"Huh? Ah, yes yes. Right. You are doing right." Dhishva clenched his fist in anger but still maintained the smile, thinking how did Ira got such a guts to make him speechless infront of emperor.
"Wrong." The emperor suddenly spoke. His gaze was cold and his tone was even colder. He looked straight in Dhishva's eyes and said. "King Dhishva, I didn't expected this from you."
The cold gaze of emperor gave shiver down Dhishva's spine. He gulped hard and asked "Wh-What happened your majesty? Did I do something wrong?" He tried his best to smile and act innocent.
"Of course you did." Emperor exclaimed "Teaching manners to your kids is a different thing and making them feel low and underconfident infront of others is a different thing. In the name of teaching manners, You have reduced her confidence. And you rooted this thing in her mind that she should always talk to others by keeping her eyes low. Don't you know that every princess should hold her head high, make eye contact and speak with confidence?"
The emperor paused before saying "I know your intentions were good but you shouldn't have told princess Ira to keep her gaze low. If she keeps on doing it, people might think that the princess have low self-esteem. People would think that the princess is underconfident and can't do anything on her own. She don't have the courage to take responsibilities and can't be a good queen in future. You don't know how your small mistake can ruin your daughters future." The emperor's tone was serious as well as his expression. He have a long vision of future and that's why he know how a small mistake can create a disaster.
Ira was trying to control her smile after seeing her father getting scolded by emperor. Well, he deserve it. She is just doing what her father told her to do, so there is no way he can blame her. He don't have any rights to scold her for obeying him.
While on the other hand, Raksheet was watching his cunning wife trying to control her smile. He can't believe his small, innocent wife is so cunning to act all obedient and innocent to see her father get scolded by emperor.
'Looks like i got a fox in the disguise of a rabbit.' Raksheet chuckled quietly on his own thoughts and leaned close towards Ira and whispered "Well done princess."
Ira nod while holding her smile back and whispered back "Thank you."
Viraaj noticed that there is something going on between Ira and Raksheet. And when he saw Ira holding her smile back, he understood that she did it deliberately. He know Dhishva never bothered to teach his daughter any manners or discipline but he thought Ira was trying to help Dhishva to look a good father in emperor's eyes. But it turned out totally opposite.
Dhishva's blood was boiling in anger. The emperor never scolded him before, he didn't even gave him that cold look. But today, because of that ungrateful child Ira, the emperor scolded him infront of others.
"I understood your majesty. I am....*sigh* I am sorry. I shouldn't have told her to keep her gaze low. I admit my mistake." Dhishva said, not wanting to make the matter big.
"I hope you will not repeat this mistake. May be this is the reason princess Ira didn't wanted to attend any event in past. She must feel underconfident to face the people with whom she have to talk with her gaze down that makes her feel low." The emperor and empress looks at Ira with pitiful eyes, thinking how much the poor princess had suffered.
Ira didn't said anything and kept quiet, acting like a obedient pitiable daughter.
Raksheet covered his mouth with one hand. Now it's getting harder for him to control his laugh. 'Ah, princess, you are so bad!' he shouted in his mind.
The empress held Ira's both hands and said in a gentle voice "Princess Ira, you don't have to keep your gaze low anymore. You are a princess who should hold her head high. You should look in the person's eye while talking with him."
Ira nod in agreement.
The empress smiled and held Ira's chin "So, now look up at us. And let us see those beautiful eyes of yours."
Ira slowly looked up, showing her pitiable and shining eyes to the empress. She was looking so cute that the empress's heart was getting pierced by Ira's cuteness. The empress was totally lost in Ira's cute and beautiful face.
The empress cupped Ira's face with both hands "Aw sweetheart, you are so cute! You got such beautiful silver eyes!"
Seeing his wife's excitement, the emperor mocked "Your majesty, do you want to take princess Ira to imperial capital?"
Not understanding her husband is mocking, the empress asked excitedly "Can we?!"
The emperor and Raksheet looked at empress with wide eyes.
The emperor laughed awkwardly and said "Ah....haha, your majesty, I was just joking. You can't take princess Ira to imperial capital." He held empress's both shoulders and pulled her back.
At the same time, Raksheet also grabbed his wife's hand and pulled her back. He quickly wrapped his arm arround Ira's shoulder, afraid that the empress might really take her away.
The emperor gave a apologetic look to Raksheet and Raksheet just smiled in response while tightening his grip arround Ira.
"Ira...." Viraaj spoke. He was smiling brightly, waiting for Ira to come to him and give a tight hug to his old grandfather.
Ira quickly looked at her grandfather and smiled brightly. She went towards him and sat down on the chair beside Viraaj.
She held his both hands "Grandfather, i missed you so much." She said as she hugged her grandfather's arm tightly.
She didn't hugged him because there are so many guests arround them. And it would seem inappropriate to hug him infront of everyone.
Viraaj rested his head on Ira's and patted her head gently. "I missed you too my child."
Ira released Viraaj's arm and looked at him carefully. She noticed that her grandfather is looking more weak than that she thought.
She grasped his hand tightly and asked "Grandfather, what happened to you? Why are you looking so weak? Are you sick? You should take some rest. Come let's go to your chamber and I will ask a servent to serve your food there." Ira was about to stand up from her seat when suddenly Viraaj stoped her.
"I am alright. It's just a travel fatigue. I am little tired. I will be fine. Don't worry. The emperor is here, it will be inappropriate to have my dinner in my chamber instead of with emperor." He whispered the last sentence in Ira's ear so that emperor can't hear them.
Although the emperor was busy talking with Raksheet and Ashwant.
Knowing that her grandfather is right, Ira nod in agreement. But she still can't believe that her grandfather got tired by traveling of half day. He always travels for several days or weeks or even months, then how can he get tired of half day of traveling.
"But grandfather how did you got tired by such a short journey? You are not a weak person to get tired." Ira asked.
Viraaj chuckled on his little granddaughter's question and replied with a weak smile "It's normal my dear. I am getting old now. It's normal for me to get tired by small activities like running, travelling."
Ira's expression turned from worry to annoyance. She was so annoyed that her grandfather is calling himself weak and old. For her, her grandfather is the strongest man who can't fall sick ever. Even if he gets old, he will be the strongest man.
"Don't say that you are getting old." Ira started scolding her grandfather where on the other side, Abhiveera was watching Viraaj getting scoldings and smiling "You are not old at all. You are the strongest man in this world. How can you get old and weak?"
Even if Ira was scolding him, the smile never left his face. Ira always scold her grandfather whenever he say something against himself.
Abhiveera was just watching the sweet bond between the Grandfather and granddaughter but don't know why he was feeling sad and alone. Missing something or someone from his past Which always sinks him in deep guilt and heart-wrenching memories.
"Ok ok, I am not old. And not weak at all." Viraaj said to stop Ira from scolding him further.
Finally Ira stopped scolding and arguing with him but she was still angry on him because he didn't take care of himself. He again started ignoring his health when she is not with him in Aaro. Viraaj always ignore his health and wear out himself by continue working day and night. Ira always had to remind him to take break and eat his food on time. Because of her, Viraaj always used to have dinner with his family on time. But may be after she left the Aaro, Viraaj started working more and keep himself busy so that he will not miss her and that caused him to get sick.