Barrister Babu: One Shots- Until you Came.

Chapter 8: Rivals in love.

Setting: An old world, Western in political structure, era of Kings & Queens– of swordsmen & swordswomen. Anidita worked for the National Guild Association for Swordsmanship. They were the best candidates (Anirudh- 17, Bondita- 16) for the Seven-Year Golden Festival, a contest that took place every seven years among young talents to prove their worth, and Anidita were rivals at par with each other, fated to either win or die. The victor would be eligible for the position of a Gladius, the Gladiuses being the most revered warriors in the kingdom, working directly under the Rulers.

A few days before the festival, in the middle of Anidita's close combat sparring ~

BONDITA'S POV:-

I held my gaze in anticipation for his next move.

Eight years...for eight years I had worked my blood and sweat into my craft, hoping to win against the man in front of me and achieve my dream. These years had been long, tedious, led by the grit of a true warrior...and yet, they were agonisingly sweet in passing.

The man I had to fight had become the man I had grown to care for.

But the latter could only fade as a forgotten feeling.

Anirudh followed up his left punch to my neck with a right elbow to my ribs. I was pushed back as beads of sweat rolled down my forehead, and I was starting to get tired from Anirudh's hours-long nonstop onslaught.

Before he could turn around to jab me for a second time, I composed myself and gracefully dodged the oncoming blow. If I hadn't dodged this one, I'd be on the ground, knocked out. I shifted my body to perform a roundhouse kick, which connected squarely with his jaw. Anirudh swayed and stumbled, and even though the damage wasn't much due to my naturally lean and light physique, it still stirred his head for a while, giving me enough time to land a forward knee to his stomach and a low sweep that sent him to the dirt.

The rules were simple– the first one to make the other lose their footing on the ground completely would win.

I had won.

In all these years, I had never once won a fight against Anirudh...the Anirudh.

The guild regarded us equally but even they knew that Anirudh had the advantage of brute, raw strength over me– and for the first time ever, my quick-thinking and witty moves had saved my grace.

I was really, really happy.

Then I looked down, my eyes drifting to the young man that lay defeated before me.

His eyes glinted in a way that was anything but scorn, guilt or shame. They gripped me in a softness that no one did, as if he were more proud of my success than sad of his own failure, and there was a distant melancholy playing in them. A little drop of moisture found its way through the corner of his eye, and he turned away, avoiding my face.

"Stop." I said, unsure of my own words, of my own actions.

Why was I doing this? I knew I didn't really hate him, but why was I affected so much by his pain?

'You know why, Bondita.' Something inside me intoned.

"Is...is that a tear?" Regret filled my heart as soon as those words slipped out.

"Yes, yes it is." He said, his eyes still averted away, his raven hair hanging in thin strands across his face, hiding him from any scrutiny.

'You know, you know.' The inner voice's chant continued.

"Why...?" I asked, confused by everything.

What was I asking, what was I even looking for? Maybe...maybe...I did know.

"You already know. Our fate is sealed, and the longing I feel, the same feelings you bear, will never be fulfilled. One of us will serve. The other will die."

His statements stung like angry bees on a healing wound, as if a monk on the path of nirvana was sentenced to rot in hell.

"You can't be sure. Fate is a destined direction, and directions change." I spoke firmly, my soul overwhelmed by this sudden confession. It was to happen one of these days, and yet it still hurt. It hurt so much.

Mixed feelings had always found themselves intertwined in my affairs with Anirudh, but this was intense...this conversation solidified all our fears and nullified all our joys.

When did it happen? When did I begin to love you so, so much?

"I love you, regardless of whatever fate has in store for us." Those three painfully beautiful words danced on his tongue as casually as he smirked, then winked and walked away.

"Me too." I said, more to myself than to Anirudh.

'You knew, you knew.' The chant finally stopped.

                                                              * * *

Note:

Hey guys!! I'm sorry about the really inconsistent schedule but life is really unpredictable, don't you agree? *sobs in a weak body and unhealthy lifestyle* TwT TwT

Anyway, this chapter is especially close to my heart as a fantasy fiction nerd lmao. The fight was heavily inspired by TBATE cuz my arse can't write good action for Merlin's sake. Hope you enjoyed it, and please offer your suggestions and feedback in the comments!!

~Love, Iris.