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Nandani POV

I came back to my chamber and sat on the bed.

My heart was beating insanely fast afraid of what I saw.

I saw Rudra's face in the water. I had to see the King's face.

But, the ritual was sacred and proven.

I knew he knowingly did it. He knowingly stepped forward to prevent me from watching the King's face in the water.

How could he?

How the hell could he do it?

I fisted my hand on the bedsheet and suddenly there was a loud knock on my door.

"Nandani,"

I heard my mother's voice and washed tears to open the door.

"Maa-sa,"

I said and saw her holding the food plate in her hand.

She entered the chamber and walked towards the couch. Keeping the plate on the table she asked.

"You should have food now,"

I walked to her and sat beside her.

She took a bite with her hand and forwarded her hand to feed me.

I gulped and brought my mouth closer to it.

"Nandani, you should think about it again?"

She said.

The tears were on the edge of my eyes and I looked at her.

"Have you heard anything from Nand?"

I asked her about my twin brother.

She gulped and shook her face.

"Nothing, since he got to know what Rudra did to you, he had just isolated himself in Pratapgarh. The head commander wrote to us that he does not want to talk to anyone,"

She said and fed me another bite.

I chewed it and muttered.

"Then, how can I think about it again? Maa-sa,"

I questioned and she looked at me.

"It all happened because of me. Abhinandan ran from here because he could see me in pain. He could not see what happened to me. He thinks that it happened because of him. Because he brought Rudra here. He is just broken and it broke him more to see his trust-breaking. And, Rudra is a clever man. He is the head commander of Suryagarh's army. He can claim the throne at any moment and I believe he must be working towards it. Even, if he would not attack us but Abhinandan will. Some day, at some time when he will come out of the grief, he will think of killing him. The battle between them is inevitable. And, in all this what I can do is take my brother's side by strengthening our position. My marriage with the King will strengthen us. No matter what happens to the King, if I bear his child, the people will listen to the queen. It is not about me, not about anyone but it is about my brother, Nand. And for him, I do not want to think about that again. The sooner the better,"

I started and she broke into tears.

"I do not know Nandani. I have never felt this helpless before. Never. On one side, it's you and other it's your brother. I love you both equally but we cannot deny what you are saying. But, the price is too much. We cannot afford it,"

Her lips trembling and she held my hand.

"The King is a gentleman, Maa-sa. What if he is old? At least, I will be a queen and no one will question my virtue after the wedding. Because the King is the powerful one after all,"

I exclaimed and she nodded.

"But, your father will never let it happen,"

I gulped and looked at her.

"You have to convince him when the time will come. But, make sure you chose what you want. A young man for your daughter or the life of your son and protection for thousands of people who call you mother,"

She closed her eyes and stood up from there.

"This is tough than death,"

She stated and walked back outside my chamber.

I washed my tears when she left and went to bed to sleep.

Tomorrow was a long and difficult day ahead.

I had to tell whom I chose to wed.

I did not know how would we convince my father about it. He was an impulsive and reactive man. He thinks after taking action. He would always choose to fight than think about it peacefully even for once. It was not even about him but for my brother who had already suffered so much and could not fight in a war.

After a long time, finally I drifted into a disturbing sleep. The whole night my mind unknowingly imagined the things that I forget in the early morning.

I woke up early today and started my day as usual. By the time I got ready for the meeting in the celebration hall, I could feel my fingers shivering and my heart racing fastly.

I looked at myself through the mirror and inhaled a deep breath collecting all my courage. The visuals of what happened in the last two weeks automatically crossed my mind and I muttered to myself.

"You can do it,"

I placed the veil over my head and looked at the Suman and other attendees waiting for me.

"Shall we go?"

Suman asked and I tried to nod.

But, the visuals of what happened in gangaur blurred my mind again and again.

"Leave me alone for some time,"

I said to them and sat back on the chair.

"Nandani, are you okay?"

Suman placed her hand on my shoulder and I looked at the other attendees leaving, closing the door behind me.

"I do not know, Suman,"

I palmed my face and she sat in front of me holding my wrist softly.

"What is this about?"

I moved my palms off my face and looked at her.

"I do not know but on one side, it is my life and my dreams which are already shattered and no man would ever love me, neither I would be able to trust anyone of them now. And, on the other side, it is my family, their respect and our pride. Which I already had ruined enough. I just want everything to be smooth now, no more drama, no more talking and no more crazy things,"

She inhaled a deep breath and looked at me.

