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Abhinandan POV

The bed, once a place of comfort, now felt like a prison. Just a few steps away, her proximity felt like an impossible distance, amplifying my unease and restlessness.

The source of my unease eluded me, a puzzle I could not solve, a feeling I could not name.

And the moment I saw her standing before the mirror, with every piece of jewellery torn, I realised she was as broken as I was. Her gaze never felt that empty. It used to have empathy and smile for me, but tonight, it had nothing.

Her words pierced my chest, and I could not help but feel guilty about how it had happened. I did not want to marry her like this, but she left me no option. I could not see her getting married to anyone else.

But I could not see her like this either.

The moment she held hushed me down, I understood how mad she was. She never cut me off. And the way she took me towards the bed, ready to do everything, made me feel weak. I could not touch her, not like that.

I could not make up my mind to be near her.

And, when she broke eye contact, I just could not sit there. I came back to my chamber and palmed my face.

I did not know how I should feel toward her. I did not know if I should appreciate what she did for my father or be angry with her for not telling me about his proposal, his health, or how he took off his turban before her.

The turban was everything for us. It was our pride and power, significant in every clan. Putting it down meant kneeling before someone. I did not expect him to do that, especially for me. Somewhere, I felt responsible for everything that happened.

If I had not gone away, he would not have done that after knowing that I felt pity for him as much as anger.

Now, I knew why she had accepted and hidden his proposal from me. And what I did in exchange was hurt her.

I hated myself. I hated everything I did.

And it was eating me. I could not even look into her eyes. It held anger for me, and it bothered me.

I could not sleep the whole night, so I left the bed when it was time to get ready. After freshening up, I walked out into the garden to breathe fresh air.

The pigeons began landing in the open land, and I asked the attendee to bring their grains. Seeing them, I felt at ease. I sat down on the stairs, and they would wish me morning. I could not help but smile.

One of them sat on my knee and looked into my eyes. "How are you?" I asked, rubbing my finger on her head. She walked away a little and ate. Only in a few moments did thousands of pigeons arrive and start making their morning noise. I saw them fight over the grains, run behind each other, and play. Some of them were enjoying themselves in the pond.

Suddenly, I saw Trisha standing on her side of the garden with a group of attendees.

I could not help but lower my gaze. I knew she was angry with me. But she had to understand that I had my reasons. I told her not to marry Shantanu, and I was right. I could not bear any other woman in my life.

But it seemed like I could not even bear her now.

I did not know how I would even talk to her, let alone have sex.

Sex?

No!

But it had to be done.

But not until she was angry. If I could not look into her eyes, I could even go near her. I closed my eyes, feeling utterly stupid. What the hell was I even thinking?

"Yuvraj," suddenly, an attendee's voice caught my attention, and I looked up at him.

"Yes?" I asked, and he informed me.

"Maharani has asked you to get ready to leave for the temple," he said, and I knit my brows.

"For what?" I asked, and he replied.

"For Kul Devi's Pooja,"

I sighed and nodded.

Yes, the acceptance of Gods was necessary. But, the acceptance of her heart was prime.

"Okay," I said, and he went away.

Once I was done feeding the pigeons, I got ready in the white pair and wore the cream-coloured overcoat. Maasa sent it to me.

After getting ready, I went to my wife's chamber and found her having breakfast. She immediately stood up, seeing me.

"That's okay. Sit down," I said, noticing her pulling her dupatta on her head. She looked beautiful in red. It was different from her wedding attire. It was more attractive, and the jewellery was making her look enchanting.

"Yuvraj, shall I bring your breakfast here?" the attendee near her asked, and I noticed that she was only having fruits.

"That's okay; I shall have only a few slices of fruit, too," I said, signalling the attendee to leave us alone. She lowered her gaze and sat on the couch, and I walked closer to sit beside her.

Her fingers were slicing the mangoes, which looked beautiful and painted in red, and Henna.

She silently pushed the plate towards me and put the sliced mangoes in it. Leaning forward, I inhaled deeply and tried to ask.

"Did you sleep well?"

