Page 51

“WHAT?????”

she asked, utterly shocked.

I looked into her wide, stunned eyes and nodded softly.

“Yes,”

I muttered, though my eyes were far too busy capturing the glow of her skin under the silver veil of moonlight.

She looked so ethereal, so elegant.

My gaze fell to her lips, and before I could stop myself, I leaned closer, drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

But she pulled back, just before our lips could meet.

“What?”

I asked, my voice low, almost pleading.

She stared into my eyes for a heartbeat, then closed hers briefly.

“You have to clean yourself first,”

she said softly.

“You’re drenched in blood,”

I chuckled and nodded.

“Yes, sure,”

I said, sensing the hidden smile she was trying to suppress.

In no time, we reached the palace gates.

I helped her climb down the horse, but she immediately lowered her gaze, tucking a loose strand behind her ear with shivery fingers.

“I’m bareheaded,”

she said, her voice almost a whisper, clearly conscious of her state.

“It's okay,”

I said gently.

“It’s not you who should be covered all the time.

It's the people's eyes that should lower when you pass,”

She smiled timidly.

“You know things don't work that way,”

she said quietly.

I took her hand softly in mine.

“Then let's change things now,”

I said, and she looked at me wide-eyed.

“I think you should ask someone to grab a dupatta for me,”

she whispered, her eyes silently pleading with me.

Without a second thought, I scooped her up into my arms.

“!”

she gasped, quickly biting her lip.

“I mean, Ranaji,”

she corrected herself in a flustered whisper, trying to push herself down.

“Everyone will see!”

she protested.

I pulled her closer, hiding her face in the curve of my neck.

Her long, tangled hair spilt over my shoulder, and I smiled at her.

“I've never seen you this shy little bird,”

I teased, and she mumbled against my neck.

“Ye humaara sasural hai, Ranaji...

yahaan hum khule sar nahi ghoom sakte…”

(This is my in-laws’ house, Ranaji...

I cannot be seen bareheaded here.)

I smiled and carefully set her back on her feet.

She looked up at me, confused, as I took a step back and swiftly pulled off my blood-stained kurta.

She gasped, her eyes wide.

“What are you doing? You have marks…”

She lowered her voice, glancing around.

“...I mean, you have marks from my nails...

and my waist chain is visible on your wrist!”

I smirked, enjoying her flustered expression.

“Now, we’re both bare something,”

I said playfully, taking her hand and leading her toward the palace doors.

“, no, please—they'll see!”

she whispered desperately.

Laughing under my breath, I lifted her again into my arms.

“Now stay shut,”

I murmured.

The soldiers at the door opened it, their heads respectfully bowed.

She hid her face deeper into my neck, her hands fisting my chest.

“Aww, my love,”

I teased softly, “now I know what you are most afraid of.”

She didn’t respond; she just tightened her hold on me.

Inside the palace, chaos buzzed everywhere in the aftermath of the battle.

Heads turned, and people stopped in their tracks, staring at us in shock and amusement.

I caught sight of Ranvijay, Agastya, and Abhinandan arriving just then.

Ranvijay lowered his gaze respectfully, Agastya smirked, and Abhinandan—well, Abhinandan glared at me like he was ready to start another war.

I grinned and pulled her even closer.

“Your brother is watching, little bird,”

I whispered to her.

She inhaled sharply and muttered, “Oh God, please make me dead right now.

I’m unconscious.

I am unconscious,”

I barely held back a chuckle.

Abhinandan stormed forward.

“What happened to her? She was fine before!”

he said, concern dripping in his voice.

Trying to keep a straight face, I replied, “Oh, she fell unconscious.

She was already tired before Surgami Dev Singh kidnapped her,”

Abhinandan narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“Why was she tired? Don’t you let her rest properly? Are you overburdening her? Are you torturing her?”

I furrowed my brows dramatically.

“Hell no! She tortures me! She doesn't let me rest properly—' this', ' that',”

I said teasingly.

Abhinandan gritted his teeth furiously.

“Don't you dare cr—”

“I think Bhabhisa needs rest right now,”

Agastya interrupted quickly, throwing an arm around Abhinandan’s shoulders.

“You all should rest, too.

We’ll meet tomorrow morning,”

I added, and everyone nodded—except Abhinandan, who kept shooting daggers at me with his eyes.

I carried her straight to the chamber, and the moment we entered, she wriggled down from my arms, turning to glare at me.

“So I torture you?”

she asked sharply, hands on her hips.

I smirked, tossing my rings onto the table and throwing my bloodied kurta at her playfully.

“Don’t you, Love?” I teased.

“I torture you?”

she repeated dramatically, hands flying around animatedly as she followed me toward the bathing room.

“Yes, you do,”

I said lightly.

“Look at me!”

she snapped, and I turned around as I was untying the lower part of my garment.

Her eyes blazed.

“How dare you say that? I protect you from my brother so much! And you told him that I tortured you? How dare you?”

I reached for the strings of her gown’s overcoat, pulling her closer.

The gentle clinking of her anklet bells echoed in the dim, candlelit room.

As I pulled the loose shoulder of her gown down, her voice softened.

“You shouldn’t say that,”

she whispered, blinking nervously.

