"Ohh, that's why he used to go out in city often. To see you." Neisha said teasingly.
Avanya nod shyly "Yes, he used to come often. And your son is too stubborn. Whenever he used to come to my house, he used to ask my father to ask me to make tea for him because I was the one who made it for him on the first day and he liked it. Because my father can't ignore a king's request, he asked me to make tea and serve. Day by day, I started feeling comfortable with him coming to my house and drinking tea with my father. I can always feel his gaze on me and sometimes we made eye contact. He was too bold. May be because of his status. He always stare at me doesn't matter if I like it or not. It continued for few months until...."
"Until?" Ira asked.
"Until my father decided to fix my marriage. My father was open minded. He educated me and let me do whatever I want. But I am a girl, I can't stay in my parent's house for long time. I had to get married as soon as possible. My father informed him about my marriage. The day he got to know that my father is searching a groom for me-I still can't forget that expression on his face. At that time, it was heartbreaking to see his eyes filled with questions and fear but now, it's so funny to remember it." She smiled widely to remember Ashwant's scared look.
"Stop smiling. You don't know how disturbed my son was. He was restless all the time." Neisha said.
"I was more restless." Avanya exclaimed "He was a king but I was no one. He had multiple options and ways to forget me but I didn't. He made me fall for him at the first place and looked at me like I did something wrong to him."
"What happened then? Did he asked your father for your hand or did he ordered him?" Ira asked.
Avanya chuckled "No he didn't ordered my father. He respect my father a lot. The day my father informed him about my marriage preparation, after few day, he came to my house with his parents and gave the marriage proposal. I was shocked, unable to digest what was happening. My mother was crying in happiness and my father was shocked too. The entire village was standing outside my house. Everyone was looking at my family with shock and envy but this man, your father, he was too serious. He asked my father to marry me to him. And my father agreed immediately. After a week, we got married and within a month, he crowned me as Queen of Jwalana."
"Father loves you a lot." Ira commented with wide smile.
"Yes he do. But the thing is, I didn't know how to rule the kingdom. I was confused, scared. I didn't know what to do. Some people were jealous of me that how a poor common girl became the Queen of Jwalana. They didn't wanted to accept me as their Queen but your father always supported me, he fought for me and helped me earn that respect every Queen deserve. He was always there for me whenever I needed his help. He taught me politics and all the knowledge about ruling the kingdom."
She then turned to Neisha and held her hand. "And mother helped me a lot too. She always motivated me and helped me learn about Jwalana."
Neisha wrapped her arm around Avanya, pulling her in a loose hug. "It's my duty to help my daughter-in-law, the future Queen of Jwalana to learn about kingdom and her duties. And you are the best Queen a kingdom can have."
Avanya broke the hug and shook her head "No, we have Ira now. And I am sure she will be the great Queen, More than you, me or anyone else can be." Their eyes then turned to Ira and she gulped nervously.
Her hands fisted on her gown and she tried to smile. "I-I will give my best." She tried to say confidently but her cracking voice made others chuckle.
"Of course you will!" Avanya said "My son will always help you. He is the best king and he will make you his best Queen."
Ira smiled and Neisha said "Ira, you are so lucky that Raksheet is your husband."
Ira looked down with shy smile and Neisha continued
"We have seen him grow up before our eyes. He is such a gentle and patient person. Doesn't matter how much mistakes you make, he will never get mad at you or scold you. He will always support you and be with you. You don't have to fear about your future as long as he is with you."
"Doesn't matter how much mistakes you make, he will never get mad at you or scold you. He will always support you and be with you. You don't have to fear about future as long as he is with you."
Ira nod and looked at Neisha "I know, he never scold me doesn't matter how much I annoy him or made mistakes. He always supports me. When I started learning sword fighting after marrying him, he supported me a lot. I told him that I had been learning it at my home before, and he asked me to continue it the next day. He even asked brother Ahil to teach me." She smiled slightly "I am grateful that he is my husband."
Neisha held Ira's hand "Then don't think much and trust him. You will be the best Queen. And you should get crowned soon."
Ira's eyes widened in shock that not only her husband but her in-laws are also too eager to crown her. She opened her mouth to speak but before that, Avanya exclaimed.
"No!"
Neisha and Ira both looked at her in confusion and Neisha asked.
"What? Why? Don't you want Ira to be the Queen of Jwalana?"
Avanya shook her head and folded her arms on her chest "No, it's not about that. Of course I want her to be the Queen of Jwalana but I have a condition."
"W-What condition?" Ira asked afraid.
"You.." she pointed her finger at Ira "....and your husband have to give me a grandchild."
Ira's face flushed red to hear sudden demand of her mother-in-law. Neisha started laughing to hear Avanya's condition and patted her shoulder.
"They will! Don't be so eager Avanya. Let them enjoy their married life first and after that, they will give you your grandchildren too."
Avanya put down her hand and sighed deeply "You can say that because you have your grandkids. You have enjoyed their childhood but what about me? I want my grandkids too. I want to hold my grandkids in my arm and hug them. I want to feed them with my hands and pamper them." She turned her gaze to Ira and asked "Ira, when will you fulfill my wish of holding my grandkids in my arms?"
Ira was dumbfounded, not knowing what to say, how to answer. She was tongue twisted. Yes, she will fulfill her wish because her grandfather had already asked about it. For him, she have to do it as soon as possible but talking about it, it is still awkward for her.
"Soon!" The sudden voice made them look at the door and there he is, Ira's dear husband standing with wide smile.
Ira felt her cheeks burning and heartbeat racing in her chest. She wanted to run away and hide somewhere from this embarrassment.
He stepped inside the chamber and said "We will, soon. But before that, Ira need medical treatment to recover completely and bear a strong heir for us."
"Treatment? What treatment?" Neisha asked, her expression serious yet confused.
Raksheet sat down on the chair beside Ira and replied "She is already eating prakast fruit everyday and it is helping her alot. But she need proper treatment. So I thought to summon a healer and do her checkup and start her treatment. I talked to her about it and she don't have any problem with it. She told me that she had taken treatment before also but nothing worked so I decided to start with light dose of medicines and therapies to not affect her body and the immune system."
He then looked at his mother and said "After that, we will give you so many grandkids. Is that alright?"
Avanya nod happily but Ira, she was so confused and scared. Raksheet was so confident about giving grandkids to Avanya as if they are already trying for it and that is the biggest problem.
He noticed his wife's worried expression and held her hand under the table. She suddenly came out of her thoughts and looked at him. He blinked reassuringly, thinking that his wife is worried about treatment but what he don't know is that his wife don't need any treatment.
She looked at him and smiled, hiding her fear under her smile.
"Did you talked to your grandfather about Ira's treatment?" Neisha asked.
Raksheet looked at her and nod "Yes, I did. He don't have any problem. He is the first one I talked to about Ira's treatment. And he know it's important."
"Alright, then we should leave now." Neisha said and stood up, followed by Avanya.
"Thank you for your gift Ira." She said.
Ira smiled in response "Your welcome."
"Thank you Ira." Avanya said and grabbed her necklace "I am taking it. See you later."
Ira stood up and gave Neisha her necklace "See you later."