'Not forever does the bulbul sing
In balmy shades of bowers,
Not forever lasts the spring
Nor ever blossom the flowers.
Not forever reigneth joy,
Sets the sun on days of bliss,
Friendships not forever last,
They know not life, who know not this.'

-Khushwant Singh, Train to Pakistan
***

Hayworth Estate;

Scarlet cooed, holding her granddaughter in her lap.

Anne looked at her with sparkling eyes, pushing back the bouncy curls that fell carelessly down her forehead.

“So, the Prince defeated the dragon, and escaped the dungeon.”

The little girl clapped her chubby, little palms with excitement; her crooked teeth peering from behind her wide smile.

“You liked the story, didn’t you?”

Anne looked at her with a small frown, causing Scarlet to chuckle.
She had been doing that a lot since she started trying to learn new words.

Her innocent curiousness was what made Scarlet’s day bearable. She was the sole ray of light in the darkness that now surrounded her life.

The days were dull and monotonous, leaving her with nothing but a profound loneliness. She sometimes envied Zachary, for being able to escape the guilt.

She often wondered what his last thoughts had been…
Had he been thinking about her? Did he even remember the good times? Or was he too plagued by the bad ones?

She felt a familiar ache in her heart, thinking about the fateful night.
Had she known that it would be the last time she would ever see her husband, she would have persuaded him to stay.
It would have been difficult, but certainly better than seeing his cold, lifeless body, lying alone in the corner of the library…

How desolated and scared he must have been?

A shudder ran through her body at the thought.
Why hadn’t they let their bitterness go?

Why did he have to leave her like this?

She doubted if things would have been better, had they forgiven each other...Probably not.

And now, she had to survive here alone.

After making him the centre of her entire life, for such a long time, Scarlet couldn’t help feeling adrift.

What was she supposed to do now?

She had devoted years of her life to blaming him. But now that he was no longer there, she felt a strange emptiness.
So, that had been all that her life had amounted to, after all.

Her only solace was her granddaughter.
She looked at her with none of the judgement that the others seemed to carry in their eyes.
With her, she was able to forget about all the pain, even if only for a few moments.

However, she knew that at the end of the day, she had to enter her chamber alone- with nothing but her own demons to accompany her.
__________________________________

Emma stood outside the parlour, looking sympathetically at her mother-in-law.
It was only after a moment of hesitation, that she entered.

Scarlet’s gaze snapped towards her; eyes filled with a strange acceptance.
She turned her head to Annie, with a soft smile masking her sadness,

“Your mother is here. I think it is time you went to bed.”

Anne registered her mother’s presence and squirmed, extending her hands towards Emma.

Scarlet's heart lurched as she handed her to her mother.

Emma tucked her daughter in her arms, before passing a tentative smile towards Scarlet.

Scarlet knew she was pitying her; everyone did.
They all saw her desolation.
But she did not need that.
She did not need their pity; not when she knew that deep down, they all thought this to be the fitting punishment for all that she had done.

Scarlet knew she was being paranoid, but she could not help but seek hatred in all of their eyes- even her own sons.

But she would bear that. She had to.

Fixing a tight smile on her face, she looked at her daughter-in-law.

“It is alright. Take her.”

She knew she had very little perseverance left; but as long as she lived, she would not let anyone see her break…
__________________________________

Seaborne Estate;

Minerva tapped her fingers impatiently on the table, her frustration rising by each second.

She glanced up from the parchment in front of her, to the ink splotched on her hands, huffing in defeat.

“I do not think I can do this.”

Richard smiled encouragingly as he looked at her, sitting at the opposite side of the table.

“Yes, you can. It is not as tough as it seems, my love.”

Minerva faced him with a hesitant expression, and felt a flush of embarrassment rise to her face.
She never should have insisted on doing this.

It had been a stupid idea.
How could she ever have thought that she would be capable of accomplishing it?

“No, it is not. I am sorry, Richard. I thought that this would probably help me become a little more suited to be your wife.”

Richard frowned when he noticed her eyes glisten with tears. He rose from his chair, making his way to her side.

Minerva sniffled as she looked up at his leaning face.

“You are already perfect for me, Minerva. You do not need to change anything. As for this, I am sure that once you are able to overcome your initial fear, it would be something you will achieve with ease.”

The trust in her husband's eyes, tugged at the strings of Minerva's heart.

