The Royal Nightmare

Reality

I walked down the beautiful corridor, amongst the pillars etched in traditional stonework. The silhouette of a window made by criss cross of lines made of white cement covering strong TMT bars covered by heavy tapestries gave way to a small streak of moonlight.

I turn the corner trying to find my way, as I look around... for clues or signs. Something that could help me remember where I was and find my way back.

I turn right and was met with a corridor that looked exactly the same as the last one. I turn back to notice that the... The turn on that corner had disappeared. But I was sure I came from there. How can there be no way back?

I am a police officer, and I know which direction I entered this corridor from. No, I'm sure. My heart beat grows louder, thumping hard in my ears.

I knock on the adjacent door and wait. I knock harder. I try pushing the door open but it barely budges.

"Hellooo, Is anyone here?" I say my voice echoes. I notice the flower vases kept aside every pillar, as a small blood spot comes into focus.

I look for my revolver, and notice what I was wearing.

I stood in my bright red bridal wear, with a long frock style embroidered kurti and a matching lehenga. My anklets hummed to the tune of my footsteps and my bun opened as my long hair fell down my shoulder.

My footsteps hurry down the hallway, turning right and then left again. My speed increasing with every step I took. Soon, I was running holding the lehenga in my hands and the excess weight of the jewelry and clothes slowing me down. I ran until I couldn't anymore. I pause to take a breath, as I had a sixth sense that I was being followed.

I slowed down hearing the pattern of the footsteps, slowing down with me. I turn to see a silhouette behind a pillar. I took off my anklets and let them make a noise as if I was walking further, while I stood behind the huge flower vase. My breath grew shallow as the intruder walks out and looks around to find me. I couldn't see his face but he wore a traditional Indian outfit I had seen before. I notice the knife in his hand as a whimper escapes my mouth.

He hears it, walking to me as I look up and see the face of my husband raising the knife to slaughter me.

"AAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh" I screamed and sat up, realizing I wasin bed. I look around at the unfamiliar surroundings and let things come into focus.

"It's a dream. It's a dream. It's just a dream. It doesn't mean anything." I tell myself and switch on the light. I would have run to my mother and slept with her if I was at my home, but coping with this alone is not my forte.

I reach for the mini fridge in the room and reach for a water bottle as there was tapping on the door. The water bottle falls from my hands with a thud scaring me even more as I keep a hand on my mouth to avoid screaming. I keep another hand on my heart to steady my beats and breathing.

"Divjyot, you awake?" I hear Tejas speak in a low calm and soothing voice as I nod, but then realize he couldn't see me. I pick up the water bottle and keep it on the coffee table walking to open the door after slipping on a robe over my shorts and tank top.

What if he has a knife?

Then he also would have a key to this room and could kill me in my sleep.

"Hey." I say tying the night robe around me tighter as the open gallery gave way to the chilly night air from the mountains.

"You okay?" he says, looking at me as I nod. "Do you realize I was a RAW agent and you can't lie to us?"

"I... I actually didn't know it." I say, truthfully as I notice him standing in his blue tshirt, tight around his biceps with grey sweatshirts and a black turban loosely tied around his head.

"I... I couldn't sleep and came out. Then I noticed your light was on. So, Coffee?" he asks, as I remember the dream I just had. I was not ready to roam the halls of this massive palace that I don't know well. Not with him... Yet.

"I... No, I'm fine." I say, as he slips his hands in his pocket and I had the urge to see if there was a knife like structure in there.

'It was a dream' I tell myself internally.

"A drive? To the mountains?" he suggests, as I shake my head again.

"No, I... I have an early day tomorrow. I just woke up to drink water, I should go back to bed." I say, as he nods. I take a step back, ready to shut the door on his face as he speaks.

"I lied to you." He says, as I pause.

Did he kill the girl? Am I actually married to a killer? Will he confess and kill me? Where's my revolver?

"I... I'm sorry. What?" I say trying to act like I didn't hear him.

"I lied to you during the investigation about how I met her. There was information that had to be kept confidential for the family name and I couldn't tell the truth infront of other police officers." He says, as I notice the truth shine in his eyes.

My eyes find the door opposite to the next room, where he told me he keeps his 'hard' stuff.

"Give me a minute to freshen up, and I'll see you there. I feel like I need something strong for this conversation." I say as he nods.

"Anything you'd particularly like?" he asks, as I nod.

"A whiskey on the rocks, please." I say as he leaves and I shut the door so, I could breath. I slip my black sweatpants over my bare legs and tug the revolver safely inside my robe.

I drink some water, calm my heart and take a long breath before walking out to his 'relaxing room'. I knock, my heart thumping loudly in my chest anything but relaxed as he opens the door with a kind smile.

I was a brave girl. I don't cower and stay in my room.

It was a nightmare, I remind myself again. I have a loaded gun here.

"Your drink." He says slipping a glass over the counter and I look at him sipping on what seemed like a clear drink as I pick up mine. The man cave was shades of grey and black with an old X-box, carom board wrapped and placed on the side. There was a soccer table and a bar on one side of the room. A big black couch and some smaller ones occupied the corner overlooking the big screen.

"What are you having?" I ask, as he tilts his glass for a clink.

"Water." He says, as I keep the glass back on the table.

"So, I'm drinking alone?"

"I am a teetotaler." He says, as I was left almost shocked at this confession of the prince.

"I don't have a drink that's not prepared before me." I say, as he nods.

"Fair." He says, turning towards the five whiskey bottles kept there under the shelf of wine and vodka.

"Take your pick, and if you don't like any I'll ask someone to fetch what you want from the Cellar downstairs." He says, as I tried to avoid being shocked that this palace has a cellar to store liquor.

"If you don't drink, why do you keep them?" I ask, as he shrugs.

"For friends or when we siblings hang out here." He says, as I nod and walk behind the bar to chose an Indian brand of luxury whiskey. The bottle was worth my salary of a month, and I had never tried it.

"You wanted to talk... about the investigation." I say, as he takes a deep breath and nods.

"Yes. This... It's a new beginning and I couldn't sleep knowing that we were starting our new life based on lies."

Lies?

Did he kill her? Did he fuck her the night before our wedding? Were they more than friends, unlike what he told the cops?

Is he gonna kill me?