Beyond The Palace Walls| ONGOING

Chapter - 24

The next morning, In Pali,

Meera woke up feeling refreshed and relieved, realizing she hadn't had a nightmare for the first time since returning from Jaipur. She had grown accustomed to the dark visions haunting her sleep, but today was different. Shrugging off the unusual calm, she began her morning routine, indulging in a warm bath to shake off any lingering sleepiness.

As she soaked in the warm water, Meera's mind wandered, wondering if the absence of nightmares was a mere coincidence or a sign of something more. She pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on the soothing sensation of the bath.

After drying herself, Meera headed to the breakfast table.

Meera walked into the breakfast room, smiling as she greeted her parents, "Good morning!"

Her mother, sipping tea, returned the smile. "Good morning, beta. How did you sleep?"

Meera took a seat, pouring herself a glass of juice. "Achi neend mili, maa. Aur pata hai koi sapna hi nahi aaya"
(I got a good sleep, mother. And you know I didn't even get any dream)

Her father, reading the newspaper, looked up and nodded. "That's great, Meera. Maybe things are finally settling down."

Meera doesn't reply and Sumitra notices that she had still not forgiven her father.

Just then, Harshith burst in, yawning. "Morning, everyone!"

Meera rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Morning, Harshith. You're so loud."

Harshith grinned, taking a seat next to Meera. "Someone's got to wake you all up!"

Agastya walked in, his eyes scanning the room before settling on Meera. "Good morning, everyone."

Meera's heart skipped a beat as their gazes met, but she quickly looked away, focusing on her breakfast.

Her mother, oblivious to the undercurrent, asked Agastya, "Agastya, would you like some tea or coffee?"

Agastya smiled, taking a seat opposite Meera. "Coffee, please, queen. Thank you."

As Agastya and Meera's parents chatted, Meera couldn't help but sneak glances at Agastya, wondering what the day held, and whether the absence of nightmares was a sign of better things to come.

After breakfast,

Agastya pushed his chair back and stood up, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Hey Meera, want to join Harshith and me for a visit to the construction site? It'll be fun, I promise."

Meera's heart skipped a beat as she nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, sure, I'd love to!"

But before she could stand up, Achintya, her father, spoke up, his voice firm. "Meera, I don't think that's a good idea. You're Veer's fiancée now, and it's not proper for you to be going out with...with..."

Agastya raised an eyebrow, interrupting Achintya. "With me? Oh come on, highness, I'm not going to steal her away from Veer. Besides, after she gets married, she'll probably rarely visit Pali anyway. Let her have some fun while she still can."

Meera felt her face heat up as Agastya smirked at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Right, Meera?"

She nodded, trying to sound nonchalant despite her racing heart. "Yeah, right."

Harshith, who had been watching the exchange, grinned. "Yeah, come on, Meera, it'll be fun! We can make it a picnic!"

Achintya hesitated, clearly unsure, but eventually nodded. "Fine, but be back by lunchtime, and don't get into any trouble."