The Haunted Fortress of Bhangarh: Book 1

55. Shock of a lifetime

Her class test had gone better than she anticipated, and she was able to scrape a few more sentences before the culmination bell rang. Shravani was so busy reminiscing the events of the past that she was certain she would fail the test, but then it wouldn't matter anymore. She was a pro at the language, and her prince would be beyond happy upon listening to her speak so fluently, so lucidly.

Giddy with the thought, she exited the department building after bidding goodbye to Surbhi and Aman. They had a date planned with each other, and she didn't wish to keep them waiting any longer. But she had to stay back since Rudra wished to meet her. Ever since the near-disastrous information he had come across—thankfully he couldn't figure out that the hut was where she lived—she tried to remain vigilant, meeting him whenever he desired to keep his suspicions at bay. She was not sure if she had been able to convince him with her half-baked truth, her prevarications, but for the time being, it seemed like he was back to being normal with her, spending time the way they did earlier.

Leaning against a post of the building, she continued to wait for him to arrive. According to the text message she had just received, he was still working in the Magnetism lab, practicing for his upcoming experimental examinations. Hence, she was left with no other option but to glimpse around and watch the different couples roam about the university premises. The same way she had once roamed about with her prince...

Chitralekha was morose at the thought of having to live apart from Surya for the rest of her life, but despite the knowledge she was in possession of, she couldn't bring herself to go to him the next day and sever all ties with him. Instead, when her mother informed her that the wedding could happen only when the groom returned from Dilli, she gladly went ahead to meet the Prince in the rose gardens. Although the handmaidens still maintained the lush gardens with the pink rose shrubberies swaying in the slight winds, Kalavati seemed to have abandoned worshipping nature as well. Hence, the gardens didn't see any humans venturing inside near sundown, which made it the perfect spot for her to meet him.

He had sent one of his trusted soldiers to her house—in the guise of one of Kalavati's men—to hand over the specific information that she should be present at the spot and at the time he decreed. So, she heeded the order, reaching the spot well before sundown. But much to her amusement, he was already impatiently pacing the length of the gigantic birch tree with his hand over his hips, a scowl adorning his features. However, the moment his gaze fell on her, all the irritation went away in a poof, a calm demeanor washed over his posture, and he grinned wide.

"Where were you?" he said, outstretching his arm towards her to take.

She obliged, slipping his palm in his, but a gasp emitted from her throat when he hauled her towards him, and his hands went over her waist, caressing the soft skin, gazing at her with an ardent passion. She forgot all about her wedding when she collided with him. As another bright blush crept up her cheeks, she giggled. "I reached before time, my Prince."

He skimmed his nose with hers. "No, you made me wait for an entire day, my Princess."

The butterflies in her stomach performed another somersault at the sweet term of endearment he had used for her, and before she knew it, she was kissing him. He reciprocated after a few moments of bewilderment at her sudden onslaught, smiling through the kiss. Both didn't know how things escalated between them, how they landed on the grass below with a thud, their bodies sans the outfits they had adorned. And he kissed every inch of her skin, made love to her under the faint light of the stars, driving her to the point of madness only to pull her back.

The clandestine and highly torrid affair between the prince and the handmaiden of the princess thus commenced. Steamy and sizzling their encounters were each time they met. She had always dreamed to be by his side, and now that it was no longer a dream, she was over the moon. Her mornings were spent waiting for the evening to arrive while she attempted to hide each of the marks her prince gave her out of his immense love for her. On the other hand, the evenings were spent in his arms, away from the prying eyes of the guards, the spies, the soldiers.