Cittaja || Indian Historical Romance

73.

"Why is Maukali's feathery coat here?" She asked herself, confused.

The raven was trying to push her away from the trunk. "Listen, stop attacking me."

It was odd. The raven wasn't trying to attack her before. It was pretty calm and relaxed, even though she tried to catch it. Now, suddenly, when she's trying to investigate the chest, it's trying to disturb her. A little part of her brain was signaling that this was something else. If, as per her hunch, the raven belongs to Maukali, then it would probably be trying to keep her away from the trunk. That was why the raven suddenly jumped on the trunk, seeing her in the room.

"Come on, you're not really helping your friend's case. You're making me more suspicious. Why does my husband have Maukali's feather coat?"

Then, does it mean that our initial doubt about Shakra being Maukali is right? Both of them have a dangerous aura when they're close to a kill. Is it just unusual that both of them have an almost similar height? Mayurakshi sighed, thinking about it. Then it didn't make sense how the killings happened in Kanakotika Kingdom while Shakra was before her. But it also didn't make sense as to why Maukali would leave their disguise with Shakra.

It would seem right if Maukali were currently hiding in the fort. Maukali and Shakra are friends, so if Shakra wants to keep his identity hidden, he is hiding Maukali's disguise to keep him safe in case the rooms are searched for. No one would look in his room for Maukali.

Something kept tinkering in her brain. Shakra isn't that easy. Even if Shakra was hiding Maukali's things, it didn't make sense that Maukali would send his raven instead of meeting in person. The raven could be traced, but the person was unknown, so an in-person meeting can be made to look less doubtful. Especially dressed as a soldier. It wouldn't be hard for Maukali to hide as a soldier. He had the build in her form to easily disguise as a soldier.

"Yuvraj Shakrajit of the Kalika Empire." Mayurakshi sat aside and tapped her finger, trying to decode his intentions. It didn't help the fact that these days, the first thought that touches her brain when she thinks about him is his lips all over her. His lips on her neck were a temptation that could make the room hotter by a few numbers. "Of course!!! That man is a walking distraction."

Since that fated night in Veenapuram, Mayurakshi had no control over her body when he neared her. Before that, no matter how close he stood to her or even touched her skin, she could control her reaction, but since then, it has been almost impossible not to react to him. Her brain had figured out a specific temptation within him that was hard to resist.

Sparrow, if Maukali and Shakra are actually friends, then Maukali trying to flirt with you that day was completely out of place. Shakra will choke a man to death if he tries to flirt with you. Remember what happened to the two ministers in Krishneri who offered Raashi to marry you? Shakra didn't even try to deny his involvement in their murder when she accused him. He shrugged his shoulders and claimed that you belonged to him. So, Maukali flirting with you and going untouched by Shakra is impossible. A man as possessive as him wouldn't be friends with Maukali if he knew about the flirtatious offers he made.

That made a lot of sense. Shakra wouldn't let any man touch her; then how could this one occur? The only option to think of was that Maukali never told Shakra about it. But then Maukali disappeared all of a sudden from the scene since that day. No one could catch a hold of him. Shakra and Mayura got married to each other, and Maukali was missing. Especially after making a silly offer of running away with him. Either Maukali was jesting with her or Maukali wasn't really a close friend of Shakra, as she was doubting.

Again, that heated gaze is familiar. He was staring at you that day as if you were prey, and he was the predator. That's almost similar to how Shakra's eyes light up in lust. He's caught his prey and is going to enjoy eating it raw. In my opinion, things are different. Shakra could be Maukali. Think about their killing patterns. The two murders of the ministers couldn't be traced back to Shakra at all. He was even accused after being quickly proven otherwise. No amount of proof could withstand court scrutiny. Shakra admitted to you that he did murder them because he didn't lie to you. Then think about how no murders can actually be traced back to Maukali. The killing style is familiar but untraceable to him.