat on the bed.

Little Alisha sprang up at once, at the mention of Teddy, she knew who it was, her favourite cousin.

She abandoned her painting and rushed to her mother, giggling about. Lady Aarti gave her a silent warning, using her right index finger. It didn’t deter her at all.

“Yes, go on”, came Lady Aarti again.

They were some muffling sounds at the other end and suddenly, she sprang up.

“What!”, she exclaimed, startling Alisha.

“Oh my God, what did I just hear?”, she asked, smiling and walking up to the window.

Alisha who was already startled at her mother’s sudden exclamation, calmed down at the sight of the smile on her face.

She walked closer to her mother and stood beside her, stamping her little foot on the floor and humming.

“Thanks to our Creator, He has never forsaken us”, Lady Aarti said.

“At least he is awake now, he can talk, that’s enough to thank Him”, she added.

Muffling sounds, more muffling sounds.

“How about Rina?”, she asked.

Alisha looked up at once, using her eyes to find answers to her puzzles.

“Oh thank goodness. So, when?”, she asked, licking her lips.

Alisha’s eyes twitched, what is mom talking about? When what?

“Come on dear, don’t pretend. I’m waiting for an answer”, she spoke again.

“Alright, alright. It’s fine, just take your time and do your things”, she let out a little laugh and glanced down at her daughter.

“Love you too Teddy”, and then the line went dead.

“Mom, who was that? Was it Uncle? I heard you call Aunt Rin”, she squeaked.

Lady Aarti laughed and walked up to the bed, Alisha followed, squeaking as she went. They sat on the bed simultaneously and Lady Aarti unruffled her hair.

“Yes, it’s your Uncle Raghav, it wasn’t Aunt Rin though, but she is fine”, she assured.

“Okay, I can’t wait to see them, I want to see them again”, she pouted.

Lady Aarti laughed.

“Don’t worry baby, you will soon. But the good news is…”.

“The good news is what?”, a voice from the door interrupted and their heads abruptly snapped towards it’s direction.

They had been so engaged in their discussion that they hadn’t heard the door creak open. It was Prince Rudra at the door.

“I been hearing your discussions from the door”, he closed the door and began walking up to them, “what’s the good news?”, he repeated.

“Daddy!”, Alisha squeaked and ran up to him, he caught her and they embraced.

“Little princess, how are you doing today?”, he asked.

“Good, good”, she replied.

Lady Aarti smiled, watching him carry Alisha up and come up to her in his usual splendour and charisma of a prince.

“Sweetie, it’s really a good news”, Lady Aarti said.

“Okay good, tell me. I’m all ears”, he sat down on the bed, putting Alisha on his laps.

“The King of Shimla kingdom, my beloved brother, King Neel is out of coma”, she announced.

“What!”, Prince Rudra calmly exclaimed. “That’s good news”, he added.

She nodded.

“Really good news”.

“Mummy I don’t understand”, Alisha complained and they both turned to her, really it showed on her face, it was puzzled and angry.

At once, her parents bursted into laughter, laughing non-stop, it got her more angry.

“Mum? Dad?”, she shouted calling them into order.

“Alright dear, alright dear, your mum is gonna tell you”, Rudra said and pecked her cheek, as she turned to her mother.

***

Raghav left the window side walking towards the dining section in the suite, he had just got off the phone with Lady Aarti, his aunt.

“Told her?”, Prisha asked, looking at him. She arrived few hours ago, and they were in their own suite, separate from that of their mum’s.

“Yeah”, he replied shortly and nodded. He got to a seat and sat.

“Woah, I can’t believe mum is still trying to hook you up with that rude girl”, Prisha said, digressing.

Raghav sighed, splaying his right hand on his forehead. He said nothing.

“This is really serious bro, she didn’t even give you the chance to tell her about her beloved nephew, I mean, you can’t tell her about him under this kind of tense atmosphere”, she said.

Raghav still kept mute, his thoughts racing. Well, Prisha was right, he wasn’t expecting his mum to still ask him to make Vidya a wife, he thought he had made his intentions clear to her, and that she had accepted, because of an actual fact, he wanted to present the boys under his custody to her, and make them confess before her, most especially, Amaya.

But it wouldn’t be possible now, not still under this heat of betrothed this, betrothed that.

“Bro”, Prisha calmly cut into his thoughts, “what you going to do about this? Rina has to be protected and safe, Vidya and mum has to be taken care of”, she said.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Raghav glanced at her, she sure do talks more than her age most times. This was true, what was he gonna do? What? He thought.

For the very first time in his life, he was unable to find a solution to a puzzle staring before him in the face, for the very first time. Gee! He was really in a tight corner.

He thought and thought.

“Seriously Prisha, I am yet to get something to do”, he finally said. Prisha sighed, thinking as well.

Soon, she brightened up and turned to him.

“Bro, Teddy, your best friend, at New York, how about him?”, she said.

Raghav thought about it. Teddy? How was he gonna be of help?

“You can take her to stay with him, while you work things out”, she said, as if she has just read his thoughts.

If she goes to New York, can she really stay there? She knows no one there, she isn’t even done with her schooling yet? How about Bella? What if she hears about it?

Oh God! He was still thinking when a message notification popped up on his phone.

He looked into it immediately, and tapped on it.

“Wow!”, was the first thing that came out of his mouth, startling Prisha who just stared at him.

“Wow!”, he came again, still looking into the phone.

“What is that big bro?”, she asked.

“My gee!”, he looked at her, then his face suddenly turned sour, “shit! Can I call this sad or good news?”, he rhetorically asked.

“What is that? I’m still yet to know”, she said.

He sighed.

“The business training I applied for weeks ago has just been given an approval. Shit! This is sulking”, he said.

Prisha’s face brightened up.

“Oh! Really? That business stuff you once told me about? Concerning making your business grow and getting contracts and stuffs like that?”.

He nodded.

“Oh my gee! In faraway Phoenix?”, she rhetorically asked, and then jumped up at once to embrace him.

“Congratulations brother, you deserve it”, she said.

“Do I really?”, his question stung her like a bee would, and she disengaged from the embrace.

“Why? You have been making a lot of applications on this for a long time you know? Finally, you have been given an approval, this is one in a lifetime opportunity, come on”, she slapped his arm.

Raghav sighed, she wasn’t seeing it the way he was.

“It came at the wrong time Prisha”, he said.

That was when it dawned on Prisha, they were just talking about how to handle their mum concerning Rina, and now this. Gee!

“Hmph”, her shoulders fell, “you are right though”.

“I’m not supposed to be leaving now, at all”.

“Yes, you are right on that. But you see big bro, this is one thing father has been praying you get, to go to that business school and further, learn the skills on growing business, and not just that, get contracts opportunities as well. Everyone has been praying this for you, you need to deter any problem and go for this, you really need to”, she said.

Raghav looked at her, and looked away. She was actually right, he really needed this. Now, he had to choose between going for this training, and staying back for Rina.

“Besides, how long you going to stay?”, she folded her arms.

“Three weeks”, he shortly replied.

“Just three weeks, come on, you will be done and back before you know it. When you leaving?”.

“In four days time”.

“Huh! Too close”, she lamented.