"Virendra, your dressing sense is a bit strange today." Mahesh looked at his friend awkwardly while the latter was busy adjusting his turban.
"Why do you say so?" Virendra asked while checking himself in the mirror.
"You wear your clothes like merchants which doesn't make you look like a royal and can be counted as you are hiding your identity but you are going to an ordinary man's house at night. Then instead of wearing ordinary clothes, why are you wearing these? Which type of disguise is this!?" Mahesh asked as he stood up from the couch and walked towards his friend.
"I am not disguising Mahesh. I am just wearing these clothes so that no one could recognize me easily that I am a prince and cause an unnecessary ruckus at this hour." Virendra replied while folding a long silk cloth to use as a waistband. "I will go there as a prince so I don't need to disguise. Lavanya is the one who is disguising." He wrapped the cloth around his waist efficiently, making it look like a waistband.
"She is going with you?" Mahesh asked excitedly.
"Why are you getting so excited about this?" Virendra glanced at his friend while putting a simple pearl chain around his neck.
"My dear dumb friend, you are the one who should get excited, not me. You are going to have such a nice time to spend with her." Mahesh's face fell and he huffed before walking a few steps back.
"I know Mahesh." Virendra chuckled at his friend's expressions. "She is disguising as an elderly doctor."
Mahesh's eyes widened in amusement. "Virendra, can I accompany you to her room? I want to see her too." He said with excitement in his voice.
Virendra turned towards Mahesh with a smirk on his face. "Are you sure you are going there to see Lavanya? Or...do you want to see someone else?"
"Are you teasing me now?!" Mahesh glared at Virendra. "I am trying to help you while you are teasing me. Do you think it's fair?"
"Sorry about that." Virendra laughed. "Let's go, it's getting late."
Virendra's eyes widened when he witnessed the scene in Lavanya's room as he stood flabbergasted at the door along with Mahesh.
Jyotimani was standing beside Lavanya with her lips pressed together tightly, trying to control her laughter while Lavanya was glaring at her as if Jyotimani stole her most precious thing. Lavanya's long hair which was hanging till her waist looked white and messy.
"What's going on?" Coming out of a daze, Virendra stepped inside the room, followed by Mahesh.
"Greetings your highness." Jyotimani immediately bowed to the prince while Lavanya just glanced at Virendra before averting her gaze to the clean mirror before her.
"What happened?" Virendra asked while looking at Lavanya who was trying to avoid the men's gaze on her.
"Your highness, does princess Lavanya look bad with this white hair? Doesn't it suit her disguise?" Jyotimani asked while hoping for a positive answer from Virendra.
"Her hair looks perfect." Virendra smiled while his eyes traveled to her long hair. "Her clothes, as well as hair, makes her look like an elderly person."
"See." Jyotimani looked Lavanya. "Didn't I say your hair makes you look like an elderly person?" She said proudly as she had done the most difficult task in the world.
"I told you to find a wig for me but you just applied a strange white powder to my entire hair!" Lavanya glared at Jyotimani.
"Your highness, your hair really suits your disguise." Mahesh smiled gently, trying to comfort her.
Those warm words made Lavanya look at Mahesh instantly. "Don't I look ridiculous?" She asked in a low voice.
"You look perfect." Unknowingly, Virendra and Mahesh said unison. "Huh?!" Both of them looked at each other, feeling unprepared at the situation.
"Thank you." Lavanya smiled before turning towards Jyotimani. "Help me to make a bun, Jyoti." She said while putting on a pair of gold bangles on both her hands and put a gold chain necklace around her neck.
"Done." Jyotimani smiled while putting a simple hairpin in Lavanya's bun so that the bun wouldn't become loose and strands of hair won't come out of it.
"Thank you." Lavanya smiled as she stood up from her seat.
"Why are you wearing only one necklace?" A frown formed on his face when he saw that Lavanya was wearing a simple gold chain necklace and the mangalsutra.
"Prince, I am in the disguise of an elderly person and an elderly person doesn't wear high jewelry," Lavanya explained. How will you know about the dressing sense of women!? You are God Of War after all. I sometimes feel glad that you at least remember how I look like. Lavanya rolled her eyes before her hand traveled to a small box kept on the table. Opening the box, she took out a small dagger.
