❝"I refuse!", was her deafening scream. The temple full of people stood in silence. He watched her, taken aback at the audacity, but not out of his icy cold composure.
He took a step towards her.
"Step back! Step away-"
He yanked her by her wrist...
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Aviram:
SHE walked into the room. Right past me. And locked the door from inside. I stood in silence for moments.
The more I tried to mend, the more everything broke. And at the end of the day, it was I who broke them.
I dragged myself to the pillar. The bells shattered on the floor.
I bent, collecting them. I had strictly ordered all the servants to stay away from here. And if I did call anyone, I could not trust anyone with these. Even if one was lost, the whole thing becomes worthless.
As I picked up, a tear dripped on the floor.
Suddenly the world around me numbed, as if withdrawing me from the surroundings, taking me back in time.
Four years back.
When I had finally stepped into my bathroom, there had been silence. As silent has death. Wearing white, after the final rites of my parents, I stepped into the bathroom.
I had been told Anamika would be there. Yet, there was no one.
I slowly walked down to the wash basin, splashing some water on my face. Wishing this was all just a nightmare.
"Anamika?", I called out. There was no response. I drew in a deep, exhausted breath.
Just then my gaze fell on a sheet of paper, placed under the handwash. I pulled it out, perplexed. I opened it, and my breath left me.
There was a sharp bang on the door of my bathroom.
I heard my otherwise soft spoken daughter scream,
"Mumma left! She left because of you!"
I stood still. Blinking continuously. But nothing changed.
Raja ji, I am leaving. I cannot stay with you. You can keep the rules of the Palace to yourself. I was forced to marry you at the age of fourteen and I refuse to continue this marriage. Bye.
That was it. The only farewell message she has for a man she had claimed to love.
My knees had given away. I had simply fallen on the floor, the letter in my hand, in sheer disbelief.
A tear had dripped down from my eyes, the ink on the paper started to blot. But the words. They never changed.
I had been abandoned on the day just after my parents passed away. By the woman who was my wife, the love of my wife, the mother of my daughter. And my daughter blamed me.
I suddenly went from the handsome prince of a beautiful palace, To the cold beast who could not love anymore.
And today, after four years, I was down on my knees yet again. Collecting the dreams of another woman.
I drew in a deep breath, as I picked up the last bell from the floor.
"Raja ji! I—", This was a panicked Santosh. "Take these.", I said standing up. He looked at me with visible confusion. He simply pulled out the cloth bag he usually carried in his coat for such purposes. I poured the bells in it, and then picked up the red cloth that had bound them.
"Raja ji.. what..?"
"Sew them back. Make it the way it was before.", I said, drawing in a deep breath.
I heard the door open sharply.
Devika stood, looking at me, still enraged and hurt. "I need no favours from you, Ram.", She stated coldly.
I smiled at her, sadly.
"I am doing myself a favour.", I stated. I nodded at Santosh, he simply took the things and left.
I turned to leave.
"I am leaving.", Devika stated. I looked at her and smiled. I just couldn't find the strength to wear back my facade, or get angry.
"Everyone eventually leaves. You may too.", I stated. My voice did tremble with emotion, but I did not feel like hiding it anymore.
She looked at me, almost trying to read my eyes. I knew she did it a lot. And I could never bother myself to hide.
"So.. if I leave, you don't have a problem?", She asked again.
"You have an uncanny resemblance with my ex wife.", I said plainly, "I had assumed my daughter would accept you. She did not."
Just then I remembered, I had said something else too that day.
"Also, you have taken my word to never touch you. I won't. No heir too that means. That defeats all my purposes to marry you, so you may leave.", I said. I could hear my voice, barely recognisable now.
It sounded defeated. And I was. A defeated monarch.
She said nothing, as I turned to leave.
•
Devika :
I stared at him go. I did wish to leave immediately, And I definitely was going to.
But.. There was something in his eyes, the voice. This man was so different from the one I had met at the temple that fateful day. He indeed had a purpose. I supposedly had the resemblance with his ex wife. He expected his daughter to accept me.
That did not happen, so what was the point for me anymore?
But his state today. I just couldn't put the vision from my eyes. He sounded like a defeated, broken man - trying to find a floating plank in a vast ocean to breath for a little longer.
Nonetheless, I walked back into the room that was his.
I picked up my suitcase, to pack it.
I must go.
As I started putting my things back inside my suitcase his voice, his pained hollow voice echoed in my head,
