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Early update as promised :)
*** Vaishnavi ***
"Tsk" I said annoyed as Adi suddenly snatched the pen from my hand without even taking his eyes off of the file he was analyzing. Things have gotten quite annoying ever since we moved our study tables beside each other.
"Adi I am working," I said annoyed. Adi simply pointed his finger at the sand clock indicating that the 10 additional minutes I asked for are now over and it is time for me to go to sleep.
"10 more min-" I tried to flip the sand clock again but Adi firmly held my wrist.
"You work late every.single.day," I argued making Adi finally look up.
"I also wake up late every.single.day," he answered, "you don't."
"I just have 5 more entries left to finish the salary report," I explained, "Let go of my hand, please."
Adi shook his head and pointed towards the bed with his eyes.
"Let me go, Patidev," I said 'sweetly' and Adi immediately let go of my hand in pure annoyance the moment he heard that word.
I chuckled.
Adi shook his head and flipped the sand clock giving me another chance.
"If you don't go to bed by the time it runs out, I am going to make you," he warned, "irrespective of how you address me."
"Whatever," I rolled my eyes and went to focus back on my report ~ entering the leaves and tallying the salary for each member of the Queen's cabinet but stopped when my eyes fell on the name 'Meihu - Queen's confident'
Right....Queen's confident....
"Adi," I called out.
"Yes, beautiful," he answered.
"Since this is the end of the month, I can replace and shuffle roles if I want to, right?" I asked.
"Mmm hmm," Adi nodded, "Just put in the request and I'll approve it."
"Can I..." I hesitated, "Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead," Adi said casually still unaware of my nervousness as he is focussed on his work.
"You won't get angry, right?" I asked again and that got his attention making him take his eyes off work to look at me.
"What is it about?" he asked as his eyes moved to the paper on my desk. I immediately put my hand over it covering it's contents.
"Answer me first," I said, "please."
"I can't promise that," he replied, "but I can promise to remain calm despite my anger."
"Can you also promise to not walk away or interrupt me until I am done talking?" I asked hesitantly.
Adi remained silent and looked into my eyes for a couple of seconds before speaking.
"Take your hand off the desk and I'll answer that," he said and I reluctantly removed my hand.
Adi took the paper. "Meihu," he signed as he frustatedly rolled his hand across his neck.
"This isn't going to end well, is it?" he asked looking back at me.
"It...might..." I replied. Adi threw the paper back on the table and took a deep breath.
"Alright, I promise," he said, his voice making it very clear that it is taking him all his willpower to remain calm.
"I am thinking of...." I nervously started, "making Sruthi my confident and replacing Meihu."
I could see his frown relax a little as I continued, "and....I want to be the one to convey Meihu the news."
I looked up and the anger in Adi's eyes is back and couldn't be any more intense. He looked like the devil, the devil that would kill Meihu right now to protect me.
THUD THUD THUD
I could hear the periodic taps of his finger on the table and it felt like it matches the sound of my heart beating louder and louder. I slowly reached out and held onto his hand. He immediately stopped tapping.
Phew, thank god!
That was scary.
I can sense that he wanted to walk away but he still kept his promise
"I know she is going to say something to influence me," I continued, "which is why I won't go there alone....I will take Sruthi and the general with me....so that...so that....even if she says something they will be there to stop her....and stop me....if need be...I can't take you because....because...I am afraid you will kill her...." I talked not even pausing to notice his expression and just focussing on finishing my words, "....and despite everything she's done...she's also the one who put food on my plate and roof over my head....when I had no one....death is not something she deserves...."
I slowly looked up after saying everything I wanted to say and that is also when I realized that I've been tightly holding his hand to calm myself down.
The irony!
"Done?" Adi asked calmly.
I nodded.
"Can I talk now?" he asked again. I nodded again.
"You weren't asking, were you, love?" he said calmly, "You were just informing."
"No Adi I...."
"Do what you think is the best," Adi said and walked away without hearing another word from me.
*** Adinath ***
"Shiv ji is here. Where is Mata Parvathi?" the general asked playfully as I met him in the corridors leading to the royal court.
