Rajsatya's pov-

This morning, at the first light of dawn, I was preparing to visit the fields and check the crops when I saw my only son, Aarksh, storming toward me. His footsteps were heavy, his face dark with anger. It has become his habit of late-always confronting me with the same demand, always letting his temper rule him since the day I refused him permission to go to the city.

He halted before me, standing tall, his eyes burning with defiance."Baba!" (Father)he burst out, his voice sharp. "How many times must I tell you? I want to go to the city for my studies, for my future. Look at my cousins-every single one of them has settled there. They're in good colleges, living their lives the way they want. Why not me? Don't I have the same right as them to study, to make something of myself in the city?"

His words struck with the force of rebellion, but beneath them, I heard the yearning of a restless heart.I drew in a long breath, my patience thinning, and fixed my gaze firmly on him."And how many times must I say it to you, Aarksh?" My voice echoed through the courtyard, low but unshakable. "I don't like it. I don't want my son to leave this village, to run away chasing a life in the city. You think the city will give you freedom, but it will only spoil you-turn you into one of those men who forget their roots, who forget the soil that gave them life."

I stepped closer, my tone heavy with both authority and disappointment."This land, these people, this village-they need you, Aarksh. And as long as I breathe, I will not let my only son abandon his duty for the glitter of the city."Aarksh's voice cracked with desperation, his fists clenched at his sides."Baba, why don't you understand? Yes, I was born into this world with your name-but I don't want to die with just your name. I want people to know me by my name, by my work, by what I create! Please, Baba... try to understand me. Why are you so afraid?"

His words struck like a blade. For a moment, I froze. Then I lifted my gaze sharply, meeting his eyes with the fire of a father who had seen the world too closely."Afraid?" I snapped, my voice heavy with warning. "Why wouldn't I be afraid, Aarksh? I know what the city does to young men like you. I've seen good boys-bright boys, pure-hearted boys-turn into spoiled, reckless playboys, drunk on money and freedom. And I will not let that fate swallow my only son."

The silence that followed was thick with the weight of two worlds colliding-the son's yearning for wings, and the father's desperate attempt to chain him to the ground.Aarksh's eyes burned with a mix of hurt and determination as he spoke again, his voice trembling yet stubborn.

"Baba... is this what you fear? That if I go to the city, I will abandon you and Maa(mother)? That I'll forget the soil I was born from, the home that raised me?" He shook his head fiercely, his chest rising with heavy breaths. "No, Baba. I could never. I will not abandon you-not in this life. I won't forget my roots, my dignity, or the name you gave me. The city won't erase who I am. It will only give me a chance to prove that your son can make his own mark."

For a heartbeat, his words hung in the air like a plea and a challenge both, testing the wall of fear I had built around him."Enough, Aarksh... enough is enough!" My voice thundered through the courtyard, silencing even the morning birds. My patience had reached its end.

"Parvati!" I called sharply for my wife, my eyes still locked on our son. "Make your son understand what he refuses to hear from me."Then I turned back to Aarksh, my tone firm, unyielding."If you are done, then come with me to the fields. No more arguments."

Without waiting for his reply, I walked out of the courtyard, my steps heavy with both anger and sorrow, and climbed into the waiting jeep.

A few moments later, I heard the sound of his reluctant footsteps behind me. He slid into the seat beside me-his face pale, his jaw tight, frustration written all over him. Yet beneath all that defiance, he remained what he had always been-my son. Obedient, bound by blood, even if his heart longed to rebel.

Later, at the fields, I was speaking with some of my men when I noticed Amma approaching slowly. Her face was drawn, heavy with worry. After a few polite words, she poured out everything-her pain, her fear, her plea. She spoke of little Saanjh, of the cruelty she suffered in her own home, of the burden her father saw in her. With folded hands, Amma begged me to search for a good boy, a good family, to take the child away from this misery.

As her words sank into me, my eyes strayed-almost unwillingly-toward the jeep parked under the shade of the banyan tree. There sat Aarksh, my only son, staring blankly at the horizon, his face clouded with frustration, his mind lost in thoughts of the city he longed for.In that moment, something stirred within me. A thought... no, a decision. A decision that felt heavy, yet strangely right. A decision that could change not one life, but two.

My gaze lingered on Aarksh, then returned to Amma. A quiet resolve settled in my chest. Perhaps... this is the path fate itself has laid before us. Perhaps Saanjh's innocence and Aarksh's restless heart could find balance in one another. This could be good-for both of them.Yes... a good decision. A decision that, I believed, would protect Saanjh and anchor my son. A decision that might heal two broken destinies.

Later, when we returned to the haveli, the family gathered at the breakfast table. The aroma of hot parathas and spiced tea filled the air, yet the atmosphere was heavy, strained. I cleared my throat, deliberately drawing Parvati's attention. She looked up at me questioningly, but Aarksh sat with his head bowed, pushing his food around his plate. He wasn't truly eating-just lost in the storm of his own thoughts.

"Aarksh..." I said firmly, my voice cutting through the silence.He froze mid-bite, his hand trembling slightly. Slowly, he lifted his gaze from the plate to meet mine. His eyes were weary, but the moment he heard my tone, a faint spark of hope flickered there.

