(A/N: Before the chapter begins, I want you all to know having affairs with a royalty with a commoner was very sin-worthy and disgraceful to both the parties but especially to the woman's side back in the century they resided)
The village center was abuzz with the murmurs of the crowd that had already gathered. The sun hung low in the sky, casting shadows on the villagers who gathered at the clearing beneath the banyan tree.
In the center of the square, Ekta stood, her hands bound by Rani-sa's tight grip.
Jagdish was brought forward, no longer disguised.
His expression was a blend of regret and defeat as he faced the accusing eyes of the people around.
Ekta was dragged forward, her delicate frame shrouded in the grip that betrayed a lineage steeped in honor and dignity. Yet, amidst so much going on, all she felt was a suffocating entanglement of despair. Around her, whispers were engulfed into a tumultuous wave, crashing over her otherwise broken spirit.
"You have betrayed us all, Jigar,"
Devansh's voice boomed across the square, screaming in a silent disappointment.
"knowing well the consequences."
His voice hollowed by the end.
Devansh had once shared a strong bond with him in the battle a few years ago. Even today, he was seen as someone different from the others serving in the army mostly because of his presence of mind and unhinged courage.
"Knowing very well the consequence, lord"
Jagdish repeated in acceptance, his head pushed low.
At this, Ekta's tears streamed down her cheeks.
The villagers whispered viciously amongst each other.
"A royal consorting with a commoner,"
They sneered.
Ekta's reddened eyes touched the ground on hearing that.
Once a cherished commander was now cast in darkness for loving a noblewoman
He was pushed down on his knees, his hands tied in the thick ropes. He did not flinch.
His eyes were fixed at the ground, at times reaching up to his beloved.
Ekta struggled against the grips of those holding her, her heart racing as she faced the man she knew was to face something horrific.
The villagers, draped in their age-old beliefs, eyed the tear-filled duo with raised brows and contempt. Old men, whose faces were clouded with the wrinkles of tradition, whispered furiously among each other, concluding their love an affront to their sacred laws.
The air thickened, igniting bottled emotions in a shower of unforeseen verdictment.
The five village heads, their brows crossing each other... finally raised voices to split apart the throat of the man who dared to disrespect the royalty.
Ekta's balance on her trembling foot worsened and she fell to the ground, several feets away from the tied man she loved.
"Devansh, do not hold back anymore"
Jagdish pleaded, desperation overcasting his words.
Regret lined his face, but so did a flicker of courage, the knowledge that he had loved as fiercely as he could.
"Let me face my fate as a man, but do not let her suffer"
His words were directed to the trembling hands of Devansh.
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𝟏𝟓𝟐𝟗: 𝐀 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐚| Indian Historical Fiction
Historical Fiction𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 Ⅰ 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐀𝐉𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐈-𝐁𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐀 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐘 Shefali Roy had lost her parents in a pandemic when she was just one year old. That was the first time she was orphaned. The next time she was orphaned was when she was seventeen. The army of...
