Fuck you...Your Majesty!

16

"I talked to Brother Samartha today. H-He told me a lot of things... I don't understand what should I do now... I-I ran away from you so that you could be free from this cause of a marriage... This wretched relationship has tormented you since the very beginning. Then why did you do that huh?! Was it really necessary? The revenge? Why couldn't you just move forward with your life? Why did you have to care for me this time around?!" sobbed Salil sitting by his sleeping husband's bedside. Unconscious, drenched in his own blood, struggling to breathe was how he had first seen his husband after four months. The sight was something straight out of his nightmares. He didn't know for how long he had screamed & cried out for his husband to wake up that day. He did not even remember how many times had he begged the heavens to spare Atharva's life. It's been two weeks since the incident. Atharva was out of death's clutches now but he refused to wake up. It was as if he didn't even want to live anymore.

Ever since the day the physicians had cleared Atharva of danger, Salil had spent most of his time sitting next to a sleeping Atharva. He talked, screamed, cried and complained to his sleeping husband, hoping he would reply at least once but all of it fell to deaf ears.

Madhur, his loyal companion along with the entire royal family of Malva was getting worried about Salil's health as days passed by but there wasn't anything they could do to make things better.

"It's been a month... Wh- when do you plan on waking up? Or do you plan on sleeping for the rest of the eternity a-and... leave me alone? How can you even sleep so soundly? Huh?! Wake up! Wa-Wakeup... and tell your beloved child to stop kicking up a storm in the middle of the night and let me sleep... Wa-Wakeup and get me those mango pickles from Antharv... Wa-Wakeup my idiotic husband... Do you know the entire Kingdom of Antharv is in disarray with your abrupt decision to hand over the kingdom to Swara? Do you know every day, your family, your mother a-and sister sit by your side begging you to wake up? How long do you plan on making them wait? How long do you plan on making me wait?!" Sobbed Salil. It was one of those days when his emotions were all over the place. Watching people around him enjoy what was a far-fetched dream to him, broke his heart time & time again.

"I swear... If-If you don't wake up soon... I-I will go marry one of those Prince's brother Samartha has found for me. A- And..." Salil broke into a stream of fresh tears, holding a sleeping Atharva's hand even before he could complete his threat.

"A-And what?" said a voice very familiar to Salil, a voice he had been craving to hear for a very long time.

"Ev-even in the a-afterlife... I won't let you marry anyone else my love." groaned Atharva, tightening his hold on Salil's hand who looked shocked, frozen in his place as if he was under a spell.

"You are aw-awake?" stuttered Salil, tears now freely flowing from his eyes. It was hard for him to believe that his husband, the man he had wanted to see awake for so long was now up & looking at him with so much worry & love in his gaze that it made his breath stop for a moment.

"I-I th-think I am?" mumbled Atharva, his hand still holding Salil's hand tightly afraid to let go, as if letting go of that hand might make Salil disappear from in front of his eyes.

And within a blink of an eye, Salil was on Atharva, hugging him, crying like an inconsolable child. Each sob that racked Salil's body, broke Atharva's heart into a million pieces. But all he could do was let out calming noises & gently pat a crying Salil's back.

"Salil, my child you need to e-Holy shit! You're awake?!" screamed King Samartha, the plate of food falling from his hands and ran out of the cottage, calling for the physicians to check on the now awake King.

Soon a group of physicians hurried in following a very frantic King Samartha & a still-crying Salil was escorted out of the cottage by Madhur & Rudra. Before Atharva could even process what was going on, Salil was snatched from his arms and he was surrounded by a group of physicians fussing over him.

"Your Majesty, are you in pain?"

"Your Majesty, can you feel your limbs?"

"Your Majesty, are you feeling nauseous?"

"Your Majesty, are -"

"Your Majesty -"

"Your Maj -"

"SHUT UP!!" screamed Atharva making all the physicians shut up & take a step back from around the injured King's cot.

"What is going on?! Where is Salil? Why is Brother Samartha here? Did you die too? What exactly happened?" exclaimed Atharva, still struggling to sit up. On cue, the physicians who were frozen in their place stepped forward to help him. Once settled, he thanked the physicians & asked them to step back. Now looking at King Samartha, who was standing in a corner of the cottage looking straight at him, he continued.

"What happened, brother? Where is Salil? Why are you here? Did you die too?"

"Huh?" was all Samartha said before bursting into fits of laughter.

"Yo-You think you are dead?!" asked Samartha amidst his fits of laughter to which Atharva simply nodded, making Samartha laugh even more.

" Oh God, this is going to be so interesting. "

" Huh?!"

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