Author's pov

His head tilted a bit, breaking his sleep due to the jerking of the bus. He opened his eyes and the beauty of the nature make him stunned for few seconds.

It's Kashmir.

He looked at his side and find Sanjh sticking on his body like some glue and sleeping soundly.

He chuckled and wrapped the shawl on her little frame. He also tied her scarf properly to block the cold.

One month is over.

He is going to meet one of his father's business partner. He will safely send them back to their home.

The bus finally stopped. The passengers started to get down of the bus.

"Sanjh...wake up..."

He called her softly. She yawned and looked at the surrounding. Again her face covered with the same amusement.

"Where are we going Rudra? Are we going to that ice lake again?"

She is looking too much excited.

No studies, no worries, no scoldings.

She has enjoyed her life to the fullest in this one month. She has developed a permanent liking for Rudra.

Though he sometimes scolds her but after few minutes he asked for forgiveness.

Infact he is fulfilling all her demands. He never said no to her. Anything she is asking, he is fulfilling her wish.

She can do anything around him without any fear. She doesn't have to think twice before saying something infront of him.

They both got down of the bus.

Rudra booked a hotel after reaching the place. His father's partner will come in the evening and take them with him.

Dev never contacted Rudra in this one month. He just send his message through his men. Dev's men working in every part of the country.

The last message he received is everything is now under control and he can return now.

After getting inside the hotel room, Rudra make the bath for Sanjh. She entered the tub with a small towel wrapping around her body.

Rudra stood near the door by turning his head opposite while Sanjh started to play with the water.

Rudra is now habituated with this routine.

"Rudra....."

"Sanjh, be quick...."

He said little impatiently.

"Why?

"Because we are going home today"

Sanjh's eyes widened. She didn't say anything for few minutes.

Rudra creased his brow and turned his head towards her. This is very unusual of her to stop talking. She never stops talking.

"Now why this sad face?"

He asked coming near her.

Sanjh stared at him and smiled slightly.

"I don't know......i was happy with you....you are different from my parents and Mahi...you never scold me....you listen my every story with patience....you never make fun of me.....Can we stay together always like that?"

The way she spoke those words make his heart to sped up suddenly. He placed his hand over her head and kept on staring at her silently.

"But we have to return....i have many responsibilities......"

He said to her.

"I know..... I'm a good girl so i understand everything....do you think I'm good?"

Rudra chuckled after hearing her cute talks.

"Yes, you are a good girl...now, it's time for coming out of the tub"

He took her out of the tub and gave a fresh towel.

"Dry yourself"

He walked inside. He took out fresh clothes for her. Then he helped her to get dressed. Finally he went to take a shower.

They had their lunch and came on the road because Sanjh never likes to stay inside.

Rudra sat on a boulder while Sanjh started to play around.

"Don't go far"

He said to her.

Suddenly Rudra saw a man walking towards his direction. A girl was also walking towards them.

Rudra's eyes fell on that girl. Though he never got his interest on any girl but she is a beauty to look at. That's why his eyes fell on that girl two or three times and he also find a red tinge on that girl's cheek while their eyes met.

"Hello sir, myself Vinit....your father send me....she is my daughter Shweta"

He introduced her daughter.

Rudra just nodded his head.

"Sir, we will leave this place in the evening...i have arranged everything....your private jet is ready"

"Okay.."

Rudra just replied in a single word.

"Shweta,,,stay here... I will just be back"

Vinit left leaving Shweta with Rudra.

She is continuously biting her lips on nervousness. She heard from her father that Rudra will be the upcoming King but she has never imagined that he looks that much handsome. Her legs were shaking and her tummy is clenching with an uneasy sensation infront of this extremely handsome man.

"Hi..."

Rudra said to her.

"Hello...."

She replied with a nervous smile.

"Umm.... actually, papa told me that you will be our king"

She said very gently.

"Hopefully...."

"Who is she?"

Shweta asked while looking at Sanjh who is now dancing and jumping on the grass.

"Her father is my dad's bodyguard..."

Rudra replied.

"Then is she your bodyguard?"

Shweta said and Rudra stared at her with a smile. They both chuckled together.

"Yeah a very dutiful bodyguard, all the time dancing and singing"

He said while looking at Sanjh.

"She is cute"

Shweta said.

Suddenly Sanjh's eyes fell on them. She stared at Shweta in bit shock. Immediately she ran towards them.

"Hi,, myself Shweta...."

Shweta and Rudra were sitting side by side. Sanjh jumped between them and leaned on Rudra's body and started to move her legs back and forth.

"Myself Sanjh...i know who you are...i have seen your photo in a magazine...Mahi di said you won a competition...She said you are not deserving, still you won that....Mahi di said that she is more beautiful than you"

She said all these. Rudra stared at Sanjh with little bit anger.

"Sanjh, this is not a way to speak to someone...."

