ENCHANTED- BY LOVE (completed)

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*** Nanda ***

"What is it?" I asked.

"Everytime and anytime I smile, I want you to look away" Sruthi answered.

"Excuse me?" I said offended.

Looking away when my princess smiles?

 Nope! Not happening! 

Never happening!

"I want you to look away whenever I smile," Sruthi repeated.

"I bloody understood it Gati," I said, "I want to know what instigated you to come up with such a stupid idea."

"The fact that this friendship is an offer made out of guilt and not love," she answered and I fell silent. "Your guilt goes away the moment you see me smile and so will our friendship. I don't want that. I want us to get closer and..." she paused.

Did I hear it right?

"Closer and?" I asked getting hopeful.

"and...and not fight...because I don't want to...suffer like before," she completed making me feel guilty again and for some reason looking down to avoid eye contact.

Is she trying to hide her feelings from me?

After what I've done? 

No, she's probably scared....

"Alright I promise," I nodded reluctantly, "Until the day you explicitly say otherwise, everytime you smile, my eyes shall be lowered."

Sruthi looked at me surprised. She didn't expect me to comply.

Hell, I didn't expect me to to do so either.

The only person I ever obeyed up until this point is the king, and here I am agreeing to the conditions of a silly girl.......this is not right-

"Friends," Sruthi took my hand in hers and confirmed.

Right! This is absolutely the right thing to do!

I almost immediately changed my opinion.

Perhaps I am the real chameloen......

*** Vaishnavi ***

"Adi you said no one was able to defeat the intellectuals up until this point," I said looking at the records.

"Yes," Adi nodded while engrossed in his own work sitting on the chair beside me.

"But you defeated them," I said, "All three times they weren't on your side."

"Well, I am exceptional," Adi smiled as he continued writing something in his book.

"With maybe a little bit of arrogance," I teased.

"Or self-awareness," Adi turned to my side and smiled.

I smiled back.

"Do you have any tips for me?" I asked.

"A lot," he replied, "but I am oblidged to not say. As a king it is my duty to remain neutral."

"As a husband, isn't it your duty to help your wife acheive victory?" I countered.

"And as a wife, isn't it your duty to ensure that I walk on the path of righteousness," the counter argument came almost instintively.