Royal Secrets (Shhhh)

Chapter 35[1]. ~ He is Not Your Home ~

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"Does… does Hukum know about my dark secret?" Dhara asked, barely able to speak, her voice trembling like a withering leaf in a storm.

Her heart wasn’t just pounding—it was shattering.

She could accept hatred from the world.
She could endure disgust, cruelty, and exile.

But his hatred?
She wouldn’t survive it.

Netra inhaled deeply, her eyes hesitating for a moment before she answered.

“Probably not till now. I think Abhinav Sahabji might’ve told your truth to Ranasa… but without proof. Knowing Samar, he must’ve dismissed it.”

Dhara blinked rapidly, her breathing growing shallow.

“Because even I couldn’t believe it at first,” Netra continued, her voice quiet and serious. “And I saw it with my own eyes. I fainted the first time I witnessed what your body went through… how your skin turned blue, how the poison ran through your veins like wildfire.”

She looked Dhara in the eyes.

“Imagine… if Ranasa had seen that with his own eyes…” Netra paused, her words like the edge of a blade, “…I don’t think you’d still be alive to breathe, Dhara.”

As those words echoed in the wind, Dhara collapsed to her knees, burying her face in her hands. Shame engulfed her. Hatred—for herself, for her fate, for the cursed blood running in her veins. She had done nothing wrong. Yet she was being punished like a criminal in a trial without a verdict.

She wasn’t evil. She didn’t ask to be born this way.
Then why was life being so unforgiving?

Netra crouched beside her, gently placing both hands on her trembling shoulders.

“Dhara,” she whispered, “this is not your fault. You were thrown into this hell without a choice. And the world—we both know it—this world is ruthless to the weak. They twist our vulnerability into weapons against us.”

Dhara's tears wet her palms, her eyes swollen with ache.

“If your parents were alive today… you wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t be alone. You wouldn’t be carrying this burden in silence. You’d have their warmth, their shield.”

Netra's voice cracked slightly as she continued.

“But now… now you have no one but yourself. And sometimes, even that self becomes your biggest enemy. You may think Rajgardh is your safest shelter. But listen to me—it's not. It never was. The dangers outside those palace walls are nothing compared to the dangers lurking inside.”

Dhara looked up at her, eyes wide and glassy.

“You may not understand me today. You may curse me for saying this. But when time passes… when the memories of Rajgardh fade and the truth of it begins to reveal itself in your heart… you’ll remember me. You’ll remember this moment.”

Netra softly held Dhara’s hands in hers—cold against cold, trembling against trembling—and whispered with a faint, protective strength:

"Don't hate yourself, Dhara. Hate what the world has done to you. Hate the curse, hate the cage, but never hate the heart that still dares to love, even when it’s forbidden. Because your heart is so pure."

“B-But what would I do?” Dhara’s voice cracked as her fragile heart spilled out through trembling lips. “I… I really love him. For the first time in my life, I’ve felt this for someone. Not just infatuation or admiration, but something… something sacred. Please believe me, Netra. He’s not what you think of him. I can’t even explain what I truly feel for him, but I know—he’s not a beast.”