Page 58 of Sumanika

He lightly sucked on his lips and shook his head, sucking a sharp breath.“Will it hurt you?” his voice was low.

I gulped nervously, unsure why it was already causing me pain.“Why would it hurt me? I mean, you’re getting to the Princess of Mehrangarh,” I preached, and he lifted his gaze to meet mine.

“But we’re kind of married too,” he intoned.

I shook my head.“That’s good for fun and delusion to keep us happy, perhaps, but in reality, there is no‘us.’You are a prince, and I am just a maid. While I may be in a stronger position than other maids, well-respected and loved, I am still a maid. I’m thinking about going back to Mahabaleshgarh because it’s clear that I’m causing problems in your life,” I attempted to express while looking at him, his gaze intensifying as he shook his head.

“You can’t go,” he proposed, and I shook my head.“It’s good for us both. Perhaps we’ll forget each other,” I wished, but he shook his head.

“Do you want to stay away from me?” he inquired, and I didn’t know how to respond. I was uncertain, too. A war raged in my head.“I don’t know,”

"Then, do not go," He requested, voice loathed like order, and I gulped nervously. "But, you are gettin—“

“I am already married, Suman. Bhaisa will never allow me to marry another woman. Can’t you understand that? My life is fu…messed up. You don’t want to be with me. I can’t be with another woman. I’ll die longing for a relationship with… love,” he said with agony.

My heart suddenly felt heavier.“But you love the Princess, right? No one will ever know what happened between us.” My voice slowed, and he shook his head.

"No, we don’t love each other. She loves someone else," he stated in a low, frustrated voice, and I couldn’t stop the tear rolling down my cheek.

“So, why are you marrying her?” I asked, unable to understand. He inhaled deeply. "You can’t understand that," he said.

Gulping,“At least try,” I pleaded softly. I didn’t know what was happening to me now.

He bit his lower lip slightly and lowered his gaze.“There’s an army waiting on the other side of Him, waiting for all the Hind. It’s enormous, and Mehrangarh is aiding that by supplying explosive powder.”

“The one you were making the other night?” I asked.

He nodded.“Yes, that one. However, that powder requires something substantial- perhaps equipment as large as a full-grown elephant. You know, it’s massive. I still don’t know how they’re going to get it across to this side. Huge mountains separate us. I learned about this before Rudra Bhaisa’s wedding, and since then I’ve been gathering information. It seems Mehrangarh might also be preparing. I mean, we didn’t have any contacts, and I wasn’t suspicious until I discovered that Songarh was selling yellow sand in large quantities to Mehrangarh. Therefore, Songarh’s connection with Mehrangarh made me feel uneasy.”

“Why don’t you tell Ranaji anything? And does Princess Aishwarya know about it? What about Prince Ranvijay?” I asked immediately.

He gulped, shaking his head.“Rudra Bhaisa had bigger problems at the time. He had just conquered Suryagarh, and our troubles were just beginning. Another issue could have broken us, so I kept it to myself until I had the full story. But when Ranvijay Bhaisa married Aishwarya Bhabhisa, I saw an opportunity to investigate further. When Ranvijay visited Songarh after their wedding onTeej, he learned about it. Since then, it has been confirmed,” he said, and I felt my mind racing at this revelation.

“So, does Ranaji know about Mehrangarh’s involvement?” I attempted to ask.

He nodded slowly.“But not much. He’s just suspicious. I didn’t tell him anything because a baby has just arrived in the Kingdom. The other empires in Hind aren’t ready for a war like that either. Mahabaleshgarh is still recovering from the loss of King Rajvardhan, and Pratapgarh is under Mahabaleshgarh. Suryagarh is working hard to strengthen its ties with southern Hind. It’s basically family everywhere. And that army is almost twice the size of ours.”

“What are you thinking?” I asked worriedly, and he lifted his gaze to meet mine. For a few moments, he stared at me before crashing into a smile.

“Nothing. There’s still time. I mean, maybe a year. By then, we’ll be capable,” he said, and I exhaled in relief. He nodded, but I still felt he was concealing something.

“Did you play any role in the alliance between Prince Ranvijay and Princess Aishwarya?” I asked, struggling to believe that Prince Ranvijay’s marriage to Princess Aishwarya was merely coincidental, especially since this state was abundant in that sand.

He shook his head slowly.“No, but I mentioned how good Ranvijay Bhaisa is to Aishwarya Bhabhisa’s father.”

I couldn’t believe it.“You are… I can’t believe you,” I gulped nervously, and he stared deeply into my eyes.

“Don’t worry,” his voice was low.“Everything is fine. It’s not as bad as I made it seem,”

I looked into his eyes. "But it looks bad," I hesitated to say.

"It's not," he insisted, and I noticed his gaze dropping to our still-intertwined hands.

"You trust me, right?" he asked, and I looked at him. "Why does it matter?" I tried to ask.

"I don’t know," he confessed before lying back on the bed, resting on his chest, stretching his arms, and inhaling deeply.

My stomach knitted.

---