Royal Secrets (Shhhh)

Chapter 14. ~Dust & Sky~

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"H... Hukum, I... I th... think I... I... I lo..."
Dhara's words crumbled midway, and before they could escape her trembling lips, she quickly covered her mouth with both hands.

Her eyes widened in shock as they landed on the dupatta lying before her. A strange silence surrounded her, echoing only her own heartbeat. She stood frozen-helpless, horrified, and lost.

"Are you out of your mind, Dhara?" she whispered to herself, tears spilling from her eyes.
She was crying, not because she was weak, but because she was torn-between what she felt and what she believed was right.

"You can't say that. You have no right," her mind screamed at her.
"Do you even remember who you are and who he is? Can someone touch the moon, Dhara? No. It's just a fairytale. Hukum isn't a storybook prince; he's a real king. And you... you are not Cinderella. You're a servant of this palace, born to serve, not to dream. Don't let your foolish heart forget that."

Her own thoughts scolded her like a strict guardian.
"In fairytales, Cinderella finds her prince. But this... this is real life. No Prince Charles is going to take you away from here. You are a servant-and you will always be one. It's a sin to even think like this about him. He saved your life, Dhara. He showed you kindness-an unimaginable favor. And you... this is how you repay him? By letting your heart wander into forbidden desires? Don't be so naive."

But another voice spoke too-softer, but deeply painful.

"Even if he saved your life, does that mean he can claim it?" her heart asked gently.
"Do you not value your dignity? Is your self-respect so cheap that one favor can buy it? Every time you stand close to him, does your soul not tremble? Would you have allowed any of this if your parents were still alive? Does your heart not cry out in shame? Can you even forgive yourself?"

Her hand instinctively moved to her chest-her heart was racing. She felt suffocated.

"Enough! Both of you, just stop it!" Dhara cried out loud, her voice filled with anguish.

"If my parents were alive, I wouldn't be living like this-like someone with no one in the world."
Her voice trembled, but her pain flowed freely now.
"Aaj meri bhi apni family hoti... and maybe I'd be laughing somewhere, living a life full of love. But destiny took them away before I could even know them. What was my fault? I never saw my parents except in faded photographs. I don't know how it feels to be in a mother's warm embrace, or how it feels to rest your worries on a father's shoulder."

She looked up, her eyes brimming with sorrow.

"I've only ever imagined it. For all these years, I just survived. And then, you came. For the first time, someone saw my pain... really saw it. Maybe for you, it was nothing. Maybe you do this for everyone. But for me... it was everything."

She gave a soft, tearful smile.

"I had accepted this life. I wasn't happy, but I wasn't desperate to escape either. They are my family-even if they never saw me as theirs. But then you... you came like magic. Like a miracle I never believed in. You did something no one has ever done. You made me feel seen. Hukum... you are special to me. So, so special."

Her voice broke again, fragile now.

"But what happened that day... what did you do to me? Why did you touch me like that? Why there?"
She looked down, shame and fear mixing in her teary eyes.
"I didn't like it. I didn't understand it. Did I make a mistake by not stopping you? Am I going to be punished for that now? Please... please don't cast me out of Suryagardh."

She looked at her dupatta once more, clutching it to her chest like a shield-as if it could protect her from the storm within.

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