CHAPTER 10: Dil Ki Yaadon Ka Safar

Teri raah take aankhiyaan, jaane kaisa-kaisa hoye jiya

Teri raah take aankhiyaan, jaane kaisa-kaisa hoye jiya

Dhire-dhire aangan utre andhera, mera deep kahan?

Dhalke suraj kare ishara, chanda tu hai kahan,?

Mere chanda tu hai kahan

Luka-chuppi bahut hui, saamne aa ja naa

Kahan-kahan dhoondha tujhe, thak gayi hai ab teri Maa
Aaja, saanjh hui, mujhe teri fikar

Dhundhla gayi dekh meri nazar, aaja naa

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

The lights of Aaranya's room were dim; the entire chamber was cloaked in silence.

All four Rajput Brothers were slumped on the couch, while her father was still sitting on her bedside, his hand still caressing her hair.

Her soft breath was the only sound echoing in the room.

"Kitne barso se is pal ka intezaar kiya tha, rajkumari?" His voice came out in a whisper, yet trembling with ache. "Par aaj jab meri beti mere pas hai, toh usse kuch yaad nahi hai."

(I have waited so many years for this moment, Princess.) (You are here, but you don't remember anything.)

He held her hand firmly, as if he would loosen his hold, then she would disappear again.

She stirred slightly in her sleep, her brows furrowed as small fragments of memories danced in her dreams - the lullabies, the laughter - but they faded as soon as they came.

She shifted being restless, and her father placed his hand over hers like he did when she was little.

"Shhh beta so jao... chahe tumhe kuch yaad ho ya nahi, mai tumhe nayi kahani sunaunga. Par mere pas rehna." He said tears glistening in his eyes and his voice breaking a bit.

(Shhh, kiddo, sleep... whether you remember anything or not, but I will narrate a new story to you today. But just stay with me.)

Aaranya stirred back to sleep, her hand curling onto her father's hand, getting warmth. A small smile made its way to the former king's face.

His heart was finally at peace.

The doctors had advised him to rest, but how could he when fate had returned him his daughter, only to steal her memories?

He whispered a prayer before slipping into sleep beside her with a hope that she would call him -baba- when she wakes up.

The first rays of the dawn entered the room, making the room dance in its glow.

She stirred in her sleep, and her eyelashes fluttered open.

She saw him fall asleep beside her on a chair.

Her father.

A strange weight pressed on her chest- the weight of a life she didn't remember.

Her face was etched in confusion. Who is he? Why does my heart ache when I see him?

"Baba sa..." She said, her voice barely above a whisper, like the words just slipped out of her heart.

Her father stirred in once, as if his heart heard the voice before his ears could.

"Beta aapne mujhe Baba kaha?" He said his voice was cracking with emotion, and his face glistening brightly under the dawn and happiness.

(Kiddo, did you call me Baba?)

She looked at him, her eyes filled with uncertainty, "Pata nahi... Bas nikal gaya." She replied, continuing, "But it feels right." She admitted, her voice cracking.

(I don't know... it just slipped.)

He cupped her face, his heart racing dangerously and painfully. But did he care? No. His little princess, lost for years, had just called him Baba.

He smiled and placed his hand over hers.

"Aaru kabhi-kabhi jab aapko yaad na ho tab bhi dil rishte pehchan leta hai."

(Aaru, sometimes you don't remember, but your heart recognises it.)

Tears glistened in both their eyes as Rajendra embraced his daughter after ten years, holding her close to his heart. He felt his heart at peace, and Aaranya also felt a strange sensation in her heart, but it wasn't unfamiliar.

Words crept up to her mouth almost of themselves as they slipped flawlessly in a mix of emotion, "Baba ab ham aapko kabhi chodke nahi jaayenge."

(Dad, I'll never leave you again.)

A smile formed on Rajendra's face as he heard his daughter whisper the words. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, assuring her the same.

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

After talking to Baba Sa for some time. I feel like I have finally explored the parts of me that I felt were absent.

We stood in silence, the kind that says more than words could ever say. Before I could get more emotional, Baba sa wiped the remnants of my tears.

"Aapko pata hai beta, jab aap choti thi aur aapke bhaiya sab ese hi late tak sote rehte the toh aap kya karti thi." He said with nostalgia tinged in his voice. But I could clearly understand he was trying to shift the moment, making it comfortable.

(You must not remember, but when you were younger and your brothers would sleep till late, what you used to do.)

I complied with him, "Kya karti thi baba sa?" I asked, curiosity clouding over me and confusion visibly etched on my face.

(What did I do, Father?)

He replied, his voice a bit hoarse from the overwhelming emotions, as if he dived into the past to take out this precious memory. "Aap unke upar pani dal deti thi aur jab woh aapko daatne ki koshish karte toh aap rone lagti. Kitni natkhat thi." He said with a chuckle.

(You used to pour water on them, and when they tried to scold you. You would cry. Such a naughty kid you were.)

I also smiled, although nothing came to mind, but it felt nice. I feel loved.

"Baba sa natkhat toh ham ab bhi hai. Aur ab mere pyaare bhaiyon ko bhi yeh baat yaad dilani padegi na." I said innocently, going through my plan once more. I entered the washroom and filled a bucket of child icy water.

(Father, now also I am mischievous. And I need to remind my dear brothers also.)

A wide wicked grin spread over my face, mischief glinting.

"Toh Royal Dhamaka, purane moments rewind karne ka plan hai. Huh?" He smirked and walked with me, helping me carry the bucket of cold water.

(So, Royal Troublemaker, planning to rewind some old moments. Huh!)

I smiled almost innocently as if I wasn't planning to drench the king and princes of the kingdom in icy water.

Moving towards the couch where all my four brothers were sprawled up on top of each other, I stopped on the edge of the couch with the bucket in my hands. With quiet glee, I tilted the bucket, shattering the silence as the water emptied over my brothers.

"Ahhhh... Yeh kisne kiyaaa??"  Veer Bhai sa woke up and sat with a jerk, completely drenched in water. As he sat down, Aditya Bhai sa fell from the couch as he was lying almost over him. He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his vision and understand what just happened.

(Ahhhh... Who did thisss??)

"Babaa" Aditya Bhai sa shouted on the top of his lungs, completely soaked in water and lying beside the couch, rubbing his knees like a kid. While Lakshay Bhai sa and Devansh Bhai sa were groaning as their sleep got disturbed due to my act of mischievousness.

I didn't feel even an ounce of regret or guilt. I just felt familiar, like this was something I knew too well.

I burst out laughing, my head falling back as I was almost rolling on the floor with laughter.

Clouded pictures, almost blurred images, flashed in my mind of similar moments in my mind. Everything was unrecognisable in them, but it felt almost familiar and real.

My laughter stopped after a few minutes as I saw the... Amused? Reactions of my brothers. I looked at them in confusion, and within seconds, I was engulfed in a tight hug by all of them.'

"Aaru, we missed this... We missed you."

My emotions mirrored theirs, and my heart recognised them. Maybe my memory would take a bit of time to recover, but for now, I know these people are mine, and this life is also mine. We hugged each other for a few more minutes, and they all went to change out of the drenched clothes and asked me to also get dressed in any outfit from the closet, as I was going to meet the people today.

I nodded. Baba sa and my brothers went outside to carry out their morning routines and freshen up.

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Spoilers and updates for this chapter and the next chapters are uploaded on my Instagram handle 'khushiiwrts'

THIS CHAPTER IS ALSO UPLOADED ON WATTPAD AND INKITT UNDER THE SAME IDS.