"No," she answered immediately.

"Oh, why?" I asked, looking at her a bit, and she turned to look at me.

"I did not know if I was supposed to sleep last night. I thought we would... make a baby," her voice was as angry as it had been last night. I sighed deeply and nodded.

"What's the hurry?" I asked in a slow voice, and she lowered her gaze.

"It's your father's wish, not mine," she said and looked up at me. "And, we married each other only to fulfil it," she added, and I nodded.

"I know that. Do not remind me," I said, and she looked up at me.

"I just got to know that if we consummate after two weeks of my menstruation... I will have a great chance to conceive," her words made me close my eyes, and I clicked my tongue with frustration.

"That means it will be just a week away," she added, and I opened my eyes to look at her. Her gaze was piercing, and I leaned forward to take the knife from her hand.

"Trisha," I said, and she stood up suddenly.

"And I should be healthy, no?" she said, and I called.

"Trisha, hamari baat suniye,"

"Trisha, listen to me,"

She ignored me and walked past me.

"I should also seek Maasa's help in that. Her tips would help me," she said. I immediately held her hand before standing up and pulling her closer to me. She piqued my anger, and I looked into her eyes.

"Stop saying all of this," I warned her, and she knitted her brows and shook her head.

"Why?" she asked, and I twisted her hand behind her waist. She flinched, and I gritted my teeth, asking her.

"Is it so easy for you to sleep with me?" I asked, wondering what she could talk like on the first day of our marriage.

"Should it be difficult for me?" she asked, and I noticed her lips trembling, and I nodded.

"Yes, it's making me uncomfortable," I muttered slowly, and she lowered her gaze.

"I am sorry," my voice broke, and she immediately took the knife from my hand and kept it on my neck. Her flaring eyes looked into mine. My heartbeats raced, and I could not move an inch closer to her.

Shaking her head, she muttered, "Do not," and the tears rolled down her cheeks. "Just be done with me already, and let me be at peace," her words pierced my chest, and I closed my eyes.

"You wanted to know why you should marry me. I gave you the reason," I tried to say, and she pulled the knife back and took a step away from me. I immediately pulled her back and hugged her from behind. She protested, and I did not lose my hold on her this time. I collected all my courage to press my lips against her ear.

"I am sorry," I breathed, and she tried even harder to push me away. I held both of her wrists in one hand and held her bicep with the other. She tried to pull her hand away from me, and I could not help but lean in closer, making her face lean sideward until she could not move an inch.

"I am sorry... I am sorry... I am sorry," I repeated, whispering in her ear. After the third one, she had a few moments of unsuccessful struggle, so she gave up. I could feel her uneven breaths.

The bangles in her hand tickled. Her fragrances enveloped me in no time: Roses and sandalwood. The mistaken touches of my lips down her ear made me something in my heart.

"Trisha," but suddenly, Maasa's voice caught my attention, and I immediately left her. She also walked away, and I closed my eyes in embarrassment.

"Ji Maasa," she turned around hesitantly to look at her and walked past me. Her voice was uneven, and I knew my Maasa would have seen us.

I bit on my lips when I heard her saying.

"Chalo Abhinandan, Pooja ke liye deri ho jaegi. Trisha ko tang mat karo,"

"Let's go, Abhinandan, or we will be late for the Pooja. Do not bother Trisha,"

She made me feel even more embarrassed, and I turned to look at her. "I am not," I said in my defence, and she glared at me.

"Come with me," Maasa said to Trisha, and I did not know how I would make it up for her if they kept disturbing me like that.

I followed them silently until we reached the kingdom's exit. The convoy and the troops were ready.

"Remember that only you and him will do the trek to the temple alone in ordinary clothes. I have everything packed for you," she said, and I heard her.

"Alright," I said and bent down to touch her feet.

"Take care of her. If I get a single complaint about you, I will not leave you," Maasa said, and I looked at Trisha.

"And you would not say the same to her," I asked, and she smiled, kissing her forehead.

"She does not need warnings. She is sensible," she said, and I rolled my eyes.

