Eighteen Minus (COMPLETED)

Chapter 2

'Traitor... murderer!!! How dare you attempt a murder against the king!!!'

'Mister King!!! You must stop spending time with my dad!!! You smell of DharamVeer'ness!!!'

And he laughed out loud saying 'By the way...I know that woman very well. If you wish...I could probably introduc-'

'Adi please!!! There's nothing like that!!! I...Infact ...I was...I didn't mean to...I..'

'Oh my God!!! Is the one and only Rajveer Khandelwal looking nervous!!! OMG!!!'

I rolled my eyes saying 'Adi!!! I'm not interested and I'm telling you if you tease me like this I'm not going to help you meet Lavanya ji in private!!!' I used my trump card to shut him up as our groom was desperate to meet his bride in private. He had already sneaked into her room with help of her sister and cousins as per what he said previously but the desperate man wasn't satisfied and had convinced me to help him. And being a friend I couldn't deny.

'Hey Heyyyy it's a party tonight and both mine and her parents agreed for us to party together only on one condition that she will always be guided by her cousins.   And you know Kashish is useless. That Aaryan boy always tricks her and they end up fighting for hours and she doesn't help a bit. You are my only hope Bro!!! Please Please Pretty Please!!! Fine I'll not tease you with Vanshika!!! Happy?' he said and my heart shuddered at the mention of that name.

So...It's confirmed. It was her. Wow!!! It's her. Maybe she's a friend. A family friend or maybe an employee? Whatever the reason be...she was here.

Should I talk to her? I have avoided her enough all these years. But will she forgive me? It's been twelve years. Maybe she's happily married today. No!!!

That's not possible. If she was married Adi wouldn't tease me with her. He seemed pretty confident about knowing her well. Should I ask Adi? Nope!!! He is a curious cat. He'll ask hundred other questions and anyways I don't have the guts to face her. I don't have it in me.

✨

'Dude!!! Relax!!! There are so many people at the party!!! Give me some time.. I'll do something!!!' saying my eyes kept scanning through the party crowd. Although I looked everywhere I couldn't find that one face my eyes yearned for...The forbidden fruit...Vanshika.

After almost an hour I knew she wasn't here. I had to actually feel relaxed but I was restless. I wanted to see her again. I wanted to see her up close and my personal. Once...just once.

After another thirty minutes Aditya started acting like a nutcase and I had to go to Lavanya ji and talk to her. But unfortunately she was always surrounded by her cousins who were crystal clear to keep her away from Aditya. Her phone was also not with her. But I tricked them and slipped a chit into her hand that said 'Meet Adi in the backyard tonight at 12 am' and Lavanya ji smiled. She gave me a thumbs up and I smiled and gave the news to our restless groom who was jumping like a frog.

I hope Lavanya ji remains sane with a crazy loverboy like him.

The clock struck 12 am and we had silently made it to the backyard and we could see Lavanya ji in the backyard. Aditya almost squealed when I slapped the back of his head saying

'Shhhhh!!! Calm down Adi!!! You are going to be a king soon. Don't get caught like a robber two nights before that!!! Please!!! And your Dadasa took a promise from me to keep you away from Lavanya ji!!! Don't kill me Mere Bhai (my brother)...I don't want a royal death this early!!!' I said and he patted my back saying

'Ohhh you'll be awarded my dear peasant!!! Now guard this place and make sure no one comes here!!! Specially from there...that long coridoor!!!' he said and ran to meet Lavanya ji.

I didn't know what to do. It was pitch dark in this area although the entire palace was lit with lights and lanterns. He purposely made sure this section of the palace was pitch dark so no one would catch them. And now he had made me his personal bodyguard as well. So I decided to simply take a drag. I pulled out my cigarette and started to look for my lighter. I forgot that I was still wearing my black kurta pajama and started searching for my lighter in my pajama pockets when I heard the sound of anklets.

Initially I thought it was Lavanya ji but then I realised that it was coming from the ends of the long coridoor. I was alerted. I noticed a black figure although I couldn't see the lady's face as it was dark but I clearly found the lady in a white salwar kameez and she had already noticed Lavanya ji and Adi being together. I had to stop her before she creates a scene.

She quickly approached the gardens but before she enters the garden I grabbed onto her waist and pinned her against the huge marble pillar of the palace corridors. She was about to scream, so I simply placed my palm on her mouth shutting her up but she was wiggling and trembling under my touches.

Shit!!! What if she thinks I'm here to harm her. I immediately said

'Look Mam!!! I have no wrong intentions with you. It's just that Aditya my friend wanted to meet Lavanya ji privately for a few minutes, so I am guarding them. Trust me please!!! I'm not here to harm you. I saw you coming and got worried that you might create a scene. Please trust me. I'll remove my palm off your mouth but please don't scream. Please!!!'  I pleaded but she had frozen like ice. Maybe I really scared her.

I slowly removed the palm off her mouth. She did not scream thankfully. But she was shivering. I slowly lit up the lighter and slowly brought it closer to my face only so the lady knows I'm a gentleman.

But the moment the bright yellow light shined as the lighter lit up I was the one who started sweating. It was my turn to freeze this time as this time the lady who was on my mind for the last twelve years was standing right infront of my eyes.

Then it was the metal ring on her eyebrow, today there was a small diamond stud in her left nostril shining like a bright moon itself. Her huge metal loops and metallic studs turned into little golden jhumkas that kissed her ears. Her colorful perfectly permed hair was now glowing a natural even shade tied into a butterfly clip and her mini skirts had now turned into salwar kameez. She could give competition to the moon tonight.

But her eyes...the one's that had mischief and naughtiness now looked dead. She looked into my eyes without uttering a word. She kept staring and neither could I take my eyes off her beautiful face. Suddenly I remembered how I broke her heart and I broke our eye contact. I couldn't face her. I destroyed her 12 years ago.

I was a coward. I had left her all alone and fled this country like a looser. I was selfish, shameless and an asshole.

It had been ages. I left this country, I left her but the feeling that I betrayed a true soul never let me be in peace. Not a day in the last twelve days without any kind of intoxication did I get a peaceful sleep. Her face haunted me every night. I craved to see her once. Talk to her once. Apologise to her once but I couldn't gather enough guts.

But today when she was in front of me. Not even an inch away and I am still the same. I have nothing to say.

She was right. I'm a coward!!! Her Veer is still a coward.

Her Veer??? Huhh!!! Or rather call yourself her prisoner!!! Her criminal!!! The scoundrel who broke her trust.... destroyed her faith and crushed her heart under his foot mercilessly.

Yes I was the man who had broken a pure heart.

I was her sinner. The man who took her virginity and left her to fate. Shamelessly!!!