Beyond Destiny ~ A Saga Of Timeless Love

08 ~ Bathed In Blood

"When I know you are in pain, it hurts inside of me, too."

Ruhanika

"Rooh, why are you crying?" I did not realize when the tears began to fall. I do not know why I am crying. Looking at him like this hurts me. But why? What is going on with me, and why do I care? I can not see anyone in pain, and that is the only reason I am worried about him.

"Leave my hand. I need to call someone. You are losing blood. It can be hazardous to your health," I said, attempting to free my hand from his grip. Instead of releasing my hand, he tightened his grip on my wrist.

"Why does it matter to you? You should be pleased to learn that I am hurt. Why these tears?" he said.

"Why should I be happy? You think I am insensitive; I am a human with emotions; why are you hurting me with your harsh words? Tell me, did I attempt to harm you or anyone else here? Yet you are constantly hurting me. I know I do not belong here, but I can never hurt anyone. I am not a spy, Prince Dev Pratap Singh."

I jerked my hand free from his grip and began walking toward the entrance to inform someone. The soldier who is always seen outside the chamber door is not present.

I ran into the corridor to find someone, and then I saw Commander, so I ran toward him and told him,

"Commander, Prince.... He... He is injured, he is bleeding, and I do not know where to find a doctor." I told him, stuttering due to my uneven breathing.

"What? How did you know?" I am telling him that someone has been injured, and all he says is, "How do you know?"

"I found him in the corridor as I was walking back into my room, but that is not important right now. He needs assistance; call the doctor." I roared at him.

He told a soldier to call the doctor, then asked me where the prince was, to which I replied that he was in his chamber. I am not sure how much time has passed. It is already twilight. Doctors treated him. It was a severe injury, and it appeared that someone had attacked him. Everyone was running here and there, and the entire palace was waiting for him to awaken. They really love him.

I do not know how I am feeling. He hurt me today, and I know we are not close enough for him to trust me. He does not even know me. These tranquil sentiments make me feel lost. The more I try to ignore these feelings, the more I recognize them.

I am worried about him and just want him to wake up. Even though he hurt me with his words, I can not seem to hate him. I am not sure whether I like him or not, but I have strong feelings for him. His pain is causing me more pain than necessary. It is not right; I can not do it. He will get engaged soon; I should not think about him like this.

Everyone returned to their chambers after the doctor confirmed that he was fine and that he should rest. I also returned to my room after eating. Sleep was far away from my gaze. I wanted to check with my own eyes to make sure he was okay.

Whether I slept at all is a mystery to me. I headed to his chamber first thing in the morning. I just wanted to make sure he was okay, and it was my job as an attendee. As I entered the chamber, I noticed that the curtains around the bed were drawn. He is still asleep. I looked around, and no one was in the chamber; it was the ideal time for me to find the armor.

My mind told me to go look for it, but my heart was not willing. I stood there, battling with my own heart. Until I heard his low voice reach my eardrum. He awoke.

"Do you want anything?" I asked him, drawing the bed curtains aside. His upper body was bare, with a cotton bandage over his wound.

"Water," he said feebly. I looked around and saw the jug; I took a glass of water and approached him. He tried to sit, but his wound would not let him. I placed the water on the side table and assisted him in sitting. I kept a few pillows behind his back.

I brought the glass of water to his lips, and he held it with his left hand. His hands were touching mine as he drank water from the glass. Shivers ran down my spine as his hand touched mine. What are you doing with me, Dev?

He had finished drinking the water when our eyes met, and as usual, I forgot everything, including my surroundings and his status. All I could see were his beautiful green eyes. His eyes imprisoned me. However, this time he was also looking at me. His eyes held a look of tenderness. I am aware of the guilt he was experiencing. We remained lost in each other's eyes until we heard footsteps.

I stood up and put the glass back. As I turned, I noticed Commander Arjun and Doctor walking inside. They both greeted him, and Commander Arjun nodded towards me. Even though I wanted to roll my eyes, I nodded at him.

The doctor began checking him and changed the bandage. He gave him some Ayurvedic medications to relieve his pain. After checking, he informed the commander about his health. He was fine, but he needed to rest for at least a week.

All the while, I could feel his gaze on me. He was looking at me, but I chose not to acknowledge it because I was still hurt. After the talk, the doctor left, and Commander Arjun went to drop him off. I was left alone with him.

"आप हमसे नराज हैं, रूह।"
( You are upset with me, Rooh.)

He did not ask me, but simply stated this. I wanted to tell him, what he expected after hurting me, that I would be pleased. But I choose to say something else,

"हमे कोई हक नही है आपसे नाराज होने का, हम तो बस एक दासी हैं, और दासीया युवराज से नाराज नहीं होती है।"
( I have no right to be angry with you, I am just an attendee, and attendees don't get angry with the prince.)

Silence prevailed in the chamber. He continued to look at me, but I ignored it. When the Commander returned, they discussed court matters. I wanted to leave, but he told me to stay. So I stood there, silent. The commander asked him the question I wanted to ask yesterday.

"How did you get hurt? You left without proper announcement. Pratap, you should have taken some soldiers with you."

I have heard they are very close friends. They were together in the Gurukul and had known each other since childhood.

"I was attacked by some bandits on my way back. I wanted to see the kingdom for myself and learn about its state. I was not dressed like a royal. It was just a robbery. Be at ease—I took care of them. It is only a little scrape." He spoke as if he had fallen while strolling. For crying out loud, that is a deep cut.

Following their brief conversation, the commander departed. I was left alone with him once more. I felt something happen to my heart as he stared at me. I desired to flee and hide in someplace. Thus, I said to him,

"I will go get your breakfast, Your Highness; until then, you can freshen up; I will notify the male attendees to assist you," I told him, and he agreed quietly.

I went to the kitchen, and the doctor told us to feed him light meals, so I informed Janki Amma. After an hour, I returned to his chamber, carrying food in my hand. As I approached the chamber, I noticed him sitting in the living area, staring out the window.

He acknowledged my presence and looked at me. I kept the food on the table, while others served water and side dishes. They walked outside while I prepared the plate for him to eat. When I was finished, I told him:

"You should eat before the food becomes cold, your Highness."

He continued to look at my face, and this time I returned his gaze. After a while, he said something that made the butterflies in my stomach dance.

"Feed me."

AUTHOR P.O.V

Ruhi is upset as she should be.

There will be more chaos between the Commander and Ruhanika.

Keep voting.