The Poet, The Princess, and The Promise: A Short Story

Karthik

So began the long days, and the painstakingly longer nights. The servants walked here and there, passing by both mine and most likely Darshini's room, too. I took care to hide Shree each time the window was uncovered, which, to avoid suspicion, was almost all the time. But he rarely made any noise aside from a couple of coos, so the task proved easy.

I suppose that today just wasn't our luckiest day. There was someone rapping at the door, so, in a hurry, I had stowed Shree beneath my bed. The pura protested against being put in such a place, but there was no time.

"Yes?" I asked the person outside. "Who is it?"

"Karthik sir, your food is here. Please, do eat before it gets cold." It was the maid assigned to bring me my meals. Why bother wasting food on me when the original plan was to kill me off? I couldn't stop the thought from entering my head. I had asked Darshini as well, but truthfully she didn't know either. In the end, we assumed that the reason for locking me up instead of kicking me right out was to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

I opened the door just a crack so that I could bring in the tray of food, but the maid took it as a way to allow herself into my room. "What kind of behavior is this?" I demanded, my heart racing.

Realizing her outburst, the maid flushed. "Apologies, sir. I just thought I heard something. Please, allow this maid to see herself out."

I permit her withdrawal, and upon hearing her footsteps receding, clutched at my chest and breathed a sigh of relief. I got down on my knees to reach for Shree, who, after this incident, ignored me for several hours. In one of our previous exchanges, I had asked Darshini: "Where will you take Shree after the wedding?"

To this, she had replied, "I plan on bringing him with me. I cannot leave him behind."

It looks like we were hoping for the same thing. I glanced out the window; I rarely opened it now, save for the occasion where Shree would exchange our messages or I would meet with Darshini.

Laying on my desk was our most recent exchange, one that I had yet to respond to.

"I am curious, though. How were you able to leave?"

I picked up my feathered pen and began.