A H E N K A R A

New Me New You

•| Chapter - 28 |•
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A H E N K A R A

€ MORNING

The green grass beneath my feet flattened as I dragged myself forward, my steps heavy, aimless. Every bone in my body begged for rest, but I couldn’t stop—not yet. My hand clutched the lead rope of the weary horse beside me, its hooves muffled against the earth.

Then, suddenly, I heard the sound of someone stumbling, followed by approaching footsteps. I lifted my gaze and saw Sultan walking beside me.

I parted my dry, cracked lips to protest—but then I remembered.

Had he ever truly followed my orders?

No.

So what was different now?

Nothing.

I kept my mouth shut.

“We’re here,” he said.

I raised my eyes and saw it: a towering stone gate, beyond which bustled a crowd. It was the main entrance to the Sultanate.

Sultan had already covered the lower half of his face with the cloth of his turban. I mirrored him, pulling my veil down to conceal everything below my nose. Without a word, he took hold of the horse’s rope and began walking toward the gates. I followed closely behind.

“Ruko!”

“Wait!”

The guards at the entrance raised their weapons, halting us.

“Kaun ho tum log? Kahan se aa rahe ho?”

“Who are you two? Where have you come from?” one of them barked. His tone was sharp, authoritative.

My gaze fell on the brooch pinned to his chest—and then the flag fluttering behind him. My breath hitched. It wasn’t our flag. It bore the colors and emblem of the enemy kingdom.

Realization struck hard.

The enemy king had overthrown the Sultan. That’s why the banners had changed. That’s why the guards weren’t ours.

A chill ran down my spine.

If they even suspected who we were… we’d be executed on the spot.

“We are humble traders, Sir,” I heard Sultan say, bowing before the guard.

My eyes widened. Sultan—bowing?

So, he had realized it too.

The guard narrowed his eyes, then stepped aside. “Hmm. Fine. You may enter.”

“Shukriya, huzoor. Thank you,” Sultan said respectfully, keeping his head low.

Only when we were well inside the market, far from the guards, did he finally lift his gaze. He hadn’t looked up once—not even briefly. Probably because of his eyes—an unmistakable forest green, the kind no one forgets. It must’ve been how he slipped into my kingdom once, unnoticed yet unforgettable.

“Kya dekh rahi ho? Humari khubsurti?”

“Staring at my good looks, are you?” he teased.

“Ji nahi,” I replied curtly.

“Absolutely not.”

“Then listen closely,” he said, his tone shifting. “We’ll need to live here in disguise for a few days.”

I met his eyes, then nodded.

We walked on in silence until we reached a store lined with antiques. The shopkeeper, an elderly man with alert eyes, greeted us warmly.

“Aaiye, aaiye! Kya dikhau aapko?”

“Come, come! What can I show you?”

“We’re looking for a place to stay for a few days,” Sultan told him.

“I do have one. But I’ll need twenty gold coins.”

I glanced at Sultan from beneath my veil. His head tilted down slightly, jaw tightening as if calculating what little we had—or didn’t have. I had nothing. No jewelry, no money. Judging by his silence, neither did he.

I braced myself for a night under the stars.

But then, he reached into his robes and held out his dagger.

“Here,” he said simply.

It was no ordinary weapon. The hilt was crafted in gold, encrusted with rubies that glinted in the fading light.

The man's eyes widened at the sight of the dagger, his expression lit with unmistakable greed. Without hesitation, he snatched it from Sultan’s hand, nodding eagerly.

"Come, come! Let me show you the place."

I glanced at Sultan through the veil, puzzled by his behavior. He had just handed over our only weapon—our only means of defense—in a kingdom that now clearly belonged to our enemies. What would we do if someone attacked us?

We followed the shopkeeper through winding alleys until he stopped at a small door. He opened it for us, and we stepped inside.

The room was modest, almost bare. In one corner stood a clay stove and a few earthen vessels. A jute cot was placed against the wall, and a single, small window let in a weak stream of sunlight. Sultan thanked the man, who left soon after, his footsteps echoing until they vanished.

I turned toward Sultan and lifted my veil, just in time to see him casually walking to the bed and reclining on it. In his hand—was the dagger.

My eyes widened. "Aap… yeh khanjar aapke paas wapas kaise aaya?"

He chuckled. “Aapko kya laga? Hum apna pasandida khanjar yunhi kisi ko de denge?”

Of course. I should’ve known better. No one was better at deception and stealth than him. And when it came to something he valued—nothing slipped from his grasp.

He playfully ran a finger along the dagger’s sharp edge, his expression unbothered, almost serene—as if his kingdom hadn't just been taken over by an enemy.

“Sultan—”

"Khadi kyun hain begum?” he interrupted. “Apne shohar ke liye kuch banaiye. Humein bohot tez bhook lagi hai.”

I pursed my lips, anger curling inside me at his commanding tone.

He stood and came to stand before me, raising his hand to gently touch two fingers to my cheek.

“Suna nahi aapne? Humne kuch kaha.”

My voice trembled with fury. “Hum aapke ghulaam nahi hain!”

He smirked. “Par begum toh hain. Aur begum, mohabbat se, apne shohar ke liye khana pakati hain.”

With that, he gently but firmly took my jaw in his hand, squeezing my cheeks. I jerked away and turned, sinking onto the bed. I curled my knees up, exhaustion taking over. I didn’t even realize when my eyes shut.

In the darkness, warmth bloomed.

I saw food—platters full of it—laid before me. The maids from my kingdom surrounded me, smiling softly. I inhaled deeply, the rich aroma of spices and baked bread wrapping around me like a blanket. My senses tingled with comfort.

As I slowly opened my eyes, a morsel of food hovered in front of me. I parted my lips, ready to accept it—but it pulled away just in time.

I blinked.

Sultan.

He stood there, holding the bite just out of reach, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Ah-ah... not so fast, Princess,” he said, voice low, teasing. “You’ll have to pay for this.”

“What?” I whispered.

His gaze locked with mine, then slowly drifted down to my lips. For a heartbeat, everything was silent.

Then, he looked back up and winked.

“A kiss.”

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