The Forbidden Marriage

47•सप्तचत्वारिंशत्

The rain poured relentlessly outside, drenching the streets in a watery chaos. Minakshi with tired eyes and a heart heavy with fear, stumbled into the dressing room Damru clutched tightly in her arms. Her soaked clothes clung to her skin, and her hair hung in tangled strands around her face.

As she hurriedly wiped the water off Damru's trembling body, her hands shook with a mixture of panic and exhaustion. She glanced around the dimly lit room, her heart pounding in her chest, knowing that the person she had been hiding from had finally tracked her down.

As the rain continued to beat against the windows, Minakshi knew that she couldn't run forever. But in that moment, all she could do was hold her son close, praying for a miracle to keep them safe from the darkness of the Royalty, the confusion, the lies, the betrayal and the accusations.

Rishu burst into the dressing room, her own clothes sodden from the relentless downpour outside. Confusion etched across her face as she glanced at Minakshi, who stood there with a ghostly expression that sent shivers down her spine.

Pushing aside her own concerns for a moment, Rishu focused on Minakshi, her heart racing with worry. She needed answers, and she needed them now.

"Minakshi, what's going on? Why did you run away like that?" Rishu's voice trembled with urgency as she stepped closer, her eyes searching for some semblance of an explanation.

But as she looked into Minakshi's haunted eyes, Rishu knew that whatever had driven her friend to flee must be far more worrisome than she could have imagined.

Desperate for answers, Rishu reached out to touch Minakshi's trembling hand, silently urging her friend to confide in her, to share the secrets that had driven her to such desperate lengths.

Silence...

As Minakshi continued to change Damru's clothes with the spare ones she had brought, her hands moved mechanically, betraying the turmoil raging within her. Rishu, sensing the need to offer support in any way she could, quickly wiped herself dry and approached Minakshi with a towel in hand.

"Here, let me help you," Rishu said softly, reaching out to gently pat Minakshi's soaked clothes with the towel.

Though Minakshi's gaze remained distant, her body tensed at the touch of the towel, as if startled out of a trance. Slowly, she turned to meet Rishu's eyes, and for a brief moment, a flicker of gratitude flashed in her own.

"Thank you," Minakshi murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... I don't know what to do."

Rishu squeezed her friend's hand reassuringly, offering a silent promise that she would stand by her side no matter what.

"We'll figure it out together," Rishu said firmly, her voice tinged with determination. "But first, let's make sure Damru is okay."

Rishu gently wiped the rain-soaked hair away from Minakshi's face, her touch tender and understanding. "I will just ask questions, and you can nod for yes, okay?"

Minakshi, her eyes heavy with unspoken secrets, hesitated for a moment before finally nodding, a silent agreement to Rishu's proposal.

With a sense of relief, Rishu began to ask the questions that weighed heavily on her mind,"So you have past connections with the Mad King?"

Rishu observed Minakshi's reaction carefully, her heart aching at the sight of her friend's pain. "So you have past connections with the Mad King?" she asked gently.

Minakshi flinched at the mention of her beloved husband, Trishul, known as the Mad King. Memories flooded her mind, contrasting the vibrant man she once knew with the harsh, rain-soaked figure he had become. Tears welled up in Minakshi's eyes as she nodded.