ᴅɪʟ ᴋɪ ɴᴀʏɪ ᴅʜᴀᴅᴋᴀɴ

c h a p t e r 9

Parwati's head throbbed with exhaustion as she made her way back to her chambers, her vision blurred with dizziness. Gaurav followed closely behind, a concerned shadow in her wake. Despite her protests, Gayatri Ma had insisted she rest after succumbing to a pounding headache, a lingering reminder of the injury she had sustained during her stay in the palace dungeons.

As she ascended the stairs, each step felt like a Herculean effort, her weary body struggling to maintain balance. Just as she reached the landing, her strength gave way, and she stumbled precariously. But before she could plummet, a pair of strong arms enveloped her waist, halting her fall with a firm grip.

"Careful" a familiar voice admonished, the warmth of his breath brushing against her ear.

Parwati's heart skipped a beat as she felt herself being pulled back to safety. Her hand instinctively reached out, finding purchase on the chest of the man who had come to her aid. With a sense of disbelief, she looked up to meet his gaze, her eyes widening in recognition.

"Maharaj" she whispered, a mixture of surprise and apprehension evident in her voice as she attempted to push him away. But his grasp remained steadfast, refusing to release her.

"Did you take your medicines?" he asked, his tone a blend of concern and authority.

"Let go of me" Parwati said, ignoring his question in favor of asserting her independence.

"Did. you. Take. Your. Medicine?" he repeated, his words deliberate and punctuated, leaving no room for evasion.

"I was going to" she conceded, her resolve faltering under his unwavering gaze.

"You shouldn't be working in the kitchen heat, until you're fully healed" the Maharaj chided.

"It's not your concern" Parwati retorted, her voice laced with defiance.

"It is when you're living under my roof" he countered, his authority asserting itself.

Parwati's eyes flashed with frustration. "You can stop pretending to care about my well-being, Maharaj. It's because of you I'm hurt in the first place."

Confusion clouded his expression. "What are you talking about? How am I-"

"Of course you are. You didn't bother to hear Gaurav out" she interrupted, her voice tinged with bitterness.

"Gaurav?" he asked, puzzled, his grip on her loosening.

"Gaurav, my personal guard," Parwati replied, a hint of disgust coloring her tone as she realized he hadn't even bothered to remember Gaurav's name, let alone listen to him.

As Parwati stepped back, the Maharaj's hands fell away from her waist, leaving a palpable tension lingering in the air. She shot him a look of disbelief before turning on her heel and striding away, her demeanor a mix of indignation and disappointment. Vikram watched her retreat, his brow furrowed in contemplation, until he noticed the guard preparing to follow her.

"Gaurav" Vikram called out, stopping the guard in his tracks.

"Yes, Maharaj?" Gaurav responded, turning his attention to Vikram.

"What was she talking about?" Vikram questioned, his curiosity piqued.

Gaurav took a moment to gather his thoughts before explaining, "About the day I came to see you, when you were practicing archery in the lawns."

Vikram's mind raced as he sifted through his memories, piecing together the events of that day. Suddenly, recognition dawned on him as he realized why Gaurav looked so familiar.

"I remember being interrupted during practice" Vikram muttered, his gaze distant as he recalled the moment. He turned to Gaurav with a newfound understanding. "I also remember telling Vaibhav to hear you out, but he never informed me of anything."

Gaurav hesitated before speaking again. "He... he dismissed my message that day and warned me not to approach you again."

"And what was your message?" Vikram pressed, his curiosity now fully ignited.

"The Rajkumari had requested a fair trial" Gaurav revealed, his voice steady yet tinged with apprehension.

Vikram nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the information. "You may go, Gaurav" he dismissed, acknowledging the guard's diligence before allowing him to depart.

As Vikram stood in the corridor, a simmering anger churned within him as he pondered the perplexing silence of Vaibhav. Why hadn't his minister deemed it necessary to inform him of the Rajkumari's earnest plea? The realization that Vaibhav's negligence had indirectly led to Parwati's injury gnawed at Vikram's conscience, stirring a potent mix of frustration and guilt.

The fact that Parwati harbored the belief that Vikram was somehow responsible for her suffering only added to his turmoil. Though he couldn't quite grasp why this misunderstanding affected him so deeply, one thing was abundantly clear—Vaibhav needed to be reined in before his unchecked influence led to further chaos.

~✦✼✦✼✦~

As Parwati reclined on her bed, the weight of her recent actions bore down on her with a heavy burden. She couldn't shake the memory of how she had reprimanded the Maharaj, despite knowing better. The morning's encounter in the throne room still lingered in her mind, and now, she had snapped at him once again after he had gallantly saved her from a potentially fatal fall. Instead of expressing gratitude, she had inadvertently given him another reason to cast her back into the dungeons.

Parwati sighed deeply, shutting her eyes against the pounding ache in her head. The headache seemed even more prominent now, a relentless reminder of her own folly.

Realization dawned on her with a sense of humility. She knew she owed the Maharaj an apology. He hadn't wronged her; on the contrary, he had extended unexpected kindness by allowing her to work in the kitchens and had come to her rescue not once, but twice. Even though the circumstances surrounding the first rescue had been more or less his fault to begin with, she couldn't discount the possibility that he was attempting to right his past wrongs in his own subtle manner.

Gratitude swelled within her as she considered her current circumstances—resting in the comfort of a lavish bed instead of the cold confines of a cell, attended to by Leela and safeguarded by Gaurav. It was clear that the Maharaj harbored genuine concern for her well-being, a realization that strengthened her resolve to extend an apology.

Yes, she would apologize to him, perhaps before dinner. It simply wasn't prudent to harbor ill feelings towards the king himself while residing under his roof, as he had rightfully pointed out. With this resolution in mind, Parwati succumbed to the sedative effects of the medicine, drifting into a troubled sleep as her thoughts continued to swirl.

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ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠᴏᴛᴇ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ
ɪᴛ ᴋᴇᴇᴘs ᴍᴇ ᴍᴏᴛɪᴠᴀᴛᴇᴅ.
ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ!