Lotus among the Roses

Devendra's Nightmare

General Devendra's Manor --- 

In the shadowed confines of the Master rooms, in the bed chambers, Devendra's tortured soul writhed in the grip of relentless nightmares. Each night brought with it a haunting replay of that fateful day when his world shattered into a million irreparable fragments. The flames of the funeral pyre, the anguished wails of his beloved Padmini, the searing pain of loss—it all played out in vivid detail, etching itself into the very fabric of his being

 No matter how hard he tried to escape, the memories pursued him relentlessly, stalking him like a relentless specter in the depths of his subconscious. In the solitude of his chamber, he would awaken in a cold sweat, his heart pounding like a drum in the silence of the night. And as he lay there, gasping for breath, the weight of his grief pressed down upon him like an unyielding burden, threatening to crush him beneath its suffocating embrace.

In the depths of the night, Devendra's slumber was shattered by the chilling tendrils of his nightmares, ensnaring him in a torment of his own making. As he lay upon his bed, his mind became a battlefield, where the ghosts of his past waged war with relentless fury.

In his dreams, he found himself standing in a dimly lit chamber, the air heavy with the weight of unspoken accusations. Before him stood Padmini, her once luminous eyes now hollow with betrayal as she gazed upon him with a mixture of disbelief and anguish.

"How could you, Devendra?" her voice echoed through the darkness, each syllable laced with a palpable sense of heartache.

 "How could you forsake our love for the sake of another?" Devendra recoiled at the accusation, his heart constricted with a profound sense of guilt. 

"Padmini, please," he implored, his voice choked with emotion. "I never meant to hurt you. You must believe me." But Padmini's expression remained resolute, her gaze piercing through the veil of his excuses.

 "Your words ring hollow, Devendra," she murmured, her voice tinged with sorrow. "You have broken the sacred bond between us, and for that, there can be no redemption."

As Devendra watched in despair, Padmini began to fade before his eyes, her ethereal form dissolving into the darkness like smoke upon the wind. 

"No!" he cried out, reaching futilely for her vanishing figure. "Padmini, come back to me!" But his pleas fell upon deaf ears, lost amidst the swirling mists of his dreams. And as he stood there, alone in the suffocating silence, a new vision began to unfold before his eyes.

In this new nightmare, he found himself standing amidst the desolation of a battlefield, the acrid stench of death hanging heavy in the air. Before him lay the lifeless form of his son, his tiny chest stilled forever, his once bright eyes now closed in eternal slumber.

A strangled cry tore from Devendra's lips as he beheld the heart-wrenching sight, his hands trembling with a mixture of grief and disbelief. "No," he whispered hoarsely, his voice raw with emotion.

 "This cannot be happening. This cannot be real." But even as he reached out to touch his son's cold cheek, a voice echoed in his mind, a voice filled with anguish and accusation. 

"You did this, Devendra," Padmini's spectral voice whispered, each word a dagger in his heart. "You are responsible for this tragedy. And I will not rest until I have avenged my son's death." With a cry of anguish, Devendra jolted awake, his body drenched in sweat as he struggled to shake off the haunting remnants of his nightmares. But even as he lay there, gasping for breath, he knew that the specter of his past would continue to haunt him, its shadow looming over his every waking moment.

As Devendra's heart still raced from the echoes of his nightmares, he felt a comforting presence enter the room, breaking through the suffocating silence like a beacon of light in the darkness. 

His favorite chambermaid, Ritu, stood before him, her gentle eyes filled with concern as she addressed him in her soft, melodic voice. "Is everything alright, my lord?" she inquired, her voice like a soothing balm to his frayed nerves. 

Devendra gazed at her, his eyes searching her features for solace amidst the lingering shadows of his dreams. Ritu bore a striking resemblance to Padmini, with her delicate features and ebony locks cascading in gentle waves around her face. 

But where Padmini's presence had always been accompanied by an air of regal grace and dignity, Ritu could never exude such warmth and kindness, but all that mattered to Him, were those eyes. 

Those eyes that resembled that woman, who once belonged to him, one that seemed to envelop him like a comforting embrace.

As he looked into her eyes, Devendra felt a sudden surge of longing and vulnerability wash over him, his heart yearning for the solace of her embrace. In that moment of weakness, fueled by the lingering fear of his nightmares, he reached out to her, drawing her close in an instinctive gesture of seeking comfort. "Padmini," he murmured, his voice raw with emotion as he held her tightly against him. 

"Do you... do you love me?" Ritu's eyes concealed a conceited glint, at the unexpected question, but she did not pull away from his embrace. Instead, she leaned into him, her presence a reassuring anchor in the tumult of his emotions.

"My lord," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath as she met his gaze with unwavering sincerity. "I am but a humble servant, unworthy of such feelings. But know that I am here for you, always and forever." 

In that moment, as Devendra held Ritu close, he felt a flicker of hope stir within him, a glimmer of light amidst the darkness that threatened to consume him. And as he closed his eyes, allowing himself to be enveloped by her warmth, he knew that, for now at least, he was not alone.

Her answer had fulfilled his inner desire of being admired by Padmini, of being worshipped by her, of being looked at, like how Abeera looked at him.

His emotions, in a frenzy, caused by Ritu's eyes, shone with a different king of light. A light filled with raw desire, a desire to conquer, a desire to tame! 

He flung Ritu over the bed, where she fell down at his strong pull. 

Devendra now drunk with his desires, proceeded to manhandle her, each thurst of him, an act of conquring and dominance. 

Not once did he call out Ritu's name, each time his waist moved, his desire for Padmini soared. As he climaxed, all his guilt and pain, washed away. 

He laid there, beside Ritu, who never opened her mouth once during all this time. 

Just when he looked at Ritu, disgust filled his eyes. Slowly but surely, his guilt transformed into rage, as he pushed her down his bed and said in a steely voice, " Get Out! Don't show me you face again! You lowly Maid! " 

After saying this, he strode out of the room, leaving Ritu sitting on the floor, with her head lowered.

He couldn't see her eyes, that were now filled with anger, her hands that were balled into a fist and the menacing smile that had crept up her face. 

Ritu stood up, when he heard Devendra ordered the other maid to call upon Abeera. 

She looked at the bed where they had just mixed their bodies, and slowly walked out with the stained bedsheets.

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Damn! I thew up twice! 🤢🤢

Devendra is a scumbag! Ew!