Page 156 of Sumanika

“Nothing is wrong with you, Suman. You just think something is wrong with you. Believe that you deserve to be happy, too. Why are you afraid of being hurt? If you don’t let go of this feeling, you’ll never see that you’re already hurting yourself. Can’t you see that without him, you’re already in pain? Can’t you notice that it’s hard for you to even smile without him? Can’t you realize that he’s the only man who has truly made you happy, smile, and feel comfort?” she said, as I inhaled deeply and blinked silently.

“I know, Nandani. I know he cares for me and loves me, but I don’t understand what’s wrong. I don’t know why I hurt him, and now I’m unsure how to fix my mistakes. What if he’s angry and won’t talk to me?” I asked, and she inhaled deeply and gulped before responding.

“Honestly, if I were in Agastya’s place, I would never talk to you again. Some things are just beyond self-respect. With what you told me, you not only hurt him but also made him question himself. Do you realize what he must be feeling after hearing all of that from the person to whom he poured his heart out? None of us had the slightest idea of everything he had been through, yet he shared it all with you. His purpose was not to hurt you, Suman. Trust me, Rudra and Prince Ranvijay didn’t raise him that way. He might be bubbly and flirty, but he’s a genuine man. And putting aside my opinions—just don’t do anything. Follow your heart. If you don’t want to talk to him, then don’t. Don’t force yourself to do anything you don’t want to do. Eventually, he’ll get past this, and no one will ever know what happened between you two. He’ll never show it on his face, and trust me, even after this, he won’t hate you. So just calm down. I’m sure whatever it is within you, he’ll understand. But please understand him too. Don’t make it all about yourself,” she said, and I gulped silently while listening to her and nodded my head.

“Ranisa,” an attendee suddenly caught our attention, prompting us to lift our gaze and look at him immediately.

“Kunwarsa,” she said, and I noticed her eyes tense and her fingers shaking as she pointed behind her.

“He has arrived,” she said, her voice trembling, and I could feel my heart racing wildly in response.

“Where did he come back from?” My voice trembled as I stood up and attempted to ask.

“From the war,” the attendee replied; images of blood, sword, and his near-death experience on the battlefield overwhelmed me. My head spun, dropping me to my knees.

“Suman,” Nandani quickly embraced me and patted my cheeks. My heart raced uncontrollably.

"Kunwarsa," my heartbeat and breathing hallowed, and I didn’t understand what had happened to me.

"Give me water," I heard Nandani's voice fade. She pressed a glass between my lips, and I felt the coldness against my throat as she gently patted my cheeks.

“He’s fine, Suman. Hold yourself together,” I heard her voice, and my eyes shot open at the mention of him.

I got up to run toward the main door. My legs trembled. The attendees watched me. Tears streamed down my face, and suddenly, I stumbled over a stone and fell onto my arms. A deep cry escaped my lips, and I felt Nandani’s hand on my shoulder.

"Suman, calm down," she clicked her tongue, and I quickly returned to my feet.

"What happened to him?" I babbled, unable to control my swirling, dark thoughts. The priest’s voice echoed, telling me I was his problem. But we weren’t even properly married; how could he get the bad fortune?

I ran again and halted far from the main entrance, noticing the convoy of soldiers entering, many bleeding.

Ranaji and Hukumsa were there, too, and I approached them with my shaky feet, my heart sinking lower with every step, until suddenly, a loud cheer erupted.

"Kunwar Agastya Dev Singh ki!"

"Jai!"the crowd cheered, and my heart sank even more profoundly. My head pounded, and I stood immobile. Nandani held my hand and guided me toward them.

And the moment my eyes landed on him entering on his horse, I regained my breath.

I heard my heartbeat over the loud cheering.

He was bleeding, damped, and dirty; his eyes washed, his face tiresome.

I gulped, soaking into his presence.

He stopped, dismounting the horse. Patting Ashwait’s forehead, he kissed it and strolled toward Ranaji. His steps stumbling, and Ranaji stepped forward with a broad smile.

He smiled tiredly. Kneeling on one leg before Ranaji, he offered a blood-soaked sword with both hands,“Mehrangarh.”

"Kunwar Agastya Dev ki,"Ranaji cheered in an earth-shattering voice that echoed through all the walls of Surygarh.

“Jai!” the crowd responded, and I felt a shiver run through me as Ranaji took the sword from his hands, placed a hand on his shoulder to help him to his feet, and enveloped him in a tight hug.

“You made me feel so proud, Agastya,” Ranaji said, and the crowd cheered again before he pulled back and hugged Prince Ranvijay as well.

“How dare you?” Suddenly, all eyes were on Princess Rashmika as she rushed toward him, yanked his collar, and slapped him hard.

The blood leaked through his lips.

---