Pranayavijita || Indian Historical Romance

9. Close Friends Are The Best Advisors

When the morning rays touched Ameya's face, his sleep was disturbed. His ears picked up the sound of anklets in the room. He woke up to see which girl dared to enter his room. Only for his eyes to see long, wet hair and deep red clothing. The bangles jingled as she spread the smoke around his room.

Her eyes finally fell on Ameya, who woke. "Suprabhat," she wished.

His head throbbed with last night's alcohol. "Suprabhatam.." He rubbed his forehead to ease his headache. Veer pointed to the table next to his bed.

"I've placed the medicine on the table next to you. It will help your headache." Ameya touched the floor with his fingertips and then touched his head. Finally muttering a prayer to Bhudevi, he stood up from the bed.

He picked up the glass of medicine she had prepared and walked over to her. He sipped the medicine slowly. "I thought you'd still be asleep. It had been a tiring journey."

"I couldn't sleep."

Ameya properly looked at her face for the first time. Her hair was half wet and half dry. "Was something uncomfortable? I'll have the bed or the mattress changed immediately." He put the glass over the little table in the room and started to walk to the door. "Swarna..." He called for his eunuch. "I told you to make sure that her room was comfortable. What are you?"

"Stop..." She stopped him from screaming at his servant. Ameya turned to her. "It's not the bed. The bed is comfortable. So is the room. It is just me. I couldn't sleep."

"Do you want me to move your servants' quarters closer to yours? Is it that you're missing home? I should have someone familiar with Rajputi-style decorations. He can redesign your room to look like the one back home."

"No..." She gave a dry chuckle. Her husband could come up with every reason except her emotional turmoil over his behavior. She handed him his glass of medicine. "Finish this first. Your head would be aching badly."

"Just let me know if there's anything uncomfortable in your life." I'll make sure I resolve the issue."

"Let's not make promises we can't keep."

Ameya took a deep breath. He knew he had to deal with it. That was why he didn't want to get married. He didn't like that he had to answer someone about his choices. "Princess, I am willing to take all the responsibility for the mistake that occurred on my part, but it would be a gross misunderstanding if you believed that I wanted to get married to you. Honestly, I am not interested in marriage with anyone. I'm sorry if it angers you, but I have to tell you that I'm not a man who will commit to any relationship. It isn't you that is the problem. It is me. I'm not ready for a marriage."

"I know."

"I might not be a good husband, Princess, but I can be a good friend. That is a promise I can make confidently. I may be unable to offer love, but I can offer you friendship."

Veer looked at the rising sun. She had a lot to say, but Anvesha's advice resounded in her mind.

"The one to blame is your husband, but that said, you can't break into fights every day. You'll tire him out and then yourself."

Veer decided to take her advice.

"I wish I could tell you you can be friendly, but it will always hurt."

Veer had no response but just smiled at him and nodded.

Ameya smiled back at Veer, a warm, effortless gesture that made her chest tighten in a way she didn't quite understand. The morning sun cast its golden light over them, illuminating his tanned brown skin with a soft, radiant glow. As the sunlight kissed his face, it seemed to highlight every one of his sharp features—the slight trace of his jawline covered by the beard, the curve of his lips, which were decorated by a mustache, and the faint shadows beneath his eyes. His wheatish skin glistened faintly as though touched by something divine. For a fleeting moment, Veer wondered if Surya, her ancestor, might look like Ameya.