She looked back at the sloppy alphabets she had managed to scribble on the parchment, after much guidance from her husband.

It had been a spur of the moment decision.

She had frequently delivered her mistress’ and her daughter’s letters; often wondering about the beautiful strokes of the ink.

She had always dreamt of what it must be like to be able to read and write. Being a mere slave, she had never had the luxury to learn that.
Even her father and brother had never been able to do it. It had not been something that they gave a thought about.

Learning to read and write was something that only the nobles did. And as far as they were concerned, it was nothing more than a fancy- much like hunting.

For the common folks, reading and writing did not give them money to survive. It was of no use for them.
They did not need to send letters anywhere; if they had some news, they would deliver it themselves.

Hence, Minerva herself, had never vocalised her interest, preferring to keep it to herself, fearing ridicule from others.

However, once she began her life as Richard’s wife and the Lady of the estate, she felt consistently inadequate for a man as marvellous and cultured as him.
She often speculated about what she could do to become a better wife for him…a better partner.

Then one day, as she witnessed her son with the tutor that Richard had assigned to him, her past interest resurfaced again.

She was reminded of the fragrant letters that her mistress used to send, and wondered if she would ever be able to do that for her own husband.

What would she do if he went somewhere for a journey and she had to write to him?
She did not even know how to do that!

Imagine the mortification if she were to ask someone else to write it for her!
She would not only shame herself, but also her husband.

Minerva had decided that day, that she would learn to read and write. She would become the wife that her husband deserved.

That very night, she had voiced her concerns to Richard; and though he had been surprised, he had promised to teach her whatever she needed.
He knew she would be too shy in front of anyone else.

Even little Will had been eager to teach her all that he learnt from his tutor.

But now, after just three days of trying, she was ready to give up.

Minerva was miserable with the knowledge that she had wasted so much of his time.

“I know you can do this, Minerva. You do not need to do this for me. But if this is something that you want for yourself, then I know that once you set your heart at something, you will achieve it, my love.”

His words caused Minerva to look back at the table. She wondered if this was what she truly wanted- for herself, and not just for him.

It did not take long for the answer to present itself- yes.

Yes, she wanted to learn; not just for the sake of her husband, but to regain her faith in her abilities and worth.

She found her heart fill with resolve as soon as the realisation dawned upon her. Fixing a determined gaze on her husband, she spoke in a steady tone,

“Yes, I want to learn, Richard.”

Richard’s grin was almost blinding as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

“Then, what are you waiting for? We have an entire alphabet to revise.”

Minerva chuckled, feeling the anticipation rise in her as she held the quill back in her hands.

Richard was right, she could do this…
__________________________________

Hayworth Estate;

Emma kissed her daughter’s forehead after pulling the sheet over her sleeping figure.

Her husband’s arms wrapped around her from behind; kissing the back of her shoulders.

“She will be keeping me on my toes. I have to start preparing.”

Emma chuckled, turning to face him. She knew he was right.

With the way Anne had him wrapped around her little finger, she knew that by the time she grew up, he would be half mad with worry.

“You should stop worrying about her, each second of the day. Nothing will be happening to her in her own home.”

Averey frowned as he looked at Emma,

“How am I supposed to do that? She is constantly wandering about in the manor. There is always a chance of her getting pricked by some sharp object, or slipping down on the floor, or some insect biting her; and what about the stairs?”

Emma rolled her eyes at his words, freeing herself from his arms with a raised eyebrow.

“That is what we all are here for, Averey. She is not alone in some forest. You have to learn to keep your anxiousness at bay.”

Averey avoided her gaze to look at his daughter.

Emma sighed in defeat, soon realising the futility of asking that of him.

“Alright. I will stop saying anything.”

Averey finally met her eyes, smiling sheepishly.

They exited the antechamber, passing a last glance at their daughter.

As soon as the door closed however, Emma found herself pressed against it, with Averey’s lips trailing soft kisses down her neck.

“We should go to sleep too, Averey. Remember, we need to go the Palace tomorrow.”

Her reluctant words were met with a frustrated groan from him.

He quickly pulled back, looking at her with a tortured expression,

“Yes…of course.”

Emma stroked his jaw, looking lovingly in his eyes.

“Maya will be awaiting our visit.”

The mention of his sister caused Averey’s expression to soften.

“Alright. But I will be taking my due as soon as we return.”

