Page 18

“Ranaji, his condition is getting worse,”

the physician who was aiding all the wounded soldiers informed me.

“The cuts are too deep and the infection he has caught from the blade, I'm afraid, has spread to his other body parts,” he added.

After meeting her, I went to see the soldiers.

Many of them recovered quickly, while some were in critical condition, and I was genuinely concerned about their well-being.

“Do whatever you can, just save him.”

He shook his head in disappointment and replied, “I am sorry, Ranaji, but his body is not responding to our treatment.”

I pursed my lips as I looked at the unconscious soldier lying on the cot.

I had to save him.

Until his heart was beating, we had a chance to save him.

The higher-ranking officials of the royal entourage, including the head advisor and the royal physician, had left the kingdom after the battle.

The widows of my cousins were in their maternal homes and would return to Suryagarh at any time.

No one knew about what happened here.

However, I was certain that as soon as the old king began sending letters to the neighbouring kingdoms to solicit support, our problems would escalate.

Before that, I had to reinstate the royal entourage in its entirety, comprising all the higher officials.

I also had to ensure that we had a well-established defence system internally from the soldiers’ side.

For this, I considered appointing my younger brother as the head commander of the army.

I lifted that soldier in my arms and asked a guard to bring me my horse to the palace’s main entrance.

Taking him to my Guruji38 was the only option left.

He was one of the best physicians I knew.

He would treat even the most critical cases with his analytical abilities and intellect.

Covering him with a cloth, I carried him to the entrance and settled him on my horse's back.

I mounted, holding the reins, and immediately rode to my Guruji.

I arrived by evening and called for him, standing outside the cottage.

“Guruji,”

He came out, opening the door.

“! What happened? What happened to him?”

he looked at me, perplexed.

I stepped inside the cottage and laid him on the mat on the floor.

“He is wounded; please treat him.”

“How did he get these wounds?”

he asked.

I gulped and replied, “In a sword fight.”

He removed his bandages and further inquired, “What sword fight?”

I sat beside him.

“Bring me that green paste,”

he said, and I immediately walked towards his small wooden almirah.

Scanning the containers of all medicinal herbs, I asked, “Which one?”

“The one at the top shelf, third bottle,”

He directed, keeping his eyes on the soldier, and I fetched the bottle for him.

He began cleaning his wounds and asked me, “How are you? You came to meet me after so long,”

I blinked nervously because I didn't know how to tell him about everything I did.

My conscience wouldn't allow me to hide or lie.

“Guruji, I have something to tell you,”

he nodded, telling me to go on while he focused on the wounds.

I braced myself and finally revealed the truth, “I attacked Suryagarh.”

He looked at me, astonished. “What??”

I nodded and went on, “Yes, I had to...

I mean, I fought a battle against my soldiers,”

He gave me a fierce look.

“Are you out of your mind, ?”

He turned his gaze back to the soldier, and I apologised, “I am sorry, Guruji, but it was a circumstantial demand that I had to do it,”

I tried to justify my point.

“This is not how you become a king,”

he seethed menacingly, “Becoming a king is not just about ruling over people.

Kings are the servants of their subjects.

They serve people, not slaughter them,”

I gulped, dropping my eyes and nodding.

“I know, Guruji, but I had no other option.

I made a terrible mistake and to rectify it, I had to….

it was necessary,”

I explained.

“What mistake?”

he asked without looking at me.

His attention was entirely on treating the soldier.

I then told him everything from the very beginning.

I left nothing out: all my plans, how I tricked Nandani, how my feelings changed for her, what she did, and what I did in return.

It was past midnight by the time I finished.

He kept treating the soldier and waiting to see if his system responded to the medicine.

He looked furious at what I did.

“You shouldn't have involved an innocent woman in this.

Never.

Women are not objects; they are to be respected.

How could you treat her like that? And on top of that, you married her forcibly,”

he exclaimed, and I instantly retorted, “No, not forcibly, she too wanted to marry me.”

He snapped at me angrily, “Do you not know that you’re forbidden from getting close to any woman until your coronation? You worked hard for this, to earn it the right way.”

I looked down in remorse, realizing I never wanted this to happen.

“I know Guruji, and I'm deeply regretful.

But I didn't lose control over myself, so please guide me on the right path.

And now, I am a husband, and I like her.

Maybe I have even deeper feelings for her, but….”

I paused, taking a deep breath.

“...

but every time I see her, I remember the king slept with her.

Moreover, I have additional responsibilities.

She is my family; hence, how can I maintain control after getting married? It’s as if I worked so hard pushing an ice block for so long, but it melted away, leaving me with nothing. I cannot hate her, I cannot love her. I can’t be close to her and cannot stay away from her,”

I finished, frustrated, raking my fingers through my hair.

He stared at me silently for a few moments.

“, you’re so close to achieving your goal.

You cannot lose control now,”

he said, “You've put so much effort into controlling your emotions.

You lived like a normal man, built your strength like a true king, and worked hard to compete with them.

No one can beat you with the knowledge, skills, and power you possess.

But you have made a terrible mistake; you’ve made enemies.

A king does welfare for the people. The people are not for the king; a king is for the people,”

he expressed, pointing his fingers at me.

“And about your wife, you've got to tell her that you cannot fulfil all your responsibilities towards her.

