The Crown Princess

~Chapter 18~

Bhishma smiled with his beautiful white teeth flashing but it did little to calm her down. She didn't know why she couldn't face Arjun anymore but she just couldn't. Bhishma put a hand on Arjun's shoulder and said, "Both of you don't know how happy you make me. Just seeing you together and I know I am making the best decision on my life. I wish you could have looked at yourself from my point of view and then you would have known what I am talking about." Both Arjun and I smiled in response but they knew inside that their smiles wasn't genuine. Arjun had thought about these days and these little moments with her like a thousand times and yet when it came to, it was nothing like he had expected. Not like he had stopped loving her or anything because he knew he couldn't, not now, not ever. She was just like a beautiful nightmare which left him distressed nothing the fact that she could never feel the same way about him. 

She had been playing with him all the while and clearly her intentions were something else and he knew marriage was the last thing in her mind, she was doing this for something else. He just had to figure out what. That one day at the river made him know more about her than he had done in past all the days. He internally hoped that he could just forgive her and forget everything and just be close to her but his self-respect always came in the way. He couldn't help notice how peerless she was looking tonight and she almost looked happy but if one looked at her carefully like him, they would know all of it was completely fake. She was putting up a show and it was beyond intolerable for him. He had only fallen for one woman in his entire lifetime and obviously she had to turn out this way. He couldn't have anything he wanted the easy way like everyone else, it always had to come the hard way for him.

Then Taara slowly moved her eyes towards him as Bhishma left both of them by themselves and moved to other guests. Arjun could see how uneasy she was, she almost looked... scared and that was something new.
"You could have told everyone about the truth and yet you didn't, why?" She asked a little hesitantly.

Arjun took up a drink from one of the waiters passing by and without looking at her said, "Maybe because everyone is not a backstabber like you and trust me I won't say anything to anyone until you give me a reason to," he shrugged and took a sip into the wine.

Taara clenched her fists and asked him again, "So that means you won't tell anyone about it?"
"Uh huh", he replied simply.

"And you're just gonna let the wedding happen?" She asked smiling at the guests nearby. "Oh, I'm sure I don't have to worry about that. You're obviously gonna come up with something so that it doesn't take place, just like you do all the time." After a pause he spoke again "So, what is it gonna be this time? A fake ex-lover who's gonna crash at the wedding or something?"

"Wha-.. That's just nonsense you're speaking, Prince. Why do you think I would do anything of that sort? That's so thoughtless of you to say!" Taara snapped at him but no so loud that he could hear, she didn't want other people listening to them fighting or whatever it was. 

"But seriously why are you doing this? You can easily tell everyone and all this will be over forever. The wedding will be called off and the best part? You'll never have to see me again!" Taara asked again a little irritated this time, Arjun had been easy to read all the time but suddenly after the incident at the river there was something that had changed, not just something, he had completely transformed like  he was suddenly somebody else from the person she had seen a few days ago. Then maybe this might be the real him and all that was fake like her and she knew exactly who would know the answer to her questions but that would have to wait for a while.

"So what do you want to do? Shout out and tell everyone that you and your father and infact your entire family is nothing but just a bunch of liars? Tell Pitama and Mata that the princess they have come to adore so much is just putting on a show? I'm sorry but I'm not you! I can't bear to see them upset. They have already endured so much of pain and I don't want to accentuate it. And I beg you please don't do it either. They mean the world to me and just let this drama last as long as it does because I can't bear to let them know the truth..they-I--" he took a breath to calm himself and regain his composure. Taara could clearly see that he did not like being vulnerable and somehow she felt sorry for him. 

"I'm sorry, I-," but she was cut off by Nakul coming in and holding Arjun by the shoulder. "Sorry to interupt you lovebirds but I'll have to snatch him away for a while," and with a cheeky smile he added,  "hope you don't mind." Taara flushed at his words. She didn't know why but she couldn't control it.

"No-I-Its-I... I don't mind." She hurriedly replied. Arjun raised an eyebrow at her, clearly surprised seeing her reacting in such a way. "Good," Nakul took Arjun away and Arjun looked at her all the time while walking beside his brother until she was out of sight. Taara heaved a sigh of relief, tonight was certainly overwhelming. But now was the most difficult part to come acting like she was interested in the wedding festivities. She made her way to the room and got into bed without changing and drifted off to sleep as soon as her head hit the pilow.