Cittaja || Indian Historical Romance

15.

Basava saw Shakra and Vayu at the riverside. Taarini was a beautiful river. Shakra started ahead towards the river.

"Bava..."

"Basava, do you reckon that Maa also feel this way? All my mothers. Do they also feel like this? This constricting pain in their chest."

"I'm not sure, Bava, but that's what pain feels like. I've not really experienced love as such."

"Basava, to be honest, I don't know what to do. I know that deep down, she's my only one. I've seen so many Princesses. I've had proposals previously from Kingdoms I've won but none of even matched up to the way I feel when I see her smile. It's like her eyes lit up. That way when she actually looked back for the first time, I felt the happiest. It felt like 8 years of wooing her, she's finally warming up to me. I close my eyes and she's the only one I can think of."

Basava sat down next to Shakra. "Bava, I only question one thing. Sure, Vadina wants to kill you but tell me. Is your love strong enough to melt her reasons? I only understand that love is about surrender. Sitamma didn't stop loving Rama just because he did what was the only option for him. Just because Rama sent her away to Rishi ashrama, it didn't mean that Rama doesn't love her dearly. Because even today Rama answers back instantly when requested through Sitamma. Mahadevi Amritakumari, Rani Anvesha, and all the other queens didn't stop loving him though he broke their hearts. They are still ready to fight battles for him. A woman's love is only called true when she surrenders completely to her husband. Whether he is going to love her always or not. So, why can't your love be the same? Why does a man not surrender in love completely. Does Krishna, the one we call Parama Purursha, not surrender in love to Satyabhama and address himself as her humble servant when appearing her? If he can surrender, then why can't you?"

Shakra turned to look at Basava. His cousin who was the illegitimate son and not as cared of as the other cousins, spoke in terms about love. "I know what it is to desire someone's love desperately. Maybe that's what Vadina wants. To feel love. Maybe that love needs surrender."

"Surrender? What else do I need to do to prove her. I have almost shown her every way that I play to her wishes. Is there something more to surrender? I've surrendered my heart to her."

Basava stood up. "Just think about it, Bava. Have you surrendered to love like the great husband has? Have you surrendered to Vadina like Shiva surrendered to Amma Kalika? I just said what I think. It is for you to decide at the end."

He left Shakra with that thought.

The thought stayed with Shakra for a long time. He was seeing that she wanted to kill was he seeing her reason enough? Could he put himself in her shoes?

He couldn't understand her enough. Because the words didn't reach him enough.

'If she wanted to really kill me why did she not let the attackers kill mme? Why did she take the risk of arriving herself to save me?' he wondered.

The corner of the banks almost inched close to the forest. People didn't usually come there. Shakra had freshly returned from a conquest. This one was specifically nerve wrecking. Before he showed himself at the court, he wanted to relax a bit. He found himself at the banks.

He was disguised as a roughian. His black dhoti had white borders. A cloth tied around his head in a loose fashion as a forehead band.

He saw a few women there at the banks. They were definitely maids seeing their fashion but still nicely decked.

Just as he was watching them, a figure emerged out of water. A piece of cloth covered her. It was tied over on shoulder and around the waist. It reached her knees. A green bathing robe. Dripping in water. Her hair was left open.

Shakra almost forgot how to breathe seeing her. She looked like an angel. In his 20 years of life, he hadn't ever met anyone as beautiful as her.

Her eyes straight caught him staring at her. The maids quickly brought a towel to cover her.

"Namaskaram. How does the Prince of Kalika Empire find himself in the Krishneri Kingdom?" She asked.

Shakra was surprised. She shouldn't have recognised him. He was disguised.

"You can disguise yourself but important part is disguising your personality. You can change clothing to look like a commoner but Princely behaviour is engraved in your bones. The way you stand is not that of a common man. Hands tied behind like a soldier but eyes staring unabashedly is a royal behaviour. Rest soldiers are generally more careful about staring at a woman taking bath." She answered his confusion. "Then again, I can recognise you because you've not changed that much."

"I'm sorry but I haven't recognised you."

"I used to be in the same Gurukula. Mayurakshi." She introduced herself.

"Ahh..." The intelligent one. He remembered her. She wasn't exactly as beautiful as her elder sister back then but she was surely one gifted with intelligence. What changed is that she blossomed into a beautiful woman.

Her smile was like the moonlight. The way the cool moonlight eases all kinds of pains, the same way the tiredness vanished looking at her. She enchanted him all at once.

"I'm not surprised you didn't recognise me." She laughed.

"That's a new problem though because I don't think I'll ever forget you now, Rajkumari Mayurakshi."

His eyes was an answer to most things. It was a reaction he couldn't hide to her. There still a small trace of the alta she wore in her feet.

What completely caught him by his neck was her eyes. The peacock-like eyes. Deep Brown. The way her eyes were captivating. A certain kind of naiveness that couldn't be covered by her intelligence. A kind of fierceness kept captive by her polite Princess training. The sharpness of her observations.

Never had anyone's eyes captivated him more.

"Rajkumari, we should go..." The maid whispered to her.

"I hope you have a good travel ahead, Rajkumar." She left with her maids. He wished he could follow her but it was completely useless.

That was the day he first fell for Mayurakshi and today he couldn't control that feeling. Shakra could control everything but this feeling he had for her. He hadn't minded the lack of control in that aspect. He basically controlled everything else so he was willing to her control this feeling. But now, he began to rethink the decision. Now, he wanted to control it.

He couldn't understand at all. Just when he thought that she was coming around, she completely threw him off the rocker with the news of her desire to finish him.

Her sweet smiles, her polite tone, her enticing words, her playing aloof. Was all of it a part of her plan? Was that what she wanted to do. Had any of it been his own choice?

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