CHAPTER 12: PLAN FOR THE FUTURE (2)
"When will you go to save him?" Kalyani asked, distressed.
"Within two months, I promise, Maa. I will bring Father back safely. And not only will I rescue him, but one by one, I will reclaim what was ours. I will take back every foot of land from the Mughals, and one day, I will destroy them. I swear it." Ayush looked at his mother with unwavering determination.
"But what if something happens to you while rescuing your father? What if neither of you returns?"
"Do you know how I will live without both of you?"
Kalyani did not lose her rationality upon hearing that Pashupati could be saved. Instead, she worried about her son's safety, questioning whether he would return from the dangerous mission he was about to undertake.
Seeing his mother's concern, Ayush felt warmth in his heart. In his previous life, he was an orphan and had no one to care for him. But in this life, he had a mother, and he also had a father—imprisoned, suffering because he had ensured their escape from the Mughal pursuit. He couldn't ask for anything more from his parents except their love.
As they spoke, they finished their meal. Ayush gazed at the stars for a while before finally answering her question.
"Just believe in me, Maa. I will definitely return with Father."
Looking at her determined son, Kalyani couldn't help but remember Pashupati's younger days. He had worn the same resolute expression back then. But now, life had changed them both in so many ways.
"Okay… I believe in you, beta (son). But before you rest, come to me. I will comb your hair," she said gently.
"Hmmm… Maa!"
After that, Ayush washed his hands and went to find Vikram and the others.
"Your Highness!" Both Vikram and Gaurav saluted Ayush.
"Have you eaten?" he asked.
"Yes, Your Highness!" they both replied.
"Where is Maan Singh? Has he not eaten yet?" Ayush noticed his absence and inquired about him.
"Your Highness, you assigned him the task of collecting food supplies, so he went to the cities," Gaurav replied.
"Oh… I forgot!" Slapping his forehead, Ayush sighed at himself. His mind was filled with too many chaotic thoughts.
"Okay… Have you brought the map of the nearby areas that I asked for earlier?"
Before leaving, Ayush had instructed them to buy a map to help them strategically expand their territory. Although he had the system, it only allowed him to see his own position and not others'.
"Yes, Your Highness, we have brought the map!"
"Wait a moment, I'll bring it." Gaurav got up and went to retrieve the map.
Meanwhile, Ayush turned to Vikram. "Vikram, how many villages have you visited these days?" he asked seriously, locking eyes with him.
"Your Highness… I have been to a few dozen villages, most of which are under the control of the Karrani dynasty. However, the situation in some areas is dire. The villages have been exploited, not only for their resources but also their women."
"As for the southern region, it is mostly a plateau with many tribes living there. When I tried to make contact, they either attacked me or forced me to leave their villages."
"Your Highness… it seems we are stuck! If we expand to the east, we will face the Karrani dynasty's retaliation. If we go south, we will lack manpower, even if some tribes agree to support us. As for additional intelligence, I don't have much information at the moment."
"If we move north, we will face the Mughals. That is practically impossible for now. We have already lost a war against them once. Although we won a small battle, it was nothing significant enough to harm the Mughals."
"The only option left is to move west… towards the Bijapur Sultanate."
"But that region is also controlled by Ali Adil Shah, and I don't think he will help us either."
Shaking his head, Vikram shared every bit of information he had collected in the past few days.
After hearing the details, Ayush fell silent. Indeed, no one was going to help them, especially at this time.
Shaking his head, he was lost in thought when Gaurav suddenly returned.
"You came… Open the map and let His Highness see our current location!" Vikram instructed Gaurav.
"Yes!" Gaurav nodded and then unfolded the map, which was carved on paper using special liquids. The texture of the rollable paper indicated that it was definitely an expensive map.
"Your Highness… this is the map… and this is where we are currently staying. This is north, south, east, and west."
Although Ayush's eyes were on the map, his real focus was on the system map. The system's map was much more detailed and updated compared to the one Gaurav had brought.
He had bought the physical map only for convenience and to assist others.
After a long discussion, they still couldn't decide where to expand. They couldn't rely on the villagers to grow their influence, because if any stronger dynasty found out, they would be attacked.
So they had to be extremely cautious.
In the end, they decided to wait for Maan Singh, who was highly skilled, and for his mother, Kalyani, to give their opinions on where to proceed.
"All of you, go and rest." Ayush sighed and finally spoke helplessly.
"Yes, Your Highness!" Both of them nodded and left.
Ayush then remembered that his mother had called him before he went to sleep.
So, he also left and went to his mother's residence.
"Maa… may I come in?" Due to etiquette and his experiences from his previous life, Ayush had developed a habit of knocking on doors before entering.
"Beta… wait… I will come out." As she spoke, Kalyani pulled her bedding aside and stepped out of the hut.
She placed the bedding down and told him to sit beside her.
"Son… you have grown up, my child (Mera beta). I don't know whether your father will ever be able to see us again or not. I pray to Lord Shiva (Hindu deity) that our wish comes true." She didn't know why, but she suddenly started crying. While wiping her tears, she continued speaking.
Ayush looked at his mother, her face illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the trees. He couldn't help but feel the pain she was experiencing.
He lay down, resting his head on his mother's lap, staring at the stars through the tree branches.
"Maa… don't worry. Lord Shiva will never let anything happen to us. Believe in him, okay?" Ayush didn't have any other way to temporarily calm his mother, so he could only rely on faith.
"Maa… do you have any friends who could help us in this situation?" Although Ayush hoped for a positive answer, he also knew that sometimes expectations were unrealistic.
"Well… I do have a friend, but I think her husband has already died. And their only son… I don't even know how she is doing now." When Kalyani heard her son's question, she replied with uncertainty.
Ayush paused upon hearing this. He tried to recall a woman whose husband had died and who only had one son, but they, too, had been killed soon after.
"Mother, can you tell me who she is? Where is she from? And where is she now?" Ayush asked.
His mother hesitated but eventually replied. "Her name is Durgawati. She was born in a kingdom near your father's land, but it was destroyed before I married your father. Currently, she is the queen of the Garha Kingdom."
As soon as his mother said this, Ayush fully calculated where he had to go next. But before making a move, he needed to confirm whether his mother's friendship with Queen Durgawati was truly strong or just a superficial bond.
"Mother… will she help us?" Ayush looked at her and asked.
Kalyani, who was combing her son's long hair, suddenly paused but did not respond immediately.
"Maybe… or maybe not. Don't hope too much," she finally said after a long silence.
After hearing this, Ayush fell in silence. Indeed he couldn't place his all hope on others. Look's like, only system have to take responsibility of it. And how he could expand.