𝘬𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘬𝘢-𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘉𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦

Atharva

छू लिया तूने लब से आँखों को, मन्नतें पूरी तुमसे ही

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of piercing green eyes watched from behind a nearby balcony, hidden behind a curtain of climbing roses.

Atharva, the mysterious stranger who had arrived only days ago, stood still as stone, his gaze fixed on the two figures below. His jaw tightened while his mind absorbed every word of their quiet laughter.

Vikram plucked a rose and held it out to Kasika.
"Apko chahiye toh aap le sakti hain yeh gulab. Hum mana nahi karenge."
(If you want, you can take this rose. I won't refuse.)

Kasika shook her head gently.
"Nahi, humein yeh todne nahi the. Humein toh sirf dekhne the. Waise bhi, todne ke baad thodi der ke liye hi ache lagte hain, phir murjha jaate hain. Yeh gulab yahi bagiche mein zyada sundar lag rahe hain."
(No, I didn't want to pluck them. I only wanted to see them. Once you pluck a rose, it stays beautiful for a moment, then fades. These look lovelier where they belong  in this garden.)

Atharva's eyes never left her. Something about the princess held him captive. He couldn't explain the pull she had on him; it felt like his heart recognized her long before his mind did.

As Kasika and Vikram strolled among the flowers, Atharva watched her every step, every soft movement. He was so silent that even the birds in the nearby trees grew still, sensing the weight of his presence.

Kasika laughed at something Vikram said. Her laughter floated up like music, and Atharva felt his chest tighten. His heartbeat echoed in his ears as his gaze lingered on her smile. He felt drawn to her, as if the world had suddenly narrowed to that single moment.

Then, as though her spirit sensed his eyes upon her, Kasika looked up. Her gaze flickered toward the balcony. For a heartbeat, their eyes met.

Atharva felt the air leave his lungs. Time slowed. It was as if the universe had folded, bringing their souls face to face. Her eyes startled met his, and he felt something shift inside him, something permanent.

A moment later, she looked away, her smile faltering slightly before returning to her lips. Vikram said something, and she nodded, pretending nothing had happened. But Atharva knew. She had seen him.

__

Later that night, Atharva sat alone on the balcony of his chamber. The palace stretched before him, silent under the starlit sky. His thoughts were restless, circling back again and again to the gardens below.

He could still hear her laughter in his mind, light and effortless, like the first rain on parched soil. He hadn't planned to stay in this palace for long, but something about Princess Kasika had changed everything.

As he gazed at the stars, faint sounds drifted up from below. Laughter. The rustle of silk. He looked down again and saw her walking beside Vikram, her face glowing with life and warmth. His heart skipped.

She looked so free, so alive. For a moment, he forgot who he was, where he stood, or why he had come. All he could think of was her.

Jealousy stirred inside him when he saw how closely she walked beside Vikram. They shared a bond that was obvious even from afar. For a fleeting instant, Atharva wondered if there was something deeper between them. But he reminded himself that Vikram was already promised to another, and their closeness was nothing more than friendship.

Just then, Kasika looked up again. Their eyes met for the second time. The same spark lit between them, quiet but undeniable. Atharva's pulse quickened. The night seemed to hold its breath.

He couldn't look away. Neither could she. And in that suspended heartbeat, something inside him changed forever.

He had never believed in love at first sight. Yet, as he watched her turn away, he could no longer deny it. The connection he felt was too strong, too sudden, too real. It was as if fate itself had placed her before him.

From that moment, Princess Kasika became the center of his thoughts, his heart, and his very purpose. He wanted to know her, to understand her, to make her look at him the same way she looked at the stars.

He smiled faintly as he whispered to the empty night, "If she wants a rose, she'll have one. The most beautiful one."

He laughed softly to himself, remembering how she had refused to pluck a flower. Cute, he thought.

"She is the kind of flower I want to pluck," he murmured, "not to destroy, but to keep close  just to look at, just for me."

तू मिले जहाँ, मेरा जहाँ है वहाँ, रौनकें सारी तुमसे ही ✨🪷