The gentle patter of the rain could be seen outside the windows and balcony. The leaves were rustling softly after being brushed by raindrops. Soothing winds that carried the scent of petrichor pervaded the room.

Dhisana slowly opened her eyes, she didn't know when she had fallen asleep. She sat straight up and her eyes fell on Manvendra first, who was sitting on the desk, writing something.

Seeing him immersed in his work accompanied by the sound of the rain tapping on the rooftops made her more melancholy. It reminded her of bitter memories of last time.

Will he go back to Nagasaharya again ? Will he again leave her alone like so ? Does this mean she shall again spend monsoon without her husband ? Will she suffer again ? All these questions plagued her mind, as her hands clenched the bedsheets.

"You're awake ?" Manvendra's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Can I ask you a question ?" Dhisana looked at him.

"Certainly." He said.

"Is your duty more important than me ?" She asked.

"Why do you ask such a question ?" Manvendra said as he dipped his quill in the ink and began writing again.

He was hoping to evade this question like so, but Dhisana wasn't ready to accept this.

"Tell me Raudra." She said as she got up from the bed and went towards him.

Manvendra remained silent, her question was enough to tell him what her views were regarding this matter, and how wrong they were. But seeing her mental state, he knew that answering the question just like so will do more harm than good.

"Raudra, tell me." Dhisana said holding his hand, preventing him to write further.

"It's a silly question." Manvendra said diverting his gaze.

"I don't care. Answer me !" Dhisana said.

"Even a child knows the correct answer." Manvendra said as he removed his hand from Dhisana's grasp and puts the quill back in the inkpot.

Dhisana looks at him with disbelief as he stands up and walks away.

"I need to know the answer !" Dhisana said as she followed him behind, grabbing unto his arm and stopping him.

Manvendra looked at her while remaining quiet, he knew that there was no easy way to answer it without potentially causing her any pain or distress. 

"Please answer, Raudra. What is more important to you, your duty or your wife ?" She asked as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"Taking care of you is also my duty." He said hoping that she'd accept this answer. But she wasn't ready to.

"Let me put it this way, duty towards kingdom or duty towards wife ?" She asked rephrasing her question.

Manvendra didn't say a word, he looked away, gazing at the window, it had stopped raining. But his silence was making Dhisana even more apprehensive, as tears trickled down her eyes.

"Raudra, please answer me." She said in almost a pleading tone.

Manvendra looked back at her, seeing her face, a sigh escaped his lips.

"I urge you, please." Dhisana said as tears choked her voice.

"Duty towards kingdom." He said in almost a whisper-like voice, but it was enough for her to hear. His words pierced through her heart, like arrows.

Dhisana thought that all her apprehensions were right, he will choose his royal duties of over her, she shall always be secondary to his responsibilities.

"But that doesn't mean-" "No need." She interrupted him before he could offer an explanation.

"No need to console me when you do not understand my suffering. You do not understand what it is like to yearn for the lover. Kamdev indulges in his spite through my pain. Yamdev is wilfully merciless in the counting of days and you too, dear husband, are susceptible to my pain. Think how shall I remain alive !" Dhisana said taking a step back.

"I know I have hurt you. But I will make amends. Just give me a chance." Manvendra said.

"Give you chance for what ? Break me apart once again ? Because when your duty shall call you, you shall abandon me again." Dhisana said as tears fell from her eyes.

"I am a prince. Responsibilities are on my shoulder since the day I was born. Serving the kingdom, protecting it's integrity is my destiny. I can't avoid that, even if I want to. And as my wife, you shouldn't be asking such questions. You should be by my side." Manvendra said firmly.

"Like how you were by my side ? You speak highly of your royal duties but ignore the duties of a husband." She said.

Manvendra didn't give a response, he knew the more explanations and justifications he'd give, the more strained this entire conversation is going to be. He knew she was so grief stricken that she was not in a condition to discriminate between right or wrong.

But his silence only added to her disappointment. With a sigh she went up to the dressing table, where a shawl was kept. Wrapping it around herself, she headed outside.

"I am going for a walk." She said.

"I'll come with you." He said.

"You don't have to. I'll take Bela." She said and left the room.

Mavendra held his temples, a sigh escaped his lips. It was a fact that he was a prince before he was a husband, and Dhisana being the wife of someone who is burdened with the responsibility of managing a kingdom, she needed to understand the weight of his duties. Manvendra knew their relation could evolve further, only when Dhisana shall understand it.

'I have to show her the nuances of Rajdharma.' He thought.

Manvendra pondered over the topic until an apt solution finally came to his mind.

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A/N

What do you think Manvendra will do ?

Hint - Rajdharma ki baat hai 🌝✨