Miracle of Love - Avyukt Manasa

8. Flirting

"Why did you stop?" Manasa asked as she put her fingers in the water from the edge of the boat. Avyukt looked back at her, confused at her words. What did he stop? He was rowing.

The princess, who didn't bother to cover her face in front of Avyukt anymore chuckled.

"Don't stop talking please. I like you voice." Manasa said and smiled slightly. She didn't know why, but she knew his voice had some magic, making her nerves clam, heart race and throat dry. But it was all very much welcome for her.

Avyukt raised his brows. What did her hear just now? Did his princess just flirt with him?

"What do you like in my voice?" Avyukt asked. He wished one day Manasa would not only like his voice but the entire him. His heart, body and soul.

Manasa shrugged simply as she played with the water flowing below them. "Don't know. It calms me though."

"Does that mean that you are stressed?" Avyukt asked. Manasa nodded and sighed. 

As far as he remembered, Manasa had lot of complications during her pregnancy because of constant stress from a long time, not just after marriage. He felt guilty for not speaking to her during that period. He has utterly failed as a husband.

"I don't have anything particular to speak. Why don't you ask me something and I answer it?" Avyukt proposed. He wanted to know how much Manasa was interested in him.

Manasa sat back properly in the boat hearing him. That sounded quite interesting. She could play this game.

"Then.. Will you tell me your name if I ask you?" Manasa asked eagerly. Avyukt looked at her twinkling eyes and chuckled. He liked spending time with her, with this Manasa, who can pro actively start a conversation with him.

"Yes. If you ask, I will tell."

Manasa scoffed hearing him. "Then why did you even lie?" She asked making Avyukt chuckle.

"I might sound brazen, but I felt you like that Krishn Bhagwaan (Lord Krishna) a lot. I wanted to impress you" Avyukt really didn't hold back on his words. He honestly spoke out his intentions, painting his princess's cheeks a beautiful shade of pink. He wanted to touch and pinch them.

Avyukt's eyes softened looking at her. Her hair gently flowed with the breeze. The prince chuckled looking at her dumbfounded expression.

"I know I am handsome, but you don't have to gawk at me. Now. Should I continue speaking, Princess?"

His words effectively snapped the princess out of her daze. She looked slightly frightened. Princess? How did he know?

"W-What? What p-princess?" Manasa asked, her expression again guarded and stiff.

"I-I mean. I have heard that the youngest princess of the South is the most beautiful lady in the continent. But I don't think she can match up to you." Avyukt replied. Manasa was once again speechless. This man was too good at flirting. But her eyes twinkled again. For the first time, she liked someone's compliment.

"Ahem.. Aren't you exaggerating? What if the princess is more beautiful than me?" Manasa asked playfully, relieved that this man was not some spy who knew she was the princess.

"I will do whatever you tell me to do." Avyukt replied without hesitation. Manasa smiled, completely forgetting about the stress she was in when she arrived at the river.

She never knew that spending time with a stranger could be this pleasant. Manasa leaned back and looked at the night sky full of stars. She didn't know when, but her eyelids started to turn heavy and she soon dozed off.

----

Avyukt looked at her sleeping form and stopped rowing the boat. How can she fall asleep like this, in front of a stranger? He wanted to scold her, but then he noticed the tiredness on her face. Might be he should put one of his men in the former king's palace.

His hand slowly went towards her cheeks, but he refrained from touching her. He didn't feel he had any right to touch her. He never deserved her.

"Manasa.. Manasa. Wake up" Avyukt called her, not wanting her to mess up her schedule and run home in a hurry.

Manasa frowned and slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes widened when she saw the open sky in front of her.

"Oh my god. What's the time? How long did I sleep?" Manasa panicked. Her grandfather will break her legs if he gets to know about her sneaking out in the night. 

"Don't worry. You still have a lot of time." Avyukt assured and took her to the bank. Manasa again took two hours before returning back. 

Avyukt again tried to cheer her up without making any obvious efforts after her return. The princess again gave him the ride fare and Avyukt religiously saved it into his custom made piggy bank.

... Time skip ...

Manasa never expected that she would become so close to someone who was a complete stranger two weeks ago. She wasn't this close even with her best friend Latha. Her visits went from sneaking into the forest to dating on the boat.

Even the way she used to address Avyukt changed. From Krishna to Kanna.

Their goodbyes turned from her paying the money to him buying her late night snacks from the shop he forced the General to set up.

Manasa started looking forward to night all morning. She didn't notice, but she started dressing up a bit when she sneaked out.

The young princess, though aware of where all these feelings were leading, still chose to indulge herself in them. This unspoken love was simply irresistable for her.

But her brightness was washed away when she heard that her grandfather had signed an official engagement agreement of her and Jagannath today morning.

"Why are you so quite today?" Avyukt asked while rowing the boat. Manasa snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him. Should she tell him about her feelings? But whatever his answer might be, things will not end well between them. Her grandfather will kill him if he gets to know about this little love story of hers.

"Nothing.. Oh. The forest is already here." her statement was totally blank. Avyukt didn't like seeing her like this. Hence the prince decided to talk to her while going back.

He helped her out of the boat and Manasa went into the forest alone. By know Avyukt understood that Manasa was well aware of the routes in the forest and would return safely.

After making sure that Manasa was no where near, Avyukt went to their camp and called out for the remaining three soldiers. There were only two because the General Veer and another soldier Neel were busy cooking near the opposite bank, and another soldier Shiv was placed as a worker inside the palace by the prince.

"Bal, you go and get Shiv hear. Gautam and Ashok. You both go into the town and know what's happening." Avyukt gave few more instructions and walked back to the boat. Manasa would be returning soon.

Avyukt waited for her near the boat but he started to get worried when she didn't come even after another hour. If she comes any later than this, she will be caught by her grand father. What is she doing?

Avyukt contemplated for a few minutes before following the path she followed. Though he still didn't know where she goes every night, he had himself scouted the entire area and was very familiar with the place.