Rudra scolds her.

"Don't scold her please....."

Shweta said in a polite tone.

"I haven't said all these...Mahi di said"

Sanjh said while looking at Rudra. Her nostrils are flaring. She didn't like the way Rudra treated her infront of Shweta.

She ran inside the hotel immediately.

Rudra sighed.

"I'm saying sorry for her behaviour...she is little....."

Shweta smiled.

"Actually I'm habituated with every trolling these days...after winning the beauty pageant in 17 year old, people are trolling me continuously...may be her sister also trolled me.... it's actually difficult for people to digest when someone become famous in young age....they eventually started trolling"

Rudra sensed the sadness on her voice.

"They are just jealous of your beauty"

Rudra said and immediately Shweta's face covered with a blush.

Rudra walked inside the hotel while Shweta stared at his way with a smile on her lips.

Vinit appeared at the same time.

"Looking like Ms Kashmir has finally found her groom"

Vinit said to his daughter and Shweta's eyes widened.

"No...No.. papa.... it's not like that"

Vinit started to laugh after seeing his daughter's flushed face.

"Relax beta.... I'm not scolding you...infact I'm going to talk to Dev about this....Rudra will be a perfect match for my daughter.....and most importantly my daughter has born to rule.....She can be the Queen of Rudra"

Shweta stared at her father unbelievably.

.

.

.

.

Sanjh was standing in the balcony. Rudra came and stood behind her.

"Look...if you are thinking that everytime I'm going to apologise, then it's your misconception..."

Rudra said.

Sanjh turned at Rudra and stared into his eyes.

"I'm not expecting this....you can scold me if i do something wrong but you can't scold me infront of the outsiders....you can scold me when we will be alone...infact you can punish me but only when we will be alone....i don't like when you get mad at me infront of everyone

...it felt like I'm noone to you...."

The way she said all those make a small smile to appear on his lips. He bent on his knees and held her shoulder.

"You are weird Sanjh, do you know that?"

"Weird means?"

She asked very innocently.

"Weird means...umm...those who are different from the rest of the world"

Rudra said while brushing her hair off her face.

"That's why mom and dad always scolds me....you know Rudra, you are the first person who care to apologise to me....noone in the house say sorry to me after scolding me.....Infact when mom gets too much angry she tells me that she is not my mom..."

Rudra clenched his jaw and hide her face on his chest.

In this one month he got to know many things from Sanjh. He will talk to Sanjh's parents about this for sure. They can't treat her like that. She will develop some personality disorder if they kept on treating her like that. She is so young.

Suddenly an ear piercing sound reached Rudra's ear and he saw few men wearing black has attacked the place.

They are holding guns and firing continuously. Rudra immediately searched for his gun on his pocket. He has forgot to take his Gun.

He immediately ran inside his room while picking up Sanjh on his arms. He opened the drawer and started to serach for his gun.

"What happened Rudra... I'm scared..."

Sanjh started to cry.

"Where is my gun?"

He walked near the bed and started to search madly.

"Where is it??? Damn!!!!"

He started to search every corner while the sound of the gun shots are increasing outside.

"Rudra...... I've thrown....your...gun...."

Rudra turned at Sanjh and stared at her being absolutely dumbfounded.

"You did what???"

He asked in a deadly tone while walking closer to her.

Sanjh got terrified after seeing Rudra's eyes. He is looking absolutely deranged.

"How could you do that you stupid crazy girl??"

He yelled by grabbing her elbow. She sobbed in fear.

"I'm sorry.....i...thought...."

"Shut the fuck up!!!! You are an irritating piece of shi........forget it....."

Rudra placed her on the bed.

"Sit here quietly..... don't move an inch"

He was about to go out but Sanjh caught the sleeve of his jacket. Rudra stared at her tear stricken face.

"Don't go please.....they can harm you.....please....."

She mumbled while crying.

For a second Rudra's eyes softened but then he jerked her hand away and ran outside.

As soon as he walked on the lobby, a bullet directly hit on his chest and he fall back.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

3 weeks later.....

"Thanks Vinit for saving my son's life.... I'm really grateful to you....i want you to stay here in this house with your daughter.....i also want you to become my business partner with a 2 percent share of my company...."

Vinit stared at Dev with widening eyes.

"Dev,,,you don't have to do that you know...Rudra is also like my son"

Vinit said politely.

Sanjh's mother Priya was hiding in a corner and hearing their conversation. She was boiling with jealousy.

"I will be more than happy to do this business with you....Shweta, come here...such a beautiful girl she is..."

Dev praised Shweta.

Priya marched towards Mahi and Sanjh's room angrily. Mahi was doing her make up while Sanjh was drawing something.

Within a second Priya grabbed the fistful of Sanjh's hair and pulled her down of the bed.

"You destroyed everything....you are the biggest enemy of our family.."

