What would happen if you were appointed as a bodyguard for the person you were supposed to assassinate?
Adhiveer is a beloved king. Loved and adored by everyone in his kingdom and beyond.
Shiva, a professional assassin, gets easily appointed as hi...
Adhiveer's heart fell to his stomach when he saw her fall. He ran towards her and picked her head gently. Blood rushed profusely through the open wound. He cradled her like a baby and told Rajveer that he was taking her to the physicians at the palace.
The physicians, after examination, said that she had lost a lot of blood due to the time it took them to get her from the woods to the palace. They told him that it would take some time for her to recover.
A week had passed and she still lay unconscious in his chambers. Physicians examined her every day. Each day was torturous and each day he prayed to the Gods to help her recover.
Another week had passed and there was no sign of her waking up. She had multiple injuries. Her left arm was broken. She had bruises and scratches on her face and hands. The fall was nearly fatal. He didn't leave her side not even to sleep. He couldn't.
The wound was healing. Shiva looked shrivelled and weak from the lack of nutrition. They fed her liquid food in her sleep. Kumudha replaced her bandages after regular intervals. Reva helped the maids wipe her clean and change her clothing. In just a few months everyone had grown close to her and didn't want anything to happen to her. Everyone had kept a watchful eye on her.
As days passed the stress was unbearable. " Brother, you will have to eat at least for my sake. You have become weak and I cannot look at you going through it this way." Rajveer persuaded him. Adhiveer looked at him and saw concern in his eyes." Don't do this to yourself, for my sake." Adhiveer couldn't bear the disappointment and anger in his voice.
"She has recovered substantially, we have seen the progress. We praying to the Gods for her. She will be alright. All of the physicians are tending to her and she will be up and awake and moving." Reva told him.
He sat beside her day in and day out. Three weeks had passed. " You should keep yourself busy with something else. Try to engage in court or even practice with weapons. The more you stay here the more you will worry and worsen your health. Imagine if she wakes up now and sees your dishevelled state. Won't it pain her more? She will blame herself for your condition. Do you want that? " Sidhraj asked him.
"Don't you dare blame her for any of this?" Adhiveer stood up from the chair beside the bed." None of this is her fault. I was the one who got her here. I was the one who made her the king's guard. If anyone is to be blamed it should be me, not her." He breathed heavily, his eyes were bloodshot and fiery.
" No one is blaming anyone. But if you don't take care of yourself then who is going to take care of her when she is awake?" He said calmly. Adhiveer didn't meet his gaze. It was him. He was the reason she was injured. If he stayed away from her maybe she would recover faster. Adhiveer blamed himself.
" Make sure that you take care of her. Never leave her alone." Saying this he left the chamber. He went to the stables and mounted Indra and left the palace grounds.
For days he roamed from one village to another. People who recognised him gave him food and water. He stayed in forests and lived like a nomad.
What if she didn't wake up?
What if she wakes up and blames you?
What if she didn't want to stay at the palace anymore after this?
The questions haunted him. Infuriated him. Pained him.
He felt a huge burden on him. She was in this state because of him. He was the target, but this time, the victim was her. He rode to the place where they had decided to scale down the waterfall. The place where that dreadful incident took place. Water had washed off the blood or any other traces. He climbed up to the place where the rope was tied. The place was completely intact as no one had ventured there after that day. Even the remaining rope was still hanging from the top. When he pulled up the end that was hanging, he was shocked to see that the rope had been cut halfway, perhaps with a knife or a dagger and seemed like it had given away when she had tugged on it to establish her footing on the rocks.
Reality dawned upon him: she was the target this time, not him. Someone had attempted to cause harm or even to kill her. He clenched his fists and screamed furiously.
He rode back to the palace. On reaching his chambers he saw her lying down. Kumudha was sitting on a chair next to her. He told her to leave and she obeyed.
Tears filled his eyes. He sat close to her and took her hand in his. Slowly caressed her cheeks. " I don't know what I have done to deserve someone like you in my life. I never thought that I would be this happy. You are the sole reason for it. Your presence completes me. People who know me have told me that I have given too much power to you, and I admit wholeheartedly that I have. They say that you would control me and I don't care if you do. What they fail to understand is that you are a part of me. That we are one soul. You are my strength and my weakness. I don't think that I can imagine my life without you. It would kill me if you ever left me and I know deep down you feel the same about me. You don't say it but I can see it in your eyes and in the things that you do. I never stopped you from going away. You have had the freedom to leave anytime you please but you stayed. I don't know if it was for me but for that, I will be eternally grateful. I take an oath today to stay with you, be with you till my last breath. Shiva... You belong to me and I to you. "
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He kissed her forehead. Her lips curled a little at the edges. " I am still waiting for you." He whispered and laid back on a chair next to her bed.
The morning was bright. The pervasive gold of the sun's rays moved to reach and illuminate her. For some reason, Adhiveer knew that today was going to be a better day. He got up from his chair and went closer to see her. She had furrowed her brows due to sunlight, so he moved in between her and the rays that troubled her. She slowly opened her eyes and he smiled.