"Why are you carrying this, princess?" Jyotimani's eyes widened when Lavanya hid the dagger carefully in her clothes.
"I always carry this with me," Lavanya replied confidently as she turned towards Virendra and nodded her head, signaling his that she was ready to depart.
"Your highness, Virendra can protect you," Mahesh said but he was amused at Lavanya's strong sense of independence.
"Mahesh, you should call me Lavanya." Lavanya looked at Mahesh. "You used to call me by my name back then. How come it suddenly became princess?"
"Your highness, things aren't the same now," Mahesh said politely.
"Things are still the same, Mahesh. It's us who think things have changed. You still call prince Virendra by his name but you call me princess. It's not fair." Lavanya asserted while trying to change his mind.
"I think Lavanya is right, Mahesh." Virendra agreed with his wife while a smile formed on the latter's face. "It really sounds a bit weird when you call her your highness since we all grew up together."
"Mahesh, we will be leaving now. Take care of Jyotimani in my absence." Lavanya walked beside Virendra after taking out the medicine which the royal physician gave to her.
"Huh?" Mahesh at once looked at Lavanya and then at Virendra. "W-why should I take care of y-your maid, Lavanya?" He stammered while nervousness suddenly engulfed him.
Virendra bit his lower lip as he internally chuckled at Mahesh's expressions while Jyotimani's soul almost left her body after listening to Lavanya's words.
"Mahesh, I am just asking you to keep an eye on her. I don't want someone to enter this room and do something bad to her." Lavanya sounded a bit annoyed because of their weird reactions. "You are behaving as if I asked you to marry her."
"He will, don't worry princess Lavanya," Virendra said in a serious tone, trying to suppress his urge to burst into laughter. I really like this thing about her. She says complicated things in a simple way, making the other person experience a sudden shock. Mahesh will keep an eye on Jyotimani even if she doesn't say anything. And now it's like he can do it more freely. He shook his head and looked at Lavanya. "We should leave now."
"Mn." Lavanya nodded. She glanced at Jyotimani once before leaving the room.
It was a full moon night and the gently shining moon was the only source in the light as most of the city Maheswari was sleeping peacefully. A slight breeze added more calmness to the environment which could even take away all the pain of a depressed person.
Virendra and Lavanya were walking as fast as possible. They only had one thing in their minds and it was to prove the woman wasn't lying about her pregnancy. Since they were going in late hours, they decided not to take any guards with them so that it wouldn't cause any problem to the citizens.
Soon they arrived at a beautiful two-storied house. Virendra stopped, as a result, Lavanya too had to cease her walking.
"It's their house," Virendra said in a deep tone and Lavanya at once looked at her husband with wide eyes.
"They live in a two-storied house!?" Lavanya asked with disbelief in her eyes as she assumed that the family would live a simple way in a normal house.
"I was too shocked at first. Judging from the man's simplicity, no one can guess that they have such a beautiful two-storied house." Virendra explained in a low voice. "You know what to do right?" He glanced at his wife to which the latter nodded.
Virendra knocked on the door and after a few minutes, the man opened the door. He immediately recognized the prince and bowed to him. Virendra told the man that he wanted to check the health of the lady with the help of a royal physician whom he had brought so that he could confirm that she was pregnant.
The man nodded and both Lavanya and Virendra went inside the house. The man took Lavanya to the room where his wife was making the bed. When the man left her alone with his wife, Lavanya started to check her pulse. A frown appeared on her face when she realized that the pulse rate was little more than a normal pulse rate. She asked the woman if she ate something very sour and some herbal medicines in the past few days. As a reply, the woman informed Lavanya that her mother-in-law gave her a kadha (herbal medicine) saying that it would keep her strong. Lavanya immediately understood what had actually happened. She gave her the medicine which the royal physician had made and told her that if she throws up then she wasn't pregnant but she didn't throw up, then it meant that she was pregnant.
