HOOR

CHAPTER 14: GAYATRI

A few days had passed since that wonderful incident with the General. And let me tell you, nothing about my life had improved. In fact, it had only gotten worse.

The gossip spread faster than wildfire. As soon as the word got out that I’d been caught in the forbidden training grounds, it was like the entire palace had nothing better to talk about. And to top it all off, the General’s punishment, which I now had to endure, was the cherry on top of my misery cake.

It wasn’t even the soldiers who made me feel the weight of it—no, it was the maids. Every time one of them passed me while I was scrubbing the uniforms of the soldiers, they'd glance at me with that look. You know the one. The look that said, "Oh, you're the one who got caught breaking the rules." It was like I had Maid stamped across my forehead in neon.

And honestly, I couldn’t blame them for looking at me like that. They had every right to.

The great thief who never touched a single cloth for washing—me—was now someone else’s laundry girl.

I sighed. The sound was heavy, almost like a surrender.

It wasn’t just the shame, though. No. The worst part was the work. I’d been stuck in the kitchens and laundry for over a week now. Dawn till dusk. Every. Single. Day. No breaks. No rest. Just endless scrubbing, cleaning, organizing. My hands were raw from the soap and water, and my back ached from bending over the same pile of dirty tunics.

I was tired.

Too tired. I had to do something about this. The General—was being way too harsh. It wasn’t like I had meant to cause any trouble. I’d barely stepped into the forbidden area for a few minutes, and that was it. But this? This punishment? It was overkill. And it wasn’t just me who was suffering now—Surya was nowhere to be seen either. I hadn’t heard a word from him in days, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hiding out, avoiding me. Probably embarrassed.

I couldn’t just let this go on.

I had to speak to the General.

It wasn’t like I was scared of him—well, okay, maybe a little bit—but I was frustrated, and that had a way of making me bolder than usual. What was the worst that could happen? Another punishment? Please, I was practically a walking disaster at this point.

I set the tunics aside, wiping my brow with the back of my hand as I stood up straight, taking in the oppressive heat of the laundry room. I needed to find him.

I knew exactly where to go.

_______

I needed some air, but of course, just as I was about to storm into the general’s chamber to give him a piece of my mind, the guard at the door stopped me.

He crossed his arms and gave me that “you can’t go in” look.

“Hey, excuse me, what do you think you’re doing?” I asked, a little too tired for small talk.

“You cannot enter,” he said flatly, not even blinking.

I scoffed, hands on my hips. “Uh, yeah, I can. I’m literally on duty, remember? You can’t just keep me standing out here all day. Like, what’s your deal?”

He wasn’t budging, though. “Orders are orders. You cannot pass.”

Okay, now he was asking for it. I took a step closer, lowering my voice so no one else could hear. “Listen up, buddy. I know what you and that woman get up to by the lake after dark. Real cozy little rendezvous, huh?” I smirked as I saw his eyes widen. “You really want me to spill that little secret?”