"She won't be here," I replied, "Like I said, we had a fight last night."
"Well....she is here..." the general said looking past my shoulder and I looked back to find Vaishu walking towards us....is a purple dress....
"Isn't that your favorite dress?" the general asked.
"No," I lied.
"You wouldn't make a potrait of it for no reason," the general argued and I had no answer for that.
"You both have strange ways of fighting," he smiled and patted on my shoulder before leaving to make arrangements.
"I thought you won't be here," I asked Vaishu once she is close.
"Just because we had a dispute doesn't mean, I'll leave your hand," she answered and gave me a few files.
"You left your work halfway," she said.
"Vaishu you did't have to...."
"It required immediate attention," she interrupted and I remained silent, because she is right.
It required immediate attention.
"Thanks," I said before asking the important question.
"What's with the purple dress?"
"It took a lot of effort to get the devil title off your name," she replied, "If you flip in the court today, it will disregard all your efforts. So I thought....if not me....my clothes will calm you down."
I nodded.
"So it is in agreement that any form of expression of love will not disregard the intensity of our conflict?" I asked.
"Yes, of course," Vaishu nodded.
"Right," I said and looked around.
Sruthi was standing just a couple of feet away from Vaishu. We were talking very slowly so she probably didn't hear our conversation so far but she is going to hear what I say next.
"Where is...Nagendra?" I said a little louder looking at the ground.
Sometimes the genera's useless gossips are actually useful.
"Nagendra....snake..." Sruthi immediately connected the dots. "SNAKE SNAKE BAHHH" she yelled and immediately the corridor turned into chaos. Everyone looking down, running away, and lost in their own world.
*** Vaishnavi ***
"Adi what are you..." I tried to ask but fell silent the moment Adi kissed me on the cheek.
"Everyone, stay where you are," he commanded making everyone stop at their feet and leaving me utterly confused on if the kiss has ever happened.
"There is no snake. Sruthi probably had a misunderstanding," he added.
"Misunderstanding...." Sruthi whispered to herself.
Now the poor women herself is confused if she ever heard Adi mention Nagendra.
"Your highness, I apologize for..." she immediately tried to confess.
"No apology needed Sruthi," Adi interrupted, "You were just looking out for us."
"Let's go," he said and held my hand.
"Did you...did you kiss me?" I whispered to him as we walked in, still in confusion.
"What a pity right," he whispered back, "Would've done a lot more if the weight of the crown did not hold me back."
*** Sruthi ***
I heard the king say Nagendra....did he not....is the general slowly turning me mad....
"Probably," I heard and stopped on my feet. It was Veer.
"Did I say all of that outloud?" I asked in shock.
"You did," smiled another soldier.
"Shouldn't you be in the court, right now?" Veer asked, "Why are you in the palace corridors."
"I had a very unplesant experience at court," I answered.
"General?" asked another soldier standing guard on the opposite side.
"No it was..." I paused.
Why bother embarrassing myself again.
'Wait," I said as I suddenly realized, "You all were on duty last night, right? Shoudn't you be on leave now?"
"Ideally yes," the fourth soldier replied, "but stupid Veer cut his palm while cleaning the swords. The general noticed it....and we had to lie and tell him that we were trying to balance the sharp edge of the sword on our palm. He got angry and punished us all with additional shifts."
"I am sorry this happened because of me," I apologized.
"It's all right, Ms Sruthi," Veer replied, "We can handle a little additional work to stand up for the right. Besides, I get to see Naina more. That itself negates all my complaints."
I smiled.
"Why didn't you use the safety gloves?" I asked.
"They were too small for me,"Veer replied.
"But you should've had a pair for yourself right?" I asked and all the four trainees laughed.
"There is no concept of safety gloves for us," one of them replied.
"Or anyone actually," Veer continued, "They general designed them for you."
What the hell? Did he? Really?
Why would he....is he secretly in love with me or something.....nah people in love don't leave their women alone. Veer had more compassion for his lover's friend......than the general ever had for me.....
Question of the day: Who is your current celebrity crush?
Next update: 1st December or earlier if I get 725 followers :)