Cittaja || Indian Historical Romance

79.

The forest was vast, and the moonlight wasn't enough to help them find a way out. It was too dark.

"I don't see the way outside, Mavaiyya. I think we are stuck here." Mayurakshi sighed.

Shatrujit looked up at the sky. "Kanna, I feel that it will be more and more difficult to find a way out at night. Let us rest for the night. I am sure that in the day it will be easier to find a way out."

Mayurakshi nodded and turned to look at the girl. She was tagging along, not trying to run away for herself, knowing that she would get eaten by a wild animal if she went out alone. Also, she would never get out by herself. She had a better chance to find a way out along with them.

"You try to escape, and trust me, you'll find an arrow through your heart. By now, Karma would have almost every village guard out to look for you. She knows your face. So run if you want to, but you're not escaping." Mayurakshi warned.

"I just did what I had to." The girl answered.

"I will do what I have to, so please shut up. I'm not interested in listening to your fake sob story. You came here to kill my husband. Anyone who wants to harm him is an enemy to me."

"You were yourself in her spot a few months ago, Mayura." Shatrujit reminded her.

Mayurakshi rolled her eyes at his comment. "Don't compare me to her. You think she has a change of heart like I did? If she had, then she wouldn't have tried to kill you. You think all women will fall for your charms and forget their goal?"

"Mayura... careful. Don't cross the line."

Mayurakshi turned to him, and rage filled her eyes. Shatrujit almost thought he saw Kalika in her. "You are my father-in-law. Your son is my husband. Sri Chandika is the witness to my loyalty to my husband. There hasn't been a man in my life that I've considered mine except for him, and there never will be. He belongs to me only. My priority isn't some woman and her false sob story. You almost died in that fire that was set by her. My father never had the courage to treat me as his loving daughter. You're the next father figure I have in my life. If I had lost you, I would have lived forever in this rage against them, which would have consumed her by now. The reason she is still alive is because you gave her life. I respect you and your decisions. That is why all my rage is only coming out through words instead of action. I've always taken more action than words in other people's cases. You can give all kinds of explanations as to why you want to save her, but none of them are enough for me. She wished to kill my husband, and she tried to kill you. If you know that when Mahadevi hears about her, she will do everything in her power to have her head thrown in Taarini, don't expect me to be different."

Shatrujit smiled at her and put his hand on her head.

"You're going to be the Empress of my Kingdom someday, sitting next to my son, Mayura. Compassion is important there. I appreciate your love for your husband and your loyalty to him, but is it so hard to be forgiving?"

"I'm not a goddess in a temple, Mavaiyya. I'm not forgiving. Once sh*t hits the roof, even Chandika isn't forgiving. I'm petty, I'm annoying, I'm emotional, and I'm sometimes way too difficult. That is because I feel too deep. When a woman loves someone deeply, all reasons are thrown into the bin. The moment you said that you only recognize the difference between aksharas between Kuturu and Kodalu, you gave me the right to claim the love you store for your daughter. No god in the world can convince me that my hatred for her is invalid. She tried to take my father away from me. Don't come back to me and try to convince me about being forgiving. Because I can't. I'm not like that. That isn't me."

Shatrujit turned to look at the girl standing next to Mayurakshi. She was just watching Mayurakshi.

"Slaves aren't allowed to think about anything, Rajkumari. You have the freedom to think about all the relationships you have with someone. I don't. So, don't come barking at me about what I'm taking away from you. I don't have the luxury of choice that you have."