Page 57 of Sumanika

I felt the rough texture of his hand intertwining with mine. Butterflies erupted in my stomach as I noticed the slight cracks on his fingertips, which had healed considerably since the day I found him with the mortar and that gray powder.“Kunwarsa, are you really okay?” I asked in a serious tone.“I mean, if you feel like sharing,” I added.

He shut his eyes and took a deep breath before gently shaking his head. Overcome with emotion, I gazed at his face and squeezed his hand tightly, asking,“What’s wrong?”

In that instant, I lost track of our roles. I overlooked the existence of a world beyond these drawn curtains—just him and me.

“I went to a… brothel last night,” he interrupted the silence, triggering a sudden tightness in my chest and a dryness in my throat. The words hung in my throat as I struggled to ask,“Did you cheat on your fiancé?”

After a brief pause, he shook his head and murmured,“I’m sorry about last night. I did not intend to raise my voice at you.”

“I know,” I replied, but the word‘brothel’occupied my thoughts.“Why did you go to the brothel, then?” he asked as he moved closer.

“Will you promise to keep this between us?” he asked, and I swallowed nervously.

"Yes," I agreed in a slow voice.

“I suspect that Mehrangarh is conspiring against us, and its chief commander possesses vital information. Last night, he visited the brothel, and I went there to gather that information,” he said.

I furrowed my brows.“But you’re marrying the Princess of Mehrangarh, and the commander must have seen you. Didn’t he recognize you?” I tried to ask, but he shook his head.

“I couldn’t meet him directly. I sent an old frie… I mean, someone I know, to him, and she got this information for me,”He said, his thumb gently caressing the back of my hand.

I bit my lower lip and tried to speak in a slow, calculated voice,“Someone you know means a girl, and you know her because you have a history with her?”

He opened his kohl-rimmed eyes and gave me a slight nod.

“Oh, so you have feelings for her?” I asked again, and he shook his head.“No, I’ve met her only a few times before,” he added.

I blinked silently for a moment and asked again,“So what happened then?”

He squeezed my hand gently and closed his eyes, hiding his face like a baby.“Ummm,” he mumbled.“I asked her to get that information, and she asked me to sleep with her in return,”

I felt a slight lump in my throat at this revelation.“So, you slept with her?” I asked slowly.

But to my surprise, he shook his head.“No, I denied it, so she asked me to fuck her with my dagger,” he spoke, and I felt a knot in my stomach; the words hung in my throat.

“But you left your dagger with me. How can you… I mean, how do you do that with your dagger?” I asked, watching him gulp. I could see his Adam’s apple move in his throat as he swallowed.

“Yes, because I didn’t want to be involved with anyone,” he said.“But she drugged me with something to make me lose control and heighten my desire, you know,”

I felt my palm growing colder with his words.“So, you…” I couldn’t say anything, so I simply stared at him. He shook his head while gazing back at me.

“That’s why I asked you to go back yesterday,” he said.

I inhaled, realizing the gravity of the situation.“Oh,” I said, trying to calm my pounding heart and continued.“But you didn’t have to do it. I mean, Mehrangarh is close to you. You could have gone to your fiancé. Bearing that drug would have been difficult. She could have hel… helped you,” I cleared my throat slightly, looking at him.

He turned around, staring back at me with no emotion.“You’re stupid,” he drawled.

I gulped silently, lowering my gaze.“Am I?” I muttered, straightening up and locking eyes with him.

I didn’t, but I could feel my cheeks heating up under his gaze, and my mind was flooded with the memory of seeing him half-naked in my dream.

“So, are you still under the influence of drugs? Am I in trouble?” I asked slowly, and he smiled, looking at my face while shaking his head.“No,”

I bit my lips, uncertain about what to do next. The memory of yesterday warmed my cheeks, but his revelation about a woman he had slept with stirred something else within me.

“So, you slept with that woman before? Was it for pleasure or to gain information?” I hesitated, and his smile faded slightly as he lowered his gaze.

My gaze also landed on his bare chest, biceps, and muscles. He wasn’t as bulky as Ranaji, and while all the brothers were the same height, he was leaner than him.

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