Posted: July 23, 2020

♚ Aarush ♚

2.50 Order in the Chaos

          I stand groggily, pushing myself off the floor. Clutching my head, I clear the haze surrounding my eyes. Why does my head feel this heavy? My eyes land on the digital clock at my bedside table. 8:42 p.m. My hand leaves my head once the time registers.

The priest selected 8 p.m. as the auspicious time for the coronation rituals.

If I have been here knocked out...

I swallow harshly at a faint memory of Randeep handing me a drink. Saying something about how I need to calm myself before the big doomsday event. The sneaky... I catch myself from cursing on time. When did my little cousin get sneaky enough to slip something in my drink that I didn't even catch it? I should have been sharp enough to notice a change in taste. But, that is for later as I realize something else. If I am here, then he is out there. No one would know if he'd taken my place given my face would have been covered during the rituals.

Fighting the blur, I take off to save that idiot. He probably thinks he is saving me by fooling our enemies and taking the attack on himself. But, just you wait, Randeep. When I get my hands on him, I am going to make him regret the moment this stupid plan crossed his mind.

The entire coronation is a lure for my enemies to try and kill me before the end of the rituals - the havan and everything. Key point: my enemies. They'd be hurting the wrong person and this is my quest for justice more than his.

I rush towards the security room. We had assigned 5 guards to cover all the cameras. They are surprised to see me in person, as they should be. "Rawal sa, if you are here..."

"Give me your gun," I cut him short, having no time to spare for him to catch up that things are obviously very wrong here and not according to plan. Well, it may be going according to Randeep's plan, but not mine.

A good soldier, he reaches for his holster at once and hands over his weapon. I perform a quick scan of the screens to spot where everyone is currently located. As assumed, Randeep was in my place in the throne room. Only I knew who the person sitting there really is. Jhanvi was standing to the side with Eva while one of the female guards was with Inaaya in her room - the farthest from the throne room to ensure that no matter what, the baby would be safe. I had wanted Jhanvi there with her, but we also knew that we had to keep up pretenses. People would have questioned why the Queen of Jaipur was not present at the coronation - even if they didn't much take a liking for her, because if they weren't sticklers for tradition, then who were they?

I don't see Annie, Aarav, or Arshiya. For that matter, even Dimitri isn't in his position. I already had doubts that he would heed to my plans, but I had still assumed that he would stay put if for nothing else than to keep an eye on Annie. He's the one I had been counting on to keep both Annie and Aarav safe because I knew, where Annie was, Aarav would be too. Sure, Aarav had Vikas, but his skills were useful to me elsewhere.

"Where's Mohit and Vikas?" I ask to no one in particular.

Utkarsh informs, "Mohit left with the younger Raizada just before the coronation started. I believe they were headed towards the airport."

I assume Aarav must have finally convinced Arshiya to leave before the show went down.

However, just before I would feel relieved on that point, I stop at one of the screens: the room Arshiya had been using for her stay. The door opens and Ishaan walks out, coughing and struggling to breathe. Behind him, a smoke rushes out.

Rajesh mutters beside me, leaning forward and tapping some keys on the keyboard to fetch another angle of the corridor. "What the hell?"

I point at two of them at once, "Go check it out, now." I look at Shiv, "Find me Narayan Raichand, now." While he gets to work on spotting him on the cameras, I pull out my phone to call Eva. I couldn't just radio call her the way rest of the guards were communicating with each other. No one would doubt them if they were speaking into their ear pieces, but Eva would be giving herself up if she was wired. No one here knows her to be ex-army. They just take her to be a guest of the Raizada's, and as such, harmless. It was the perfect cover for her.

On the screen, I see her looking down at her phone and her brows pulling together in confusion - no doubt wondering what I was doing calling her when - for her - I was sitting right in front of her. She answers nonetheless. I warn her at once, "Don't react."

I knew she could mask it well, but if she said my name, Jhanvi would worry and I didn't want her to worry. Not till there was an actual cause for concern.

Jhanvi looks at her and Eva says to her, "It's my dad."

I will save the eye roll for another time.

Excusing herself, she walks a couple of steps away. "What is happening?"

"Randeep happened, " I put it briefly. She glances back to the center of the room and puts two and two together.

