Page 45

Imounted my horse, ready to leave.

Agastya accompanied me while I asked Ranvijay to oversee the kingdom’s management in my absence.

With a small convoy of soldiers, we set out towards Pratapgarh.

We rode in silence until we reached the edge of the territory, where small hills naturally bordered the land.

I halted, pulling the reins tight, and dismounted.

Turning back, I raised my voice so everyone could hear.

“We’ll stop here.”

The soldiers exchanged surprised glances, and Agastya frowned.

“But Bhaisa, we’re still far from their outpost,”

“I know,”

I said calmly.

“But I’ll go alone from here,”

His expression twisted in a mix of worry and disbelief.

“No, what are you saying?”

he asked sharply.

I met his gaze and inhaled deeply.

“You’ll stay here and wait for me,”

A beat of tense silence followed.

“YOU WILL ALL WAIT HERE UNTIL I RETURN.

UNDERSTAND?”

I said firmly.

Agastya’s eyes burned with frustration, but he nodded reluctantly.

“Say it,”

I demanded.

“Yes, Bhaisa,”

he replied in a strained voice.

“We’ll wait here until you return.”

I gave a final nod and mounted my horse again.

Give them a last glance, I rode ahead alone.

As the hills rose around me, the forest grew thicker, the path more treacherous, and the air turned colder and thinner.

I urged my horse forward at full speed, my mind consumed by a storm of guilt and seething anger.

Facing Abhinandan again after all this time, the thought churned my insides.

So much had changed between us since we last met.

The forest path was the fastest route, though far more dangerous than the roads.

I pushed through, branches clawing at me, hooves pounding against the uneven ground.

Then, without warning, the air shifted.

My horse reared up, neighing wildly, and kicking high with its front legs.

I tried pulling the reins, but the motion was too sudden, and I lost my balance.

I hit the ground hard, and a sickening crack followed.

Perhaps my arm broke, maybe more.

The pain flooded in all at once.

“Aaahhh….”

A guttural sound of pain slipped past my lips, my vision blurring.

The horse collapsed beside me, groaning.

And before I could even gather my thoughts, shadows emerged from the trees—soldiers in deep maroon uniforms, swords gleaming, eyes full of hatred.

Breathing heavily, I raised my injured hand to surrender.

I was unarmed, with only a knife at my waist, and outnumbered.

One of them stepped forward.

“Take him to the Prince.”

A tall, strongly built man with a dark complexion towered over me, barking orders at the soldiers behind him.

The word ‘Prince’ slipped from his mouth, and immediately, my mind snapped to Abhinandan.

Swords were pointed at me from all sides.

My vision blurred briefly as I tried to grasp what was happening.

Despite the searing pain in my elbow, I forced myself to stand.

“Who the hell are you?”

I demanded.

The man stepped closer, pointing his knife right at me, piercing it slowly through my chest.

“Your death,”

he simmered, his voice low and venomous.

I let out a soft chuckle.

“You came uninvited.”

He shoved the blade harder into my skin, but I inhaled deeply, puffing out my chest, and stared him down.

Reaching for his wrist, I gripped it tightly and pushed the knife in further myself.

His confidence wavered, and he blinked, unsure.

My lack of fear had unsettled him.

“Whoever you are, death, demon, or damnation, don’t test me today,”

I warned, voice calm but edged with fire.

“I’ve got something more important to do.

I need to see someone...

and get back to my wife.

We’ll play your little game—some other day,”

He clenched his jaw and signalled his men.

They began to advance.

One of them screamed as he lunged forward, swinging his sword.

My hand shot up, stopping the blade mid-air, my palm pressed against the steel as I locked my fingers around it.

The soldier stared at me, wide-eyed.

Now they were testing my temper.

“Now, you all leav—”

A sudden blow slammed into the side of my head.

The world around me began spinning as the pain exploded.

Everything faded in a blur, voices echoed, and my knees buckled.

I fell on the ground and everything went dark.

***

My lashes fluttered as my head throbbed, the darkness engulfing me in its cold.

I inhaled a shaky breath as I felt unbearable pain, and tried to move, to bring my hand to my forehead, but I was bound.

Something around my body was restraining my movements, clamping to my skin, trapping me tightly.

“Arrrghhhhhh!”

I cried out, the agony ripping through me.

