A Worthy Successor

A Worthy Successor

Meera sat solemnly hiding her happiness as the men gathered to announce the next successor of the Punwar family. Ramrakh Punwar was physically unable to carry out the duties thus a successor needed to be announced quite soon. 

Once her son was announced as the successor, she would take the title of Raj Maata of the Punwar clan.  She glanced at the two men who were a thorn that needed to be picked out- Sangram Singh Sisodia and his grandson Pratap. The former was the one responsible for her apology that was broadcasted for weeks and the latter was said to be involved with the Chauhan princess.

Sangram Singh Sisodia kept sneaking glances at his phone as if waiting for an important call and give him a reason to leave the place. Pratap looked at him two times for the same but his grandfather assured him that everything was absolutely fine.

“Fine” Pratap thought a little irked as he had been hearing the word on a regular basis for the last couple of days. Ever since the Royal Gala, everything and everyone seemed to use the word ‘fine’ in every possible way. Ruqqaiya was fine after dropping the pregnancy bomb on him, Shakti was fine being single though he had been seeing Heer on several occasions, above all, she was responding to all of the texts, calls, and queries with the word fine.

“How the hell could she be fine?” he wondered but greeted the gentleman properly who had walked over to meet his grandfather.

“How are things Kunwarsa?” the man asked him.

“Well, everything is fine” he responded with a smile. “I think they are about to announce the successor” he looked towards the front where the men had taken their places.

Outside two cars entered the premises one with Indian Army flags and insignia visible and the other had Chauhan family insignia. The people who got down from the cars looked at each other before walking to the announcement area.

“You will wait outside,” the girl informed the officers. “We will call for you indoors within five minutes.”

Inside the venue, everyone was stunned at the decision of the committee. Patta was not declared as the successor neither was Heer leaving the position completely open.

“Why is my son being denied his right?” Meera asked angrily as she stood in the center after the declaration. 

“Patta is the male heir to the Punwar family. Ramrakh Punwar is unable to take charge due to health issues thus the responsibility falls straight to my son. Yet you say that he is not the successor. I ask you why?”

“Because he is not a worthy successor,” the girl spoke up creating more buzz than the declaration. 

Saubhagyawati walked past Meera to the committee and handed over a thick folder along with an aged letter. She turned towards the audience,

“Greetings everyone, I’m here as a representative of the Chauhan family and I will answer all of your questions. The letter I have handed over was sent to the Chauhan family by the Punwar family patriarch who has given the Chauhans full authority to decide the next successor of the Punwars.”

Gasps rang out as Meera looked shocked at the new turn of events. Saubhagyawati continued, “as per the letter, the patriarch calls upon the history of the two families and reminds him that Punwars are a branch, a tertiary clan that came out of the main family-Chauhans.”

Meera had enough interference, “a successor is needed as we all know Ramrakh Ji unable to fulfill his duties. In his absence, who will take on the responsibility if not his son” she asked the people refusing to meet Saubhagyawati's eyes. She turned around to see the young woman,
 “Why should we believe that the letter is from our family head and not a forgery?”

Before Saubhagyawati could respond the legal head responded, “the letter is not forged as it carries the Punwar seal. Only a family member could have access to this seal and not an outsider”

Saubhagyawati smiled and gestured for the officers to enter the room. Meera gasped as she took a couple of steps backward on seeing him alive in flesh and blood. The person who had been declared dead upon her insistence, the one person on whose sake she had blackmailed the Punwar head and forcibly married Ramrakh Punwar.

“I present to you General Jaimal S Punwar eldest son of the Punwar family” Saubhagyawati introduced the officer with a smile.

An hour later, a nurse walked out wiping off her tears on seeing the two brothers unite. Hemant Punwar fed his younger brother and gave him a Cadburys éclair on finishing the soup. The duo recalled their childhood when the elder brother would reward the younger one with toffee for all of the finished tasks, full marks, or a prank pulled off.

Jaimal looked at his younger brother with guilt and shame, “you paid a heavy price for my shortcomings, Ram but I promise you that I will set everything right. This is your Dadabhai’s promise to you.”