LEGACY ||Indian Historical Fiction||

30|| SECRETS HAVE TO SPILL

Tears had gone dry and lips had stopped quivering, all that resided in Chavi and Adarsh's heart was a void, which was small yet one which could never be filled. The two had sat holding hands leaning against the wall and facing Hiranmayi.

The body was taken away awhile back yet, they couldn't move from where they sat. Even to express their grief, their voices didn't come out, as if in a chokehold. Ishani and Darsh didn't leave their beloveds' sides. Aloki remained neutral in her face but the ache in her chest proved otherwise.

"Maya..." Adarsh turned to her. Chavi simply held his hand tighter, telling him not to bring up the matter of her being the firstborn of the kingdom before anyone. He nodded and stayed quiet. Even though they'd lost all appetite, they were led to the dining room where the mother's tried their best to feed them, like one does with an infant.

Chavi rested her head on Aradhya's lap, "I never should have come here. I'm sorry, Ma. All this is because of me."

Aradhya, though she suspected something to be wrong, consoled her rather directly, "The world does not revolve around you, dearest. You aren't that important."

Chavi looked over at Adarsh who was being fed by Vaijayanti. He looked over, chewing his food, an unspoken middle ground forming between the two. More than him, Chavi's eyes lingered on Vaijayanti. The mere chance of her being her mother sent a shiver down her spine. She looked at Aradhya once and then at Vaijayanti again, scared even to imagine what would happen if she was indeed revealed to be the princess of Swarnonnata.

"I'd like to sleep." Chavi said and got up, her cut still hurting. Aradhya nodded and sadly smiled at Darsh who came over to take Chavi to her room.

Upon reaching the room, Chavi was about to shut the door but Darsh went in as well.

"I want to be alone today, Darsh," Chavi said looking at him.

"No, you don't." He said and closed the door behind him, "And I won't let you."

Chavi sighed at how much he knew her. She didn't want to be alone, she just didn't want to burden anyone with her grief. Darsh, despite having so much to worry about with the return of the Dharini soldiers and the letter addressed to Aja reaching the enemy, wanted to be with her as long as he could.

He led Chavi to the bed and tucked her in like a kid. He sat by her side, looking at her with a kind smile and brushing tear stains off of her face.

"It was hard watching you weak, let alone break down in tears." Darsh said, "As long as I have known you, you've been physically strong and never emotionally vulnerable to me."

"You have Acharyaa to thank for that."

"I have to thank her for many things. As rusty as your swordsmanship may be, she built up your stamina to fight longer, she taught you gentleness that I've quite grown fond of, not that I did not love your rugged behaviour."

"Hey!"

"All I mean to say is only optimism stands victorious before the sorrow of grief."

"I really don't want to think of anything at all, Darsh, at least not right now. There's been too much on my mind."

"Then I'll leave you to take rest." He leaned down kissing her on the forehead. He went down further kissing the tip of her nose and smiled. As he stood up to leave...

"Won't you stay?" Chavi asked.

"It is, as Adarsh said, undignified for an unmarried man and woman to be in a room-"

"We're married, are we not?"

Darsh stopped, unsure how to break her the news. Gandharv vivaah which the two were a part of was, as he believed, a farce.