Times Intertwining Destinies (On Hold)

29. Talking -2

"Now sit down we need to discuss further" he said, regaining his serious demenaour, "Finding missing people is no joke."

"You cannot order me around" she shot back, frowning angrily.

"Oh yes I can" Duryodhan replied, exasperation now creeping in his voice, "You work in this palace and I am a prince of this palace. Now sit and talk like a sane person."

"Sane" Dhaarya laughed sarcastically, "Who is talking about being sane."

"Dhaarya, don't try my patience anymore" Duryodhan growled "Take your seat. Or do you want me to seat you down."

"You dare not" she hissed back, sending him a murderous glare, "I will do what I want to. None shall orde—"

She stopped mid sentence as the tall and formidable warrior before her walked menacingly towards her, his mouth set in a thin line, his eyes glinting in a dangerous mirth.

"What...what are you doing?" she stuttered when he was just a few steps away from her.

"Sit" he commanded.

"I don't take orders especially from you" she answered back obstinately.

"You don't" Duryodhan said, trying hard to not laugh at the disbelieving expression on her face, as he slipped into her armchair, leaving her to stand and gape at him.

"Now sit" he said and without any warning, closed his fist around her soft wrist, pulling her near him.

"What...what are you doing? What!" Dhaarya gasped bewildered when her other hand too was suddenly held immobile.

"Just sit so that we can talk properly" he continued giving her a sharp pull and seating her on the armrest of the chair.

"There" he said giving her a satisfied grin while simultaneously pinning her to the armrest with her hands locked in his fist behind her back, effortlessly resisting her wriggling.

"What are you doing?" she uttered trying to push away the perplexity from her voice as she struggled to remove herself from his grip.

"Very amiable isn't it?" Duryodhan said, smirking at her scrunched up face, disregarding her question.

"You will pay for this!" she threatened.

"Now to more serious business, where do you think your two friends could be right now, if you consider their natures...?" he asked assuming a more serious tone.

"Well, Preets is more or less like me, tomboyish and outgoing...maybe she too has found a job somewhere like me, but I sense something more has happened to her...I mean given her nature, her presence shouldn't have been so quiet....I mean, something strange must have been reported..."

'If she was present here at all then would something out of the world happen' Duryodhan thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Maybe she is somewhere far away from the palace so we are not getting reports" he said instead, trying to assuage her worry.

"And about Shaks, she is more mild and shy. She is very intelligent and witty but too sweet and innocent with the cunning underhand ways of the world" Dhaarya continued, not noticing the grip around her wrists loosen.

"You know what, I am most worried about Shaks. I and Preets would rarely let her go out about alone even in the campus and now wherever she might be all alone, by herself, how is she doing? It worries me a lot" she rambled on, her eyes fixated on the large window overlooking the picturesque gardens.

"Don't worry. She must be alright" he muttered, not failing to observe how she continued to sit comfortably on the armrest despite him having released her earlier.

'She truly loves her friends' he mused 'Like me and Karna and Aswathamma.'

"Dhaarya, if they are working somewhere like you or taken shelter in any ashram or someplace similar,then it will be easier to find them" Duryodhan said after some time, breaking the silence of the room, "But suppose they have been taken into well off families, as wives or even friends, the search will be hard."

"Why so?" she asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

"Because you cannot simply ask for information about the women of a good family, it is considered preposterous" he explained "If the head of the family refuses to answer, youcannot push the matter further."

"Hmm" she answered nodding "I see...thank you for your help."

This time Duryodhan gaped at her, shock permeating through his facial features. Dhaarya smiled and before she knew it she gently touched his shoulder causing him to flinch unnoticeably.

Duryodhan slowly turned up his eyes to meet her's and he saw equal shock and embarrassment couse through her diamond shaped face.

"When did you let go?" she muttered awkwardly, sprinting away, "gosh, how long had I been sitting like that!"

Duryodhan was about to form an cleaver remark when the sound of trumpets sounded followed by an announcement.

"Gandhar raj (king of Gandhar) Shakuni is entering!"