Page 39 of Sumanika

But our conversations were no longer restricted to formal messages. I understood that it meant nothing, at least not for either of us. Yet, that incident instilled in me a sense of guilt.

I couldn’t erase the visuals of her crying in my arms, her tiny hands, which used to serve food to me, fisting on my clothes, and her voice, shaking, crying, begging, that used to bring me messages from Bhabhisa, everything told me she was a nice person, that she did not deserve to die.

I couldn’t calculate the consequences back then and still can’t.

Now, whenever I see her, I feel a connection. I believe it's my duty to keep her safe from those people.

I felt deeply drawn to her. I couldn’t figure out why I struggled to stay away whenever she walked into my room. Each time she stood before me, I felt an irresistible urge to engage, tease, or do anything to make her want to linger with me.

Her skin felt soft against mine. Her lips had never looked so beautiful. Or perhaps I was just noticing this now. She had stunning eyes, and whenever she applied kohl to them, like today, it made me feel, maybe without my choice, that she was mine.

In the past two weeks, I’ve noticed that she has been ignoring me, and I’ve also done my best to ignore her. However, just glancing would have made me feel that everything with her was real.

Still, she couldn’t be my secret affair. Even though my defenses crumbled before her, I tried hard to mask them with my rudeness. I couldn’t get close to her.

Everything was going against my original plan.

I wanted to be close to her before I left for Mehrangarh again. Because if anything happened to me, she would blame herself.

Believe it or not, it was evident in her eyes that she saw me as more than just a prince now. Her fierce demeanor towards me and her ferocious words implied she felt a claim on me. Everything was driving me crazy.

Suddenly, Bhabhisa’s screams grew even louder, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I intertwined my fingers and felt a hand on my shoulder.

I turned to look at Ranvijay Bhaisa.“Bhaisa,” I said, prompting for a hug.

“Oh, what happened?” he asked, amused, as I felt him gently patting my back.

“It’s okay, Agastya; it happens during childbirth; she will be fine.” His words made me even more tense, and I closed my eyes.

“I don’t know, Bhaisa; she’s the only person I’ve ever known as my mother figure,” I mumbled.

He brushed his fingers through my hair and replied.“Just a little more time, and we will both become a father figure to someone,”

I immediately broke the hug and looked at him.

“Yes, yes, I will become Kaakusa,” I said with a slight smile. He narrowed his brows.Chote Kaakusa.” He corrected me, and I smiled.

“Sixteen days fast, no, no, twenty-one, twenty-five, twenty-five days fasting, I need a girl, a girl…” I continued negotiating with God and walked toward the corner.

My gaze landed on my half-wife walking through the gallery to the other side of the chamber. I sprinted to stand in front of her.

“How is she doing now?” I asked.

She furrowed her brows while looking at me.“Same.”

Okay, she was mad about the Hot thing. She hurried past me.

“What does‘same’mean?” I asked, following her while keeping my eyes open not to get noticed by anyone.

“In pain,” she replied, stepping into Bhabhisa’s dressing area. I followed her inside and watched as she opened a trunk.

“When is the girl coming out?” I inquired politely.

She lifted her‘Unbelievable’gaze to my eyes.“It’s going to be a boy,” she countered.

My eyes widened.“No,” I said.“It’s definitely a girl.”

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