❝ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀʟᴀᴄᴇ ᴏғ ᴄʜɪᴛᴛᴏʀɢᴀᴅʜ, ɪs ᴍɪɴᴇ. ɪ, ᴛʜᴇ sᴏɴ ᴏғ ᴍᴀʜᴀʀᴀɴᴀ ᴜᴅᴀɪᴘʀᴀᴛᴀᴘ sɪɴɢʜ ʀᴀɢʜᴜᴠᴀɴsʜɪ, ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴄᴀʟʟᴇᴅ ʀᴀɴᴀsᴀ. ʀᴀɴᴀsᴀ ᴀᴅʜʀɪᴋ sɪɴɢʜ ʀᴀɢʜᴜᴠᴀɴsʜɪ. ❞

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"So are you ready to attack, hukumsa?" Asked a man in white simple dhoti with a red border. His aura was bright with a radiance of knowledge and skills.

His age concealed under his athletic build and a gait of that of a warrior. His posture of a learned scholar and his face held the calmness of a saint.

"Sa adar pranam, Acharya Raghvendra," the hukumsa himself bowed down in respect of his revered teacher. 

"Everything is going exactly according to the plan," informed hukum while again surveying his surroundings with his hawk-like sharp eyes. 

"Don't you think some part of the army should be dispatched to the fort of Udaipur? Here the army is sufficient to fight war against enemies." Inquired Acharya with a serene smile on his face.

"War? Who said the army is here to fight the war, Acharya?" Said hukumsa making his teacher frown for the first time. It was the first time when Acharya Raghvendra was himself clueless about what his student's next thought is.

"And there is no need of army at Udaipur fort. In fact, what I have in mind will need more soldiers here than Udaipur's fort though it is already captured," declared Hukum with a smirk.

For the first time since they met, Acharya looked uncertain before his student. The time before the dawn of this day was unnaturally calm giving the sign of the storm ahead.

"The person you're trusting, is the one you have wronged your whole life. So powerful that they can burn not only your empire, but your existence with a single wish of them if they face against you," stated Acharya," Yet, you're so sure about them. Why?" Asked the respected teacher. 

He just smiled and said, "Let's wait for the next sun. Every question of yours will be answered, Acharya," and that was when Acharya smiled in content. The future is not foreseeable, yet he knows the future will bring something auspicious ahead.

°•~━━✥❖✥━━~•°

"I am not going to leave the palace while you fight, thank you very much," said Maharana Udaipratap Singh Raghuvanshi with an indigenous pout on his face.

"You're not going to participate in the front line, daata," declared Baijisa. 

Maharana scoffed and taunted, " My dear Udita, I don't see any army of yours that needs me to fight in the front line for you." 

"Moreover, your 'not fighting in the front line' means escaping with the ladies. And I am too much of a man to do so," added Udaipratap Singh further. 

"You're so mean, daata," she answered. 

"No, I am very much straight forward," he answered. 

" Will you both father and daughter now shut up?" Snapped Jayvanta baisa finally, who was busy grinding medicinal paste, annoyed out of her wits.

"Why? Are you jealous of my Udita?" Asked Maharana with a smirk while Baijisa giggled. 

Jayvanta baisa couldn't help but snicker, "The strategies that you're discussing with your daughter Ranaji, are already well planned by her," Jayvanta baisa stated airily. 

"And where is that son of mine?" Maharana asked Baijisa. 

"He is somewhere he is supposed to be, daata. Now take this medicinal paste, and lead the ladies out of the palace safely between subjects as a commoner," answered Baijisa.

"Yes, mother." Retorted Maharana while rolling his eyes and exposing his shoulder  to his wife for applying paste.

"These kids will be the death of mine," whispered Maharana looking lovingly at Baijisa.

"You love them all nonetheless," answered Jayvanta baisa with a small smile of her own.

°•~━━✥❖✥━━~•°

With the first ray of sun, the dawn broke into a rage of colors. The silence of the surroundings promised something sinister. The soldiers of Hukumsa surrounded the fort entirely while he and his handpicked assassins were ready to infiltrate the palace.

"Har," he whispered. 

"Har," answered Acharya Raghvendra. 

"Har," chanted Shakti Singh. 

"Har," seethed Rawat Chundawat who had seen his Ranaji in blood.

"Har Har Mahadev!" Roared Kunwarsa Adhrik Singh Raghuvanshi before jumping down the apex of the highest tower of the Chittorgadh palace. 

His silver armour sparkled bright in the gentle light of dawn while his face was devoid of his mask today. His eyes were filled with intense rage while his face was devoid of any emotions. 

Acharya Raghvendra, teacher of Adhrik Singh Raghuvanshi and his ranisa, his wife was amazed to see the maturity and skills his students had gained through the years.

He would have sent half of the army to Udaipur's fort, but Adhrik Singh Raghuvanshi and his wife apparently had other plans. He even ordered Rawatji and Shakti Singh here instead of them being present with ladies.

Adhrik flung himself across the six feet parafeet and killed eight soldiers guarding a dark passage with his skillful strokes with his royal sword. 

Though the passage was dark, Adhrik's sharp eyesight and his sixth sense of navigation were so powerful that it was no problem for him to reach where he wanted. 

Each nook and cranny of the palace of Chittorgadh was imprinted flawlessly in his mind. The major part of their strategy was to obtain the map of the palace and free the person who helped them.

