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Iwas wonderstruck.

My feet felt as if they were nailed to the ground as I began to look at her in a different light, in a way I never had before.

The way she danced so elegantly and effortlessly in the middle of the hall kept my eyes glued to her.

I mean, she was definitely beautiful, but I didn't know why; I found her exceptionally captivating that night.

Suddenly, she halted her dancing, making my heart skip a few beats.

At that very moment, when our gazes locked, something felt strange, like something hot and flaming between us—something I had never felt before.

The way she looked at me made me feel like I was the main character in someone else's story.

It felt as if I mattered to someone, even if I was playing the role of an antagonist; I was present.

I've never had such attention in my life, and I never felt important.

However, the way she regarded my presence made me feel all her emotions, which she had masked behind her anger.

I clenched my fist and gulped a hard lump down my throat.

She turned her gaze down and continued dancing.

Walking out of the hall, I strode toward my uncle’s chamber to talk to him.

I needed to find a way to sort all this out because I couldn't see her doing this to herself, to her family, and to me.

As I arrived at the chamber, the guards let me in, and I called him. “Uncle,”

he turned around to look at me, cocking his eyebrow.

“Uncle? I hardly remember the last time you called me that,”

He taunted.

“I want to talk to you about something,”

I said in a low yet authoritative tone, and he insolently spread his arms to relax on the couch.

Clasping my hands behind me, I took a few breaths to calm myself and said, “Back off from this wedding.”

His eyes widened in shock.

“Back off from the wedding? No, I will not,”

he gritted angrily.

“The man Nandani is rumoured to be having an affair with is me,”

I disclosed the truth. “What???”

Standing up, he hollered.

“Yes, I left her, and now she is using you to take revenge on me,”

I restrained myself from lashing out.

“It doesn't matter anymore.

You better get back to your work,”

He stated, and I stepped forward.

“Uncle, you can get any woman you want.

But Nandani is my girl; she is my everything, everything I've got.

It was an unwise decision of mine to leave her back then, but now that I think about it, I despise the thought of her getting away from me.

So please...

Please, uncle,”

I pleaded, and he placed his hand on my shoulder.

Never in my life have I ever pleaded with anyone. Ever.

“I see what you mean, , but it's too late.

Hope you understand,”

he stated, and my blood began boiling with rage.

The crooked expression on his face made it clear that he was in no way going to agree with what I was saying.

But I had to try.

“Please, Uncle, please try to understand.

If you could conv—”

“Stop it,”

he cut me off, “And get back to your work.”

I stared at him blankly and retreated a few steps to exit his chamber.

My whole body shook with anger as soon as I was outside.

I just wanted to rip him apart.

I meant it when I said that she was my everything.

I truly did.

I forcefully punched the trunk of the tree, making my knuckles bleed, but it wasn't pain that fogged my mind, but her face.

The moment she entered my chamber to speak with me, the instant she gazed at me and requested that I make love to her, the words she used when discussing us were all vivid in my memory.

Why? Why was she doing it? Why the heck does she want revenge? Why was she so dead set on ruining her life?

Why? Why? Why?

I punched the trunk with every unanswered question.

My eyes began tearing up because of my inner turmoil and the emotions I was feeling.

“,”

Suddenly, a man’s voice caught my attention, prompting me to turn around.

Although it was dark, the voice sounded familiar, even though I couldn't see its owner.

“Aahil?”

I probed, and the person in question came into view.

I was trying to hold back my emotions when he noticed my face, but suddenly, stepping closer, he hugged me and patted my shoulder.

“Come on, man, you've got this.

If it makes you feel any better, men in general are nothing without these ‘driving men crazy’ women.

They are the ones we get energized for, and surprisingly, they are the ones who drain our energy, too,”

I chuckled at his comment, pulling myself away from the hug.

“So, what happened?”

he asked, and I ran my fingers through my hair.

“I tried to talk to my uncle, but like every time, he was super unconcerned about my happiness.

It's the purpose of his life to keep me away from things that bring me hope,”

I said, and he sighed.

“So, the plan remains the same, kidnapping?”

he asked, and I nodded.

“Thus far, yeah.

