" you say you do not love, but can you really ? Are you then a human? "......the boy questioned the little girl as she sat dumbfounded. Oblivious to their surroundings, they chatted like the sweethearts they were. Without having the knowledge of their immature hearts teaching lessons to mature ones.
" don't you dare speak in puzzles with me Reyansh! I said i do not like this rabbit because it doesn't come to me. Also, it runs away every chance it gets. I just want to adore it and love it." ....the sweet but annoyed voice spoke out and rang in the ears of the mature man seated far across the garden, on the other side. Ironically, right opposite to the female who was also seated, though far from him but never far enough to turn a deaf ear to the resourceful conversation of the young children.
" You're wrong in your approach siya. If you're not invested, it is perhaps not love. If you truly did love, nothing would've persuaded you enough as to give up your love. Let alone a situation where your love doesn't love you back, you should persist if you do truly love it." .....the boy said yet again in his innocent voice, a stark contrast to his fully fledged words.
" you're so mad Reyansh ! Where have you been hitting your head ? Don't tell me you did that more than once. You've turned into an idiot." ......the girl said before she got up heavily and dusted her skirt.
The boy sat, smiling 'idiotically', as rightfully addressed by the girl.
" yes, love is supposed to make you an idiot, and never offer you your senses back ever, to even make you realise how immensely you've lost yourself." ......the girl's brows rose at the remark as her face now held some interest. She smirked mockingly.
" okay Reyansh. And what is the use of it all, if in the end you're losing ? " ....she questioned him with a smug attitude.
To this, the boy only flashed a bunny smile, got up steadily and stood by her side.
" losing is just but a material word. The true sense of which, remains unknown to man. That is, till he feels the ecstacy of the divine feeling and only then comes to realise that the termination is deceiving, reasonably so. Now tell me, if everyone could understand, wouldn't everyone taste that fruit of love which comes hard earned but is so tender inside ? " ......having said that, the girl stood enchanted and the boy took the chance to pull her hair and run away, earning a shriek from the female, who was soon to follow behind him.
The ladies laughed at their playfulness, and the other kids saw them in awe.
Amongst it all, two eyes held each other in a firm arrest, the words voiced out by the children for them. Because, they were too oblivious to realise them.
The running away of the two children broke them from their trance as the lady tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears while refocusing on petting the hare on her lap. The male, however, showed no signs of breaking his eyes away.
Still having his eyes on her intact, he got up.
" perhaps, love must then persist and so should the endeavors, despite their failures. " ......he smirked at her, conveying the message of his strengthened desire and even enhanced round of endeavors to come.
The attendants got up right behind him and followed him.
" Enchanting words, my lord." ....aksh said as he applauded the dark haired male.
" What a day to hear some change in my brother's tone. Enlighten me with the name of the bird. The one which had affected you with it's Tweety songs." ...Anuj said as he jumped out of nowhere, scaring aksh and the others.
Nevertheless, Agastya couldn't even afford the time to acknowledge his presence, given his otherwise busy day spent gawking at ruh.
" You might as well be drooling. Fix yourself. Wasted fellow!" ...Anuj said as he pretended to be grossed out.
" who has been giving the kids love advice recently?" ...Agastya questioned amusedly, eyes still registered on ruh.
" oh it must be their new teacher ? That guy seems like he had been in love only once and has never gotten over it ever since. " .....aksh replied as he recollected his memories of meeting the new counsellor for the royalty children.
" We all fall in love only once, and when we do, we're answered the question of why we couldn't fall before." .....he said his last words for the while, finally tearing his eyes away from the female, much to his dismay.
" rabbits are perhaps creatures that intrigue you first, only to run away later. Perhaps their beauty justifies the hardships of getting your hands on one." ....aksh remarked cunningly, fueling the fire further. The messages were sure to reach their intended audience from this close.
" perhaps I will get my hands on one soon. Not before I let those hardships play through me and teach me things I wish to learn. Only then I suppose, I will truly cherish what I gain of those. " .......he said before he moved out of the garden, aksh following right behind, throwing a known glance at a particular girl with a hare on her lap.
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" the possibilities are as slim as they could be. But do you wanna try?" ...Anuj said as his brain cooked a spicy lemon rice for his brother to enjoy.
Ruh, oblivious of the group that has uncertainly formed out of a mutual desire to somehow get the opposites to meet, saw the little plan as nothing but a chance to take part in the fun.
" You can run through the corridor as fast as you can and scare them all away. At the end of the hallway, you'll find a door. That opens to paradise i swear. You'll get to see those pansies you've dreamt of. "
...Anuj said, exploiting his knowledge of her favourite flower which she only saw once in her lifetime.
" You sure there isn't another way to do this ? A 'less crazy' one precisely ? And why is a garden so heavily guarded in the first place, would you tell me that ?"
' Because that's not a garden you little cute fool. That's the royal chamber, preserved, protected, and only open for the king and his queen. Even the princes can't venture into it. It's the ultimate ancestral sign of the empire. One which only the personalities on the throne are supposed to witness. And without a doubt, their significant others.'
" oh because.... that's because .....oh yes I know that's because they are the queen's favourite flowers. So it's a preserved garden. ".....he said as he couldn't help but sweat.
" you're not lying to me are you ? " .....ruh squinted her eyebrows at him.
" nope. Never. " ...he said as he shook his head vigorously.
" none is a lie except the part where I said there's a garden. Because for a fact, there are pansies. Specially grown pansies to adorn the way to the throne. Pansies adoring the whole of the throne in a circle. Extravagance at its best. Also, they infact ARE THE 'QUEENS' favourite flowers.." anuj convinced himself successfully that he wasn't going to hell for lying.
