You and I - a pranushka tale

chapter fifteen

Veeraiyandi turned to look at Prabhas, his expression changing. "Is your arm okay?" he asked, glancing at the blood that tainted his shirt.

Prabhas shrugged it off. "It's nothing."

Rana rolled his eyes. "Shut up about nothing. Ragu bring a first aid kit." He ordered one of the guards who ran inside the temple. "How did you get hurt?" Rana asked, almost amused as Prabhas was never one to leave himself open to get attacked.

Prabhas was about to reply but Mithrah stepped out from behind the pillar at that moment, causing his attention to fall on her. His eyes immediately looked her over, seeking any visible injuries and there was nothing, much to his relief.

Rana and Veeraiyandi, confused at Prabhas' lack of answer turned around to see where he was looking and saw Mithrah walk towards them in the rain. With surprise, Rana was about to question why she was still here but he could see where her focus was. Rana was confused but didn't say anything as she neared them.

Ragu returned with a first aid kit that he found in the temple and was about to tend to Prabhas but Veeraiyandi saw how Mithrah's hand unintentionally reached out. It was the slightest of movements but he noticed. He stopped Ragu and looked at his daughter. "Go on." He said passing the box to her.

Prabhas watched Mithrah grab the box and walk towards him. They both stood under a pillar, shielded from the rain as she softly took hold of his arm and inspected the wound with caring eyes. He felt an unusual sense of warmth within him as she began to tend to his injury.

Rana came towards them and looked at his friend with apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry for not telling you about Bhavani earlier. He-"

"I already know," Prabhas replied surprising the siblings.

"How do you know?' Rana asked, shock evident on his face.

Prabhas winked in reply. "I have my ways." He looked back at Mithrah to see her deep in thought whilst she wrapped the bandage around his arm. There was a frown on her face and it became clear that she was annoyed about something. He wanted to ask her but he wanted to ask when they were alone.

Rana stretched and sighed. "I think I'm going to head back home. I need a back massage after that. Ragu make sure everything is cleared in time for tomorrow's poojai." He ordered, glancing at the remains of the fight around them.

"You two will come after right?" Veeraiyandi asked looking back at Mithrah and Prabhas as he prepared to leave too. They nodded. With a smile, he stepped out into the rain and left to go home with Rana who seemed to be in a rush. Well, he was in a rush to the person he wanted to see the most.

After Mithrah wordlessly checked that Prabhas was properly bandaged, she turned around but Prabhas grabbed ahold of her arm. The guards who had been watching them immediately pretended to look away. She turned back to him, her eyes conflicted as she glanced to where he was holding her.

"Mithrah-" He began but she stopped him.

"Come with me." She ordered. As they turned to leave the guards all began to assemble to follow but she stopped them. "We'll be fine alone."

She led him away from the temple and towards an alleyway that took them into the forest. Prabhas wanted to ask where she was taking him but he stayed quiet, tracing her steps as the rain fell softly on them. They were soon surrounded by trees and before he could say anything, he caught sight of what looked like the remains of a temple. In awe he stepped closer, walking past her to see where they were.

Although the temple looked as if nobody visited it anymore, it still appeared breathtaking as if its beauty didn't need any admirers. There were cracks in the walls and the stone floor. Untamed flowers adorned every corner with a rusty looking bell overlooking the area. He saw a huge Shiva Lingam, letting him know this was a temple sacred to Lord Shiva. Prabhas could only imagine how this temple must have appeared when it was filled with life.

Mithrah stepped next to him. "Nobody comes to this temple anymore." She quietly murmured. "But this has always been the place I come to when I need to be alone. I feel safe here. As if nothing could hurt me. Or hurt the people I love." She said, her speech faltering towards the end.

Prabhas turned to look at her. To him, Mithrah was always a strong woman, one he didn't have to protect but wanted to. Seeing her before him, unshielded and vulnerable beneath the rain reminded him once more of the harm she and her family were surrounded by.

She looked at him, her expression turning angry. "Do you realise now the danger this family is in?" she asked. "Do you see how your life will be in danger the more you get involved? I told you don't drag yourself any further into this. Why couldn't you listen to me?" She questioned furiously walking closer towards him.

Prabhas suddenly scoffed, his own anger rising. "And you listen to me? I told you to leave but you stayed. You put yourself in danger when I told you to go with your family. Why couldn't you listen to me?" He asked stepping nearer.

Mithrah's wet hair framed her skin and her saree stuck onto her body under the rain as they stood face to face, anger evident on both of them. She tried to conceal any other emotion, but they cracked through the exterior that weakened with every second longer that he looked at her.

"I couldn't leave." She replied shortly.

"Why?" He asked. "It was one simple order and you couldn't follow that?"

"I just couldn't." She repeated her eyes breaking contact as she looked away. She felt her skin warm under the cold rain as she avoided his unwavering gaze.

"You put yourself in danger. You would have been safe if you left but you stayed and put yourself in harm's way. You keep telling me to stay away but I was fine-"

"What if you weren't?" Mithrah snapped looking back at him. "What if something had happened? What if you got hurt?" She asked, her voice softening with each question. "You want to know why I didn't leave?"

He felt his anger slowly drain as she looked at him with eyes that slowly became teary.

"I didn't listen because I couldn't leave you," Mithrah answered, her tears becoming one with the raindrops on her cheeks. "I don't know why. I don't know why even Rana and my father didn't cross my mind. But the thought of you getting hurt-"

Prabhas stopped Mithrah by pulling her lips to his. His hand immediately curled behind her neck as the other grasped her waist. Although the kiss took her by surprise, she was quick to react, her fingers grabbing his wet hair as the other rested on his chest. They could taste the rain on their lips as they tried to hold onto each other even closer. Prabhas kissed her more firmly than before causing a rush of feeling that Mithrah could only compare to intoxication surge through her. She felt every thought disappear from her mind as she savoured the taste of him. The caresses of his lips were softer than she could have ever imagined and she didn't want to let go. Mithrah tried to confess all her emotions wordlessly with her mouth and he responded with every soft touch on her body.

Reluctantly, they let go of each other and rested their foreheads together. A sense of serenity passed through Prabhas but Mithrah, the one who always had a thousand worries within her frowned. Her hands slowly went up his chest, cautiously even, before resting on his wet neck.

"Does this mean anything?" She asked quietly.

There was silence. Prabhas didn't want to confess how he felt and scare her off. He didn't think she was ready to hear it. So instead of answering, he took her face in his hands and kissed her again before asking "What does it mean to you?" against her lips.

She looked into his eyes, ones that were darkened with passion and curiosity. Mithrah smiled and shrugged. "I don't know." Usually not having control of the situation would have worried her but staring into his eyes and being completely clueless about what the kiss meant was the least of her concerns. She knew she liked him and she knew she definitely liked the kiss. Nothing else could possibly matter.