Rudra-Nandani

17 ~ The King Left

He caressed my neck and cheek lightly and inhaled a deep breath while asking in a slow and gentle voice.

"Now, please, stop lying and tell me that you did not do anything with him,"

His voice was making me feel weak in my knees and I felt like getting hot right now. My lips parted and a shiver ran down my spine making me sigh with the lack of breath and tremble with the racing heartbeats.

But, now my brain was telling me to say the truth but my heart for the first time did not want to trust him. My heart was not allowing me to make him feel good. He should know that everyone has a heart and it hurts everyone, including me.

"No, I am not lying,"

I said and he immediately left with a jerk. I pressed my hands against the bed to support myself. I saw his eyes burning with anger and he stared taking a few steps backwards from me.

I gulped looking at him and he turned to open the door and leave me alone.

Tears collected in my eyes and I immediately pressed my palm against my lips to stop myself from crying. I did not know but seeing him like that, seeing the tear that fell from his eyes suddenly made my heart ache.

But, no, I could not give up. A woman's heart was not an object to play with. One moment, you do not care about grace or disgrace and suddenly you become a saint to remind others about grace or disgrace.

This was not okay, at least not for me. He had to understand that women also have feelings and how it feels when someone plays with their emotions. That I have emotions.

I inhaled a sharp breath to calm myself down and moved over to the bed to catch some sleep. My eyes stared at the root top designs one last time of the palace, which I called home for more than twenty years of my life. And, suddenly I would be homeless.

I chuckled at the thought and washed a lone tear that fell from my eyes and closed my eyelids to fall asleep.

I woke up early in the morning and moved out of my chamber to take the round of the whole Palace like I always used to do.

It was my wedding day today and I did not know who my husband would be until my wedding happened.

Walking on the fogged grass barefoot sent soothing waves through my body and I could find a sense of peace within me. I sat in the middle of the garden and closed my eyes inhaling a deep breath. The cold chilling morning breeze travelled down my nose and I instantly felt a little lighter.

Never in my whole life have I lied, well, I did try so many times but never succeeded. I and lies were the poles apart but yesterday when Rudra asked me about the truth I just could not tell him the truth. I did not know how hurt or irreparable I was now that the lies which once used to frighten me the most suddenly became my biggest escape.

"Nandani,"

Suddenly, Suman's slow voice caught my attention and I opened my eyes to look at her. She sat beside me and spread her arm around my shoulder, patting it slowly.

"You know, to have courage like you is just my dream,"

I smiled weakly looking at her and I asked in a slow voice.

"Where is he?"

She inhaled a breath deeply and replied.

"Do not know, he left last night and no one saw him since then,"

I nodded and closed my eyes, palming my face lightly.

"You look worried,"

She said and I lifted my gaze to look at her.