𝑰𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 ✎

[37]

Maneka

I watch with a heavy heart as Raghavendra puts his arms around Vaidehi, drawing her close. They are standing in the terrace, few feet away from me. Absolutely unaware of my presence.

They look lost in their little bubble. Happy. In love. As much as I have started to adore Vaidehi in the last months, watching them be disgustingly happy has just made me long for the same kind of love and marriage even more.

These days, there is another name I long for, but I dare not go there.

I watch them for a second more before I decide to leave and walk towards the staircase that lead downstairs. I let my veil drop back to cover my face and keeping my eyes trained on the ground, I jog downstairs.

When I land at the bottom of the staircase, at the way that diverges leading either back to the palace or the royal gardens, I choose the royal gardens.

My veil is still covering my face, so I keep my eyes focused on the ground and continue to walk, my steps sure and sad. Shit. I feel so sad. Is it because I still have some lingering feelings for Raghavendra? Or is it because I just am really tired of the thought of being alone forever?

When I reach the beautiful gardens, I stop. I take a deep breath and take in the view through the translucent beige of the netted veil over my face.
And thats when I spot him.

"Arham." His name leaves my lips before I even register him properly. He is talking to a group of men. All soldiers by the looks of them. The exchange looks goofy, bickering. All of them are just goofing around talking to eachother. I should leave. But I stay rooted at my spot. Staring a hole at the side of his face. Screaming him to look at me.

Ever since the night after the King and Queen's anniversary, me and Arham haven't spent any time by ourselves. And it's been a good two weeks to it. Our exchanges have been brief, with him almost avoiding me with the way he doesn't acknowledge my presence. Yesterday morning me and Vaidehi ran into him while we were taking a stroll in the garden and other than a nod of his head and addressing me as Talya's princess, he didn't even look at me. Not even held eye contact while on the other hand spoke to Vaidehi for a good five minutes.

His cold shoulder has bothered me more than I want to admit.

I stand there, face covered by my veil and staring at the man from a distance who for some reason wouldn't leave my thoughts.

"Okay. Thank you all. You can disperse now." He says to the small crowd, they all nod respectfully before leaving. I watch him as he takes a deep breath and runs his hand through his hair, looking equal parts beautiful and frustrated.

I want to move my feet and walk towards him but I stay rooted. Suddenly he turn towards me, I don't know if he can even recognise me under the veil but my breath halts nonetheless. Under his gaze I feel a heat creep up my neck. It's been so long since he looked straight at me. I hate that there is a veil obstructing our eyes. I want him to look straight into my eyes.

With little to no thought I start walking towards him, he doesn't move either. When I reach him, I strain my neck up to look at him. He continues to wordlessly look at me too. I watch something shift in his eyes suddenly and he pushes his gaze to the ground.

"Princes of Talya..." He murmurs.

"Arham..." I reply. That makes his gaze shoot up quick enough. I recently started addressing him with his name and it does seem more affective than kidnapper.

"What were you doing?" I ask him gesturing to the guards/army men walking away at a distance.

"Just a briefing and well being session."