After checking up, Lavanya came downstairs and told the man about how the medicine would work. The man bowed to both Lavanya and Virendra before the couple left the house. Both of them hid behind a tall banyan tree in front of the house. Once then had felt that the man went to sleep, they came out.
"How was it?" Virendra asked in a low voice so that only Lavanya could hear him.
"I have done my task," Lavanya informed. "She said that her mother-in-law gave her some kadha to keep her strong. I am sure that the kadha is none other than that herb which shows pregnancy symptoms."
"Such a cruel mother-in-law!" Virendra gritted his teeth.
"The man and his wife sleep in the room where I have checked the woman," Lavanya informed while keeping an eye on the dim light emitting from the window. "We need to climb up there and wait there until the results are come out."
"Are you sure we need to keep an eye on them?" Virendra asked nervously as he feared to see something inappropriate accidentally.
"Otherwise how will we conclude that the woman isn't pregnant?" Lavanya replied in an annoyed tone. "The wicked mother-in-law is asleep. So she doesn't know about our arrival."
Virendra nodded and both of them walked towards the house. The structure of the house made it easy for them to climb the walls and both of them hid behind the open windows. They waited patiently while the woman inside the house was waiting, hoping that she would throw up.
It was around 30 minutes but there were no signs of the woman to throw up. Lavanya looked at Virendra while the latter looked at her with hopeless eyes.
Did our plan really fail!? Is she really pregnant!? Then...did she acted so well in the court that even Sanvika Devi got fooled?! A number of thoughts clouded Lavanya's mind, making her feel worthless for a few seconds until Virendra's deep voice pulled her out of her daze.
"Lavanya, I think she is throwing up," Virendra said in a low voice but the excitement was evident in it.
Lavanya at once became conscious while the sound from the room made her confirm that the woman was throwing up. A bright smile appeared on her face and she looked at Virendra while her eyes showed happiness as if she won a war. Virendra nodded a little with a smile on his face, conveying that Lavanya's plan worked perfectly.
When they were about to climb down, the man walked towards the window while both Virendra and Lavanya stood still without making any noise to avoid getting caught. The man closed the window where Lavanya was standing, leaving the other side open. When Lavanya felt that the couple inside the house put out the lamp and drifted into sleep, she looked at Virendra while the latter nodded, signaling her to climb down.
Climbing down quickly, Virendra looked up only to find Lavanya was still standing at the window. A frown formed on his face when he saw Lavanya had no intention to climb down. He wiggled his eyebrows while looking at Lavanya, asking her why she wasn't coming down. She looked at him like a guilty kid and held her pallu, trying to show him something. Virendra's brows furrowed even more when he saw that the end of the pallu got stuck at the window.
Damn! Cannot that man be a little careful while closing that window!? Virendra hissed in rage. How will she come down now? He looked around but couldn't find any solution. Letting out a deep breath he looked up and spread his arms, gesturing her to jump and he would catch her. Lavanya shook her head vigorously while her eyes almost threatened to pop out of her sockets after realizing Virendra's gestures. He again moved his hands gesturing her to jump while the latter denied again by shaking her head vigorously. Virendra never felt this helpless before, not even in dangerous battles. He could neither shout which will surely disturb the neighboring people nor change her mind to jump. Feeling helpless, he looked at her with pleading eyes, trying to tell her to trust him. Finding no other option, she looked at Virendra once before glancing at the place where the part of her pallu got stuck.
Mahadev, only you can save me. Lavanya briefly looked at the sky. She closed her eyes tightly so that she couldn't see what would happen if the prince wouldn't catch her. Mahadev, please help me. She internally thought and jumped from the place, getting ready to embrace her fate.
She expected to fall on the ground and break her bones but nothing happened. When she felt no reaction on her body, she slowly opened her eyes only to find herself in Virendra's arms while the latter was looking at her with affection in his eyes. Her eyes widened a bit when she realized that Virendra caught her and protected her from falling down and hitting the rough floor.
"P-prince, put me down." Lavanya looked everywhere but Virendra as she felt awkward by that position.
"Prince Virendra doesn't take orders, princess," Virendra said in a whispering tone while watching Lavanya wriggle in his arms.
