New FF -Bonded by the Baby ch 5 pg 30 - Page 5

Raman sindhiya, 33 year old prince of the royal family of jaipur stood before the cameras on the balcony of his palace overlooking the gardens to officially inaugurate the cultural festival of the city. This was his first public appearance since the funeral of his wife, princess Shagun sindhiya , 6 weeks ago. He waved to the crowds that had come out to see him.

Thousands of people lived in his city and other also in surrounding villages and small towns too. Besides tourism , the city depended on oranges and other handmade products for its good revenues.

For the next 2 weeks the city wud be in a festive mood as they wud celebrate their cultural festival with foods, dances, songs , carnivals and festivities.

Raman had just come back from his visit to 3 important states doing business with them. It felt good to be with his father abhinav sindhiya again now. On his return he had forgotten how beautiful his own city was in this season with its orchids ripe and gardens in bloom. He felt an air of excitement and happiness from the people that winter was over. As for himself, the darkness that had consumed him over last 6 weeks since shagun's death seemed to be slowly fading.

Their marriage had never been a love match. Though married at 16 they had spent very less time together before their wedding 14 years later. When more than any emotion, he was aware of a haunting sense of guilt for not having been able to love her the way she had loved him.

Romantic love never grew in him for her, only respect and admiration for her determination to keep up the image of a happily married couple. They had gone through 3 miscarriages hoping for a child, but it had not happened.

His passion had never been aroused when they had made love because he had not been in love with her, but he had done his best to show his tenderness. He had known passion with other women before he had married shagun but it had only been a physical response as he never gave his heart, knowing he was betrothed.

Raman had suspected that shagun maheshwari's parents had undergone the same kind of unfulfilled marriage. He knew his own parents had struggled. It was the rare occurrence when a royal couple actually achieved marital happiness. Shagun had wanted their marriage to be different, and raman had tried. But u cud not force love na? that had to spring from a source all on its own.

However there was one thing he had been able to do that had brought them their first real happiness as man and wife. Infact it was the only thing that had gotten him through this dark phase after shagun's death. Just a few days before she had died they had learned they were pregnant again. Only this time they had the necessary steps to save their child.

Relieved that his last duty for the day was over, he left the balcony anxious to visit the woman who had been willing to be a surrogate for them. Ishita iyer, the south Indian girl who was south Indian just by name as she had lived all her life in jaipur and had been raman's friend since long. Since 12 years of age she had been living with her dad, who was the chief security in charge of raman's kingdom.

Raman had been 18 , with his own set of friends and few girl friends his own age, when ishita had arrived on the scene. Yet ishita had become the constant background of his life after that, more like a friend flitting in and out of his day to day life. It was as if he had someone with him since then. In a way he had felt closer to ishita more than his own sister, Rinki sindhiya who was 6 years older to him.

The 2 played together everywhere...in pool , in garden or adventure trips. She was funny and bright girl. He could be his real self around ishita , able to throw off all his cares and relax with her in a way he cud do with no one. Because she lived on his grounds only outside the main palace in nearby quarters which she and her dad shared and she knew the inner workings of the palace closely, she knew what it was to be royal. They did not have to talk about it.

When raman's own mom susheela sindhiya had died, ishita had joined him on long walks, offering comfort and companionship. When he cud tolerate anyone else near him, he wanted her around him. She had lost her mom too and so understood what he was going through the best. She asked for nothing at all from him , but just to be friends and share small small secrets. Because they had been in each other's lives on a continual basis, he realized it was inevitable that they had bonded and had developed a trust.

She had been so woven into the fabric of his life that years later , when she had offered to be the surrogate mom for his and shagun's baby, it all seemed part of the same life of his. His wife had liked ishita a great deal. The 3 of them had been in consultation for months before the actual procedure had been performed. They had worked as a true team until shagun's unexpected death threw them off completely.

He had gotten used to their meetings with the doctor and the psychologist. While he had been away, it seemed like years instead of weeks since he had seen or talked to ishita. Now that she was carrying their child, she was his lifeline from here on out. He needed to see her and be with her like a pillar of support.

All he cud think about was getting back to make certain that she and the baby were doing well.  But there was a sense of guilt too in him that he cud not shake off. Less than 2 months ago he had lost his wife. While still in mourning over the marriage that had been less than perfect, he now found himself concentrating on other woman, who was carrying the baby he and shagun had made.

It was only natural that he cared about ishita, who had agreed to perform this miracle. Before long he was going to be a father, all because of her. Yet wid shagun gone, it did not seem right, dnt know why though?

While he had been traveling, he had not had the time to dig deep into his soul, but now that he was back, he did not know how to deal with this new emotional dilemma facing him, and he left the balcony conflicted with thoughts.

precap- entry of ishita iyer

so hows it? excited and nervous 4 reviews.

Love❤️

Shivangi