"Ofcourse he did." She mutters, and I am sure she's putting together all the ways to give him hell for this too just as I have.

Before I can ask her anything, Shiv calls me. "Rawal sa." I give him my attention as he points towards the screen, "I couldn't find Mr. Raichand, but the car that was supposed to leave for the airport never left. It's still in the parking lot."

That confirms my doubt. Something is happening here and I need to get in front of it. I instruct Eva, "Keep calling Aarav till you get a hold of him and get Jhanvi out of there."

"But, Randeep..."

"I have his back. You just..." I abruptly stop when Shiv interrupts again.

"Rawal sa..."

I snap in irritation because my patience was running thin right now. "What now!"

Everyone was doing things out of turn. This was not how tonight was supposed to go. What was the purpose of all the planning if no one was going to stick to it?

Randeep got the upper hand on me and decided that today was the day to be a smart ass. Aarav is god knows where. Along with Vikas and Mohit and Arshiya. Ishaan is... well, my people have him, but I'm not going to know what happened there until they bring him back here. Dimitri and Annie - again, who knows where the hell they are. The people I am supposed to depend on for back up are now depending on me to figure this shit out but hello, if I knew, wouldn't I have ended this eight fucking years ago?

I cannot afford fuck ups today of all days. It's been a long time coming.

He defends, dropping his tone as a subordinate and getting me in check, "Hey, I'm on your side and just trying to warn your ass that you might want to do something before your palace is hijacked."

I will reel back from his tone later - along with that eye roll for Eva. For, right now, the outer cameras are all showing the same thing. Men in black turbans with their faces masked and all of them surrounding the back side of the palace.

Is this for real? The numbers! Where do they get so many people from? Is it really that easy to influence the thought process of youths? Where is logic and reasoning? Sensibility? Can they not think for themselves? Differentiate right from wrong? Know where to draw the line?

This is not happening.

This palace was a bloodshed once in the past decade. It destroyed everything that used to be good in my life. I refuse to let them paint it red yet again. No more untimely deaths.

Three words I say to Eva. "Get everyone out." Then, I start walking towards the exit but pause on feeling a presence behind me. Shiv, following. "Stay."

He objects, "I'm not letting you walk in there without backup!"

"You are my back-up, Shiv. I need you here telling me who is coming at me from where. Got it?"

He might not agree, still, wanting to be physically there as my backup, but I need him to be my eyes all over the grounds if I am to even hope of succeeding. He nods with determination, nevertheless - ready to serve in a position asked of him.

I squeeze his shoulder. "Thank you."

If only there were more people like him, then tonight would not be happening.

"Come back alive, you here me? We just got you back."

I nod once. I already have my orders from Jhanvi. Even if he hadn't said it, I would have to listen to her.

"Wait."

I eye him debating. Before getting to the rebels, I might just put him under.

But then, he turns and pulls out something I thought I had left in the armory. My sword. He holds it out carefully in his palms, "You'll need this, Rawal sa."

Right.

He can consider himself spared - for the time being.

As much an expert I can be with revolvers, they only work until I run out of magazines. And with the numbers I had seen on the screen, I am sure to run out of them.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

          I am about to swing my sword when rounding a corner when Eva blurts out, "Don't shoot!" Then, eying my weapon corrects, "Or strike."

I send her a glare before lowering my hand, "Haven't you learnt by now not to sneak up on me?"

She holds out her palm with an earpiece, "Shiv said you left without it."

The idiot. He can remember to give me my sword but not an earpiece so he can communicate with me. In my preoccupied state of getting to Randeep on time, I seem to have not thought of it myself either. I need to pull it together. People counting on me need me at my sharpest.

This is the moment that counts.

This is what everything till now has boiled down to.

As I pin it to its place in my ear, I ask for updates. "Jhanvi?"

"Safe with Inaaya. Jigar is headed their way with Ishaan. He'll get them out."

"Aarav?"

She shakes her head. She tries to mask her worries, but she can't hide it from me. He is her family.

"Go," I calmly say.

The soldier in her shakes her head, "I am not leaving you."

As they say: you can leave the army, but the army never leaves you.

I put my hand on her shoulder lovingly, "Eva, I know you don't like choosing, but there comes a time in life when you have to. This is that time. I'll forever be grateful for everything you've always done for me, but you have to go and find him now. Wherever they are, get them all back safe."