Slowly, as consciousness returned, I forced my eyes open, trying to look through the darkness.

Silence.

A suffocating silence enveloped me, yet it left my body drenched in cold sweat.

When I finally lifted my lashes completely, a sharp ray of light stabbed through my vision, making me flinch and whimper.

Where the hell was I?

I blinked hard and looked down.

My wrists were locked with cuffs, the ends of the chains fastened to iron handles on the brick walls.

I tried to scan my surroundings, but it was impossible to see much of anything.

Suddenly, I heard faint footsteps approaching and slowly turned my head.

The truth hit me like a punch.

It wasn’t just any room.

It was a dungeon.

Dust coated the floor, insects and spider webs surrounded me, and mosquitoes buzzed in the humid air.

I was locked up.

As the footsteps stopped, I heard iron chains rustling, and the heavy door creaked open.

I took a deep breath and focused on the figure stepping in.

It was the man I’d met in the forest.

“Seems like I’m kidnapped,”

I muttered with a smirk.

He scowled, his irritation sharp and immediate.

He strode over, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and yanked my head back with a vicious twist, his teeth gritted.

“You’re alive only because the Prince wants to kill you himself.”

I laughed softly.

“Your PRINCE—definitely a coward.

Do you even know who I am?”

He raised an eyebrow and grinned darkly.

“Of course.

A bastard son of a sex worker,”

His words sent a wave of rage through me, but wait.

How did he know?

There was only one way.

Surgami Dev Singh.

Instead of exploding, I let out a short laugh.

“Ahh, yes.

That I am,”

His irritation deepened.

Without warning, he punched me across the face.

A group of soldiers rushed in at his signal.

“Unlock his chains,”

he ordered.

“The Prince wants to peel his skin off himself.”

I took a deep breath and waited as they freed me.

Their swords pressed close against my neck, my chest, anywhere they could threaten.

“Come with us,”

the man growled.

I rolled my eyes and followed them.

My wrists ached from the heavy shackles still hanging from them.

As we walked through the narrow dungeon corridor, I scanned around—the shadows, the cracks, the path to the exit.

Sunlight struck my face as we stepped out, and I looked around at the ruined fort and the labourers working on its reconstruction.

The man with the grotesque face sneered.

“What did you do to the Prince to make him want you dead so bad?”

I sighed.

“That depends.

Who’s your Prince?”

He rolled his eyes.

“Keep your attitude in check, boy.”

I smirked.

“I’m not a boy like you.

There’s a difference between a man and a boy.”

His jaw tensed, and he slapped the back of my head.

“What did you say?”

He asked, gritting his teeth.

I clenched my fists, barely holding myself back from tearing him in two with a single finger.

But I needed to stay composed, I had to find out where I was, and more importantly, who this so-called Prince was.

I forced a foolish smile and walked with them until we reached an open space.

My gaze landed on a tent, and just then, loud moans and sharp cries pierced the air.

“Aaahhh... Prince!”

Another scream followed, and I froze.

Who was this girl? And who was the Prince? I wondered.

The sounds only grew more intense, and I walked a few steps closer, despite my churning insides.

“Wait here until the Prince finishes his business,”

the guard ordered.

I gulped.

The thought that this might be Abhinandan shook me to the core.

If that was him… I couldn't believe how much he had changed.

As the cries died, I took a deep breath, bracing myself.

The tent’s curtain shifted a moment later, and a tall, half-naked man stepped out.

His fingers raked through his hair as he adjusted the low-hanging dhoti on his waist, revealing the carved muscles of his abs and chest.

I squinted against the sunlight, trying to focus on his face, and when I did, the ground swept beneath me.

It was Abhinandan Mahabalesh.

He walked to a nearby vessel and splashed water on his face.

Drying it with a cloth, he strode to a wooden bench and sprawled across it with his arms resting wide, one foot propped up over his knee.

“Aao, aao .

Tumhara hi prateeksha thi,”

(Welcome, .

I was just waiting for you.) he said casually, with a mocking grin.

The soldiers shoved me forward.

“Abhinandan, what is all this?”

I demanded, pointing toward the tent.

He smirked and rose from the bench slowly, eyes gleaming.

“This?”

he said, gesturing to the tent behind him.

“This is what I call having…fun.

Want to meet the girl? Or maybe…”

He trailed off, the suggestion in his tone enough to make my blood boil.

