Beyond Destiny ~ A Saga Of Timeless Love

04 ~ Friends

"I really hope we all have friends who take our names in prayers without our knowledge."

Ruhanika

When morning finally arrived, my legs were numb and my entire body shivered. It was freezing in the water. Maya came running to me and pulled me out of the water, covering me with a blanket. She was talking, but her words escaped me. I was limited to gazing at her countenance. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot, clearly from all the tears she had shed. But why?

Maya brought me back. She even helped me get dressed before going outside. Undoubtedly, she would depart; her tasks awaited her. Now that I am thinking about the incident with a clear mind and a warm body, I just want to smack that damn princess' head. The curry had just overflowed. It was not a big deal, but she wanted to behave like a female dog. But what should I do whenever someone yells at me, I start crying. I can take a hit without crying, but when someone yells at me, I can not stop crying. Oh my goodness, this is really awkward.

How did I come to be in this state?

The feeling that I won't be able to go back in the future is dreadful. Right now, I want my friends to be with me. They are more than just my pals. They are my family. The feeling of not knowing if I will see them again or not is making me uneasy. I am feeling very empty and alone in this strange place, surrounded by rude people, first that commander, and now this princess.

I am still trying to adjust to the fact that I am in a different world, and servants were treated similarly in antiquity, but I am still hurt. It hurts to be humiliated in this way. I am in this mess because of my own stupidity.

Then my train of thought was interrupted when the door opened again and Maya came back with food. I looked at the food and realized I had not eaten since yesterday.

"Please, Ruhi, eat this; you must be fatigued and hungry. You can rest today," she said, and I wanted to argue, but I was hungry and tired. I grabbed the plate and began to cram food into my mouth. Maya's guilty gaze never left mine as I ate in silence, the room devoid of sound. When I finished my meal and put my plate away, she suddenly lunged at me, hugged me tightly, and began whispering sorry in my ears.

"I am sorry, Ruhi; it is entirely my fault you are still learning everything. I should not have instructed you to serve the royals. Please forgive me." I could feel teardrops on my neck. She was crying. I hugged her back, saying,

"It's okay, Maya, don't cry. You already have swollen eyes. In any case, it was my fault because I was careless when serving. Please don't cry." I was disappointed in Maya yesterday, but now that I am at ease, I realize it was not her fault because even though she attended, she has no authority to speak out against them.

"No, Ruhi, you are new here. As a head maid and a friend, it was my duty to help you as you do not understand many things yet, and I failed miserably at that." She is such a cute woman. I swear, it was not even her fault. I am overjoyed that she told me we are friends because I was terrified yesterday. I believed that nobody here gave a damn about me. However, it seems I was mistaken.

"You told me I am your friend, and you are still apologizing; in my culture, friends do not apologize, okay? Now let me give you something to brighten your mood." Saying that, I began looking for my travel bag, which was thankfully with me when I time-travelled. I took out two truffles from my bag and handed one to her.

"What is this, Ruhi?" she inquired with a cute expression.

"It is called chocolate and it is like a dessert; let me open it for you." I opened the wrapper and told her to eat it, which she did with a funny expression on her face, looking at me amused. She continued to eat the chocolate and make various expressions.

"It is very tasty, Ruhi, and I have never eaten anything like this before. Would you please give me another one?" I laughed and gave it to her, as she asked me like a child would ask her mother.

I continued to stare at her while she continued to eat her chocolates. It was consoling, for some reason I cannot explain. Maybe because I instinctively felt she was my friend and that she cared for me. For now, her company suffices even though I am unable to tell her anything. My mind was suddenly filled with a question,

"Maya, who was the Princess who gave me the punishment?"

"You ruined my mood by asking about her. Anyway, she is the princess of Avanti ~ Avantika, daughter of Nandivardhana Pradyota. She is said to be the most beautiful princess of Hind, just as our prince is the most handsome prince of Hind. If only her personality was as beautiful as her face. She is very arrogant, and she always treats us like we are dust in front of her." She continued speaking, but when I heard the words prince and handsome, my mind flashed back to yesterday evening, when he was staring at me. His green eyes were so stunning and deep that I wanted to dive into them. What the hell, Ruhi? Focus.

"You know, once she was here, she asked for food, but when the attendee gave her food, she told her that she was late and threw the hot curry at her. It was agonizing to watch that attendee. That's why I took you from there immediately but she signaled the guards to follow us, she wanted to confirm that you were punished, the guards were standing there at a distance looking at us, that's why I couldn't even comfort you, I am sorry Ruhi." Princess Avantika might have a striking appearance, but I think her personality is more Kamolika-like.

"I told you right, don't say sorry it wasn't your fault. But tell me one thing why did she come here before? In any case, is she connected to the prince?"

"Not yet, but the princess has always desired to wed our prince. She occasionally traveled here with her parents to attend royal events. Our queen is her mother's best friend, and they hope to soon turn their friendship into a relationship. I have heard that they wanna do an engagement as soon as possible. Due to the prince's absence from the kingdom, it was postponed until now." That means the prince already has a fiance. The person I had a crush on while I was here committed, so my current romantic life is over. My whole life is moye-moye.

After our conversation, Maya suggested that I take a nap, which was exactly what I needed to do in order to function.

At least, I have a friend here. Maybe I can survive until I figure out how to get back home.

AUTHOR P.O.V

Princess Avantika, what do guys think about her?

Maya is a good friend.

Don't worry. You will get Ruh-Dev moments soon. Just keep reading.

*I am very bad at making shipping names. Maybe you guys could help me. Please comment your suggestions.*

Don't forget to vote.