A moment of confliction passes over her eyes. Her wishes coinciding with her duties. But if there is such a thing as lessons learned, it is that at times, family does come before duty.

Shiv speaks in the earpiece, "The royal guard is here and ready to move on your word, Rawal sa."

I smile at her as she must have heard the news too. "See. I'll be fine. Now, go."

A relief washes over her. Lifting on her toes, she gives a quick hug which I return. Before sending her off, she hands me her gun, "Just in case."

Once she is far off in the distance, I reply to Shiv as I take off for the throne room, "Thank you for lying."

He clears his throat, "I wasn't lying."

I pause momentarily, "Shiv, this isn't the time for jokes or dramatics. We don't have a royal guard."

"They may have been disbanded, Rawal sa, because times changed, and they weren't needed after democracy. But when they heard you were alive, that is all they needed to re-form."

He can't be serious. I didn't ask for their service. Because as he rightfully pointed out, this is now a democracy. We have a government. Not a private royal army. "You're joking."

He reminds me, "You aren't the only one who loves his country, you know? There are hundred times more people who care for their state as well. And their Rawal sa."

I need a second to reel from this overwhelming sensation passing through me. It's what everyone has kept telling me. That the weight of the world is not alone on my shoulder. I keep living life as such, but I don't need to. It does add pressure that they look up to me and wait for my command, but it weighs less when I consider their love and devotion towards someone they believe in.

Shiv adds, "They are all patched into our line. So, what's your plan?"

Then, that's all it takes for me to take charge. My military training kicks in. Commanding a force, I can do. I dispatch orders, telling them to wait, surrounding the perimeter of the palace and letting the rebels get closer. Letting them think they have won and that I am really in the throne room, sitting in the havan and performing the rituals.

Give them a taste of victory before snatching it from them.

It might not be in the Rajput blood to attack from the back, but that is not what we are doing here, is it? There is such as thing as war strategy as well. Besides, my plan might be the most cliché of it all. There is nothing original in it. And perhaps, that might be exactly why it could work. No frills. No surprises. A sure shot method that has no choice but to work.

The last bit of instruction goes as such: "And, no kill shots."

That is a value I have only just recently learned I am not willing to compromise on. For a second, I had thought I could, but I was wrong. If I cannot give life, I am no one to take life either.

It isn't kill or be killed.

You can save too.

Besides, the Gods up there are finally in our corner. I am not trying to take his place here.

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

          "Stop the coronation!" One of them yells as they surround the havan. Another puts a gun to Randeep's head from the back and commands him to get up.

A third threatens, "Listen to us or we'll start shooting - starting with pandit ji."

With the gun aimed at Gopal Das, I suppose that answers our question about third suspect. He might not have been present at the reception party held a couple of days ago, but these rebels wouldn't risk pointing their guns at him if he was their head.

Randeep stands from his spot with his hands in the air in a surrendering position.

But, this isn't going to work. I doubt any of the three who have spoken so far is the leader. We need to flush him out.

Just then, a fourth person instructs, "Somebody kill the cameras already."

A second later, Shiv informs, "We're flying blind, boss."

I didn't hear the gun shots due to the silencer, but the confirmation was appreciated. Not that it helps us. I speak into the earpiece such that I can be quiet from where I hide at higher ground aiming my rifle, but still be heard. "Randeep, if you can hear me, move to your right."

I swear to God, if he turns out to be an idiot who decided to paint himself the target with an impulsive plan, I am going to kill him before the guy holding the gun to his head.

Holding my breath, I wait for a response - giving him a few seconds to confirm subtly and not bring attention to the shift.

With his hands still up in the air, he turns around to his left and looks at the guy's masked face. "Why are you doing this?"

I release my breath. He is not a complete idiot. Still, I mutter. "I said your right."

I should be more concerned that he is in the middle of that room instead of his lack of comprehension between right and left as if he were a child still learning his directions. But, I can give him grief over it, among million other things, after we get ourselves out of this sticky situation.

For now, the man realizes the person in front of him is not me, and moves the curtain of garland covering Randeep's face. My little cousin, however, smirks rather than being worried about getting caught. Probably because he knows I am here for his back up. "Surprise," he says.

