Rajah's Curse

Chapter 39: Important Questions

It took a while for me to regain my senses. I had so many questions, but, every time I tried to speak, Jasmine would caress me somewhere and my thoughts would evaporate like dew under the morning sun.

Finally, I took drastic action. I stood up with the princess in my arms. She was lighter than expected. Then I turned, and placed her on the seat next to her vanity table.

Even then it took effort to stop kissing her. Her arms were wrapped around me, so I was bent over in an awkward, but delightful position. Eventually though, I managed to disentangle myself and stand up straight.

"Dhiren?" Jasmine opened her eyes and looked up at me, confused.

"I'm sorry," I said and I was. Kissing her... there weren't any words to describe it. No appropriate words anyway.

I shook my head slightly. Two kisses and I had already been corrupted.

Thoroughly corrupted.

"What's wrong?" she asked, bringing me back to the present.

"There is a lot we have to discuss," I said firmly to remind her and myself. Because even as I stood there, I felt longing build up in me again. I squashed it. There was a time and a place for such things. "Were you serious before?"

She frowned. "Of course, I was serious."

I pressed on. "I mean about...wanting to spend our lives together," About being in love with me. "Did you really mean that? Do you really want to marry me?" The last two words came out wrong but it was crucial I understood exactly what she had meant.

Her frown deepened. "Yes. That is what I meant. I want to marry you, Dhiren. Or...Ren?" She let the word hang in the air. "I like your full name but..."

"Dhiren is fine," I said waving off the trivial question. "I just..." couldn't believe this. "Are you sure about this?"

"I am. Are you?" She countered, standing up.

"Yes!" It wasn't really a question. I'd never thought of my feelings in terms of love, but marriage I was positive about. Up until recently, I'd always considered myself as Jasmine's betrothed and these days, I felt more than a sense of duty, entitlement, and friendship.

Ever since I first saw her that night at the fountain, I had been struck with a yearning. I wanted her to be mine...in marriage of course, but not like that...well not only like that...I mean...

Durga protect me.

What I wanted was permission to embrace her, to be with her through life's trials, to care for her and our family, and love her I suppose, but...

"Then what's the problem?" Jasmine asked, hands on her hips.

I opened my mouth and then closed it. What wasthe problem?

"Nothing," I concluded, stunned by the truth of it. There was no problem. I wanted to marry her and by some miracle, she wanted to marry me, all of me. She knew I'd been Ren and Rajah and she wasn't even blinking an eye. This was better than I ever hoped for. It was...

"Excellent," she said with a nod as if all had been decided. A dangerous gleam entered her eyes.

"Wait," I protested. We weren't done. "Everything might be fine between us." Somehow. "But there is actually a lot that must to be dealt with. We should make sure that my curse is truly broken. And I should present myself at court and prove my identity. I also need to..."

I trailed off as Jasmine wrapped her arms around my neck again.

"Princess," I began. I could barely think with her doing that.

"Prince," she murmured.

"Please, we should-"

Jasmine hopped up and kissed me again. It was just a quick peck. With our height difference, it was all she could manage.

I should be thankful for that, but instead I was a bit disappointed which was not at all what I needed to be feeling at the moment. I needed to focus. One of us should be taking things seriously and Jasmine seemed...otherwise occupied.

"Dhiren?" The way she said my full name.

I shivered despite myself. "Yes?"

"I've been wanting to do this for weeks and yet I never imagined." She bit her lip and I had to hold myself back from kissing her right then and there.

She made it worse by saying, "I really like kissing you, Dhiren."

"Me too," I said without thinking. When my thoughts did catch up, I rushed to correct myself. "No. Wait. I mean..."

"I know what you mean," she assured me. "And I'm glad because I want to enjoy this while it lasts."

While it lasts?

"Why won't it last?" I said, gripping her to me. I should have known it wouldn't be this easy. Things were going way too smoothly.

"Relax Dhiren, I only meant that after tonight, things will get very busy with all the stuff you just mentioned and more, you know?"

"Ah..."

Right. Of course. That.

"So," she focused in on my lips, "knowing that, what is it that you want to do right now?"

Kiss her. Of course, I wanted to kiss her again. She wasn't the only one who'd been dreaming about this. Those lips of hers had been plaguing my imagination ever since that first night at the fountain. And the feeling of the last couple of kisses was still on my own lips, but this was dangerous. We were in her rooms, right next to her bed.

It wouldn't do.

"Let's go outside," I decided. We need to get away from the bed and true sin.

"Alright," she said before she reluctantly released my neck.

I led her out to the balcony.

It was a cold crisp evening. There were a few clouds in the sky, but I could still see the stars twinkling and the moon was a delicate crescent.

However, I quickly forgot about the sky as Jasmine moved in front of me. "Now what?" she asked, looking up at me.

I gingerly placed my hands on her warm soft shoulders.

Jasmine's mouth quirked into a small smile. Her lips were full and tempting as always.

I swallowed. "Princess Jasmine." I don't know why I said her title. This just seemed like an important question. I slipped into formality without meaning to.

Jasmine's face became an austere mask, but her eyes sparkled like the stars above as she replied with false solemnity, "Yes, Prince Dhiren?"

I licked my lips. "May I kiss you?"

This time, the princess smiled as slowly as a sunrise. I felt every single painful instant like an eternity in hell, before she said, "I thought you'd never ask."