Beyond The Palace Walls| ONGOING

Chapter - 16

Meera's POV:

I froze, my feet rooted to the spot. Agastya's words hung in the air like a challenge, a taunt. I couldn't believe he'd say such a thing. He's just trying to get a rise out of me, I thought. He's a player, a playboy. He doesn't mean it.

I raised an eyebrow, a wry smile twisting my lips. "Oh, please," I said, my voice dripping with skepticism. "Aapko kya lagta hai ki hum isse sach Maan lenge?"
("Do you expect me to believe that?")

Agastya's eyes locked onto mine, his gaze intense. "Aapko Jo sochna hai sochiye, Meera. Lekin main aapko sach bata raha hu."
(Whatever you want, think it, Meera. But I'm telling you the truth.)

I chuckled, a harsh, mocking sound. "Save it, Agastya. I'm not buying it."

With that, I turned and walked away, leaving him standing there. I could feel his eyes on me, burning with an intensity that made my skin prickle. But I didn't look back. I couldn't.

I stepped out into the torrential rain, letting the droplets wash away my tears. Agastya didn't stop me, didn't even call out. I shouldn't have expected him to. He's just a friend, after all. A friend who's getting married, apparently.

But why did it hurt so much? I couldn't explain the ache in my chest, the feeling of shattered emotions. I walked aimlessly, my feet carrying me through the deserted streets. The rain-soaked world seemed to mirror my mood - gray, gloomy, and unforgiving.

As I turned a corner, I saw them - couples huddled together under umbrellas, laughing and smiling. My heart twisted, a pang of loneliness shooting through me. Why did everyone else seem to have found their piece of happiness while I was still searching?

I continued walking, my eyes stinging from the rain and unshed tears. That's when I saw him - a little boy, no more than five years old, wailing in his mother's arms. He'd slipped on the wet pavement, scraping his knee. My heart went out to him, and I felt a pang of longing. I missed my family, my childhood, the simplicity of life before the palace.

The mother comforted her child, whispering soft words in his ear. I remembered my own mother's lullabies, her warm embrace. A wave of nostalgia washed over me, and I felt lost, a small boat adrift in a stormy sea.

I kept walking, the rain my only companion, my thoughts a jumbled mess of emotions. What was I doing? Where was I going? The questions swirled in my mind like the raindrops around me.

Third person POV

Agastya stormed inside, his anger and frustration boiling over. Harshith tried to approach him, but Agastya pushed him away. "Mujhe akela chod de, Harshith!"
(Leave me alone, Harshith!)

He marched straight to Rakhi, who was laughing and chatting with the guests. Agastya's eyes blazed with anger as he grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the party.

"Agastya, baat kya hai?" Rakhi asked, her voice dripping with innocence.
(Agastya, what's wrong?)

But Agastya wasn't having it. "Tumhe ache se pata hai ki baat kya hai!" he yelled, his voice low but fierce. "Tumhari wajah se Meera ko lagta hai ki main shaadi kar raha hu! Aaj pata hai how hurt she looked, all because of you !"
(But Agastya wasn't having it. "You know very well what the matter is!" he yelled, his voice low but fierce. "Because of you Meera thinks that I am getting married! Today you know how hurt she looked, all because of you!"(

Rakhi's smile faltered, and she took a step back, but Agastya's grip on her arm tightened.

Agastya's voice was low and even, but laced with a hint of venom. "Uss din Maine haa isiliye kaha tha kyuki mujhe laga maa aur dad bhi yahi chahte hai. Lekin Maine shadi Tod dhi ti. I'm not going through with it."
(That day I said yes because I felt that mom and dad also wanted the same. But I broke the marriage)