The Forbidden Marriage

56•षट्पञ्चाशत्

Trishul sat there in stunned silence, his hands trembling as Minakshi's confession washed over him. He had never expected her to reciprocate his feelings so openly and earnestly. Tears welled up in his eyes, a mixture of disbelief and overwhelming emotion.

"You do?" Trishul managed to ask, his voice thick with emotion.

Minakshi nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I do. I love you so much," she cried, reaching out to embrace him tightly.

Trishul's heart swelled with a rush of emotion as he returned her hug, holding her close, unable to fully grasp the reality of the moment.

"You have no idea how I spent all these years," Minakshi confessed, her voice filled with longing and regret. "You have no idea how much I missed you and our family. I love each of you so dearly, still now... Nothing has changed."

Trishul felt a flood of emotions surge through him—relief, joy, and a profound sense of love and connection. He held Minakshi close, cherishing the warmth of her embrace and the shared vulnerability between them.

"Then why don't you return to our Kingdom? As the Queen you are. Your place is not here in this town but in the heart of the kingdom beside me. Now that all our enemies are also captured." He asked.

Minakshi listened to Trishul's words, her heart torn between longing and hesitation. The memories of betrayal and rejection weighed heavily on her, clouding her thoughts.

"How can I return to a place that hates me and considers me a witch?" Minakshi questioned, her voice tinged with pain and doubt. "How can an unlucky person ever be accepted as the Queen?"

Trishul's expression softened with determination as he broke the hug and met Minakshi's gaze.

"No, Minakshi... It's not like that at all," Trishul countered, his voice unwavering. "Those people who told you all those bad things were not even from our Kingdom. They were enemies who plotted against you that day, manipulating you. But don't worry, I got rid of them. They're all rotting in the dungeon. If you want, you can punish them."

Minakshi's eyes reflected a mix of distaste and weariness. "I have no desire to harm my mental health by wasting my energy on those people," she admitted, her voice laced with resignation.

Trishul gently took Minakshi's hand, his touch warm and reassuring. "Everybody in our Kingdom deeply misses you," he continued, his tone filled with sincerity. "Everybody cried and mourned for you for more than a week. They all wanted to see you as the Queen. They always spoke of how kind-hearted and down-to-earth you are."

Minakshi's resolve wavered as she absorbed Trishul's words. The realization that her absence had left a void in the hearts of her people tugged at her heartstrings.

Minakshi sighed heavily, her gaze downcast as she poured out her innermost thoughts to Trishul.

"You know, when I was young, my dream was to get married to you, become the Queen of Durga Kingdom, and make everyone fall in love with me," Minakshi confessed, her voice tinged with nostalgia and regret. "I wanted to do my best to take care of everyone in the kingdom and in our family... But in that process, I almost forgot who I really am."

Trishul listened intently, a mix of empathy and concern etched on his features.

"I found myself lost in that world," Minakshi continued, her eyes shifting to gaze at the majestic Kanchenjunga in the distance. "I am a sensitive and peace-loving person. I am selfless and willing to sacrifice everything to protect and care for others. The world I craved for, the world of complexities and politics, wasn't fit for someone like me. It was suffocating, and it almost destroyed me. That world of power struggles isn't meant for a simple-minded girl like me. After all not everyone can be a Kshatriya."