I turned to the tent, and the girl stepped out just then.

Shock seized me.

My rage surged.

I balled my fists and nearly slammed one into his smug face.

“Bastard,” I hissed.

But I stopped mid-swing.

I remembered my promise to Nandani: to protect him… not to hurt him.

So I held back.

He only laughed, a cruel, hollow sound, and stepped in close, his gaze locked on mine.

“This is the beginning of your end,”

he whispered, his eyes glistening with pure fury.

I drew in a slow breath.

“What are you doing, Abhi?”

He suddenly grabbed my jaw and squeezed it tight, his face inches from mine, eyes blazing.

“I’m not your Abhi nor anyone’s.

Understand?”

I could see the fire burning in his eyes, rage bursting from every corner of his face.

His nostrils flared, and the long locks of his curly hair flew wildly in the wind.

But I didn’t look away, I met his gaze, holding it steady.

In a slow, firm voice, I asked, “What do you think Nandani will say when she finds out about this?”

He chuckled, low and dismissive, then let go of my jaw.

Taking a few steps back, he looked around as if amused by the chaos, and said casually, “Kaun Nandani?”

(Nandani, who?)

Something just snapped inside me.

I took a step forward.

“Who is Nandani? She’s your sister.”

He laughed again and walked back toward me, eyes cold.

“She’s not my sister anymore.

The day she stooped so low—to run after you—she died for me,”

My jaw clenched, and my hand shot up to grab his neck.

“How dare—”

But his fist connected with my face, hard and brutal, before I could finish, and I staggered back, stunned.

My lips throbbed as blood trickled down.

He’d punched me without hesitation.

The fury inside me boiled over.

I touched the blood at the corner of my mouth, and my breath grew heavier.

First, I’d seen him with Trisha.

And now this.

His hatred for both of us was louder than words.

But I had come here to make peace.

“Abhinandan, listen to me, please.

I love her,”

I tried to explain, but he stepped forward, bashing my face with a series of heavy punches.

“YOU LOVE HER?!”

Punch.

“You love her, huh?” Punch.

“Bastard,”

he kept delivering punches to me, until I felt my nose begin bleeding.

I tried to push him off, but he threw me to the ground, climbed over, and grabbed my throat with one hand.

On the other hand, punches rained down on my face, hard.

“You used her! You played with her! You’re a bastard, just like your father! A son of a whore!”

That was it.

My fist crashed into his jaw.

“Mind your language,”

I said through gritted teeth, my voice dark and steady.

He stumbled back, only to charge forward again.

“Mind my language? Hnnnnn...

What were you minding when you crept into her chambers? When you slept with her and left her like nothing ever happened?”

He slammed me back with another punch.

“I trusted you! I FUCKING TRUSTED YOU!”

He struck again, his voice raw with betrayal.

“But you… You used my sister… You played with her feelings… You broke her!”

He punched my face again, and the world around me started to spin.

“I… aaamm… sorrryyyy,”

I slurred, struggling to keep my eyes open.

Another brutal punch landed, this time breaking my nose.

Blood gushed out instantly.

“You just showed me—you’re exactly like your father,”

That was it.

Something snapped.

With the last bit of strength I had, I grabbed him by the neck and shoved him down beneath me.

My blood dripped onto him as I straddled him, rage exploding in every punch I delivered.

“Yes, I’m the son of my father, but where the hell were you when your sister was crying, when she needed you the most?”

I asked, punching his face.

“Where were you? Hnnn? Out fucking your whores?”

I seethed, battering another punch.

“At least I was there.

I tried to stop her from destroying herself.

I stood by her when no one else did.

What did you do as her brother?”

striking him back to back.

Before I could hit again, he pushed me off, slamming me hard to the ground.

The chains around me rattled, throwing me off balance.

He towered over me, his fists ready to break whatever was left.

“What did I do?”

he roared.

“What the hell did she do for me?”

He kept thrashing me in his rage.

“She betrayed me! She hid your filthy affair from me! She burned down everything—our father's pride, our grandfather’s name—for you.”

I tasted blood, as his every word fuelled his punches.

“She married the man who ruined her!”

Another hit blurred my vision.

“You think I’ll ever forgive that? You think I’ll calm down before I draw every last drop of your blood?”

Blood poured from my nose and mouth.

