Remarriage

Dadiji's eyes welled up, and she sank onto her cot, the weight of grief a physical burden. Samrat swiftly moved to her, pulling her close, embracing her tightly. Tears flowed freely from everyone's eyes. Brinda, clutching Viraj in her arms, hugged him fiercely, her own sobs shaking her body. Every moment, the vibrant flashbacks of Adhiraj and their shared happiness flickered through her mind. How joyous they had been.

Nandini, wiping her tears, moved to Samrat, embracing him from the side. Samrat wrapped one arm around his sister, the other around his weeping grandmother. He looked at his parents; his mother, was also crying, her head buried in Shamsher ji's chest. His heart ached, clenching with shared pain. He, too, felt the profound agony of losing his brother, the brother who had loved them with every fiber of his being.

Is it possible to be a man like you, Bhaiya? No, it can never be possible. We all love you so much, we all miss you so much. I love you so much, Bhaiya. Are you looking at us? Samrat's silent thoughts were a desperate plea to the heavens.

"Rishabh did that! He killed my Adhiraj!" Dadiji's voice, though frail, cut through the silence, raw with pain. Samrat looked at her, struggling to control his own emotions. He couldn't stop the ache in his heart, though he managed to hold back his tears.

"We considered him just like our child. He used to play with you both. Adhiraj treated him like a brother. When Rishabh fell ill and needed blood, my Adhiraj had given him his blood to save his life. He left everything in the middle to save his life, and he took my Adhiraj's life," Dadiji continued, the unbearable pain of her grandson's fate reflecting in every word.

"He was going to be a father, my Adhiraj," Dadiji spoke again, and at her words, tears knew no bounds, flowing freely from everyone's eyes. "How happy he was when he got the news that he would be a father soon."

Brinda looked at Viraj, her heart clenching with a familiar ache as she remembered Adhiraj's boundless joy.

Flashback

Brinda smiled, gently caressing her stomach. She sat, a quiet anticipation blooming in her heart, waiting for Adhiraj. The moment she heard a knock at the door, her smile widened, and she sprang up, rushing to open it.

There he was, her husband, looking utterly exhausted and sweating, yet the moment his eyes met hers, his lips curved into a weary but loving smile.
She moved forward, embracing him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Aap naha lijiye, hum aapke liye khana lekar aate hai. Phir hume aapko kuch batana hai," (First take a bath, I'll bring you food. Then I have something to tell you,) Brinda said softly. Adhiraj nodded, and they walked together to their room. He went into the bathroom, and she fetched his comfortable night clothes, placing them on the bed before going to bring his dinner.

After retrieving their dinner, she was arranging the plates when the bathroom door opened. She turned to see him emerge, began to dress in his comfortable clothes. A blush crept up her cheeks, a shy warmth spreading across her face. Once dressed, he walked towards her. She looked up at him, and he leaned down, kissing her cheek, then her forehead.

"Tamatar ki behan ho tum, Brinda?" (Are you the sister of a tomato, Brinda?) he chuckled.
Brinda looked at him, confused. "Sarpanch ji, yeh kya keh rahe hai aap?" (Sarpanch ji, what are you saying?) she asked.

He chuckled again. "Kyunki tum tamatar ki tarah lag rahi ho." (Because you look like a tomato.)
She understood, biting her lip shyly as the meaning dawned on her. She playfully hit his arm, making him chuckle. He wrapped his arm around her and walked towards the dinner table. As he sat down and looked at the meal she had prepared, his gaze met hers. She looked down, a blush deepening on her face.