"You drunk bastard" Avyukt gritted his teeth as he dragged the drunk prince to the dungeon. What was he thinking while coming to Manasa's room? Did he think he was dead?
"Hahaha... My little brother. You are getting a pretty wife huh? All the things you have are the things I have used and threw away. How about I use and throw that that gir... PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH"
"AHHH..."
The eldest prince Abhay started crying on the floor after Avyukt punched him non stop. His nose was broken and bleeding badly.
"I thought of delaying your death a little. But you seem to be craving for it. Huh?" Avyukt said and smashed a nearby chair on Abhay.
How dare this scum think of using Manasa? Avyukt was fuming. The soldiers and servants who were chill for past few days because of Avyukt's cool attitude were now stiff and tensed. This is the prince they knew.
"AHHH... YOU BASTARD.. JUST YOU SEE.. I WILL FUCK THAT GIRL SENSELESS.." Abhay screamed as he sobered up after the beating. His mother wanted to marry him and Manasa, but his father arranged the marriage for Avyukt, thinking that this will put them in Avyukt's good books.
Avyukt looked at Abhay clamly, which was scary enough for every soldier in the dungeon to hold their breathe.
"Say again. What did you say?" Avyukt said as he crouched down to look into Abhay's eyes.
"What? Do you think I don't fear you? Huh? I will repeat. Listen careful. Everyone listen.." Abhay said and looked around to see if anyone was not paying attention to him.
"NOW LISTEN.. I WILL FUCK YOUR BRIDE SENSELESS TILL SHE CANNOT WALK. TILL SHE CANNOT SCREAM ANYMORE. I WILL FUCK HER SO HARD THAT I WILL BE ONLY ONE SHE WILL REMEMBER"
Abhay kept shouting nonsense and the dungeon's temperature turned cold minute by minute. Now the soldiers were really scared, their hands shivering as they stood on guard.
This wasn't the first time Avyukt threw Abhay in dungeon. But everytime he would just break few bones and leave after his anger was placated. But today was different. Avyukt was not aggressive at all. Instead, he was too calm. Too calm that it was scary.
After some time the eldest prince got tired of shouting and shut his mouth. The dungeon turned silent. The silence was too suffocating. As if it wasn't enough, Avyukt chuckled, making the guards gulp in fear. It was the devil's laugh.
"Dear brother. I thought of keeping you alive till my marriage. But you seem to love your life." Avyukt said calmly.
"Ohh... Now I have to fear you? You cannot do anything to me? I am the eldest pri.. AHHHH..."
Abhay screamed at top of his lungs as Avyukt's dagger pierced through his ankle.
"WAHHH... WHHH... COUGH.. WAGHHHH.."
All the guards in the prison looked at the scene in front of them in absolute horror. They had all seen want kind of torture the prince delivers to the prisoners here, but they never thought that he would cut off the eldest prince's tongue.
Abhay was now crying and thrashing on ground due to pain. The madness in Avyukt's eyes was terrifying. He put his hands on his mouth and screamed as he processed that his tongue was missing.
Avyukt smiled and got up. The most horrifying thing was to see Avyukt squash Abhay's tongue under his shoes.
"You seem to be high on hormones, Dearest brother. Don't worry. We will solve that.." Avyukt said and patted Abhay's cheek before locking his cell and leaving the dungeon.
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"Did you hear? The prince killed someone yesterday."
"Really? I heard that prince tortured someone in the dungeon"
"Do you know who it is?"
The maids gossiped among themselves, unknown to the fact that Manasa had heard all the comments. Those gossips increased her fear and she dropped the idea of speaking to the prince. If that man can kill and come to his own wedding, then he wouldn't hesitate in killing his bride.
She felt dizzy thinking about the marriage. The security around the place was so tight that even a rat couldn't come in without getting caught. There was no way she could escape. Her chest felt so heavy that she couldn't breathe.
Manasa went into the bathroom and waited for the maids to get the wedding dress. The wedding is going to happen in few more hours. There will be some rituals to perform before it.
The maids eventually came in with a heavy lehanga and started helping Manasa with the dress. No.. the maids did everything from start to the end. Manasa sat on the stool like a lifeless stone in front of the mirror.
She heard the maids praise her beauty. She heard them admire the jewellery. She heard them joke about the wedding night. But it just felt like passing from one ear to another.
"Its time Your Highness." A maid said, and another maid helped Manasa walk in that heavy lehanga.
They pinned a maroon veil to her head which completely covered her face. Time passed faster than she wished, and soon it was the time for wedding.
She saw he father sitting in the wedding hall and she no longer had the interest to look at anyone else. Every step she took towards the Mandap felt like walking on thorns. Her head was constantly filled with the boatman's voice that she thought she had gone mad.
The maids seated her beside the groom and the pandit started the wedding ceremony. Everything was a buzz, till the pandit asked the groom to fill her hairline with Sindhoor.
The princess knew that after this moment even thinking about another man other than her husband would be a sin. her hands in her lap started to shake and she had to hold them tightly together. Someone lifted her veil and she closed her eyes.
"Please breathe princess. It's all going to be okay" She again heard the voice she was desperate to hear. But she didn't know what was real and what was hallucination. But she still released her breathe as he felt her hairline filled with Sindhoor.
The next few rituals went in a blur too, and soon Manasa was rushed to Avyukt's chamber. It was their wedding night, first night.
The maids prepared her and left the chamber, leaving Manasa waiting for the groom. Waiting.. Waiting for her husband to come.. To come and ...
Manasa was now having a panic attack. She couldn't breathe. The previous dizziness came back.
---------------
Avyukt walked in the corridor leading to his chamber with lot of things going on in his head.
"Evacuate the premises." Avyukt ordered and soon the soldiers stationed their left the corridor. Avyukt took a deep breathe as he thought of what to tell Manasa. He hoped her to see him at least once during the wedding but she didn't. In fact, he felt that she was completely absent during the entire ritual. She simply completed every task like a puppet.
This was their first night. He was drunk in his previous life on this day, but now he was all sober and just wished to hug her all the night.
A small smile adorned his lips as he thought of his wife. She was again his wife. His lovely wife. With this thought, the prince opened the door and entered is chamber.
The room was beautifully decorated. Scented candles, their warm glow and the moon light shining in the balcony. He found Manasa already asleep on bed.
'Must be tired' he thought as he took few steps closer to the bed but then his steps stopped. He frowned at the scent of blood mixed in the air.
"M-Manasa" He called as his heart went cold inside his chest. No.. This can't happen.
"MANASA" Avyukt shouted and rushed to her side. It was then he noticed a small dagger in her right hand, and blood flowing out of her left wrist.
She slit her wrist. The sheets under her were all red and there was too much blood. "MANASA" Avyukt panicked and tears gathered in his eyes.
"Is someone out... Maids.. Butler.. COME HERE.." Avyukt screamed as he wrapped a cloth around her wrist. He cursed when he remembered that the corridors were all empty.
"D-Don't leave m-me Manasa. I w-will be back" Avyukt said and rushed out of the room. His face looked pale and his forehead was covered with sweat.
"My prince.." The General called out when he saw the prince running in the corridor looking scared as if some vengeful ghost was chasing after him.
"G-General.. Go G-Go and get a d-doctor. Quick.. GO" Avyukt said and pushed the general towards the door. His behavior was enough for the General to understand the situation. He rushed out to get a doctor but made sure no one saw him or the doctor entering Avyukt's quarters.