Lavanya looked at Virendra with so done face. "My husband, my prince Virendra, please put me down," Lavanya said dramatically while faking a smile so that she could control her outrage because to her husband's behavior.
"What if I don't put you down?" Virendra asked playfully but received a glare from Lavanya.
"I will get off by myself," Lavanya explained calmly while a huge storm was forming inside her.
"Try then." Virendra arched his brows while a smirk appeared on his face.
Lavanya glared at Virendra and started to throw her hands and legs aimlessly in the air, trying to get off while Virendra tightened his grip around her so that she wouldn't fall down and hurt herself.
"Stop struggling!" Virendra huffed while trying hard to protect her from falling down.
"Put me down first!" Lavanya struggled.
Unable to cope up with Lavanya's stubbornness, Virendra withdrew his hands without putting her down. When Lavanya felt that Virendra removed his hands without a warning, a fear of falling down overtook her and she immediately snaked her arms around Virendra's neck, holding onto him tightly.
"Prince!" She closed her eyes tightly while snuggling close to his chest so that she wouldn't fall down easily.
"Lavanya?" Virendra uttered softly when he felt an unknown warmth spread across his body when her soft body snuggled close to his while his hands held her tightly so that she wouldn't fall at any cost.
Virendra's soft voice made Lavanya open her eyes and look at him. He slowly lowered his arms and helped her to stand up. Lavanya bit her lower lip while looking away from Virendra to avoid such an awkward situation. Suddenly Virendra's eyes fell on Lavanya's shoulder where the pallu was torn a bit.
"Lavanya, your saree," Virendra said in a low voice and Lavanya immediately realized that the lower part, as well as the part of her shoulder of the saree, was torn.
She looked at him as if she was unprepared for that move. Subconsciously, her hand moved to her shoulder, trying to cover the torn part as she suddenly felt uneasy due to that situation. Sensing her discomfort, Virendra let out a deep sigh before undoing the silk cloth which he had used as his waistband.
"W-what are you doing!?" Lavanya uttered when she saw Virendra undoing his waistband.
Without giving any reply, he spread out that silk cloth and wrapped it around Lavanya protectively, such that even the calm breeze would ask permission before touching Lavanya. "You won't feel cold now." He said as he moved a step back.
"Thank you," Lavanya said in a low voice while her lips curved into a faint smile.
"Mn." Virendra nodded. "I think we should return to the palace. It's already late."
Lavanya nodded and both of them departed for the palace.
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"Prince my room is in that direction," Lavanya said when she realized that Virendra wasn't walking towards her room but his room.
"I know," Virendra said while walking. "You are staying in my room tonight."
"What?" Lavanya's jaws slacked at Virendra's words. "No! I will sleep in my room."
"Don't be so stubborn Lavanya. It's already late and I am sure your maid has already fallen asleep. Moreover, your saree is torn and you are wrapping my cloth around you." Virendra said in a firm voice. "What will people think if they see you in this condition?"
Lavanya's lips parted a bit to say something but she couldn't find proper words as Virendra's words were true. The maids and servants will surely spread rumors if they see her in that condition. Sighing in defeat, she followed Virendra like a lost puppy to his room.
"Prince, what will I wear?" Lavanya asked after she entered the room followed by Virendra.
"You can wear my clothes." He said while taking off his turban and put it on the table.
"Huh!?" Lavanya's eyes almost popped out of her sockets while her jaws slacked. "How can I wear your clothes? I am a woman."
"Aren't you a warrior? Did you wear saree while practicing swordsmanship?" Virendra looked at her while her eyes were fixed on him.
"Prince, it's different. Moreover, your clothes are too large for me." Lavanya tried to find out a reason to decline Virendra's words. "I need women's clothes."
"Alright." Virendra huffed as he glanced at his wife with annoyance in his eyes. "I will bring your clothes from Jyotimani. But...what shall I ask her?"
"Tell her to give me a simple lehenga vaani," Lavanya replied.
"Mn." Virendra nodded and went to bring clothes for her.