I stepped closer, my fingers brushing the hem of her inner garment.

Her lashes fluttered rapidly, her heart pounding against my chest.

“…”

she breathed, and in one swift move, I pulled the white fabric over her head, tossing it aside.

She quickly covered her neck with her hand, stepping back slightly.

A timid, shy smile bloomed on her flushed cheeks.

I caught her hand and pulled her into the pool with me.

She gasped as the cold water embraced her.

“It’s cold!”

she squeaked, and I chuckled, diving under the water to wash away the blood.

When I surfaced, I found her wet hair clinging to her face.

I pulled her closer.

Water splashed around us as I pinned her against the pool wall, lifting her by her thighs so she was at my level.

Her breath hitched, her hands clutching at my shoulders as she stared at me.

I looked at her lips, dripping water.

As her breathing grew heavier, my lips trembled, desperate to taste her.

The sensations from earlier today still danced in my mind.

The feel of her softness, the way she clenched around me, the way her breath had turned shaky, and the knowing that I was the reason behind her beautiful surrender, even as pain had bubbled within her.

She had loved it wholeheartedly, and that memory made my heart race.

Unable to resist, I leaned in closer, and she blinked nervously.

As I closed my eyes, visions of her sitting atop me flashed before me; her slender neck, her long braid, her tiny waist, her soft breasts, and her beautiful brown nipples had driven me insane.

She was like a divine force, pulling me under her spell, a force of nature I could never resist.

I had never thought I'd let her have so much power over me, and I'd be feeling what I was feeling for her, love-struck.

She had made me mad for her, hopelessly drawn like a bee to a flower, a moth to a flame, a river to the sea, a man to his woman.

My lips touched hers, and she moaned softly into my mouth.

“Ahhh, ,”

she breathed.

I angled my face, deepening the kiss, savouring her.

Her head leaned back against the wall, and I sucked gently on her lips, tasting her sweetness.

When she pulled back, her eyes met mine, wide, full of emotion.

Panting lightly, I brushed her wet cheek, still marked with the faint imprint of fingers.

My heart clenched, and so I kissed her cheek softly, again and again, until it turned bright with a shy blush.

She gazed at me, her look tender yet timid.

Understanding passed between us without words, and she shook her head slightly, probably sensing what I wanted.

I knew she thought I might lose control again, but I wouldn’t hurt her.

So, instead, I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead to ground myself.

She exhaled deeply, melting into my hold.

I carried her out of the pool, her body shivering slightly from the cold.

She squeezed the water from her hair and grabbed a white cloth to wrap around herself.

“No need to dress,”

I murmured, holding her hand and leading her to the bed.

The room still smelled like us, the broken bangles on the floor, the crumpled sheets, everything speaking of our sensational time.

“Let's sleep,”

I said gently, and she nodded.

We lay down, and she nestled herself against my chest.

I carefully moved her long, wet hair away from her face, letting her settle into me.

She was my world.

It might sound like an exaggeration, but to a man who had never known peace, she was home.

The noise around me and within me went quiet for the first time.

I felt composed.

She fell asleep quickly while I stayed awake, my fingers softly combing through her hair.

Our naked chests pressed together, sharing warmth.

I wasn’t sleepy; I was too consumed by her presence, too overwhelmed by all the emotions I had never allowed myself to feel before.

I was never so outrageous; instead, I was strategic and disciplined.

I measured every step and every action.

But anger rose in me when I remembered how that man had touched her, grabbed her hair, slapped her, and it made me mad beyond anything I had ever known.

I had faced death a thousand times without fear, but I realised I was terrified.

Terrified not for myself, but for her.

I kissed her head and whispered, “You are not little, Nandani.

You are the ocean that captured me like it drags everything close to it, the mountains that held me firm like I am a river, the rain that quenched the thirst of my soul, the sky that gave me hope to love again.

You are the goddess who tamed the beast in me,”

My fingers continued moving through her damp hair, untangling every strand tenderly.

“On the battlefield, I was the death that feared nothing.

I never knew fear, never knew pain,”

I whispered.

“But today, the thought of something hurting you...

It terrified me.

You are my strength, my fire, my light in the darkness.

You are everything to me, everything,”

I smiled softly, feeling the overwhelming truth of my words.

“And you know, Nandani, if you had married anyone else but me, I would have let myself die on the battlefield.

I knew it from the moment I saw you,”

I breathed in her scent as my hand moved gently across her scalp.

“And when I first saw you in your kingdom ...

deep down, I knew.

‘This girl—she’s going to be your undoing, .’ And yet, losing to you has been the greatest victory of my life,”

I chuckled under my breath.

“I used to think my mother was foolish for blindly loving my father.

But now...

I understand her.

When your world shrinks to just one person, seeing your day, your night, your hunger, your thirst, your entire existence in them feels magical.

It feels euphoric.

And it’s terrifying too, but it's the most beautiful thing I’ve ever known,”

I leaned down to kiss her hair again, wrapping my arms tighter around her.

I kept caressing her head, playing with her loose tresses.

She was my treasure, my greatest gift.

She was my control, and yet, my greatest desire.

She was the blessing of my lifetime's penance.

She was everything.

***