No other option,”

I stated, and he smiled encouragingly.

“My wife, my brother-in-law, and I—we’re already with you.

But now there's this one powerful man we must persuade to be on our side.

Don't worry; I have some plans,”

he explained dramatically.

“Come with me,”

he told me.

We took a stealthy path to the guest chamber on the other side of the palace.

He then led me to a decorated hall where a private celebration was taking place.

As we entered, I felt everyone's eyes on me, but I could only recognize a few faces.

The place was swarming with people.

One of them was Haider, undoubtedly holding a glass of alcohol.

“Oh, and who is this young man?”

a gruff voice caught my ears, and I looked at a tall, sturdy man who seemed to be in his late forties.

“This is ,”

Aahil chimed in, looking at him and turning to me.

“And , this is my father-in-law, Sultan Rafiq Sulaiman.”

I was too stunned to speak because Sultan Rafiq Sulaiman had an undeniably charismatic personality.

I was lost in thought when he greeted me in an Islamic manner, and I responded by joining my palms in greeting.

“Nice to meet you, kid,”

he said.

Aahil and I took our seats.

“Ohh, Rura, Rukshuk...

What was your name again?”

Haider kept mispronouncing my name. “,”

Aahil corrected him, and he grinned.

“Yeah, right, .”

“How drunk is he?”

I asked, and Sultan Rafiq swiftly replied, “Very much.

My son is living his life to the fullest, but his mother has not allowed me to live mine.”

I nodded and looked at Aahil.

“And how drunk is he?”

I asked, leaning closer to Aahil, referring to Sultan Rafiq.

He answered, “Very much, but no one has to know about this because his daughter is my wife, his wife is my mother-in-law, and his other wife is my aunt, and in no case should anyone learn the truth that he drank.”

I tried to bite my smile at his ranting.

“Smart man, I see how you flatter your father-in-law,”

I patted his shoulder, and he chuckled.

“And why aren't you drunk yet?”

I asked him.

“I'll celebrate with my wife later,”

he murmured shyly. “Ohhh…”

I teased him, and he offered me a drink.

“No, thanks.

I don't drink,”

I said, and he laughed.

“Of course you wouldn’t.

You are on some serious mission of kidnapping the bride,”

I chuckled, and Sultan Rafiq quickly slurred in between.

“Who is kidnapping the bride?”

“Sharp hearing, I must say,”

Aahil whispered, and I saw Sultan positioning himself to look at us.

“Why did no one tell me that there is a twist in the wedding?”

he complained, and I lifted my brows, not believing how relaxed they were about this whole plan.

“Well, is planning to abduct the bride since he's in love with her, but the bride's father is against it,”

Aahil explained, and I looked at him in disbelief, spilling all the wrong facts, so I tried to correct him.

“No, it isn’t,”

but he stopped me mid-way.

“Ohh… then I got to talk about this to the king,”

Sultan Rafiq said, and Aahil immediately spoke for me.

“But he's in denial.

The Princess is getting married to an eighty-year-old man at that.”

I looked at him with wide eyes.

What in the name of help was he doing?

“What???? An eighty-year-old man? Heavens no.

That's impossible, no way.”

His voice raised an octave higher, and I was about to stand up, but Aahil pulled me back.

“Abbujaan29, loves the Princess the way you love my mother-in-law, and I love your daughter, maybe so much more than that.

But both the old king and her father are his enemies because he is not yet a king.

She loves him too.

But they're not allowing them to marry,”

he so subtly coaxed him.

“Talking is not going to work now.

The wedding is tomorrow, and we really, really need to help the couple.”

He stared at me for a few seconds, and I swallowed in fear.

For heaven’s sake, why were my plans being disclosed so blatantly in the grand order of drunken minds?

“Alright, I’m in.

But I'll have to confirm a few things first,”

he said, and I looked at Aahil, giving me a winning smile.

“Don't worry, I'll send Ruhani to you.”

I didn't know what the heck was going to happen.

Could I trust these people—strangers?

Suddenly, the music pitched higher, uplifting the mood, and Sultan Rafiq stood up, harmonising his moves with the rhythm.