My face was numb, but I forced myself to fight back.

I grabbed his collar, yanking him closer.

“Listen to me!”

I rasped, my voice shredded and raw.

“LISTEN TO ME!”

Our eyes locked.

My vision blurred, but I didn’t stop.

Not until I said what I had to.

“I know you’re angry, Abhinandan.

You have every right to be.

But please… just hear me out,”

His chest heaved with rage, his nostrils flaring, eyes burning.

“You can kill me.

Draw out every drop of blood, I don’t care.

But just… listen to me first,”

Something in him shifted just slightly.

The tension in his jaw loosened.

His grip faltered.

His eyes, for a moment, softened.

I took a shaky breath, licking the blood from my lips.

“Nandani misses you… more than you know.

Whatever she did, she did it to protect you.

Trust me, you have no idea what steps she was willing to take for you.

She never said it, but I know.

My heart knows. She loves you more than anyone in this world. I… I’m not even close,”

He drew in a heavy breath.

His fists remained clenched, but his face changed.

“What did she do?”

he asked, his voice low, suspicious.

I swallowed hard.

“She tried to marry Surgami Dev Singh… to protect you,”

He let out a dry laugh—bitter, cold.

“Lies.

Lies and more lies,”

I shook my head, weak but determined.

“It’s the truth.

She was willing to sacrifice everything—her love, her life—for you,”

He stared at me blankly, as if the words didn’t quite register.

“She did all that to protect you… from me,”

he growled.

I looked at him with a flat face.

“Ahh… umm… okay, if she did all that to protect me from you, then why?”

I asked slowly.

“Why did she feel the need to protect me from you?”

He sat down, facing me, and I met his gaze.

“Because I’m stronger than you,”

I said plainly.

“And if I wanted, I could’ve killed you the moment I saw you.

But now… you're her husband.

The man she loves.

So I can't lay a finger on you—not without breaking her,”

I let that sink in, lowered myself to the ground, and sat before him.

“Yes, you’re stronger than I.

But she’s still your sister.

You can hate me forever, but you’ll always have to face her.

And whether you believe it or not, she misses you.

She was devastated the second she found out you were leading the war against us. She was terrified for you,”

He looked down, staring at the dry earth beneath us.

I let out a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, Abhi.

I didn’t know anything about my father… or the truth behind all this.

I deserve your hate—I know that.

But please… she’s your sister.

Don’t do something that’ll break her even more,”

His gaze slowly lifted to mine, and in a slow voice, he said, “As if she cared about me,”

I moved closer, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“She does, Abhi.

She always has.

If you don’t believe me, ask her who she loves more.

I swear—she’ll choose you over me in a heartbeat,”

A bitter chuckle escaped him.

“She didn’t even try to talk to me,”

I exhaled quietly.

“She was shattered, Abhi.

She couldn’t even gather herself,”

He gave a small, weak smile.

“Little did she know about my devastation,”

His voice dropped.

“She’s selfish,”

I shook my head instantly.

“She’s not,”

His eyes locked onto mine.

“She is.

She chose you over everything else,”

I inhaled sharply, holding my voice steady.

“No, she didn’t choose me.

She chose to sacrifice herself, to become a pawn in a political alliance with Suryagarh, just to make sure I wouldn’t get the throne and gain the army so that Mahableshgarh wouldn’t fall into war.

She gave up her happiness to protect everyone—even you,”

I paused and inhaled deeply.

“Not everything that seems love is a bed of roses, Abhi,”

I saw the moment he swallowed a hard lump.

“So… you love her now?”

he asked quietly.

I held his gaze.

“I always did,”

I admitted.

“But I was too numb to realise it,”

He looked down again.

His voice was barely above a whisper.

“Is she… okay?”

I nodded. “Yes,”

And then a single tear slipped from his eye.

“I couldn’t see her like that.

And I… I don’t think I’ll ever be able to face her again, knowing I was the reason all this happened,”

His voice trembled.

“If I hadn’t trusted you… You wouldn’t have come to the kingdom.

If you hadn’t come, she wouldn’t have met you.

And none of this would’ve happened,”

He said.

And for a moment, I didn’t say anything.

“It wasn’t your mistake, Abhi.

It was mine,”

My voice was low, ashamed.

“I used everything… and trust me, I’m utterly ashamed.

