Times Intertwining Destinies (On Hold)

10. Hiding Nook

Suddenly the sprinting figure of Shakthiselvi came in his line of vision, she was definitely giving the maids a hard time following her. Karna couldn't help but laugh softly. How could this be the same Shakthiselvi whose innovative solutions for the kingdom's administration he had immediately asked his Prime Minister to start implementing?

"She is like two sides of the same coin" he concluded "Perfect"

He was delighting in his secret observations of her jumping and running around like a child when she stopped abruptly and stood staring right at his hiding nook.

Karna sat up straight watching her intently. Had she noticed him?

She started walking in his direction excitedly, a huge smile plastered on her face.

Karna reclined back on the bench. She had seen him. No point hiding.

"Karna why did you never show me this place before?" Shakthiselvi said walking inside the beautiful and fragrant nook.

"Because it is or rather was my favourite hiding nook" he replied giving her a tiny smile.

"Oh I am sorry. I will go. I will not tell anyone—"she replied in a rushed manner turning around to leave when her wrist suddenly rested in a strong clasp.

"No don't go Shakthi" Karna said reassuringly, gently pulling her nearer by her hand, he could not see her sad "It can be 'our' hiding nook."

He returned her smile gracefully as she took a seat beside him. Her face was glowing from all that running, little locks were coming out here and there from her elaborate hairdo, her attire had slightly shifted out of place, but her smile was intact.

'Such innocence' he mentally remarked watching her look curiously at the flowers and leaves.

"Karna, I have received a draft of the initial clauses of our new trade agreement with Kashi from Pradhan Mantri Shavir. I think he sent it to me by mistake. I will give it to you when we are inside" she said turning to him.

"It was no mistake Shakthi. You are to oversee that. More drafts will come. We can have a look at them together after dinner if you want" he replied.

"Oh I see... Okay...Karna, you look sad?" she asked.

"And what makes you reach that conclusion, Shakthi?" he asked in turn.

"You are just sitting here all alone...." she uttered.

"Not everyone has the same amount of energy as you" he chuckled 'I am just tired Shakthi."

"No, no. It is not about that. It is something deeper, something continued for a long time..."

Karna now turned to her fully. She looked down shyly as she became the object of his intense gaze.

"A man is formed by years of experiences and the nature of those are not the same. These experiences when they become memories come back in sudden moments when you are in solitude. And it is then that you either try to sort it out or simply make a deliberate attempt to push it behind your minds by getting lost in your surroundings. At the moment I am doing the latter, Shakthiselvi."

She nodded at him, silently going back to observing the people around them.

"Do you sit here often?" she asked suddenly.

"This new bench here stands testament to the fact" he replied.

"That means you are always trying to suppress old memories. You have so many such memories."

"What?"

"That means you are often sad."

He kept quite, she was right in a way. He often craved solitude to push behind his dark thoughts.

"And why won't you be sad?" she continued "You stay in this large palace all alone without family or friends..."

This time Karna couldn't help the twitch in his lips longing to laugh. She was ranting on as if she was in her own world, as though he wasn't even present. Suddenly her kajal lined eyes were on his face startling him.

"Oh no Shakthiselvi" he said laughing softly "I am neither sad nor lonely anymore. After all who can ever experience those with a fine chatterer such as you with them."

Shakthiselvi paused for some time scanning his eyes for sarcasm- she found none. She giggled before both laughed gaily.