Page 18 of Sumanika

He smiled, glanced at her, took a deep breath, and, before glancing at me, replied,“I’m loyal, Bhabhisa.”

Everyone appeared confused. I quickly lowered my gaze and turned to walk away from there.

Was he talking about me?

“By the way, when are you leaving for Mehrangarh?” I suddenly heard Nandani ask, and I turned to look at him.

What? Was he leaving? Again.

Why?

He replied,“This evening.” She then asked,“Should I have someone pack some food for the trip?”

He answered,“Yes,” and Nandani called out again.“Suman,”

I looked at her, and she smiled at me.“Can you pack something for Devarsa?”

I nodded silently. He blurted out,“Only fruits, Bhabhisa, nothing else.”

I looked at him, and Nandani reiterated,“Only fruits.”

I nodded, walking away from there.

Agastya

With every step I took away from her, I reminded myself that she needed to confront her fears. It wasn’t my job to make her feel at ease.

Everything I did was meant to protect her, and I would always look after her as…a Prince.

But her eyes appeared hopeless and empty, and her smile seemed locked away somewhere. The pallor of her skin hadn’t faded since that day, and it was all turning into a nightmare for me.

It made me uneasy. I didn’t want to look at her and feel that I could do something, but I didn’t.

Reaching my chamber, I noticed the two female attendees packing the requested items.“Is everything ready?” I asked.

“Yes, Kunwar Agastya,” one of them replied.

I nodded in response and walked straight into the bathroom for a quick bath. However, my mind lingered on the night she brought me food. Her face appeared scared; she looked exhausted yet afraid of sleep.

I understood she wouldn’t quickly get over that day—her past. Even though I was unaware of the specifics of her suffering, I could see irreparable things in her eyes.

But I wanted her to forget all that. It wouldn’t happen again.

And I didn’t know why it was bothering me.

She sat quietly before me, her eyes downcast, and I sensed she wanted to stay in my presence. And I didn’t know how to console her; it wasn’t my place.

Knowing I couldn’t keep that flame alive, I didn’t want to spark that in her in the first place.

Or we both would burn.

After taking off my clothes, I slid into the pool, resting my head against the wall with my eyes closed.

Her haunting words about fear,‘Those who don’t have shadows over their head can’t afford to be scared of fear, Kunwarsa.’had lingered with me since that day.

Her pain ran deep, and now another layer of terror had been added: fire. She feared fire. She sat before me while I ate, never lifting her gaze to the flames just a few feet away. Perhaps she sought some comforting words or simply wanted to be near me. Either way, she shouldn’t have come.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes, once again realizing I had been lost in thoughts of her when I shouldn’t have been.

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