"I cannot believe you are my mother," I said in blabber, walking past them to near my horse. No one told her that her daughter-in-law kept a knife to her son's neck on the first day of the marriage.

But this two—to three-day trip meant that we would have alone time with each other. We could talk calmly. And, thinking about it, a tiny smile appeared on my face.

But, as soon as I turned and noticed Daadisa sitting with Trisha, that smile burnt up.

It seemed like they needed her more than me. I sighed deeply, and in a few moments, the convoy began to move.

We walked out of the Mahabaleshgarh border and began our journey towards Devi's Temple, which was in the mountains.

We kept moving until sunset, and I asked the soldier about it.

"We will stay here for the night. Do the tents," I ordered, and I turned to see them putting the Palanquin down. I also stepped down the horse and stretched my arms. The weather was pleasant, and I noticed Daadisa stepping out of the carriage.

I thought I would go there, but Trisha walked out and smiled at Daadisa. She did not even look at me. Forget about it.

After some time, the soldiers finished fastening up the tents, and I noticed the two royal tents and at least ten ordinary ones.

One would be for Trisha and me, and the other for Daadisa.

I was dying to talk to her. And I raked my eyes around to find her.

"Have you seen Trisha?" I asked one of the soldiers, and he bent before me and nodded.

"The Princess is with the cooks," he informed me, and I bit on my lips.

Why the hell was she with the cooks?

I immediately walked towards the cooking arrangement and found her sitting among the dozen other ladies kneading the dough.

"Abhinan," Suddenly, Daadisa's voice caught my attention, and I looked at her.

"I was searching for you," she said, and I rolled my eyes.

"Aapke to pero me dard tha?"

"You had knee pain?" I asked, and she playfully slapped my shoulder.

"I could not stop myself from travelling with Trisha. I already love her so much," she said, and I nodded.

"Oh, do you?" I whispered and heard Daadisa say.

"See, how down to earth she is,"

Her words made me inhale deeply, and I could not help but stare at her from afar. The thick bangles in her hands were causing her problems in kneading the dough. She sat on the mat, and I could not help but appreciate how amazingly she was melting with them despite her heavy attire.

She was pulling the bangles up repeatedly but was not stopping.

"Now, I know why you were so mad about her," she said, and I bit the inside of my lips.

"She is caring. It did not take her much time to accept all of us as her family," she added, and I replied in my heart—except me.

She had not accepted me yet.

"Could not you figure out earlier that you wanted to marry her? You did not have to do all the drama," she asked, looking at me, and I lowered my gaze.

"I did not know that. I still do not know that," I said in a low breath, and she sighed deeply.

"You are like your grandfather. Till the day he died, he could not tell me that he loved me. Foolish him," she said, and I smiled, looking at her.

"You miss him so much," I said, wrapping my arms around her and nodding, leaning her head against my chest.

"I miss talking to him. No one talks to me like he used to speak to me. He would keep listening to me, even if it would irritate him. But I feel like Trisha is a good listener, and she would be interested in knowing about me," she said with the brightest smile, and I lifted my brows.

"That's why I have her bed arranged in my tent," the moment those words came out of her mouth, I rolled my eyes.

"You cannot do this to me, Daadisa," I said, looking at her, and she thinned her brows in confusion.

"But, you said you do not know if you like her. I feel like you only wanted to protect her, and you did," she said, and I shook my head.

"I know you all women are planning something against me. I can feel it in my bones. I know you are traducing her against me," I said, and she made her innocent face.

"Why would we?" she asked, and suddenly, an attendee caught our attention.

"Yuvraj, the dinner is ready. Shall we bring it in your tent?" she asked, and I asked her in response.

"What is Trisha doing there?"

She lowered her gaze and replied. "I am sorry, Yuvraj, but we asked her to take the rest, but she kept denying it and said to cook by herself for Daadisa,"

"Awww, my lovely dear granddaughter-in-law," Daadisa said. I could not help but feel my irritation increasing.

"Ask her to bring my dinner in the tent," I said, and Daadisa showed me eyes, but I ignored her and walked into my tent.

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