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Chapter 77: Brother-in-law Homecoming.
Vijay doesn't yet know the incoming trouble he is about to face from the Mughal Empire, but another significant problem has surfaced before him. His brother-in-law has just sent word that he has arrived in Vijayanagara, and he is waiting for Vijay to receive him. Vijay has also received news from his spy that the Maratha Empire has unfortunately fallen, and his father-in-law has passed away.
Losing his father-in-law and potential allies saddens Vijay deeply, but considering that he has the Dutch to contend with, he feels helpless in this situation. Now, the dilemma lies in how to break the news to Kavya about her father's passing and the destruction of her homeland. He is torn between wanting to inform her honestly and shielding her from overwhelming sadness that might drive her to do something drastic.
But finally, making up his mind, he decided he would let his brother-in-law tell her this news.
Aditya Bhonsle, the current head of the Bhonsle family, and his wife finally made it to Vijayanagara after all the suffering they had been through on the road. They could have gotten to Vijayanagar much earlier, but with the sensitive condition of the baby being born, they decided to camp in the Mughal Empire temporarily for a few weeks until the baby's condition stabilized before continuing the journey.
He was carrying his two-month-old newborn son in his arms as he entered the Empire's capital. The look of the Empire had completely changed since he had married his sister to Vijay a year ago; there were a lot more people here, and a new road was paved from a material that he had never seen before in all his life. But the road looked very flat and hard, and there was even a drainage system implemented on both sides of the road for rain and urban drainage uses.
Seeing all this, Aditya was enraged that his brother-in-law did not do anything to help them. Yes, Vijayanagara had sent a lot of money and weapons, including information about the impending attack and the strategy of how to take on the Mughals, but he didn't send even a single soldier to this battle.
And now, seeing the prosperity of Vijayanagara, he felt unbalanced, considering he had lost his whole kingdom. He decided to question Vijay directly as soon as he met him.
"Euhaaaaaaa."
"Euhaaaaaaa."
Rajendra, prince of the Bhonsle family, maybe because of hunger or because of his father's bad mood, cried in his father's arms suddenly. Aditya, looking at his son crying, handed his son to his wife to feed him.
At this moment, Vijay Devaraya also arrived at the gate of the city to greet his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, inviting them inside the city.
"Welcome, welcome, brother-in-law. Your presence has made me very happy."
"I have heard the news. Unfortunately, my father-in-law couldn't make it. May God bless him. Please come, let's go home. Your sister has been clamouring to meet you."
"Hmh!"
Aditya didn't give Vijay any face as he sneered and boarded the carriage where Vijay was pointing. Mrs. Bhonsle was embarrassed by her husband's mannerisms, so she slightly bowed in apology to Vijay as she also entered the carriage.
Vijay was surprised by Aditya's reaction, but considering what Aditya had been through, he could guess what the problem might be.
"Why didn't you help us if you are so powerful?"
This was the first question Aditya asked Vijay as soon as he joined him in the carriage.
Vijay was dumbfounded by Aditya's straightforwardness, but he didn't answer Aditya's question straight away as he knew no matter how much he explained, the emotionally charged Aditya would not be able to rationalize it. Instead, he reached into a folder he had at the back of the carriage and handed it over to Aditya to read.
Aditya was surprised by Vijay's actions as he didn't receive an immediate response to his question. He wanted to see what tricks Vijay was playing as he started reading the document.
But the more he read, the more he understood the grave threat facing Vijayanagara. Currently, Vijayanagara was under threat not only from the Mughals but also from the even more terrifying Western nations. The document provided various details on how these external powers were using their naval strength and superior military power to conquer various nations and exploit their resources. The document also informed Aditya of the impending war with the Dutch.
Reading this information, Aditya's anger toward Vijay dissipated, as he realized that the challenge Vijayanagara faced was far greater than what the Maratha Kingdom had encountered. Vijay was not just dealing with internal threats but also facing foreign aggressors intent on destroying the Vijayanagara Empire. He felt concern for Vijay and asked, "Are you going to be alright?"
Vijay understood what Aditya was asking and nodded, replying, "We have a good chance of winning this battle, but I'm not sure how the Mughals will react to this situation. Hopefully, everything goes according to plan."
Feeling that the atmosphere was becoming more sombre, Aditya tried to lighten the mood by introducing his son to Vijay. "Brother-in-law, this is my newborn son, Rajendra Bhonsle, your nephew."
Vijay had noticed the child earlier but didn't ask any questions, considering that Aditya was in a bad mood. He wanted to let Aditya introduce the child himself.
"Oh, come here, darling," Vijay said as he gently took the child from Mrs. Bhonsle and held his nephew for the first time in his life. Since he had not been married in his previous life, he didn't have experience being a father. So, he awkwardly played with the child based on what he had seen in movies and TV shows during his past life. His actions were both awkward and amusing to the Bhonsle family, and they looked at Vijay with a mix of amusement and curiosity.