Two hearts, worlds apart one bound by royal legacy, the other by quiet resilience are destined to collide in the most unexpected way. Kashi Sharma, a 20-year-old girl from a small town Jhansi, has faced more hardships than most her age. Abandoned by...
Firstly, a very Happy Janmashtami to all of you! 🪈🦚🙏🏻✨ May Lord Krishna shower his divine blessings on each one of you💗
Guys this chapter is really long, almost 5k words! so please don't forget to vote and if you can, please leave some extra comments. Your love and encouraging words make me so happy and keep me motivated to write more!🫶🏻❤️ _________________________________________
Happy Reading!💗
Night had settled over Bundelkhand, bringing with it the first bite of winter. The chill in the air was sharp yet comforting, the kind that made you want to curl up beside a fire. In the farmhouse everyone had changed out of their damp clothes from earlier, now they lounged in soft nightwear. Kashi and Sunetra, in elegant satin night suit, had draped small shawls over their shoulders to ward off the cold.
They all had gathered once more in the patio, the centrepiece a firepit table glowing like a contained bonfire. The warmth from the flames mingled with the laughter and chatter in the air, wrapping the moment in an easy, homely charm. Dinner had long been finished, and now the group was locked in a friendly battle of UNO.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Kashi and Vishwanath were playing together, their heads close as he patiently explained her the rules. His movements were calm, taking the time to point out each rule with a subtle tap of his finger on the cards. Kashi's brows knitted in confusion more than once, and each time she realised she had made a wrong move, her lips curved into the most dramatic pout.
Instead of getting annoyed, he seemed to find her little mistakes endearing. Every time she sulked, he quietly rearranged the cards for her, his hand brushing against hers in a way that made her heart skip a beat. While the others laughed and played with competitive energy, he matched his pace to hers, letting her take her time, as to him, winning the game mattered far less than making sure she understood it. The others teased them lightly, the atmosphere filled with good-natured fun.
That's when a helper arrived, carrying a tray of chilled fruit punch cans, it was Rudra's idea for a sweet end to the night. Earlier, he had brought two boxes, one alcoholic, one not. Since they were heading home the next morning, everyone had agreed on the safer, non-alcoholic version. Rudra had simply told the helper to fetch the cans from the box kept on the upper shelf of the refrigerator.
But fate, as always, had its own little mischief in store.
The non-alcoholic box had been one can short. In an innocent mistake, the helper pulled a can from the alcoholic batch instead, both were identical in colour and design, giving no hint of the difference within. And by some quiet twist of destiny, that very can found its way to Kashi's hand.
No one noticed. The soft hiss of opened cans filled the air, followed by the light fizz and the gentle clink of metal against the firepit table. Kashi too popped hers open and brought it to her lips, taking a few eager sips.
