Royal Secrets (Shhhh)

Chapter 17. Hukum ~ I Love You ~

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She walked into his chamber with hesitant steps, her breath caught somewhere between fear and longing. The room felt the same, yet tonight everything was different.

Her heart thumped wildly against her ribs, but she forced herself to stay composed as she gently arranged his dinner tray, every movement meticulous, every gesture trembling with hidden emotion.

From inside the washroom, she heard the familiar sound of water. He was there... so close after so long. Her fingers lingered on the silverware as the sound of the door creaked open.

Samar stepped out, a towel draped over his shoulder, his damp hair clinging to his forehead. He stood before the mirror, drying his hair with careless ease, unaware of the eyes fixed on him from across the room.

Dhara stared, breathless.

He stood bare-chested, his skin glowing faintly under the soft lantern light. The lean strength of his frame, the ease with which he moved-it stole her breath. For a moment, she forgot everything. Even to blink.

But the moment didn't last.

As if sensing the weight of her gaze, Samar turned sharply.

Before he could catch her watching, Dhara quickly dropped her eyes and busied herself with the salad, pretending as if nothing had happened. Her heart thudded louder, her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

Samar froze when he saw her.

His steps halted mid-way, the surprise in his eyes unmistakable. He hadn't expected her. Not tonight. Not like this.

"When did you come?" he asked, his voice a low, startled murmur.

"H-hukum... j-just a little while ago," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. The depth in his tone unsettled her, awakening every buried feeling she'd spent weeks trying to silence.

She wanted to rush into his arms, bury herself in his scent, and whisper all the words her lips had been aching to say for the past two months.

"Hukum... not a single moment passed when I didn't think of you. I missed you so much... Did you ever think of me too?"

-her heart whispered as she stared at him with eyes full of unsaid love.

But her fantasy shattered when Samar suddenly snapped his fingers in front of her face.

She blinked, startled-dragged back to the real world. Embarrassed, she looked away, scolding herself softly under her breath.

"Are you mad, Dhara?" she muttered, cheeks still flushed.

"Khaana laga dijiyein," Samar said in a cold, even tone, slipping into his black vaist, veiling both his chest and his expressions.

He sat at the table and began eating in silence, the clink of his spoon the only sound between them.

Dhara stood by, quietly stealing glances at him, not with the hunger of food but with the hunger of longing. Tonight, she wasn't focused on the fragrance of the ghee or the perfection of the parathas. No.

Tonight, her appetite had changed.

There were no rats fighting in her belly, only butterflies-fluttering madly with anticipation, fear, and a strange kind of hope that maybe... just maybe, he missed her too.

"Pass me the Roti."

His voice was calm, almost cold, as he looked at his plate.

But there was no response.