Time to call upon that sniper training I've mastered over the years as part of the army.

The man points his gun at Randeep's forehead, "Where is he?"

"My guess would be that he's planning on the best way to kill you."

I am going to have to tell him to keep his cockiness in check after this is all over.

Turning angry that Randeep isn't affected or scared, he instructs some men to go in search for me and then points towards Gopal Das. "You. Check him for weapons."

Gopal Das's eyes widen in shock, "M-me?"

"Oocho sunai deta hai ke, thare ko? Haan, tu. Kare hai ki sab se pehle tanne goli dharu." ["Are you deaf? Yes, you. Are you doing it or should I kill you first?"]

Trembling in fear for his life, Gopal Das walks forward to do as instructed. He retrieves a dagger from Randeep's inside coat pocket - smart choice to not be there unarmed, even though it doesn't help right now that his weapons are being taken away.

The third guy who had spoken waves his gun at his face, "What's that in his ear?"

The first man steps forward to pull the earpiece out and crushes it under his foot. "No back up, now. How are you going to walk out of this alive, huh? Oh. Wait. You aren't. Not unless you tell us where Aarush is."

Randeep takes a dangerous step towards him, clenching his jaw. "It's Rawal sa for you." I shake my head, worried that his anger will put him in trouble. Luckily, he exhales and calms a bit. "And are you that sure I would walk in here with just an earpiece as my backup?"

Shiv would be very offended if he were still listening in on this. I can hear the smirk in that voice behind that mask, "Oh, do you mean your so-called friends? Yes, don't worry. They're otherwise occupied. They won't be getting here anytime soon."

Randeep says, "They have nothing to do with this."

He starts circling him taking his sweet time - he has no idea what is waiting for him. If I can just get a clean shot, but for that he'd have to stop moving. And even if I could, I can't risk that yet. We need answers about who his boss is - which we can't get if he's dead. "That's right. With us, they have no qualms. But they do have enemies - one in particular who has just been waiting to get his hands on them. And well, our boss was happy to oblige."

Who could want to harm Aarav? As I give it a quick thought, only one name comes to my mind right away. Shyam. I wish there was a way I could warn Eva what she was about to walk into when she would find them.

"Why don't you go tell your boss - if he has the guts, then come face me instead of hiding behind you all and getting you to do his dirty deeds for him?"

He laughs as if Randeep has just cracked a joke. "You still don't know who he is, do you? Open your eyes." He says mockingly. "He is right in front of you. You yourself welcomed him inside." He smiles looking past his shoulder. "Ah, welcome, welcome, Rani sa. Atleast for the next 5 minutes, that is."

Even as I whirl around praying it wasn't Jhanvi, it shocks me more when I see Utkarsh bringing her in, his hand tightly around her elbow, thwarting her attempts to release herself from his hold. Inaaya is not with them, so I suppose that is one good news.

Utkarsh informs, "I couldn't get to the child before that annoying couple did."

"Eh, we'll find her. For now, let's see what the big hype is about her." He starts to walk towards Jhanvi like a predator.

I move from my hiding spot to run down towards the throne room even as I hear Randeep warning, "If you even touch her..."

He cuts him off, "Oh, someone silence him."

The guy to his right punches his gut and I go down the steps faster. I barge in, just as he lifts his hand towards Jhanvi but just before it would reach her, a female voice carries over. "Enough!"

I whirl to my right to see someone stepping up and removing their mask, revealing their face.

Randeep whispers while I just stare in shock, "Mom?"

. . . ∞ . ∞ . ∞ . ∞. . .

∞ author note ∞

Hi everyone!!

I'm so sorry I have been absent for pretty much this whole year. I hope all of you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy (please let me know how the past months have been for you)! There were so many changes on the work front for me with the hospital - every week was an adjustment and every now and then I'd think I need to get back here but time was just slipping by...! I see so many messages in my inbox and apologize for worrying any of you. I'll do my best to reply to each of you individually soon <3

I'm really hoping I can bring some order to chaotic life and get back to updating because I've really missed that! It also took me the longest to make up my mind on how I wanted the story to proceed because it's coming to an end soon (but not really ;])

QOTC: Want to yell at Randeep for being an idiot or feed back for him?