"Some say love takes time, but the moment I saw you, I knew my heart had been waiting for you all along."
The man groaned, then straightened up and pulled back his hoodie to reveal his face. Avantika's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Abhimanyu Raichand?" she gasped, her voice barely above a whisper.
Abhimanyu winced but managed a small smile which is almost a blush.
"Ji."
Avantika blinked several times, trying to process what her eyes were seeing. Was it really him? The Abhimanyu Raichand standing in her room?
He froze for a second, noticing her stunned reaction, then snapped his fingures in front of her face. "Hello?"
She snapped out of it, her voice a little shaky. "How did you get here?"
Abhimanyu grinned, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "First I climbed a tree, jumped over your big palace wall, and here I am in your room."
Her jaw dropped. "You what?"
Ignoring her shock, he casually walked around, looking at the room's grand decor. "Wow, this place is fancy. Like, straight out of a movie."
"Why are you here?" she asked, still struggling to believe this was real.
"Oh, right!" He turned back to her, pulling a bouquet of flowers from behind his back. "I wanted to apologize. For, you know, hitting you with that ball."
She took the bouquet, her lips curling into a small smile. "Do you always show up like this to say sorry to people you injure?"
"Not to everyone," he said with a smirk. "Just to someone special."
Her cheeks flushed, but she quickly looked away.
He resumed walking around, glancing at everything with wide eyes. "I always thought royals were made-up characters for movies and books. But look at you an actual princess."
Avantika just stood there, unsure of what to say. He noticed her stunned expression and laughed. "Relax. I'm not here to rob you or anything."
She let out a nervous laugh, finally starting to feel less awkward.
His gaze fell on the faint bruise on her cheek, and he walked closer. "Can I...?"
"Can you what?"
"Touch it," he said, nodding toward her injury.
She hesitated but eventually nodded. "Okay."
He reached out gently, his fingers brushing against her cheek. The warmth of his touch sent a wave of butterflies through her stomach.
He tilted his head and smiled knowingly. "You are having butterflies."
Her eyes widened. "How do you know?"
He simply smirked, his hand lingering for just a moment longer before stepping back.
Avantika crossed her arms, trying to regain her composure. "Okay, you've apologized. Now what? Are you planning to climb back down the tree, or do I have to call security?"
Abhimanyu chuckled, sitting down onto the edge of her bed like he owned the place. "Relax, sahiba. I just got here. You're not kicking me out already, are you?"
Her brows shot up. "You broke into a palace! Do you realize how crazy that sounds?"
He leaned back on his hands, completely unbothered. "It's not breaking in, if the intention is pure. I didn't come to steal anything, I came to just to make sure you were okay."
