The Tranquil Three

11. Ahivati and Vikram

It was evening and the group of four were preparing to go to the palace. Mrinmayee, Kadambari, and Pavitra were ready and waiting for Vikram. After some time, he emerged from his room and they were confused about what he did with his kurta. As he had a muscular chest, his kurta was a bit tight on his chest side, so he kept the buttons open and the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. They complimented him, saying he looked good in it.

Once they arrived at the entrance of the palace, they were greeted by guards and asked to wait. After a short while, they were allowed to enter and began walking towards the palace through the magnificent garden, which looked even more beautiful in the evening. Eventually, they arrived at the Royal court, where they found only Princess Ahivati present. All the ministers and other courtiers were absent. The group bowed and greeted her, and she greeted them in return. Ahivati then suggested that they proceed to the dining rooms.

As they journeyed, Ahivati led the way with Vikram and his sisters following behind. Ahivati couldn't help but dwell on Vikram's godlike physique. Suddenly, she fell unconscious. Vikram quickly rushed to her side and held her by the waist, asking, "Your Majesty! Are you alright?". She opened her eyes and saw Vikram holding her. She couldn't believe what she saw. She said, "I'm fine, I got lost in my thoughts. Thank you."

She felt her cheeks flush and wanted to speak with Vikram in private. She asked him, "Vikram ji, would you mind waiting after dinner? I have something to discuss with you." He replied, "Of course, Your Majesty." Pavitra whispered to Mrinmayee, "Di, I think the Princess is in love with Vik. What do you think?" Mrinmayee replied, "Really? I had no idea. Let's see what happens next."

They reached the dining hall, which was spacious and had a long table. Ahivati asked Vikram to sit beside her, and he obliged. After dinner, Pavitra, Kadambari and Mrinmayee left, but Vikram stayed on the orders of the Princess. She called him out to the balcony.

When Vikram arrived, he saw Ahivati waiting for him. The balcony was huge and had a long royal couch. He sat on it and wondered what she wanted to talk about. He saw the White Snake coming, whom he used to meet every day after his training. As it made him feel Ahivati's presence, he used to call it Ahi.

It happened on the couch. As it came closer to Vikram, he gently held the snake and cuddled it. He then started to make deep eye contact with it. Suddenly, the snake transformed into Ahivati, which left Vikram in shock. He found himself holding her waist and was amazed by her beauty - her fair complexion, blue eyes, dark blue hair, and all her jewellery including her necklace, Kamarbandh, earrings, and arm cuffs.

"Vikram, it was me. Every day after your training, I used to come to meet you. I admire you, and I am in love with you," said Ahivati. Vikram was clueless about what was happening. She came closer and closer to him, and his heartbeat started to increase. She put her hand on his heart to calm him down, and they hugged each other. He felt his soul interacting with hers, which made him feel calm and tranquil.

After some time, she sat beside him, and he asked her, "Does Mayanaresh know about this, Your Highness?" She replied, "Yes, and he was happy. But he wants you to prove yourself. Also, you can call me Ahi if you want." Vikram didn't know what to say, and she kept her head on his shoulder. They were both gazing at the beautiful moon, and Vikram said, "Isn't the moon beautiful, Ahi? But it's not as beautiful as you." She blushed, and then she asked him to accompany her to her room.

As he entered her spacious room, he noticed several portrait paintings of her adorning the walls. In one of the frames, she was captured alongside her mother. Curious, he inquired about her mother's whereabouts to which she replied that her mother had passed away due to an illness. He then sought her permission to leave and exited the room.

He didn't know what twists would the future take in his and Ahivati's fate. Would he be able to prove himself?

To be continued...