Page 21 of The Royal Beast & His Queen

"How could you even say that about your own son ?", Amruta asked raising her tone angry at her husband for indirectly calling her son a b**t**d which she couldn't tolerate.

"Don't raise your tone at me Amruta", Pratap said in an even higher tone

"I will, if you speak against my son, I will", Amruta said, it was the first time Isha heard her mother-in-law's strong tone... Isha started walking inside fearing her father-in-law might shout even higher, so to save her mother-in-law she walked in but what she saw shocked her.

"How dare you ?", Pratap shouted, and soon slaps followed his raised tone.

"SASUR SA", Isha screamed in anger and shock, she just entered when he slapped Amruta for the second time. Amruta turned her sideways in shame knowing her daughter-in-law saw what's known as a normal day in her life.

Pratap felt bad for a second but his ego overpowered his conscience, how dare his daughter-in-law raise her tone at him.

"This is a matter between a husband and wife, leave from my chamber", Pratap said harshly

"Tone down when you talk to me, I know it's your chamber but it's my PALACE, your behavior is not justified here... How dare you raise your hand on a woman, that too on the king's mother ?", Isha asked strongly, Pratap stood stunned at Isha's strong tone... Her eyes softened when she saw Amruta crying turning to the otherside, she understood what she must be feeling, she walked to her and took her mother-in-law in her arms hugging her tightly...

"Why are you ashamed? It's he who should be ashamed for raising his hand on you...", Isha said wiping Amruta's tears... "I'll see you downstairs in an hour", Isha said sharply looking at Pratap, and walked away taking Amruta with her.

Both of them reached the meeting hall downstairs where decisions like this are generally taken. Isha summoned the whole family in an hour. She purposely avoided letting her husband know as she knew his reactions would be extreme.

Isha gave some water and after Amruta calmed down a bit... Isha gently started the topic...

"Ma... Does he do this regularly ?", Isha asked but Amruta didn't respond... "Ma... please tell me, I need to know", but still Amruta didn't open her mouth.

"Exclude Avyan as well from this meeting, I don't want my children to know about this", Amruta said, Isha tried to convince her otherwise but Amruta was adamant, so she excluded Avyan as well.

Exactly an hour later, Pratap and Rajmata Devyani Devi reached there.

"Why were we being called here Rani sa ?", Devyani asked, purposely addressing her as 'Rani sa' and not Isha as that was an official setting and she could not disrespect the queen.

"To announce punishment Rajmata... I would like to hear from you, what is the punishment for a man who raises his hand on a woman, I want to add, if that woman is the king's mother, and the man who has committed the crime is none other than her husband i.e the king's father", Isha finished and Devyani looked at her son in shock...

"PRATAP SINGH RANAWAT, What am I hearing ?", Devyani shouted at her son making him shiver, even after all these years, he still feared his mother.

"Ma sa...", Pratap started but he had no answer... he was guilty but he didn't regret his accusations, he regretted raising his hand on her though.

"I thought I raised you to be a man if not a great king but I was wrong...", Devyani said and turned to Isha... "The punishment for assaulting a woman can be public humiliation, 50 - 100 lashes, even expulsion from the palace Rani sa, you are free to choose the punishment", Devyani said looking at Isha signing her to punish Pratap harshly so that he wouldn't dare to repeat what he did. Amruta's eyes widened upon hearing the punishments. She looked at Isha with panic, no if her husband is publicly humiliated, everyone will get to know about it, andPratap couldn't take lashes with his condition and expulsion? No that can't be done either...

"Mr. Pratap Singh Ranawat is prohibited from using his right hand until I feel that he learned his lesson", Isha says shocking everyone... She calls the doctor to plaster the hand in such a way it cannot be used at the same time it should look like a plaster for fracture to avoid any suspicion. After the doctor was done with his work, she dismissed him and turned to Pratap... "If you go against my orders, I'll make sure the plaster becomes a reality Sasur sa", Isha warned Pratap dismissing him.

Devyani too went away after caressing Amruta's hair, Isha for the first time, saw Devyani Devi displaying affection towards her daughter-in-law. Isha consoled Amruta but she didn't respond much.

"I want to stay alone Isha...", Amruta said and Isha understood it...

"Ma... go to guest chamber please", Isha said and Amruta nodded... Isha didn't want to leave her alone but she knew she must be feeling so embarrassed and shameful... She knew that pain of humiliation but her husband never slapped her, he hated her, disgusted her presence, called her names, and tortured her, but never slapped her, she saw him controlling himself from doing that one act by fisting his palms whenever he wanted to do that and she thanked her fate for that, because a slap is something she couldn't have forgiven ever as for some reason, she felt that act more humiliating than any other physical abuse,it's not just a slap on her face, but on her self-respect. But, that doesn't mean she would forgive her husband for all other things, no she wouldn't, he had to give her a proper justification and do a proper redemption before he was forgiven, she shook her head, as she needed to think about her mother-in-law's problem for now.

Abhyansh called Isha that he would get late, so he would directly come for dinner. He reached late, Isha sent her mother-in-law's food to the guest chamber as her cheek was swollen and she couldn't come in front of anyone.

"Where are others ?", Abhyansh asked implying his parents.

"Ma is unwell, so I asked her to have her dinner in her chamber, Sasur sa is sick too", Isha said 'mentally' she murmured to herself, her blood boiled whenever she thought about how her father-in-law raised his hand on her mother-in-law.

"Ma is sick ? what happened bhabhi ma ?", Avyan asked getting worried for his mother.

"Don't worry, she is fine now, resting in her room, don't go and disturb her", Isha said

"But bhbahi ma...", Avyan started

"Avi... she is fine, I just checked on her, don't worry", Isha said softly and Avyan nodded, Isha knew Amruta doesn't want her children to know her condition, specially Avyan who is very soft and gets extremely sensitive if it's related to her.

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