An Indian Princess - A Modern Day Fairytale (Completed)

Chapter 11.3

Part 3 of 6

Nidhi stood in the woods where she left the tiger the night before.  The sun had just come out behind the trees and Nidhi breathed the fresh morning air.  She heard the birds and animals come to life as the rising sun lit the earth.  Nidhi felt the energy as it buzzed from the earth and connected her with every plant and living creature.  Nidhi felt alive for the first time in her life.

 Nidhi saw the tiger coming closer and she felt complete.  Nidhi smiled at him and never felt so happy.  As she went down on her knees, the tiger came to sit down beside her.  She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugged him close and dug her fingers into his fur. 

Nidhi didn’t talk to him, she didn’t need to.  He felt what she felt and she was happy.  He rested his head against her heart while her fingers caressed his neck and the top of his head.  Ruh stood a few feet away with his back to them and looked over his shoulder as if he knew that he the tiger was thinking about him.

They sat like that for an hour just being together.  Nidhi wanted to tell him how happy she was but she couldn’t put her feelings into words.  It was hard to describe the happiness and content she felt when he was close to her. 

As they sat there Nidhi thought of what her first day would be like, she wondered what they will do and if they might learn the thongs the teachers wanted to teach them.  A month ago Nidhi would not have guessed that she would be here today and in love with a tiger and a man she didn’t know a single thing about.  How strange had her life become.

“Nidhi, it is time to go.  Say goodbye to the tiger.”  Ruh said calmly. 

“I will be here again, an hour or so before sunset.  Will you come see me again?”  Nidhi asked the tiger.

Arnav wanted to see her but she wouldn’t see him though.  She would see him in human form and he didn’t know if that was a good idea.  He didn’t want to say no because then she wouldn’t come at all.  Arnav nodded to Nidhi.  He hoped that when she saw him again in his human form, she wouldn’t be disappointed that he wasn’t in his tiger form.

Nidhi hugged him once more and walked to Ruh.  Together they made their way back to the school.

“That tiger makes you really happy, doesn’t he?”  Ruh asked with a grin.

“Yes, but I am torn between him and the stranger Arnav.  I know that I cannot be sure of their feelings but I am a girl and I have dreams too.  I want to get a husband one day and have children and I have this very strong connection to the tiger and an equally strong connection to Arnav.   I cannot be with both and the tiger, well he is a tiger.  That could never work.  I could keep him as my friend and marry Arnav, but that could also have its own complications.  Why would I even think that he would ask me to marry him, we don’t know each other and he might have a girl already.  What is going on with me?”  Nidhi scolded herself.  She rambled on and only when she realized that it sounded like she was going to keep the tiger as a pet did she shut her mouth and did not say another word on that subject. 

Ruh just looked at her like she was mad or something.  ‘Women.’  Ruh thought shaking his head.  That is probably why he never married.

When Nidhi and Ruh entered the main gate of the school, Raj was standing a few meters away from the gate.  He looked angry as hell and Nidhi didn’t like the feeling she had in the pit of her stomach.  She tried not to look at him and walked as far as possible from him. 

Ruh didn’t like the looks and the emotions he got from Raj either.  He knew that the hate and anger Raj felt was pointed at Nidhi.  The reasons were unknown to Ruh.  He looked at Raj as they passed him but Raj only kept his angry stares on Nidhi, he probably didn’t even know that Ruh was there.

‘Look at her, probably thinking she is the queen.’  Raj thought to himself.  He hated Nidhi and her family and everyone she was friends with.  He hated her even more since she returned from being kidnapped.