~🥀The Fire Within🥀~

89 13 13
                                    

Continued...

The sound of applause still echoed faintly in the grand hall as King Anubhav Singh Yadhuvanshi rose from his throne. The moment he stood, the entire assembly followed in unison, bowing in respect. The grandeur of the moment didn’t faze him—he was used to it—but tonight, his mind was elsewhere.

With a slight nod, he stepped down from the royal dais, his heavy cloak trailing behind him. His strides were measured, each step resonating with authority. The guards at his sides moved into formation as he exited the hall. The soft murmur of voices faded behind him, replaced by the sound of boots echoing in the grand corridors.

The cold night air greeted him as he walked out into the open courtyard, the guards following at a respectful distance. The dark sky above mirrored the mysterious thoughts swirling in his mind—dangerous, consuming, and yet oddly thrilling.

His gaze was steady, but his thoughts were anything but. Haseena’s presence still lingered in his senses—her eyes, her grace, her aura. And then, there was the anklet.

When they reached his palace gates, the guards stopped and bowed as the massive doors were opened for him. Without a word, Anubhav stepped inside, alone. The doors shut behind him with a low, reverberating sound, sealing him in the quiet of his domain.

The palace was dimly lit, its dark textures and royal decor giving it an imposing, almost haunting beauty. The high ceilings, adorned with intricate carvings, loomed above, and the marble floors reflected the faint flicker of torches. The vast halls were empty, save for the soft echoes of his footsteps.

Anubhav walked with purpose, his shadow stretching long and ghostly across the walls. He liked the solitude; it allowed his thoughts to flow freely, untainted by the outside world.

Reaching his private chambers, he pushed the heavy doors open. The room was just as he had left it—grand yet steeped in muted elegance, with dark tapestries and minimal light. He walked to the ornate chest by his bedside and opened it.

There, resting on a velvet cloth, was the anklet.

His fingers brushed against the delicate piece of jewelry, its intricate design glinting faintly in the moonlight streaming through the tall windows. She had left it near the palace gates, a silent offering to fate. He didn’t know then who it belonged to, but now, after the performance, there was no doubt—it was hers.

Holding the anklet, he moved to the window, looking out into the dark expanse of the night. His thoughts grew heavier, more dangerous. She wasn’t royalty, nor someone who should matter to him, and yet she did. The way she carried herself, the strength in her every movement—it was unlike anything he had seen before.

“What is it about you?” he murmured, his voice a low, chilling whisper that seemed to vibrate through the air. It was the kind of murmur that sent a shiver down the spine, carrying with it a mixture of awe, confusion, and a deep, dangerous curiosity. The cold metal pressed against his palm, but it was nothing compared to the coldness that wrapped around his thoughts as his words lingered in the stillness of the room, filled with unspoken longing.

The smirk that curled his lips wasn’t kind—it was dangerous, fueled by a growing obsession and unwavering intent. His voice, low and almost menacing, sliced through the silence of the room. “She’s not just a passing thought... she’s a need now.”

Anubhav wasn’t a man to let mysteries linger, especially when they intrigued him to this extent. And Haseena, with her mesmerizing presence and that fateful anklet, had become a mystery he was determined to unravel—no matter the cost.

Anubhav loosened the clasp of his royal cloak, letting it slide off his broad shoulders and onto the velvet chair nearby. The room’s dim light and the cool night air framed him as he stood silently, lost in thought. His hands moved to the intricate clasps of his upper royal attire, removing it piece by piece. As the heavy fabric was cast aside, it revealed the powerful physique underneath—a body that spoke of discipline, hard work, and the strength of a warrior.

His broad chest, carved with faint scars earned through years of training and battle, glistened faintly under the moonlight streaming in from the open window. His abs were sharply defined, each muscle a testament to his relentless efforts in the palace gymnasium. His shoulders were wide, a strong contrast to the tapering lines of his waist, and his biceps flexed subtly as he leaned forward, resting his weight on the windowsill.

His veined hands, strong and rough from wielding swords, rested lightly but firmly, radiating power. Every line of his body seemed to tell a story of determination and dominance, exuding an almost magnetic presence. Under the pale glow of the moon, his muscularity appeared almost unreal—like a figure carved from stone, both intimidating and entrancing.

The night air cooled the heat of his skin, but it couldn’t calm the storm in his mind. He stood there, a king in solitude, yet his thoughts wandered not to his kingdom but to her.

To his left, his sharp eyes caught the faint light from a nearby window. The green room. She was there—Haseena. Packing her belongings with her teammates, she looked utterly different from the performer who had held the entire court spellbound earlier.

She had changed into a simple, light blue Lucknowi kurti, her aura softer yet equally mesmerizing. Her long, messy braid swung gently as she moved, a few loose strands rebelliously framing her face. Anubhav’s gaze lingered on those flicks of hair—they irritated him, disrupting the perfection of her features. He clenched the windowsill tightly, fighting the maddening urge to slide them away from her face, imagining how soft her skin would feel under his fingers.

The moonlight bathed her in a silvery glow, accentuating her dusky complexion and that tiny mole beneath her lips. It was such a small detail, yet it captivated him completely. She looked divine, like a vision conjured by the night itself.

But then, she disappeared from his view. Her absence left an unsettling emptiness in him, a strange longing he hadn’t felt before. His jaw tightened as he fought the unfamiliar urge to follow her, to keep her within his sight for just a little longer.

The night outside was calm, with only the distant rustling of leaves and the occasional chirp of a night bird breaking the silence. Yet within the walls of the palace, in the recesses of his mind, a storm raged. For the first time in his life, Anubhav, the king who had conquered kingdoms, commanded vast armies, and ruled with an iron fist, felt utterly powerless. He, who had bent the world to his will, now found himself enslaved by a single thought—her.

Her presence, her eyes, her grace, had taken root deep inside him, and no matter how hard he tried to shake it off, the feeling only grew stronger. The king, who never allowed emotions to cloud his judgment, was now consumed by an unfamiliar longing—a desire that threatened to unravel the control he had so carefully constructed around his heart.

_________

I was so much overwhelmed by the previous response you guys gave me in comments that I can't stop my self for writing this.. I didn't had any plans on writing it today or this early but I was litterly reading your feedbacks so many times.. That I wrote this..

I hope you all liked it..

Tata

Love you all 💖👀


You've reached the end of published parts.

⏰ Last updated: 3 days ago ⏰

Add this story to your Library to get notified about new parts!

𝐀𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐚 : 𝐸𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠Where stories live. Discover now