The Monster King

Chapter 71

Meera stormed out of the room, her heart heavy with betrayal and disbelief. Her vision blurred with unshed tears as she walked, her mind reeling from the revelation. The weight of everything crashed over her—Rahagir, the man she had loved so deeply, was a lie. He wasn't Rahagir at all; he was Eklavya, a part of Kiara's past, a man who had woven deceit into the very fabric of her heart.

She couldn't believe what had happened. Every shared moment, every whispered promise between them—it all felt tainted now, corrupted by the truth. Her chest tightened painfully as she fought to breathe, the walls of the palace suddenly feeling like they were closing in on her.

With every step, Meera's emotions swirled in a tempest of anger, betrayal, and heartbreak. How could he have done this to her? How could he have lied so easily, kept such a dark secret from her, knowing the truth would destroy her? And Kiara—her closest friend, her sister in everything but blood—how could fate be so cruel as to tie them both to the same man?

Meera's hands clenched into fists as she moved through the hallways, her mind racing. It wasn't just about the lies, it was about trust—trust that had been shattered in a way she wasn't sure could ever be mended. Her heart ached with a sharp, unrelenting pain as she thought of all the moments she had shared with Rahagir, now tainted by the revelation that he had never really existed. It was all a façade.

She stopped abruptly, pressing a hand to her chest as if to hold herself together. She had to get away, had to put distance between her and the twisted reality she now found herself in.

Meera stumbled through the palace corridors, her vision blurring with the tears she couldn't hold back any longer. She pressed her hand against the cold stone wall for support, gasping as the sobs wracked her body. The weight of the betrayal was too much—it felt like her heart was being ripped apart.

She stopped in the middle of the hallway, her chest heaving, and clutched her stomach as if the pain were too deep to contain. "Why? Why did he lie to me?" she whispered to herself, her voice breaking. "Was any of it real? Did he ever care? Or was I just some pawn in his twisted game?"

Her legs gave way beneath her, and she slid down against the wall, burying her face in her hands. Hot tears spilled from her eyes, streaming down her cheeks. The images of their time together flashed through her mind—the moments of laughter, the shared secrets, the times he had held her close and promised that he would never leave her. It all felt like a cruel joke now.

"You said you loved me..." Meera whispered through her sobs. "You looked into my eyes and said you loved me, but it was all a lie. How could you do this to me, Eklavya? How could you?" Her voice cracked with the sheer anguish she felt.

She cried harder, unable to stop herself. "I gave you everything," she sobbed. "My trust, my heart, my love. And you—" she couldn't even finish her sentence as the pain overwhelmed her.

Her mind raced to Kiara, who stood there in that room, looking as shocked as she was. But what hurt more was the fact that Eklavya wasn't just some random stranger—they shared a history, a bond Meera couldn't compete with. It was too much to bear, the thought that she had been living in someone else's shadow all this time.

"They were always connected... I was the fool who didn't see it," Meera choked out, her tears falling faster. "I thought he was mine, that he loved me. But...he came back for her."

Her body shook with the intensity of her sobs, her heart shattered into pieces. "I loved you, Rahagir, Eklavya, whoever you are! I loved you... How could you betray me like this?" Her voice echoed off the stone walls, but no answer came. There was only the crushing silence, broken by her cries.

All the love she had for him, all the trust she had built over these months, felt like a knife twisting in her chest. Meera pulled her knees to her chest, hugging herself tightly, as if trying to protect what little remained of her heart.