You'll have to continue your semen retention until the Yagya.

If you lose control, it will be difficult for you to gain it all again.

And trusting your wife or not is your matter.

If you feel that her sleeping with someone else before marriage is a big deal, then you can make a big issue out of it. But if you think what she has done is not wrong, then you can simply live with it, moving on,”

I nodded at his rationalisation.

We kept talking till the sun rose, and he blessed me to win people’s hearts.

He advised me to do good for them.

I was waiting for the soldier to gain consciousness so that I could take him back to the palace.

She must’ve been waiting for me.

I didn't know, but I always had a soft corner for her.

She was a princess, nine years younger than me, and somewhere she became precious to me.

Like, she was mine to care, to scold, to laugh with, to make angry.

I was beginning to enjoy being in her presence.

It wasn't irritating, but content.

As her husband, I wanted to be responsible for her.

It was noon already, but the soldier hadn't opened his eyes.

And so I kept waiting.

Guruji offered me lunch, but I refused.

I wasn't sure if she would’ve eaten anything.

Somewhere, my instincts were telling me she must be angry with me, torturing herself.

Finally, the soldier opened his eyes, and I asked him if he could travel.

When he agreed, I brought him back after bidding adieu to Guruji.

It was late in the evening by the time we reached.

My clothes were stained with blood, so I took a quick bath first.

Changing into fresh clothes, I asked the physician to dress my wounds, as I didn't want her to worry about my injuries being left open.

Once I had them dressed, I left for our chamber, and the moment I stepped inside, everything looked… different.

The chamber’s furnishings had been changed—it smelled pleasant inside, and seemed cleaner.

My sight fell on an attendee passing through.

Stopping her, I asked, “Where is Ranisa?”

Keeping her head low, she answered, “Ranaji, Ranisa is sleeping in her bedroom.

She got tired after cleaning,”

I furrowed my brows.

“After cleaning?”

I asked, and she nodded.

“Yes, Ranaji, she woke up early in the morning and cleaned every corner of the chamber on her own.

She even had the carpets and mats changed.

When I asked her if she wanted anything for her back pain, she refused.

She has eaten nothing since last night,”

I took a deep breath, looking around.

She cleaned everything in anger?

I shook my head and asked her, “Can you bring our dinner to the courtyard?”

She nodded and left.

I entered the bedroom and found her sleeping on the bed, covered with the comforter.

I called her.

“Nandani,”

I walked further inside, but she did not answer.

“Nandani,”

I called her again, but she kept silent.

Moving closer to the bed, I sat beside her and pulled the comforter, but she pulled it back. “Aeeeee,”

I made a playful sound and called out again, “Nandani.”

I tried to hold her wrist, but she jerked my hand away.

“Nandani,”

I called again and muttered, “I had some work.”

“So go, do your work,”

she replied, “Go away, never come back.

Just be gone,”

her voice turned hoarse and broke by the end.

I again tried to pull the comforter down and said, “Nandani, so much anger, you cleaned the whole chamber!”

For some reason, I found it endearing that she cleaned everything in a fit of anger.

I couldn't stop laughing.

I again tried to get hold of her hand, but she yanked it away.

This was it.

I got off the bed and opened all the curtains so no one could see I was lying with my wife.

I climbed over the bed beside her.

“Hey, look at me,”

I held her arm, shifting closer, but she moved away.

I tried to turn her towards me, but she resisted so much.

“Don't touch me,”

she said, a little loud.

I clasped her wrist to turn her to face me.

But she had her back facing me.

I held her chin, freeing her wrist, but she again prevented my touch.

Having no other option, I hovered on top of her and clasped both her wrists, pinning them above her head.

I cupped her cheek to make her look at me.

My eyes met with her red, swollen eyes.

“I am sorry,”

I softly muttered, but she tried to get rid of my hold.

I leaned in, moving my face close to hers.

“Leave me, stay away from me.

Go to hell,”

she spat in absolute annoyance, wiggling under me.

I placed my forehead on her and mumbled, “Nandani, I am sorry.”

Inhaling a sharp breath, she turned her face away, panting, her heart beating fast.

She kept trying to free her wrists.

“I’m sorry,”

I clutched her wrists tighter, and suddenly a few of her bangles broke, making me immediately leave her hands.

She placed her little hands on my chest and tried to push me away, but my eyes were busy staring at her red, plump lips.

“Stay away,”

she tried to force me away again.

I noticed she was wearing a beautiful yellow dress.

“Nandani, hey, look at me,”

I said, staying in the same position, and gently holding her wrist.

I removed each of her bangles one by one.

She calmed down a little in the meantime and exclaimed, “I hate you, !”

I focused on removing her bangles.

“Stop, please, these are wedding bangles.

I shouldn't take them off until forty-five days of our marriage,”

Her voice turned a little soft, but she persistently kept pushing me with her other hand.

“And, I don't want to break them either before forty days,”

I removed all the bangles and took off her rings too, doing the same with her other hand.

Her henna began to fade with all the work she did.

She looked at me, shaking her head.

“, please, no,”

I looked into her eyes.

“I have all the rights, Ranisa.

To take off your bangles, every piece of your jewellery, your clothes, everything that covers you and I have more rights too.”

***