Priya started to slap Sanjh madly. All these were so sudden that Sanjh become absolutely terrified. Mahi's eyes also widened after seeing her mother's anger.

"You are ruining our lives....Dev is now blaming us indirectly for raising a brat like you.....why did you throw Rudra's gun huh??? For you,,,that Vinit and his daughter entered this house and now they become business partners while your father is still a servant in this house..."

She took a stick and started to beat Sanjh without any constraints.

Sanjh cried out in extreme pain. She is getting these beatings till they returned. Dev is also shouting at her whenever he is seeing her around.

Mahi stood there in shock after seeing that much beatings.

Sanjh fell on the floor and curled into a ball while back to back hit came on her small frame. She cried and hiccuped in pain.

Suddenly Dev entered the room and snatch the stick away from Priya's hand.

"What are you doing Priya?"

Dev yelled at her.

Priya cried this time.

"You are blaming us for her behaviour.....You told Rajiv to go somewhere else with his family....Is it right Bhaisaab? How can you punish us for this brat...she is not even my......"

Priya stopped in mid way.

"Listen Priya,,,this girl is a blot in our family....She is stubborn, reckless and most of all mannerless.....she will never make you proud....Listen to my advice and send her away from this family.....If one day she learnt the basic manners, then only she can return to this house....we have a standard and your younger daughter doesn't fit in this family....she has no class...."

Dev walked out angrily after saying that.

Priya came out of the room by taking Mahi with her. Then she locked the door from outside.

"Let her stay like that.... don't give her food..."

Priya walked away and Mahi followed her.

That night Sanjh got a high fever due to the extreme body pain. She cried through the whole night in pain but nobody showed up.

"Rudra, please come back from the hospital soon.......they are sending me to the hostel"

She murmured in her half sleeping state continuously and finally become unconscious.

............,...............,......

Amir started to sing while standing under the tree. People gathered around this little boy and become amazed after hearing his magical voice.

Amir has placed a small pot. Everyone is giving money on the pot.

This has become his routine for the last two months. He is earning like this and arranging his food.

First few weeks he only cried for his father. Then slowly he understood that his father will not return or no angel will come to save him.

So he started to sing on the road. He sleep under the tree or in the railway station. In the morning he again walked on the road and started to sing.

One day he was singing and a nun watched him from far. She runs an orphanage. The way he was singing with dedication, it's showing his passion for singing.

The nun walked near Amir and initiated a conversation with him. She gets to know that Amir has noone. Her heart ached after seeing him like that. He is wearing a torn piece of cloth.

Many boys who become orphan turn into antisocial but this boy is earning money by singing. This thing touched her heart and she decided to take Amir to her orphanage.

"Will you come with me? I will give you shelter and food....i will also get you admitted to a school"

Amir stared at the nun with so much surprise.

Is she the fairy about whom his father used to talk?

Amir just nodded his head but he said something before going with the nun.

"I won't stop singing and dancing...."

The nun started to laugh after hearing his words.

"You don't have to son"

...........,...............

Sanjh was continuously crying and begging infront of Priya to not send her to the hostel. She is scared to go to the hostel.

"Please mumma, don't do this....i will stop dancing....i will do whatever you will tell me to do ..... don't send me away.... I'm scared to stay alone....please mumma....."

She was crying and hiccuping but Priya didn't pay any attention. She caught her elbow and roughly shook her.

"You will behave well infront of the teachers.....i don't want them to reject you.... otherwise I will lock you up just like that night...do you get it?

She gritted near her face.

"Mummaa,,,, I'm sorry mumma.... don't send me away.....please.....i want to stay home......please....mumma"

She cried and cried.

Suddenly Mahi entered the room with a happy face.

"Mom, Rudra has returned from the hospital..."

As soon as Sanjh heard it, she immediately ran out of the room. Rudra is her last hope.

She ran madly and reached the main hall. She found Rudra standing in the middle of the hall. Dev was standing infront of him.

"How are you son?"

He was asking Rudra.

Sanjh didn't care or fear this time of Dev. She just hugged Rudra by his torso and cried out so much.

"I missed you Rudra....they are sending me to the hostel....please stop them....please....."

She cried and hiccuped continuously.

Dev immediately grabbed Sanjh's arm and make her apart from Rudra.

Priya came downstairs already. She also held Sanjh and started to drag her out.

"I'm sorry Rudra....i heard what she did...."

Priya tried to apologise.

Suddenly Sanjh

make herself free from Priya's grip and ran towards Rudra.

"Rudra, do something please....i don't want to go to the hostel"

She said while grabbing his little finger.

But the next thing Rudra said was even beyond her imagination.

"You are going to the hostel and that's final....."

With that Rudra walked upstairs breaking the little girl's last ounce of hope.

This is the first real pain of her 10 years old life.