Rakshash Aur Rajkumari (The Devil And The Princess)

35•भग्नः

As the hunger within him waned, he breathed heavily, his forehead finding solace against her collarbone. With a tenderness that misrepresented the intensity of his earlier actions, he enveloped her in his embrace, drawing her closer as if afraid to let her slip away.

Ambika remained unmoving, her mind a blank slate amidst the tumult of emotions swirling within her. The steady rhythm of raindrops gradually lulled the chaos within her, a quiet calm descending upon her senses.

As the patter of rain subsided, he released her from his embrace, raising his gaze to meet hers. As he gazed upon the shattered expression etched upon her face, his heart clenched with a pang of remorse. It was very similar to the face she had made after her suicide attempt.

The weight of guilt bore down upon him as he beheld the pain he had inflicted upon her, the realization dawning with crushing clarity. He was the source of her anguish, the catalyst for her suffering.

This is why he had been pushing her away, why he had been resisting the pull of their entangled hearts. He was a beast, untamed and volatile, unworthy of the purity of her love.

"Ambika... I can't love," he murmured, his voice heavy with resignation. "I don't deserve love. My love is dangerous, it's lethal. It will destroy us. It will destroy you."

With a heavy heart, he spoke the truth that had been gnawing at his soul, his words a solemn admission of the darkness that lurked within him.

As he beheld the red marks marring her delicate skin, a pang of anguish pierced through him. With a gentle touch, he reached for her pallu, covering the evidence of his fervent affections, his movements tender yet laden with sorrow.

"You were asking why I have returned," he spoke softly, his voice heavy with sorrow. "I have returned so that I can shower you with my love. My dangerous love. So that you start hating me."

He met her gaze, his eyes burning with a fervent intensity. "I want you to hate me," he continued, his words laced with desperation. "Hate me so much that I can stop feeling these... these strange emotions."

His confession hung heavy in the air, a stark declaration of the turmoil waging war within him. "I'm not here to be lovers, Ambika," he concluded, his tone final. "I'm here to be haters. You hate me, and I hate you. This is how our story ends."

With a heavy heart, he resigned himself to their fate, a tragic conclusion to a love that was doomed from the start.

"Come on, let's go. The rain has stopped," he said, turning to leave the temple.

"Every time... you will make the decisions about my life?" she challenged.

Stopping in his tracks, he looked back at her, She remained rooted to the spot. "No. I have no right," he admitted. "But I can decide my own."

She walked towards him and then walked past him, her words hanging heavy in the air. "Hurting me will only bring bad karma upon you. My love for you will not change. It's not so easy to unlove someone,"

He watched her retreating figure, his heart heavy with conflicting emotions. "I am trying to unlove you. Why can't you?" he questioned.

With a scoff, she turned to face him. "You don't love me, Rudraksha Bhaiya," she stated plainly.

"Yes, you're right. I hate you. I hate you because I love you. I hate you because you've made me feel so powerless, so... weak!" he confessed, the weight of his words echoing in the silent aftermath.

As they silently made their way through the forest and back into the house, Ambika breathed a silent sigh of relief that no family members had crossed their path to witness them together in such a mess. With a heavy heart, Rudraksha retreated to his room, while Ambika sought solace in the familiar confines of her own space.