The Lost Prince

16. Present

Radhika could feel a change in Samar's demeanor after that unplanned unpleasant encounter.
She had reprimanded herself a thousand times for looking at his features that changed the dimensions between them.

Samar had suddenly turned aloof. He would return late and eat without a word. He had simply denied the daily massage. He would immediately leave the room under the pretense of a walk and would return when he was sure that Radhika was done eating and closing the kitchen. He would slip in the bedding, knowing very well that she was still awake in her own, near the kitchen counter.

He was burdened by the thought that she expected something from him. She was burdened by the guilt that she had made him uncomfortable by her wander of thoughts and regretted it.

He needed to do something to change whatever it was, knowing very well that they both were suffering in their own way.

One fine evening, Radhika was surprised to see that he came home early. She was confused for a moment as she had not even started with the preparations for the dinner. While Samar took a leisurely shower, she prepared him a cup of tea.
Samar stepped out of the shower, wiping his hair and looked at her. She was busy at the counter, pouring the tea and arranging it in a tray.

"Let's go out for dinner tonight."
His soothing voice made her look up.

It was after a long time that they would be eating out. Last was when they went shopping for household things, trying to make the quarter a living space.
Not that she was tired of cooking, on the contrary, she loved cooking for him. Even he had known that she was a good cook, but he wanted to break a news to her... And he wanted to do it gently.

Samar dressed himself casually and walked out of the quarter to stroll around and give her the privacy to change. He heaved a deep sigh when he noticed the curtains of the windows were pulled. He did not let his mind wander and take privileges to unholy imaginations. Radhika walked out after some time, and locked the door.

They were seated in a small restaurant by the beach. Radhika forcefully kept her gaze on the dark horizon, and avoided any inconvenience to Samar.

He had asked her what she wanted to eat and she had replied that she would share whatever he orders. Samar placed the order on her behalf too, and realized that he never thought of what she actually liked. While he took a sip from his glass of water, he looked at her gazing at the open ocean.

"I wanted to talk to you about something." He tried to gain her attention and she looked at him.

"About what?" She desperately tried to hide an unknown fear.

Samar licked his lips to gather the courage. He had been doing it from a few days now. He knew, that was what he wanted.
"There is this temple... Far away from here, near my hometown. I want to visit it."

Saying that out loud was not easy for him. He could not keep the harsh memories of his last attempt to visit the temple on Maa Durga, with his family. The previous journey was quite too tiring and he ended up being hospitalized. He had his entire family with him, and now he was all alone. The mere thought dreaded him.

Radhika furrowed her eyebrows. She, for a moment thought that he would simply ask her to go back to her parents place. But his words confused her more than ever.

"I want to visit it with you." He added, when he found her at loss of words.

Radhika's eyes misted at unpleasant memories. She instantly recalled the Shekhawat family going for a similar tour and that she was left behind, humiliated and unwanted. She averted her eyes and blinked rapidly. She really found herself at loss of words.
After so many days, when Samar decided to talk to her, she was hit by an unpleasant memory.