When Virendra returned to his room with the clothes, he saw Lavanya was standing beside the huge window while her long slender fingers were running through her opened hair which was hanging freely below her waist. The soothing moonlight was touching her face softly while the slight breeze was caressing her face gently, making her look like an ethereal beauty. A smile formed on Virendra's face as his eyes captured one of the most mesmerizing scenes he had ever seen.
"Your clothes..." Virendra walked into the room, grabbing Lavanya's attention.
"Thank you." Lavanya smiled as she extended her hands to receive the clothes.
"Your whitish hair looked perfect with your disguise. Why did you get angry at your maid?" Virendra asked as he walked towards the table.
"It's not that I am angry because of this white hair, but because I asked her to find a wig for me but she applied some powder to my hair." Lavanya sighed while her fingers still ran through her long hair. "I don't know how long it will take to wash this powder from my hair."
"Well...I think you should change your clothes and go to sleep." Virendra put his necklace on the table before turning towards Lavanya.
"Prince..." Lavanya sounded a bit unsure. "C-can you please go out of this room while I c-change my clothes?" She looked down, unable to meet her gaze with her husband's while her ears turned pink.
"Aahhh hahaha...yes yes. I am leaving." Virendra awkwardly laughed before looking away from her. "I will come after a few minutes." Saying so he stormed out of the room while a chuckle escaped from Lavanya's lips, seeing how unprepared her husband was.
Virendra walked towards Mahesh's room wearing an idiotic smile on his face. A flash of memories of that night flooded in his mind which made his grin like a teenager in love. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize that he had reached his friend's room.
"Your highness, how long are you planning to stand at the door?" Mahesh asked with his hands crossed across his chest while annoyance was obvious in his voice as he stood at the door, waiting for Virendra to come out of his daze.
"Huh?" Virendra looked at Mahesh as the latter's words pulled him out of the daze.
"Can I have the honor of welcoming the mighty prince Virendra inside my room?" Mahesh bowed before Virendra and moved his arm, showing the way inside his room.
"Why are you behaving like this?" Virendra huffed as he walked inside the room.
"Me? It's you are who is behaving out of character." Mahesh uttered as he sat on the couch while Virendra sat on another couch. "But first tell me, did something happen between you two? Why do you look so happy?" Mahesh's gaze was pierced at his friend while a mischievous grin appeared on his face.
"A lot of things happened," Virendra replied with a big smile on his face.
"Hm?" Mahesh arched his brow as he stared at Virendra, waiting for the latter to continue.
"She is sleeping in my room tonight." The prince informed with an idiotic grin on his face.
"What?!" Mahesh's eyes bulged out listening to his friend's words. "Did she already forgive you? Did you already apologize to her?"
"I haven't apologized to her yet," Virendra replied. "Her saree is torn so I asked her to sleep in my room."
"Oh!" Mahesh rolled his eyes while all his excitement drained from his face. "So she is compelled to sleep in your room."
"Why are you making that face now?" Virendra asked as he rested his hand on the arm of the couch.
"Nothing my friend. But first, tell me what are you doing here?" Mahesh asked as he sat straight in his seat.
"She is changing her clothes," Virendra replied as he closed his eyes briefly for a moment.
"Virendra, is the woman proved innocent?" Mahesh inquired of his friend.
"Mn." Virendra nodded. "She is innocent. Her mother-in-law made her drink some herbal extract which made her show the symptoms of pregnancy." He let out a deep breath and looked at his friend. "Tomorrow something big is going to happen at the royal darbar. I am sure that neither wicked mother-in-law nor the doctor will accept their crime easily. I don't know why but I suddenly feel that we have to prove in front of everyone that the woman is not pregnant."
"Don't think too much about it," Mahesh said in a gentle voice. "It's already late. I think Lavanya has already changed her clothes. You should return to your room now."
"Mn." Virendra nodded as he stood up. "Good night, Mahesh."
"Good Night." Mahesh smiled and Virendra walked out of the room.
When Virendra entered the room, his eyes fell on a peacefully sleeping Lavanya. Her clothes were changed into a simple blue and orange colored lehenga-vaani while her long hair was tied into a beautiful long braid which was hanging freely from the bed.