Emma’s hearty laugh rang inside the chamber. She witnessed a familiar mischievous glint in her husband’s eyes.

“I am well aware of that fact, Lord Hayworth.”
__________________________________

The Palace;

Maya leaned back against Edward as they stood before their son’s grave.

She rocked her child gently in her arms.

“This is your brother, my love.”

She felt Edward stiffen behind her, and knew that he must be hurting just as much as her.

They were supposed to be together- them, and Benedict.
But her sweet son had left them too soon.

“He is amongst the angels; but I know he will always be looking after you.”

Edward placed a gentle hand on their son’s forehead, caressing him tenderly.
He next placed a firm kiss at Maya’s temple, letting it express all of his love.

Maya smiled, despite the ache in her heart.
She knew he was still worried about her. But she had accepted the truth long ago.

Yes, it hurt; but she willed herself to accept that her child was too good for this world.
He was in the Lord’s grace now.

And she was here, praying for his happiness, knowing that life must continue.

She thought of all that had transpired in such a short time.

It seemed only yesterday, that she had ran through the hallways of her home, chasing after her brothers.
She remembered her grandmother, as she dusted her skirts after a rough fall.

Had it really been that long?

And Brandon- he had been gone for almost half a year, and so had Uncle Geoffrey.

She wondered if they had reached their destination...
And if they had, was it just as beautiful as she imagined it to be?

She knew Brandon would be writing to her as soon as he arrived on land. And though the letter would take just as much time to reach her, she could not wait to read it.

Edward had made sure to send some members of the royal fleet with them; for, he had been equally anxious for their safety.
That thought alone was source of some reprieve.

“Stop worrying about them.”

Maya smiled at her husband’s words; admiring his ability to always know what was on her mind.

“I am not. I just cannot wait to tell them about our son.”

She looked back into his eyes, her smile widening when he placed a fierce kiss on her lips.

“You know I love you, right?”

Maya gave him an exaggerated sigh, pretending to consider her answer, causing him to chuckle with mirth.
He gently pulled his son out of her hands, placing a small kiss on his forehead.

“Leave it. Upon deeper consideration, I think I love our son more.”

They both looked at each other with adoration, soon breaking into wide grins.
__________________________________

The Great Seas;

Geoffrey shielded his face against the salty winds, standing at the stern of the ship. He could tell that they were close to the land.

It had been a little more than six months since they set sail. The voyage was soon to come to an end, however.

He felt a strange exhilaration, knowing that he would finally be able to fulfil Saya’s dream.

He wondered how she would have felt, had she been here with him.

He imagined her face- infused with satisfaction and contentment. Yes, that was probably what she would have felt…

“Uncle Geoffrey! I see the land!”

Geoffrey snapped his gaze to where Brandon stood, peering through the nautical telescope.

He rushed to his side, just as Brandon pulled away from the apparatus; allowing Geoffrey to see for himself, the sight that caused relief to rush through him.

For, just at the horizon, glimmering beneath the rays of setting sun, was the unmistakable landmass.

He moved to the tabletop that had their map pinned on it. And there it was- the marvellous land of Hindostan.
They were finally there.

“Are we there?”

The anticipation in Brandon’s voice was palpable, causing Geoffrey to grin triumphantly as he turned to him,

“Yes, my son. We are.”
__________________________________

Author's Note-

Hello to all my wonderful readers!

So, we have finally reached the last chapter. The epilogue is left, of course.

What do you think of it?

Scarlet is leading a desolate life.
She has lost the very man, for whom she had sacrificed her everything...

As for Brandon and Geoffrey, they have reached India!
The route from England to India had been well-established by now. The voyage took almost 6 months.

Remember that at this time, the Britishers were still fairly new to India. They were merely involved in the trade as merchants. So, the animosity between them is still on the minimal.
Brandon and Geoffrey are going to be subjected to some serious Indian hospitality✌️😆

We also had Minerva and Richard's scene.
We have to remember that literacy was still a foreign concept for the slaves- especially women, during this time period.
For Minerva, who had never even read or written a single word, this is going to take a lot of time and patience.
A child's learning ability is super fast. As for Minerva, she has to start at the age of almost 35. It is going to be a pretty tough job, especially with a woman's other responsibilities.

But we know she is a strong woman who will preserve and be victorious at the end of it. So, best of luck to her!❣️

Stay safe everyone! Here's Alfie, the alien, trying to make your day better-

Till the next time 👋