Page 63 of Sumanika

“Okay, whatever you want to know, I’ll be honest,” he intoned. I looked at him, held his hand, and kissed my fingers with deep emotion.

“But don’t go to Mahabaleshgarh,” a faint smile crossed my face as I nodded.

“I will try,” I said, pulling my hand back as he loosened his grip. I parted the curtains and walked away from him.

Unknowingly, I sensed a sudden shift between us, as if a thick wall had just crumbled. Yet, I still couldn’t fully grasp what he had told me; it was overwhelming to process at that moment.

“Hey, Dinner. I want lunch,” he suddenly called out. I watched him part the curtains and stand up, a white cloth wrapped around his waist.

“I will send another attendee, Kunwarsa.”

He looked at me and smiled.“And the deal is still the same. If you want to get killed, I can gladly invoke my right,” he said, opening his arms wide, and I shook my head.

“In your dreams,” I exclaimed, and he laughed.“You mean wet dreams,”

I felt a sudden blush spread across my cheeks.

“Kunwarsa,” Suddenly, my gaze fell upon an attendee entering the chamber, and as soon as she spotted me, her eyes widened slightly in shock.

I immediately turned to look at him.“Kunwarsa, Nandani said it’s kind of urgent. “ He looked confused and nodded.

“Okay, let her know I’m on my way,” he said, and I hurried past the attendee, eager to jump into the well and assess the groundwater depth.

Agastya

She left the chamber, and I looked at the attendee, waiting for her to explain why she had arrived.“Kunwarsa,” she said slowly, causing me to furrow my brows.“Yes?” I asked, and she gulped, glancing at me before speaking in a low voice,“Princess Rashmika wants to meet you.” I nodded, acknowledging her words, and replied,“Alright, I need to freshen up. Please call her over for lunch.” She nodded and licked her lips slightly, and I rolled my eyes, unable to believe what was happening in my life now.

I ignored her and tried to walk toward the bathroom, but she collapsed before me. My eyes widened in shock. She cried out, looking at me, yet I continued to walk into the bathroom, ignoring her.

Seriously?

After bathing and getting ready in a fresh white kurta and a long loincloth, I went to my meeting area, waiting for lunch. After some time, I heard the announcement of Rashmika’s arrival and stood up to welcome her. I saw her enter with a few of her attendees, all dressed in pink with dupattas on their heads.

"Greetings, Prince Agastya," she said warmly, and I replied. "Welcome to Suryagarh,"

I walked forward and took a seat across from her on the couch.

“How’s everything? Was your journey comfortable?” I asked, and she smiled, nodding.

"Of course, why would not be?" She said, guiding her attendee to step forward and place a plate on the table in the middle.

“This is for you,” she said, and I furrowed my brows slightly.

“What is it?” I asked, and she let out a small giggle.

“Something that you will enjoy,” she said, and I blinked before lifting the clothes off the plate. My brows furrowed in confusion as I looked at the long, black object. It was made of iron and had a long tube of about two feet attached to a thick handle-like structure.

“What is this?” I asked, holding it in my hand. It was heavy—heavier than the sword and spear.

“It’s called a gun,” she said with a smile, and I didn’t know, but suddenly a suspicious thought crossed my mind.

"What does this do?" I asked, my voice filled with confusion.

"It kills," she replied, and I got up from the couch.

“How?” I inquired.

She turned to look behind, and I glanced at the head commander stepping forward. He took the gun from me and aimed it at a tree. I saw him pull a handle, and a blast occurred, causing him to step back a little. The next thing I saw was an apple falling from the tree.

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