PEREGRINATE

CHAPTER 33

POV of Inder:

I never should had Maitri have her way from the beginning. Maybe then she could have still been with me.

Agreeing with her at every step was my downfall.

The days after our late-night meeting were a living nightmare. I spoke words and did things that every part of me was against. But I did it for her. Thinking that it would make her see my love for, see me.

I gave it my all that night in the garden. Played every trick and pleaded on my part to make her stay. However, she held onto her beliefs and remained stubborn. I had walked away utterly defeated. She wanted me to let her go and I was never good at saying no to her.

I could see the fear in her eyes, the fear of staying here, the fear of leaving her world and I was not strong enough to dispel it.

I needed to have my wits with me, however, all my eyes did was search for her, and my ears perked up to hear the sound of her anklets. I had a brother to capture and a queen to marry and yet all I could think of was her.

Every time I laid my eyes on her I vibrated with the need to toss her up on my shoulder, lock her up in the highest room of the castle, and then throw the key out of the window. Force was something that I never appreciated. I was sure she did not either. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

The mere thought of marrying someone else made me shudder. But I had to keep my word. With a heavy heart, I left with some of my soldiers. I should have been alert, and vigilant, but all I could think of was the bleak future ahead of me. My head was a mess. Midway I turned to horse around. I needed to have one last look at the luscious brown locks and the sparkling eyes. She owed me at least a look.

Every instinct of mine insisted that we remain close to each other. Getting separated would only leave us vulnerable. Hence, I extended my invitation to every staff of the castle to attend my wedding. My joy of seeing their excited faces dimmed a little when I realized that my parents might not be as happy.

I did not find her though, the long lines of cart seemed to have every person in the world except the one I was searching for. Fearing the worst, I left my men behind and raced to the castle. How could they just leave her behind? What if someone had taken her?

The courtyards, great hall, the hallways were empty. The main door to the servant quarter was locked from the outside. I ran around the empty grounds screaming her name. As I turned around a corner I saw her squeeze out of the hidden doorway that I had forgotten about.

With my heart beating hard enough to hurt, I charged to her. The fear turned into anger and my voice shook slightly when I asked her what was she up to. My face would not have been pleasant but she hugged me with a big smile. Relief replaced the fear and I could finally take a full breath.

The events of the next few hours left me a changed man. I will never forget them. Even in my afterlife, I would hold on to these precious memories. And then she left me. For forever.

I did not get much but a single moment to grieve. As I held Maitri's limp body in my arms, the rustling of fallen leaves alerted me to someone's presence. Showing my back to him would not be safe. I placed her on the ground and turned around.

My brother came out from the trees. "You have taken everything from me."

"Sounds only fair as you always had what I wanted."

The fool did not realize that it was not going to play in his favor. I had nothing of value to lose any longer. It did not matter if the men from the castle arrived or not. I was going to finish this dog with my own hands.

"Patience," Maitri's voice rang in my ears. I looked back at her quickly hoping to see her alright again. But she laid still.

"Make him talk." I looked around in confusion, trying to determine the source of her voice.

"So what was this great evil plan of yours? You would kill me and get to be the ruler just like that. It was incredibly foolhardy of you to expect that I would give up without a fight."

Hearing her disembodiment voice coupled with just losing her was making it difficult for me to decide a course of action. Sounds were coming out from my mouth and yet I felt separated from my body. This would not do. I needed to have all my senses with me in case he decided to strike.

"Or I could see to your ruin, just like your concubine lying behind you. Tell me how did it feel to know that your woman was carrying my child?" His lips curled up in a cruel sneer. The ugliness of his heart could no longer be contained by his mortal body.

His calling Maitri that name snapped the thin thread that was holding me back. I charged with a roar that had the birds scattering into the sky. Every blade of grass would be washed with his blood.

I had no weapon on me. I had to fight with my hands. He deflected my punch and threw one of its own. I was not quick enough, his blow landed right above my eye. Thinking he had gotten the better of me, he became a bit lax. First mistake. I grabbed onto his waist and threw him to the ground. I straddled him and landed blows upon blows.

He took my world from me. I could not let him breathe the air she no longer had.

Maybe killing him would bring her back to life.

Maybe hurting him would lessen the agony in me.

Maybe-

An arrow narrowly missed me. I looked up to see a man sitting on a tree. The coward had someone stand with a bow and an arrow. I could have been shot. I could have been shot.

And then more men spilled into the meadow. They were my soldiers. Some of the men I did not recognize had their hands tied behind them. He had his men surrounding us hiding behind the trees. It was chaos all around.

A pair of guards dragged Veer away from me. I blinked and stood up, looking around and yet seeing nothing. It took me a while to get my bearings. I was still making sense of what was happening when my eyes landed on my horse standing at the edge of the glade.

Manya's damn plan worked. I had no hopes for it when she told me but she knew better. She always knew better. She kept me safe with not a scratch on me. Maitri's wish had been fulfilled. Manya kept both me and Maitri's son safe. She just did not know how to keep herself safe.

I finally allowed myself to walk over to the lifeless body, to my bleeding heart, and dropped down. I gently picked her up in my arms, as if she could feel any more pain. Her face was calm, serene, free of the anguish lashing at me.

I let out a grief-stricken roar hoping that it reached the heavens, hoping it would make them return her to me. And if that was not possible, I sobbed to be taken to her. I could not see a life without her.

But when there was no change, the world moved on, the birds chirped, the sun shone, the wind blew and my heart shattered, I pressed my lips against her still-warm forehead. After one last pleading look, after one last cry for a miracle, I got up to face my men. I did not wipe away the tears. Let everyone know that this was the day I lost my heart, without her-

"Leave that bastard behind and all of you get out of here."

White hot rage filled me and my gaze hardened. I could picture exactly in my mind how was I going to finish this and that did not call for an audience. I was feeling bloodthirsty.

Author's Corner

I am sorry.

And the story is not over yet.