Devika :
I SAT back in his room.
It was a lonely place to be in.
Such a huge room, it was bigger than my whole house.
The clock struck twelve.
Plus, I had missed my audition too.
I sighed as I glanced at his cupboard.
Full of boredom and disappointment. Abandoned by my so called loving family.
Almost involuntarily, I stood up.
I walked down to it and opened it.
The first thing I saw was his clothes. The heavily embroidered sherwanis on one side, then the casual kurtas he wore all day and then there were suits and tuxedos on the right end.
Perfectly organised.
Almost intimated by all that perfection I pulled out the drawer below the second rack of his clothes.
Watches.
And the range was immense.
From Rolex to Armani, everything.
"Beast ji, is a watch enthusiat. How cool is that.", I said sighing as I picked up one.
Then I pulled the second drawer.
There were two photo albums.
Ah. That is something good.
If I find one photograph of him from his childhood I might be able to blackmail him.
I immediately jogged down to the door and locked it from inside.
Then I sat with the two photo albums.
Mister Overly Organised Devil had carefully written the names over the albums. His handwriting was actually neat and aesthetic.
One said "Maa, Baba and I" and the other said "Anamika, Nayantara and I"
Nayantara. His daughter.
I was about to open the album when there was a sharp knock at the door.
Oh no!
I literally hopped off the bed and just tossed the two albums in his cupboard. I immediately opened the door.
He stood right before me.
"I am not here to touch you.", He stated as cold as ever.
"I need my suits."
"What?!", I said, remembering how I had literally thrown the albums in.
I genuinely wanted to see them.
"What what? I need—"
"No. Not now.", I said immediately.
He drew in a sharp breath.
"Move aside.", He said, in suppressed anger.
My previous experiences of his anger weren't exactly pleasant. I slowly moved to a side and he strode in.
He walked down to the cupboard.
He will kill me. GOD!
He was about to open the cupboard when I immediately jumped before the door.
"What the—"
"Haww!", I said dramatically, "Raghuvanshi and cussing! Such a shame."
He looked at me with a confused expression, absolutely bewildered at my other worldly stupidity.
"I was going to say heck, but anyways.", He said sighing in exasperation.
"Move aside, I need my stuff.", He said, yet again.
"I shall not move.", I said, trying to sound determined.
He edged closer, looking like a hungry lion.
"Get out of my way, now.", He said sharply.
"You-you have promised. You cannot touch me.", I mumbled awkwardly.
He looked to a side, taking a step back, holding the knob of the cupboard with his left hand. His hand right beside my neck.
"Listen, Devika, I am losing my patience. Okay? Stop—"
I noticed his right hand, still injured.
I immediately held his hand.
He yanked it away, as if he had felt some kind of a current shock.
"What are you even doing?!", He asked, irritably.
"It is paining, isn't it?", I asked, genuinely concerned.
I couldn't help but feel teeny bit of sympathy for him.
Just a teeny bit, but it was there.
"Not your business.", He said sharply.
"Of course, it is my business. As much as you hate it, you made me your wife. It is my business.", I stated fiercely.
He fell silent immediately.
I took his hand on mine.
"You know if you don't treat this you might have an infection?", I asked, half annoyed with his ignorance.
"Where is the first aid?", I demanded.
He looked at me, as if in shock.
In sheer disbelief.
After a moment he indicated the small table beside the bed.
I immediately pulled out the first aid box.
As much as I hated him, and everything about him - I couldn't let anyone be in that much pain.
Even if it was the beast.
He stared at me, in silence.
Almost observant.
"Kindly sit here and do us all a favour, Your Highness.", I said sarcastically.
I was expecting him to angry or something, but he simply obeyed.
He sat before me on the bed.
I sat down beside him and opened the box.
"Why are you doing this, Devika?", He asked softly.
I looked up irritably.
"Because unlike you I am a good person. I don't hurt anybody neither can I see anyone hurt.", I said clearly.
He said nothing as I slowly applied the ointment.
He hissed in pain.
"When you apply the ointment there is a little pain. It will be okay.", I said drawing in a deep breath, carefully putting the ointment.
"If the ointment more than the wound itself, then what is the point?", He asked, hissing in pain.
I sighed.
"The pain due to the ointment is temporary. It is for a short time. But if you keep the wound untended to in fear of the pain the ointment will give, it will keep getting more serious.", I said as I carefully did my job,
"And if it is too late then the wound might get so bad that no ointment can heal it."
I glanced up.
His lips curved into a smile, a tragic smile. The edges of his eyes twinkled with moisture.
No. The beast had a heart.
I pretended to not see.
"But what is the guarantee that the ointment will heal? Say I have the ointment.. but.. I don't know if I should apply it on my wounds.", He said softly.
He is not talking about oinments.
"Then you must give it a try. If you don't try, you will never know.", I said.
I pulled out the bandage and cotton and wrapped it carefully on his hand.
I finally looked up.
A tear slid down his left eye, he immediately wiped it with his other hand.
I noticed the cut mark on his neck.
"You did not even tend to this.", I said noticing it, not quite pleased.
"I don't like to tend to them. Wounds are the jewellery of a Rajput.", He said, clearing his throat.
Ignoring him, I took some oinment on my finger.
I was about to apply it on the side of his neck when he abruptly held my hand with his free hand.
He removed his right hand from my lap.
"Do not.", He said sharply, looking me in the eye.
"It will heal.", I said, as a matter of fact.
"I don't want it to.", He stated coldly.
I sighed.
He stood up, going back to his beast mode.
"I will send Santosh, give him all my suits.", Saying so he strode out of the room.
I watched him go.
Next day, when Santosh came, he took his Raja ji's suits as well as the photo albums.
But I realised one thing.
He did not just marry me randomly. There was purpose behind everything he did.
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