She already fell asleep. Virendra smiled as he walked carefully inside the room to avoid making any noise. Walking towards a big trunk, he slowly opened it and took out a warm blanket for Lavanya. Tiptoeing, he went to Lavanya and softly covered her with the blanket.
As the fabric of the blanket touched Lavanya's body, she realized that some intruder entered the room. Without opening her eyes, she immediately held Virendra's hand tightly before twisting it and pulled him to the bed with force. She immediately put her dagger at his neck, pressing it against the skin.
"P-prince!?" Lavanya's eyes widened when she realized that the intruder was none other than her husband. She immediately got off him and stood beside the bed. "I-I am s-sorry prince. I t-thought it was some i-intruder."
"Ah! Lavanya, cannot you be a little gentle with me?" Virendra winced as he sat on the bed while messaging the part of the wrist which got twisted by his wife. "Are you planning to kill your husband?"
"I-I am a really sorry prince. I didn't mean to do it." Lavanya quickly asserted, trying to make the prince believed that what she did was unintentional. "I thought it was some intruder." Her eyes traveled to his wrist which he was holding while trying to reduce the pain. "Does it hurt much?" She looked at her husband with guilty eyes.
"Of course it hurts," Virendra said while pressing his thumb on his wrist and moving it in a circular motion to disperse the pain.
"I am a really sorry prince." Lavanya was looking down all the time. "I will bring some medicine for you."
"Lavan-" Before Virendra could complete his words, Lavanya rushed out of the room. It doesn't hurt as much as she is thinking. He chuckled upon remembering Lavanya's worried face. But she is really a wild cat. I would have almost lost my life if she hasn't looked at me. I am glad that she didn't twist my hand using her full force otherwise it would take around two weeks to cure the sprain. It looks like it will take about two or three days to cure this.
Virendra was immersed in deep thought when the sound of Lavanya's anklet made him look at her. "Lavanya?" Virendra got down from the bed and walked towards her who was holding a bowl of yellow paste and white cloth in her hands.
"Take a seat prince," Lavanya said in a low voice. "I need to take care of your injury."
Virendra nodded and sat on the bed. Lavanya sat beside him and spread her palm as if she was asking for something.
"Mn?" Virendra arched his brow, looking at her with questioning eyes.
"Your hand," Lavanya said and Virendra realized what she was asking for. He gently put his injured wrist on Lavanya's palm.
Letting out a deep breath, Lavanya took out a good amount of the paste and applied it to Virendra's injured wrist.
"What's it?" Virendra asked as the yellow paste felt warm while Lavanya's entire focus was on Virendra's wrist.
"It's a mixture of turmeric, lime juice, and warm water. It will help you to reduce the pain as well as it will control the inflammation." She explained while spreading the paste evenly on the wrist. Taking the white cloth, she wrapped it gently around Virendra's wrist, making a bandage around it. "It will get cured within two days and if you give complete rest to it, it may get cured in a day." She replied with a smile after taking care of the injury.
"Thank you," Virendra said softly while looking at her affectionately.
"I think you should sleep on the bed," Lavanya said as she walked towards the couch.
"Where will you sleep then?" Virendra immediately stood up.
"I will sleep on the couch," Lavanya said in a gentle voice.
"No! You are sleeping on the bed and I am sleeping on the couch." Virendra said in a firm voice. "It's just a slight sprain. It's not that my and got broken and I cannot sleep on the couch."
"But prince..."
"No more buts." Virendra took a pillow and walked to the couch. "Sleep on the bed. It's already late and I am feeling very tired." He said while lying comfortably for the royal couch, feeling the soft cushion beneath him.
"Good night prince," Lavanya said in a low voice as she laid on the bed and pulled the blanket over her.
"Good night," Virendra replied before closing his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.
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4915 words...
Well, I wanted to ask something. Are VirAnya moments seem to get rushed? Can you feel the affection in the moments? Do I need to improve in writing the feelings?
I really need your honest opinions because I cannot understand if it's okay or not.