I don’t even feel like I deserve her,”

He didn’t hesitate.

“You don’t.

You don’t deserve her,”

His voice was sharp, filled with rage.

“You call it love? That’s not love.

She loves you.

You hurt her, and still, still she chose you.

And what did you do for her?”

I inhaled deeply, the sting of his words settling in my chest.

“I know, Abhi.

I know.

I’m so sorry.

But this hate… it should be for me, not her. She doesn’t deserve this. I’m the one who came between you two. I should’ve stayed away,”

He stared at me coldly.

“Yes,”

he said.

“You should have.

And now, you’ll pay for it,”

He stood up.

“Before you hurt her anymore, I want you dead.

Because once a traitor… always a traitor,”

His voice rang with finality as he looked toward the soldiers.

“Give him a sword,”

I shook my head slowly, my voice steady.

“I’m not going to lift my blade against you,”

He walked over to the side table, picked up his sword, and pointed it directly at me.

“Unlock his chains,”

The soldiers moved quickly, unlocking the restraints.

I rose to my feet slowly, wiping the blood from my nose.

“I promised her I wouldn’t fight you,”

I said, locking eyes with him.

But he was already pacing, rage seething in every movement.

“If you can’t fight, then leave.

Let me save my sister from a bastard like you,”

I stood my ground.

“I’m not going to war against you,”

“Then leave her,”

His voice cracked with fury.

“You’ve done enough damage.

Let her go.

A man like you, for whom a woman’s grace or disgrace means nothing… who doesn’t understand the limits of revenge, or the value of relationships—doesn’t deserve her.

You don’t deserve my sister or any woman,”

I clenched my jaw, exhaling through the storm in my chest.

“And what about you?”

I asked, voice sharp.

“You’re here giving lectures on grace and disgrace.

But what were you doing with Trisha? That didn’t seem very graceful either,”

His face snapped toward mine in fury.

In a blink, his hand was around my throat.

“What Trisha and I do is none of your damn business.

That’s my personal matter,”

I grabbed his wrists and pushed him back, forcing him to release my neck.

“So if a girl’s a commoner, it’s not a matter of grace or shame—but if she’s a princess, then it suddenly matters?”

I scoffed bitterly.

“Hypocrisy much?”

His eyes blazed.

“Don’t you dare bring her into this,”

“I will.

Because she’s like a sister to me,”

I stepped closer, matching his intensity.

And then, all of a sudden, he let out a cold, bitter laugh.

“You’re furious over someone who’s like your sister,”

He said, his voice low.

“But you didn’t even care about a girl who was madly in love with you… Who wanted you… And I know—you loved her too,”

I closed my eyes for a moment.

“I’m sorry, Abhi.

I’m so sorry for what I did.

I could apologise every day, day and night, because what I did was a sin.

And I’m ready to suffer for it.

I have been suffering. This revenge, this hatred, this rage—I’ve lived through it all. And what did I get?”

I looked at him with broken eyes.

“Nothing.

I lost everything.

I’m a loser.

It’s easy to break someone in a moment, but it takes a lifetime to heal them,”

He didn’t say a word.

“Your parents, your sister… even Trisha.

None of them deserves the version of what you’ve become.

Just because I wronged you, doesn’t mean they should suffer too,”

My voice shook now, but I held it together.

“A man who once cared for every woman in his life and respected them, that man wouldn’t do this to a woman who means so much to him.

And you mean everything to her.

You know you do,”

His eyes flickered.

“This isn’t you, Abhi.”

I stepped closer, my voice soft but firm.

“Tell me, what do you want? Do you want us to separate? If that’s what it takes, I’ll do it.

Nandani… she’d choose that over seeing you like this.

She’d rather lose me than lose you to this darkness.

She’d give up everything before watching you become the very person you’ve always hated,”

His breathing grew heavy.

And I saw the crack in his anger.

His grip on the sword loosened, and finally, he let it fall to the ground with a soft clink.

“You need to go home, Abhi.

Stop running away from your family.

What happened to you was not your fault.

You were deceived, yes.

But don’t deceive yourself now. Don’t deceive Trisha. Don’t deceive Nandani. Don’t deceive your parents,”

I finished.

He looked at me.

His gaze fluttered with heavy emotions.

And then he asked, barely above a whisper: “You want me dead?”

***