" But this is not the time. I'll tell you the time ruh. " ..he said carefully, making a mental calculation of the coronation day.
" You know what Anuj ? I've had enough. I've a lot of tasks at hand and you've just been leading me in circles for the past i-dont-know-how-many-hours now. Just let those pansies be. I'm never meant to see things i love. " ......she said as she left him alone in the hallway and went away towards her chamber, sulking no matter how much she tried to hide it.
" gosh this girl can't wait can she? Just wait till Agastya's coronation. Aksh Bhai and I will have a solid plan by then. I haven't had the fun of a wedding for decades now. Ugh! " ...he sighed as he thought about having his stomach filled with aromatic intricacies at a grand wedding ceremony.
As she went towards her room with a pleasant nap in mind, neela crossed her path. She was carrying a tray, centred with an extravagant bowl of sweet pudding, prepared specially.
" hey ruh! Thank God for your timings you're such an angel " ....neela said as she smiled sheepishly at ruh.
" huh ? What do you mean ? " .. ruh's brows creased, this was certainly not a situation she looked forward to.
" look, you just have to deliver this to his majesty. As simple as that. I've got to take care of Reyansh. He's been running around and Rani ma saa is worried. I've got to handle him. Please don't deny. "
....she said as she looked at her pleadingly, and she would be damned if she just said no and chose heartlessness.
Before she could reply, neela handed the tray to her and vanished into thin air.
" But ....which majesty ..? "....she managed to voice out before she was out of range. The reply to which came a faint but horrible 'the prince'.
She realised she was damned anyhow. Now the thought of a nap ran as far as it could, and the unsettling feeling paired with intense anxiety took it's toll on her.
She stood there for a while before she finally realise she couldn't escape the situation, and so like every other situation, she had to face this.
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She stood in front of the door. The huge, extravagant, unnecessarily grand doorway of his room. Perhaps it was necessary, he was the prince of the great empire after all, the next king not to mention.
Finally mustering up the courage, she knocked twice briefly before waiting in anticipation. Her pulse steady, body unusually warm.
The wait felt like a forever, before she finally heard a voice.
" come in " ....curt and Short. Very unlike how he talks with her. As if he was ready to waste a whole day of supposed productivity just over small talk.
' what do I do ? Open it myself ? ' ...she whispered to herself. Finally realising the situation, she proceeded to balance the tray on one hand and open the door with the other.
She got in.
Her face lit up with the brightest smile on seeing he wasn't present. But ..the voice ...? Oh, he's in the bathroom. Thank God !
" keep it by the bedside. " ...the voice spoke out yet again, startling her. The tray was almost about to fall but guess her ill-luck wasn't so ill today.
She sighed silently and kept the tray at the ordered place. The clinking sound of the tray hitting the glass table was the only sound. She proceeded happily towards the gate when the voice interrupted.
The clinking sound of her anklets rushing towards the exit gave way to the ill luck she will face today.
" Where are your manners ? Are the training facilities so incompetent these days that they don't even teach you how to inform us of your arrival and departure ? Or are you dumb ? Wait right there." ......the voice spoke out before footsteps were heard.
Ruh close her eyes in frustration as she didn't even want to think about what came next. This was why she hated her life. And she couldn't have been any more right about it.
The door opened as she kept looking down.
" you should inform us of your departure- oh " ......the words came to an abrupt halt and an amused 'oh' left his lips.
She didn't look up still.
A good while of silence carried out before she decided it was enough time to waste in a day.
She looked up finally. He smiled at her and took his seat across the room.
" bring me the tray." ....he ordered.
Ruh's eyes widened as she looked at him in disbelief.
" what ? Bring me the tray. Since you've been so oblivious of etiquettes, let me instill some in you. "
She suppressed her rage as she kept her cool and took the tray to him, placing it on the even larger table.
He placed a hand on his chin, enjoying the scene to it's fullest while it lasted.
She kept the tray at a reasonable distance and stood in front of him.
" have a seat. Why don't you? This will probably take a while. "
Ruh expressed her confusion through her expressions before she finally gave up, knowing that arguing would lead to nothing.
" serve yourself some " ....he said as he got comfortable in his seat.
" it's not meant to be-" ...ruh voiced out but was interrupted.
"You're meant to follow my orders. So now, will you please ? I'm rarely this sweet to anyone who lacks basic etiquettes."
Her fingers curled into a fist, almost ready to land a hard punch on his handsome face but she decided on the contrary.
She took two serving bowls from the table and prepared the two.
" okay good. Let's begin ?" .....he said as he smiled sheepishly at her and took the cutlery to begin.
" i don't like dessert-"
" remember the part where you had to follow my orders ? It's still quite valid." ...he said nonchalantly as he began to take his first bite.
She gave up and started 'obeying his orders'.
" soo....how has life been recently ? Has it been giving you all that you desire ?" .....he said, as unbothered as a guy having small talk over a family dinner.
Ruh failed to make anything which made sense out of the man. Because, that man as a whole never made sense to her. She stared at him strangely before the same question was uttered again as he looked at her this time with a mouthful of dessert stuffed in them. A curious glint in his eyes which almost .....very close.....made him seem like an innocent boy, oblivious of worldly cruelty, materiality, and everything that came with maturity.
And for the first time in history, ruh was derailed....into thinking .....that maybe .....he was somehow .........cute.
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Character aesthetics ( ik they're given in the beginning but I'm unique wutevr😂):-
Ruh