He touched the metal door with his hand present at the end of the darkest corridor of the palace. He closed his eyes feeling the deep emotions swirling inside his heart. He ventured in the deepest parts of his childhood memories. 

°•~━━✥❖✥━━~•°

"Pakde hame, chote dajiraj!" yelled a five year old boy while running among the vast gardens of Udaipur's palace. 

"Ladessar, thamiye. Adhi, ghir jayenge aap," said a young man running behind the boy. Not any boy, but Kunwarsa Adhrik Singh Raghuvanshi, son of Maharana Udaipratap Singh Raghuvanshi.

Finally the man catched the child and threw him in the air while the child giggled uncontrollably. 

"How can you remember this dear elder brother of yours when you have this little monster with you?" Asked non other than Maharana himself playfully while smiling at their lovely bond.

While little Adhrik gasped," Choti maa is right, you're mean dajiraj. I is not a monster. You are!" He said in his adorable language. 

While the man laughed out loud and said," Dadabhai, he is right. And so is choti bhabhi," he continued, "You're a monster and my little Adhi is chotu monster. Isn't he?" He said while tickling the adorable baby in his arms making him giggle.

Maharana gasped, offended, "Wait both of you, I will show you how much of a monster I am!" He exclaimed and ran after both of them playfully around the garden making the palace tingle with happiness. 

°•~━━✥❖✥━━~•°

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Roared Maharana furiously while upturning the whole mahogany desk of his. His roar reverberated all around the palace.

"It's true Ranaji, he is no more," declared Rawatji, "He sacrificed his life while fighting the battle for Chittorgadh."

His beloved little brother, his first son, was no more. The gut wrenching painful roar of Maharana echoed around the palace making everything melancholic. 

Little Adhrik who heard the conversation from the door of his father's study saw the tears of pain and guilt from his father's eyes for the first time in his life.

"I will never fight for Chittorgadh again," declared Maharana painfully. 

"But Ranaji-", started by Rawat Chundawat. 

"NO RAWATJI! I lost my brother, my first child just due to the desire of fulfilling the childish legacy, an obsession of his to fight and reconquer Chittorgadh that our grandfather lost due to his selfishness," answered Maharana. 

"I don't want my children to dedicate all their life and die for the palace which meant nothing more than superficial pride and ego, the title of  ʀᴀɴᴀsᴀ like my father and now my baby brother!" He explained. 

The young eyes of Adhrik burned with rage and determination instead of sorrow. And that day, a part of innocence shattered in him along with his chote dajiraj. 

"The palace of Chittorgadh, is mine. I, the son of Maharana Udaipratap Singh Raghuvanshi, will be called ʀᴀɴᴀsᴀ. ʀᴀɴᴀsᴀ ᴀᴅʜʀɪᴋ sɪɴɢʜ ʀᴀɢʜᴜᴠᴀɴsʜɪ." He declared. 

°•~━━✥❖✥━━~•°

Adhrik opened his eyes and pushed the door open with the brute force of kicking it apart. 

He stepped inside the dark room feeling the familiar presence inside it.

"Ghani der kardi aane mai, Ladessar," a deep hoarse voice was heard which soothed his heart after years. And he knew, no one can stop him from being Ranasa while them being on his side.

°•~━━✥❖✥━━~•°

sʜᴀʙᴅ-ᴋᴏsʜ : ᴅɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴᴀʀʏ.

ʜᴜᴋᴜᴍsᴀ : ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀɴ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀɪᴛʏ.

sᴀ ᴀᴅᴀʀ ᴘʀᴀɴᴀᴍ : ɢʀᴇᴇᴛɪɴɢs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀʟʟ ᴅᴜᴇ ʀᴇsᴘᴇᴄᴛ.

ᴀᴄʜᴀʀʏᴀ : ᴛᴇᴀᴄʜᴇʀ.

ᴅᴀᴀᴛᴀ : ɢɪᴠᴇʀ, ᴏʀ ʜᴇʀᴇ ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ.

ʜᴀʀ : ʜᴀɪʟ.

ᴘᴀᴋᴅᴇ ʜᴀᴍᴇ, ᴄʜᴏᴛᴇ ᴅᴀᴊɪʀᴀᴊ : ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜ ᴍᴇ, ᴜɴᴄʟᴇ.

ᴄʜᴏᴛᴇ ᴅᴀᴊɪʀᴀᴊ : ʏᴏᴜɴɢᴇʀ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴏғ ғᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴏʀ ᴜɴᴄʟᴇ.

ʟᴀᴅᴇssᴀʀ, ᴛʜᴀᴍɪʏᴇ. ᴀᴅʜɪ, ɢʜɪʀ ᴊᴀʏᴇɴɢᴇ ᴀᴀᴘ : ʟᴀᴅᴇssᴀʀ, sᴛᴏᴘ. ᴀᴅʜɪ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ғᴀʟʟ.

ɢʜᴀɴɪ ᴅᴇʀ ᴋᴀʀᴅɪ ᴀᴀɴᴇ ᴍᴀɪ, ʟᴀᴅᴇssᴀʀ : ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴡᴀɪᴛ ғᴏʀ ʟᴏɴɢ, ʟᴀᴅᴇssᴀʀ