Cittaja || Indian Historical Romance

56.

"Nonsense. I'm pretty well-behaved. I might have slipped last time because I saw you there. I keep slipping every time I see you. Don't blame me for it."

"That's why I've sorted out the problem by going to see him alone."

"Good. You visit Gurudev alone. I'll visit him alone. It is just a coincidence that we show up at the same time."

"Yuvraj!!!" She crossed her arms. Shakra grinned at her annoyance. He cornered her by the table. She leaned on the table with her hands, holding her body up on the table. Shakra placed his hands right next to her, crowding her personal space.

The smell of medicine was gone from him. He once again smelled like a garden that had aravinda, ashoka, malli, aamrapushpa, and utpala. It reminded her of the stories of the infamous Nandanavana. Added to that was the smell of jatamansi, chandana, kustha, and musk. The scent had a place in her heart. That scent was a memory etched in her brain. A scent she probably loved more than Jasmines.

"There is something about you getting annoyed by me. Either it is a part of me that enjoys troubling people or that you have a special ability to look more attractive when you're annoyed. It makes me wonder in what other ways I can annoy you."

After seeing him lying lifeless on the bed, Mayura's heart flutters at the sight of him crowding her, piercing through her personal space, and making a mark of his presence. As if her desires had a mind of their own, she closed her eyes, noticing his breathing close to her.

"It was such a refreshing change from the damned smell of all those medicines to your sweet jasmine scent. Every time I smell jasmine, there's an unusual hunger screaming from within me." Shakra softly traced the edges of her thin waist chain, hugging her waist.

Suddenly, her reaction was visible to him. Something has specifically changed between them. It wasn't the first time he had crowded her space, but since that night at the border of Krishneri and Veenapuram, she suddenly began reacting to him in her personal space. She hadn't ever reacted before. Somehow, magically, she had the ability to be immune to his advances, but since that night, that magical ability has disappeared. He could feel her heart fluttering inside her chest, begging to be set free. The little sparrow within that cage was screaming to join his eagle in the sky.

"What is the point you're making in keeping me away, Mayurakshi? My hands itch to touch you more intimately. My lips itch to kiss yours. My chest itches to know the feel of yours." He sighed. "This itch has been there since the moment you started actually showing signs of being affected by me."

Mayurakshi couldn't keep her eyes open. The touch of his rough hands was boiling her into heat. The teasing touch of his beard on her neck made her chest heavier. Her arms threatened to give up holding her.

"ehmmmm...." Someone clearing their throat disturbed their intimate moment. Shyness instantly captured her, and she pushed him away.

"Disha?" She asked why her maid came ahead.

"Rajkumari, you wanted us to prepare your bath. We should be hurrying up, or we'll get late for our meeting with Gurudev." Disha answered.

"I didn't realize the time." She stuttered slightly but shot off quickly.

"You..." Shakra stopped Disha before she followed her mistress.

"Yuvraj?"

"I don't know why you hate me so much. Always there to interrupt my private moments. She was almost about to be convinced to give in." Shakra sighed.

"We were getting late, Yuvraj. Rajkumari was particular about meeting Gurudev. She believes that this trouble fell over you because you didn't fulfill her duty of going to visit her guru. Now that you are healthy again, she has made it her priority to correct the mistake on her part."