THE ROYAL SHADOWS ~ a tale of clandestine affairs and hidden desires

☆Touched The Soul☆

RAJASTHAN, INDIA, NIGHT

The sky wept in torrents, each drop of rain falling like shards of glass, cold and unrelenting. The narrow streets were deserted, the storm swallowing the city in a blanket of dark, suffocating silence. Every corner echoed with the distant roll of thunder, and somewhere in the shadows, death followed.

Rudrakshit Ranawat stumbled through the alley, blood pouring from a wound on his side, each step heavier than the last. The taste of iron filled his mouth as he gritted his teeth against the pain, his vision blurring. His rivals had set a trap, and now they were closing in, ready to finish him off.

He heard the footsteps approaching, splashing through puddles. His enemies, relentless. The rain was unforgiving, soaking his body, washing his blood into the cracks of the street. But his pride wouldn’t let him fall—not yet. Not like this.

As he turned the corner into a narrow lane, he saw her.

A girl, with long dark hair plastered to her face by the rain, her simple dress clinging to her small frame. Her wide, innocent eyes met his, filled not only with fear, but with concern, as if she could feel his pain. She was just a passerby, too young, too naive to understand the danger she was walking into.

"Move," he growled, his voice strained, though even that was laced with the authority of a man used to being obeyed.

But she didn’t. She stood frozen for a moment, her gaze darting between him and the shadows that followed. The air was thick with tension. Then, as if possessed by some foolish bravery, she moved—not away from him, but toward him. Her small hands reached out, trembling slightly, as she tried to steady his swaying form standing infront covering him.

Before Rudrakshit could push her away, a shot rang out.

Everything seemed to slow. He felt the rush of air beside him as the bullet soared past, meant for him but intercepted by the girl who now stood between him and his death. The bullet just touched and passed by her but ,Her body jerked from the impact, a soft gasp escaping her lips, and then she crumpled, collapsing against his chest.

For a moment, Rudrakshit couldn’t move. He felt her frail weight against him, the warmth of her skin despite the cold rain, and the absurdity of the situation struck him. She had taken the bullet. For him. A stranger.

He cursed under his breath, his arm wrapping instinctively around her, holding her limp body close. Blood—her blood—seeped into his clothing, mixing with his own. The world spun, the rain a blur around them, and without thinking, he carried her, struggling through the downpour.

---

The small house was modest, barely large enough for the two, no one was at her home, leaving the place eerily quiet save for the sounds of the storm outside. Rudrakshit barely noticed the humble surroundings as he laid the girl—onto the small bed, his own strength fading with each passing second.

She stirred, a faint groan escaping her lips as her eyelids fluttered. Rudrakshit, breathing heavily, crouched beside her, watching her with an intensity he couldn’t quite explain. There was something about her—this girl who knew nothing of the world of power and danger he came from—something pure. Innocent.

Her eyes opened slowly, blinking up at him. Her lips trembled, not from pain, but from the overwhelming concern she felt for the man beside her. She shouldn’t care for him, a stranger—she should be afraid. But as her eyes found his, she felt only sorrow for his wounds.