"Do not worry, have faith in the God. What is meant to happen will happen, no matter how much you think about it,"

I thinned my eyebrows lightly and nodded hearing her.

"Do you want to sit for some more time? I mean, everyone must be waiting for you there,"

She asked and I just stared blankly at her.

I did not know, but it was like I could see my ruined life ahead of me. No marital happiness, only political responsibilities and a life of mother. I did not even know what to expect but being a queen was better than marrying to young man who would never respect me. And, if the King knew about my affairs, then most probably everyone present knew about it and marrying the King's of small princely states meant, giving them the opportunity to ask up for favours. I mean what if anyone of them would start demanding things from my father. It was better to marry in a already wealthy state.

Yes, I knew. After whatever happened with Rudra, I had lost all the abilities to trust. I did not know but now everyone was seeming fake to me.

*thud*

Suddenly, a slow thud caught my attention and I immediately looked towards the window. 

My eyes looked at Rudra who once again jumped into my chamber and I looked at Suman who also looked panicked.

I stood up from my chair as he walked towards me.

"Ahhhh-"

Suman tried to scream to but he immediately placed his hand over her mouth and threated her.

"Dare you speak a word and I will slit your throat, Understand!"

Suman's eyes filled with tears and I looked at him.

"Rudra, leave her,"

He looked at me with anger and said.

"Ask her to stay quiet,"

I nodded and muttered in a slow voice.

"She will,"

He left her and said.

"Get outside,"

She was shivering with fear and I nodded looking at her.

She walked outside the door and closed it.

"What the hell are you doing here? Rudra,"

I walked towards him. I could feel angry all of sudden remembering what did he do last night on the festival.

He put his knife back in the sheath and looked back at me.

"Giving you a chance to think wisely and choose a man that will keep you happy. This thing you are doing out of revenge will give only the pain,"

He stated and I gritted my teeth holding his collar. My noise of my bangles echoed in the chamber and he looked at me.

"Like, you cared about my happiness,"

I yelled at him.

He cupped my cheek in urgency and I tried to push him.

"What happened is happened, do not ruin your life. That old man will ruin you. You do not even know about him,"

Finally, I collected all the strength and pushed him away.

"I do not care about anything, Rudra. All I care is to ruin you to the ashes, how you ruined me. I trusted you and threw that trust back right at my face,"

His eyes turned angry now and he walked towards me, pushing me against the dressing table.

I heard a few things falling off the table with the force and he cupped my right cheek dangerously.

"But, not him, Nandani. I am not stopping you to marry anyone. I am stopping you to marry him. You cannot marry my uncle and become my aunt. It will be mother and son. You cannot do it especially when, when we have a past,"

I tried to push him away and asked.

"Past??? Which past? You did not have anything for me, there is no past,"

He tightened his hold around my cheek and snaked his other arm around my waist freezing me by towering over my body.

"We spent a night together. You committed your love to me,"

Now, I laughed and laughed really hard.

"Night? You did not do anything. I know, nothing happened. And, I can prove it easily,"

He gritted his teeth and leaned in closer to my face.

"Everything happened for the people outside and think if you will not be able to prove it,"

I shivered listening to him and a thought of him using my unconscious that day crossed my mind.

I gulped and tears collected in my eyes.

But, holding on my courage, I stared back into his eyes.

"I will and trust me you will see it,"

He gulped looking at me and I could feel his breaths fanning over my face.

His eyes turned low to my lips and they were trembling with the dangerous close proximity.

His thumb slowly touched my lower lip and my uneven breathes now turning insane.

"Ahh,"

I moaned lightly when I felt his hand touching the bare side of my waist, slowing reaching towards the front, my stomach.

"You will not marry anyone but him?"

He questioned in a slow voice and I stared back into his eyes when they again moved into my eyes from my lips.

"No,"

I stated clearly.

He nodded his face lightly and I felt his index finger slipping inside the hem of my blouse, touching the lower lining of my bosom.

"Then you will be mine,"

He muttered in a slow voice and I felt his lips coming closer to the side of my lips.

"No, I will not,"

I yelled back and tried to protest, push him off of me. But, equally scared as his lips were just a centimetre away from mine.

"Yes, you will. And do not you dare to create any drama down there, little would be wife,"

When he said those words to me, I felt his finger move over my midriff, just over my rib cage bones and I pushed him away with all my strength.

My whole body felt numb and frozen. I looked into his angry yet dominant eyes looking back at me.

I shook my face and muttered back.

"You had your chance and if you ever, ever had a little bit of affection for me, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

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