Rakshash Aur Rajkumari (The Devil And The Princess)

29•पञ्जरबद्धः

The bright light behind Rudraksha cast a heavy shadow on his face, accentuating the contrast between his pearly white teeth and piercing eyes. A chilling smile twisted his lips as he stared at Ambika, his gaze penetrating her soul and sending shivers down her spine.

"You want me to beg you to leave?" he asked, his voice dripping with malice.

Ambika stood rooted to the spot, her heart pounding with fear and anticipation. She couldn't find her voice, couldn't muster the courage to respond.

"You can't even leave, can you? You really are all talk and no action," he taunted, his eyes blazing like molten lava.

With a swift motion, he swung his huge hand and pointed his thick, accusing finger at the door, his voice reverberating through the room as he roared, "The door was always there for you to leave."

Ambika stood paralyzed, her body trembling as tears streamed down her cheeks like a relentless waterfall, each drop a testament to her pain and anguish.

"I never wanted you," his words cut through the air like a dagger, leaving Ambika reeling from the brutal blow of rejection.

Ambika choked back a sob as she fluttered her eyes open and found herself staring at the ceiling. Blinking away the remnants of her nightmare, she took a moment to adjust to her surroundings.

"It was just a nightmare," she reassured herself with a heavy sigh. Sitting up, she reached for the glass of water beside her and drank it down, hoping to dispel the lingering sense of dread that clung to her like a shadow.

The hollow emptiness of the room seemed to swallow her whole, amplifying her feelings of loneliness and despair. Despite the comforting familiarity of her surroundings, Ambika couldn't shake the sense of isolation that gnawed at her soul.

As she reflected on her dream and the painful reality it mirrored, Ambika couldn't help but feel the weight of unrequited love pressing down on her like a suffocating heat. Loving someone who didn't want her felt like waiting for rain on a hot, sunny day—a futile and agonizing longing that only served to deepen her sense of despair.

Ambika had lost hope, for what use was hope when the object of her desire was nothing but a figment of her imagination? How could she cling to something that had never existed in reality?

It had been a week since she left Kashi, since she left Rudraksha. Every night, she was plagued by dreams like the one she had just experienced, each one a painful reminder of the love she had lost.

During the day, she threw herself into a whirlwind of activities, trying to distract herself from the ache in her heart. Rehearsing at elite dancing clubs, attending parties, and preparing for her debut performance—all of it kept her occupied. And her family, bless them, showered her with love and support, doing everything they could to ease her pain.

But as night descended, so too did the suffocating loneliness that consumed her. The darkness held not only the absence of light but also the absence of the love she yearned for. Every night, the moonlight cast a melancholy glow upon her solitude, serving as a cruel reminder of the unfulfilled promises and shattered dreams she shared with Rudraksha, her beloved Rudra.

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Ishaan let out a deep sigh before gently pushing open the door to Rudraksha's room, stepping inside with a laden tray of food for his brother's lunch. As he entered, he noticed Rudraksha seated on the bed, his gaze fixed on the window.

Seeing Rudraksha, who typically exuded strength akin to a dragon, now appearing vulnerable and forlorn, tugged at Ishaan's heartstrings. Despite the pang of sympathy, Ishaan knew he had no alternative. Bending down he set down the tray quietly on the table, trying not to disturb Rudraksha's solemn reverie.