He then stumbled near the music choir and began playing tabla with them.

“Abbujaan, dance on this one,”

Aahil cheered him up, singing, and Haider joined them.

“Well, let me play the drums,”

“Woah!!!”

I exhaled heavily, looking at the trio's madness, enjoying themselves as if there was no tomorrow.

The Son was playing drums, the son-in-law was singing, and the father was dancing drunk.

Epic.

The wholesome sight made me laugh my heartily.

Suddenly, the thought of my family crossed my mind, and my smile drooped.

Inhaling a deep breath, I got up and left the place to get back to my duty.

I wanted to talk to the king again, but I didn't think it was of any use.

Honestly, I was on the verge of giving up on the idea of having the throne and ruling and all.

But the way Nandani said that she was ready to spend her life with me, even in a small cottage, gave me the courage to fight for us and make things right.

Reaching the chamber, I retired the other soldiers and took my place to guard the doors.

After a while, the chamber doors opened, and I turned around to see why the king was still awake.

But, as soon as my sight fell on Nandani, I lost it.

“What the heck are you doing here?”

I shouted, and she stepped out, closing the door behind her while muttering in a sultry tone.

“Do not scream, his majesty has just slept.”

As soon as I heard her say that, I clamped her throat and pushed her against the wall.

She calling him King was enough to ignite the anger in me.

“What are you doing here, Nandani?”

I clenched my jaw to control my fury.

I wanted to believe that this was all a joke, that it wasn't what I thought it was.

However, the way she was panting, her flushed cheeks, and her heart beating loudly suggested otherwise.

My insides stiffened; the thought of something happening between her and that man made me shake with immense ire.

I wanted the answer to be ‘nothing’. But—

“What do you think the king and I were doing in the middle of the night, right before the day of our wedding?”

she counter-questioned.

She was choking for air, but the assertiveness in her words spoke to how serious she was.

My grip tightened around her neck, and the rage surging inside me clouded my thoughts.

It was unbearable for me to contain my anger any longer, but her eyes staring back at me prevented me from doing anything that would harm her.

My emotions were all over the place.

Pain, anger, and hurt all made me so restless; I was in a frenzy.

“Don't you dare….

Don't you dare say that,”

I said calmly, hoping she would start laughing and tell me this was all a silly prank.

But she replied blankly, “A scar you gave me and a scar I give you back.

We are even now.”

The moment she uttered those words, my whole world shattered.

Devastatingly shattered.

The sharp pain in my heart caused tears to blur my vision.

I felt numb as my hands slipped from her throat, causing me to stumble back.

“What?”

I tried to ask.

Rubbing her neck, she walked away.

I stood there, frozen, as I did not know what to do with myself.

What did she do? How could she?

I screamed internally and followed her.

The guards outside her chamber crossed their spears in front of me, preventing me from going inside.

Taking my dagger out, I glared at them.

“Don't mess with me, not now,”

I threatened, and they instantly moved away in fright.

Pushing the doors open, I stormed inside, locking the door behind me.

“What do you mean?”

I roared.

I was going ballistic.

Red was all I could see.

But, rather than answering my question, she stretched her arms and removed her dupatta.

Getting into bed, she turned her back on me to unfold the duvet, when my sight fell on her backless blouse.

But, before she could, I held her wrist and pushed her against the headboard.

“How dare you? How could you stoop so low as to sleep with him? What about your self-respect, your pride? How could you?”

I seethed in anger, and she started laughing, unexpectedly.

“Pride? Self-respect?”

she mocked me, and I held her neck to stop her from laughing.

“How dare you, Nandani?”

I angled her face to look at me.

“Who the heck are you, teaching me lessons on pride and self-respect?”

I could sense the same rage dripping from her words.

“Who the heck am I? You're questioning me? You love me,”

I exclaimed.

We were heaving in equal fervour.

“I loved you...

‘Loved’, as in the past.

The day you left me with that letter telling me I was a scar to my family, you lost all my love for you.

I loved you... loved,”

she spat, and I pulled her closer because her words were severing me.

“So you'll sleep with just anyone? With my uncle, an old man?”

My voice turned hoarse.

***