A Bougainvillea Odyssey

Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction, thus does not revolve around the real world. Any kind of words or incidents mentioned does not signify anything related to the real world. **

They, Shivantika, Nayantara and Rajveer, began their journey.

Seven days were past and only one more day to go, for them to reach Kayati. In these seven days, they neither slept nor dozed off nor had a proper meal. Yet some people helped them, who offered them some small portions of food and rides,  thinking they were travelers. At last, Nayantara's idea of disguise worked for the three. There were moments when they were almost caught by the soldiers, but at times like these Shivantika's intelligence would help them to get out of trouble. They were the inevitable three, the perfect team. One was mastered in medicine; one had a huge ocean of knowledge and one was a great warrior.

As forementioned, it was already seven days and it was also the seventh night. Therefore, they decided to take a rest in the forest, which they had to cross to reach Kayati. Rajveer set a bonfire, and Shivantika already fell into a deep slumber of sleep. Even though the conditions were changed, but no one could change the fact that she was once a princess who was pampered by everyone, whereas Nayantara sat on a flat stone near the bonfire beside Rajveer, because she had blisters on her foot from the long journey's exhaustion, and she couldn't treat her wound too because she didn't have neither the medicine nor the energy.

Rajveer continuously stared at Shivantika who was lost in her dream world.

"What kind of a man are you? You are staring at an asleep girl." Nayantara commented seeing this and teased him.

"Well, the way she sleeps, makes me remind of a story of a beautiful princess, which my grandmother used to tell me in my childhood, and also.......", Rajveer replied but at last couldn't say anything as Nayantara cut him in between.

"It is the first time that I have seen you running out of words in front of me," Nayantara says sarcastically.

Hearing this, he gets in a deep thought, and couldn't reply as he had no words of what to say and just gives a low smile tilting his head down.

Nayantara blushes seeing his smile. It was clear that she liked him.

"But Nayan tell me something how Princess Shivantika is related to you?", he asks.

"Well, Shubhangi is my cousin. She is my father's sister's daughter...." says Nayantara and she shockingly realizes something, "you...? How do you know she is Princess Shivantika?"

Of course, it was a surprise, a shock, how did he know about her identity, which she kept hidden.

"Well, I knew about it from the start when I saw her for the first time. Do you remember when we visited Ampranam last time when the late King summoned your father and you for his special medicine, and I went with you both. At that time, her Highness fell from the wall, injured herself, and fell unconscious and I helped her to get back to her room. I know her from there. Before you and everyone arrived, I was asked to leave by one of the guards, and thus you never knew that I've met her and I too didn't tell anyone about this incident" states Rajveer.

"To be honest, I was quite mesmerized by how beautiful she looked. Her long black open hair, black eyes, a gold labret stud, just made her look so magnificent but elegant at the same time, that I almost got swooned by her Highness"

Seeing Rajveer describing her so detailed and professly, made Nayantara a little uncomfortable and insecure.

Rajveer too noticed that tear which was almost as transparent as the flowing wind which can only be felt but not seen, but he didn't know the reason.