UNBOUNDED LOVE

You Saved Me Today

Roop's POV

I sat in my room not knowing what to do. It was still raining heavily and lightening followed by thundering made my heart beat faster. I had also heard a loud boom sound a few minutes ago. I had no idea why I was worrying about him but I just prayed that nothing happened to him. I was also wondering why they were attacking the palace but I could only make assumptions at that moment. It had been raining continuously for almost two hours and I was bored out of my mind. I had completed all the household chores and had even made preparations for dinner. Dadi called for me through the window to check on me and I asked her not to worry about me and stay in their house until the lockdown was lifted and rain stopped pouring.    

The announcement wasn't made and I worried about Mano and Asha. They were with Zamindar so security wouldn't be a problem but I still worried about them. I hoped Mano was at Zamindar's place and not in the palace fighting the attackers. Soon it was late at night and it didn't look like rain would stop anytime soon. But I heard an announcement being made that the lockdown had been lifted and we were safe. Dadi informed me that she would stay with Lakshmi Masi for the night as her husband was out for some business and wouldn't return for three more days and was scared to stay alone for the night after the lockdown. I agreed seeing that we will be just one compound away in case of an emergency. I prepared dinner and had it after giving them some. I completed all the chores for the day and decided to go to bed. But sleep didn't find me easily. I was up worrying about the royal stranger as I wondered what would have happened there. 

I blinked as I looked at the ceiling of the room as I was thinking about him when I heard a soft knock on the door. It was almost inaudible because of the heavy rain and thunders. I sat up worried and when I heard it again, I took a long spoon from the kitchen and walked towards the door. I opened it just a little bit to see who it was, ready to attack if I see someone I wasn't expecting to see. I looked at the silhouette of a man and gasped but a bright thunder struck and my eyes landed on a completely soaked man who had his face covered with his infamous black scarf. My eyes widened and I opened the door to pull him in before checking if someone saw him. It was completely dark outside and to see him there like that scared me but I pushed it all aside and looked at him as he stood there not moving at all. 

I did not know what to do. I touched his shoulders but got no reaction from him at all. I walked to his front and looked at him. The dim lit room somehow showed me washing away blood and a scar near his neck. I was no stranger to blood. Sometimes when Mano came home injured after training, I would clean up his wounds and make sure that he wouldn't bleed too much. "You should change into dry clothes or else you'll catch cold", I said making his eyes snap up to mine. I held his hands and guided him to my room and made him sit on the bed. The bed getting wet was least of my concerns as I searched for something he could change into. I took a dry towel and turned to look at him. I extended my hand to give it to him but he was looking at the ground with a blank face. I gathered up some courage and unfolded the towel and started to dry out his face wiping away the blood on it. When I got to his hair, I saw him grab my wrist making me look at him. He was already looking at me and slowly pulled me closer to place his head on my chest, wrapping his arms around my waist. The wetness in his hair spread to my clothes and a little on my neck making me squirm a little. His hot breaths on my skin was not helping too. I didn't know what to do or how to react but knew that something big had happened in the past few hours. "Do you want to talk about it?", I whispered. He pulled away and nodded. I sat down beside him as he moved a little to face me. 

"After I left you here, I went back to the palace to find the attackers there. Adi had taken his troops to the border to finish them there himself", I assumed Adi to be our prince and nodded, "I rang the bell to indicate that we were attacked in the palace. By the time he got back, I had started fighting. He got back and after a few minutes, I don't know why, but my whole body just got paralyzed. I looked around to find everyone collapse and I too fell after a few seconds", he sounded nothing like the guy in my dreams and I couldn't believe he was strong enough to let me see this side of him. 

"But after a few minutes I felt my energy flow back inside me and I saw Adi running to the stable. I asked him what had happened and found out that the enemies were here for Padmini. I sat on my horse and went there to find Bhabhi on the ground and Padmini crying in the arms of Vallabh", I knew about prince Vallabh of Vajrasiri. "Apparently they both have exchanged letters multiple times over the span of two years and had fallen in love. But his enemy wanted to hurt him and that's why tried to hurt Padmini, his love. B-but, Bhabhi fought him but has lost consciousness because of excessive blood loss", he explained making my eyes widen.

"Yuvrani is hurt?", he nodded sadly. Worry grew inside me when I heard his words. She was no doubt a fighter but to see her like that might have been so hard on all the royal members. I couldn't even imagine what our prince might be going through. But my most important worry was sitting in front of me looking at me for comfort. I ran my fingers through his hair and tried to comfort him. "She is a warrior. Nothing will happen to her. I'm sure the doctors are working hard to treat her", I said to which he nodded and looked away. "Did you eat something?", I asked. He looked at me and shook his head. I got up from the bed and walked to find the only pair of men's clothing I had at home at the moment and gave it to him. 

"It is my cousin brother's. The kurta might be too small for you but the dhoti will do", I gave it to him and closed the door and walked to the kitchen to make something for him. As I made him some roti and a spicy curry with peas and potatoes, I thought. He was a stranger to me just a few weeks ago. I knew he existed but had never seen him in real. Just two days ago he barged into my shop and claimed me to be his. And today, he saved me from the attackers. But I didn't know why I felt so connected to him. The moment I saw him when I opened the door, all I wanted to do was to give him all the comfort he wanted. He looked sad and vulnerable. I felt good about how much he trusted me but worried if he did this with others often. 

The food was almost ready when he came out wearing Mano's dhoti and nothing else. I looked away as soon as I realized that he was half naked and cleared my throat awkwardly. "That kurta was too small for me", he muttered as he sat down in front of me. I placed his food on the plate and gave it to him. "There is no ghee or butter at home. So I made it with oil. If you don't like it-", I stopped talking when I saw him tearing a bite and eating it as if he was starving. I brought my right knee up and placed my chin on that and watched him eat. It brought a weird satisfaction in me as he had the food. He suddenly coughed and I gave him some water to drink. He ate the last roti and I asked him if he wanted more. He shook his head and asked me where he should wash the plate. I chuckled, took the plate away from him and guided him to the bathroom. He washed his hands and waited as I cleaned the dishes in the backyard. 

Once I walked back in, I saw him sit on the bed, deep in thoughts. "What happened?", I asked. His eyes snapped back to mine, "Do you usually let people you know for two days into your house?", he asked. I shook my head as he stood up and walked towards me. 

"Then why did you let me in?"

"You saved me today", he got closer with each step.

"Does that mean I would never hurt you?"

"You asked me to beat you if you tried to hurt me" 

"Will you, though?", I was against the wall and he was right in front of me.

"Yes", he was quiet for a second.

"You shouldn't let people you know for two days inside your home", he said as he cupped my cheeks and placed his lips on my forehead and pulled away.

"You are a royal. You would never hurt a citizen of yours", he was quiet for a second and placed his forehead on mine. 

"What am I going to do with you, Roop?"          __________________________________________________          

This chapter felt like the pre- rain weather or whatever they call it

I need forehead kisses too🥹

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Lots of love💗