"I have given thought," I said, keeping my expression unreadable, "to what you have been demanding."His shoulders stiffened, and for the first time in days, I saw life in his eyes-a fragile, desperate hope that perhaps I was finally about to give him the freedom he longed for."I have decided that..." I let my words trail off deliberately, watching both Parvati and Aarksh from the corner of my eye. "I will let you go to the city."

For a moment, silence hung in the air. Then, like a sudden spark, Aarksh shot up from his chair, his face lighting up with unrestrained joy. He looked almost like a child again-his frustrations forgotten, his eyes wide with disbelief."Really, Baba?" he exclaimed, his voice breaking with excitement.

I gave a slow nod, my lips curving into the faintest smile. His happiness poured out so fiercely that for a second, even my own heart softened. He bounced on his heels, as if ready to run out that very instant and pack his bags.But deep within me, a thought whispered-a thought he could not hear, a truth I had not yet spoken. Yes, Aarksh... I will send you to the city. But not in the way you imagine.

"But..." I began again, my tone dropping lower, firmer.The joy on Aarksh's face faltered. He froze mid-step, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me in confusion. "But?" he echoed, the spark of hope flickering uncertainly.I leaned back in my chair, my gaze steady on him. "I have a condition," I said slowly, each word deliberate, heavy. "I will let you go to the city... but only if you accept what I ask of you."Parvati's spoon clattered softly against her plate, her hand trembling as she looked between father and son. Aarksh stood still, the happiness that had just lit up his face now clouded with unease.

"What... what condition, Baba?" he asked cautiously, his voice quieter, laced with suspicion.Inside, I already knew the answer I was going to give him. A decision sealed in my heart back in the fields. A decision that would bind his freedom to Saanjh's fate.I wiped my mouth slowly with the napkin, the sound of the fabric against my beard sharp in the silence of the room. Rising from my chair, I straightened my kurta and walked around the table until I stood directly in front of Aarksh.

He looked up at me, confusion clouding his once-bright eyes.I rested one hand firmly on his shoulder, my grip steady, fatherly-but heavy with unspoken meaning. My voice was calm, deliberate, every word landing like a stone."You will have to marry first... marry a village girl. Only then will I allow you to go to the city."

The air seemed to thicken around us. Parvati gasped softly, her hand covering her mouth. Aarksh's eyes widened, disbelief flashing across his face as though I had struck him. The joy that had danced in him moments ago drained away, leaving only shock-and a storm that was yet to break.Aarksh staggered back a step, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. His mouth fell open, words tumbling out in disbelief.

"Are... are you serious, Baba? I mean... you're telling me to what? Marry?" His voice cracked, his eyes wide as if he hadn't heard me right. "Baba, I'm just eighteen years old! How can I marry now? What kind of condition is this?"His hands flung up in frustration, his chest heaving. For a boy who had dreamed of freedom, of the city, of building his own name, my demand must have felt like a chain shackled around his ankles.

I stood tall, unflinching, letting his disbelief crash against me like waves against stone.I turned around abruptly, my kurta swirling with the motion, and my voice cut through the room like a blade."I don't want my one and only son to be ruined by some city girl-some gold digger who will play with your heart and your life as if you were nothing more than a toy at her fingertips!"

My words thundered, heavy with both fear and authority. "I will never allow that fate for you, Aarksh. Not while I live."I stopped at the doorway and looked back over my shoulder, my gaze sharp and unyielding."Either you marry..." I paused, letting the words sink like daggers, "...or forget about going to the city."

With that final decree, I turned and walked out of the haveli, my footsteps echoing through the silent hall. Behind me, I left Aarksh frozen, his mouth still parted in shock, and Parvati clutching the edge of the table, her face pale with worry.The walls of the haveli seemed to hold their silence, as if even they feared to breathe after my words.

By the time I stepped out into the courtyard of the haveli, the morning sun was high, burning down on the stone walls. My decision sat heavy in my chest, but my resolve was unshaken.I called for one of my most trusted men, a loyal servant who had been with our family for years. He hurried to my side, bowing his head.

"Go," I commanded, my voice low but firm. "Tell Ammaji to begin the arrangements for Saanjh's marriage."The man looked up at me, surprise flickering in his eyes for a brief second, but he dared not question. With a quick nod, he turned and rushed off to deliver the message.

I stood there, watching him disappear down the village road, the air around me still. In my heart, I whispered, This is for the good of all. For Saanjh... and for Aarksh. One day, they will both understand.But even as I convinced myself, a faint unease lingered in the pit of my stomach, like a shadow refusing to leave.I did not stop there. Another of my men approached, awaiting orders. I lowered my voice, my eyes narrowing as if the very walls might listen.

"And you..." I said, leaning closer, "begin the preparations here, in the haveli. My son's wedding will take place within a week."The man blinked, startled. "Babuji... with whom?" he asked hesitantly.I straightened my shoulders, my decision firm, unshakable. "With Saanjh."The name lingered in the air, sharp and unsettling. The servant's eyes widened, but he quickly bowed his head, not daring to question further. He hurried away, leaving me standing alone in the open courtyard.

For a long moment, I gazed at the distant horizon, where the fields stretched endlessly under the sun. My chest rose with a deep breath, as if I had just sealed not one, but two destinies.This will be good for them both, I told myself. It must be.

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