Cittaja || Indian Historical Romance

40.

Kalika Empire's royal envoy arrived there. Shatrujit on his elephant entered the fort of Krishneri. He was welcomed by all of Krishneri and Shakrajit.

"Welcome, Maharaj." Gokula greeted and welcome the Emperor. Shatrujit got down the elephant and Shakrajit instantly walked ahead to him and touched his feet.

"Vijayibhava." Shatrujit patted his back. Shatrujit knew the moment he saw his son that this was a mess. He was at the verge of doing something crazy. If he hadn't arrived, Shakra could have gone berserk. "Hopefully everything is well."

"Depends on the definition of well." Shakra answered.

"Pranaam, Maharaj." Raashi welcomed and behind her was Yuvika. Yuvika quickly walked ahead to touch his feet but suddenly he walked ahead of them before she could even bend down. He walked ahead, seeing Mayurakshi.

Realizing that he was walking over to her, Mayurakshi walked ahead and greeted him respectfully. Shatrujit looked at her properly. Mayurakshi was confused why he was looking at her that way.

"I'm just checking how come you survived the altercation with Shakrajit. I expected him to burn the place down to ashes at your actions."

Mayurakshi chuckled, "I would say it surprised me as well. I really do not know how things are still in order. I was expecting a far more savage reaction than what I received. He either didn't want to try as hard or is still waiting for the right moment."

That made Shatrujit laugh. The girl knew his son extremely well. She smiled back at his laughter.

"I hope you don't come to regret the decision, Mayurakshi. You've essentially set up a marriage that bound to fail." He slowly told her in a low tone.

"I don't think so. I feel that my sister and Yuvraj have similarities."

"You cannot decide a success of a marriage based on similarities." Shatrujit turned to Shakra, and then back to her, "You've made sure that they don't end up well. He will definitely end up destroying her life. You know him."

"Who knows? I only request Goddess Kalika that she takes cares of him."

"Let me ask you, Mayurakshi, will you get by without him?"

She chuckled at the oddity of the question, "I never claimed that I shared his feelings."

Shatrujit gave an amused smile. Shatrujit didn't know Mayurakshi a lot but he knew how women worked. Mayurakshi was exceptionally proud which was something he had seen in all his wives, they wouldn't ever disgrace themselves by reacting to a concubine spending time with their husband. An exactly similar expression was plastered on Mayurakshi's face. 

"Yes. You never claimed that you shared the same feeling but something tells me you do have a soft spot for him. Why else did the Princess of Krishneri bring back Shakrajit to Veenapuram personally instead of running away and sending some informer to Manas about the whereabouts of my son."

Mayurakshi gave a smile, "I never claimed to share the feelings he has for me but it is true that I've always saved some affection for him. He is after all my friend. I've always seen him as a friend. I seem to anyway have very few of them."

Shatrujit raised an eyebrow at her claim.

"Maharaj, please come inside. The travel must have tired you out." Gokula took things out of Mayurakshi's plate. Shatrujit nodded and walked ahead with Gokula.

Shakra stood looking at Mayurakshi. No matter what she did to him, he can't seem to find a way to hate her. He didn't expect Raashi to say "If you wish to take Mayurakshi along with you, I would be fine with it. I know that Yuvika will be a great wife to you." which was a very unusual way of saying "If it pleases you, take Mayurakshi as a concubine, but Yuvika should be your wife". A very cruel part of him decided to actually mock Mayurakshi for her choice. She chose people who don't have the courage to stand for her over him.

Mayurakshi looked at her, "I assume the word of you asking me to given to you as a whore isn't known to him." Her voice was laced with venom.

Shakra knew he deserved it. It must have burned her. Mayurakshi loves her self-respect just as much as she loves her father. Shakra hit where it hurts her. Mayurakshi just returned his cruelty with cruel words. Shakra didn't plan to ever take her as his concubine. He loved her far too much for their relationship to be so cruel. He loved her too much to humiliate her like that.

Shakra laughed, "Bangaram, you know very well what I wanted you to be. Veenapuram, remember? I proposed to marry you and make you my Queen. I'm still willing to. Just say the word. I'll tear Queen Raashi, Yuvika, and Adhiman apart and take you with me. You're anyway the Queen of my heart, you would even be the Queen of Kalika Empire."

"If I desired a crown, I would have long ago married you. I wouldn't be turning you down for 8 years."

"All of this for the man who wouldn't have the courage to stand up against his first wife?"

"You don't get to comment on my father."

"I have every right to, Mayura. You destroyed me for the sake of that man. I fought my father and my mothers for you but you gave me away as if I'm charity. You made a decision on my behalf knowing exactly how much I love you."

"I'm not responsible for your feelings, Yuvraj. I never had any feelings for you."

Shakra grabbed her arm, pulling her close to him suddenly, fire burning in his eyes, his rage outpouring through them, "Are you forgetting what happened between us in the cave, Princess? You sat on my lap and kissed me. It is impossible you never felt my dick getting hard."

"Excuse me...." She protested at his unpolished language.

"It is an obvious reaction I have to the woman who torments my dreams sitting over my lap and kissing me. If I remember it correctly, you dupatta was absent and you let me kiss your neck. If you never had any feelings, why did all of that happen?"

"I..."

"You did it just because you needed to distract me. That's the excuse you want to give, right? But then tell me, Bangaram, how did you think it was anything close to moral to have your sister marry me when I have touched you and kissed you? You have kissed your sister's fiance. Is that moral and ethical? You're appalled at my language but not at your actions. You couldn't even own up to the consequences that come up with them. Just as coward as your father."

Shakra left Mayurakshi with that.

She wanted to forget all of those memories but Shakra wouldn't let her forget. He was woeful and hence he wanted her to feel just as miserable as him. Yet, could she truely deny all his allegations? The consequences of her actions would come to her. Was she just as coward as her father to stand for those who loved truly? Her father didn't stand with her mother who loved him. She couldn't stand for Shakra who loved her. 

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