Warrior Hearts

Crystal Clear

Manik's POV

On its own volition, I find my gaze wandering in the direction of the alcove. It's empty. Just like it was a few minutes ago, and an hour back. Frankly, the alcove has been empty since this morning because for some odd reason today, Nandini isn't here to occupy her usual seat. Where could she have gone? Scowling, I glare at the alcove, as if that corner of the room is my culprit.

Huffing, I rise to my feet with a jerk, like a coiled spring pops out of its canister. Nandini was with me just last night - when she brought me back from the pub - and so where the hell has she vanished off to today? What if she's fallen ill? After all, I was quite a bother for her yesterday, and so I wouldn't be surprised if that took a toll on her health. 

"Do you know where she's vanished off to?" I voice my concern out loud, as I stare at the turtle pond. Good God, so now I'm the nut job who converses with animals? Shutting my eyes, I tap my knuckles against the desk. On the other hand, so what if Nandini is not here today? Frankly, what do I care if she's ill? It's not my responsibility to worry for her, or so much as even allow my enemy's thoughts to distract me. Surely, the title of being Nandini's husband is messing with my head. Yes, that's about it. A loud knock against the door causes my train of thoughts to come to a halt.

"May I come in, Your Highness?" Anusha asks from the other side of the door. "I've brought tea!"

"Come in," I call out, lowering myself back into my seat. Frankly, a good, strong cup of tea is just what I need at the moment. I'm one hundred percent sure that it'll help sort out the thoughts in my head, so that I can get back to my normal self, and go about my daily routine, without getting entangled in a web of thoughts about Nandini. As soon as Anusha enters, I first watch her head snap in the direction of the alcove.

"She's not here today," I say.

"And why do you sound so upset about that?" Anusha asks, as she makes her way towards my side of the room. "Isn't this a day to rejoice, Your Highness? Your study is finally yours again, but I'm not sure for how long, to be honest." I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly.

"It's not that, Anusha," I murmur, as my leg - which clearly possesses a mind of its own - begins to shake restlessly. "I merely like knowing the whereabouts of the people in my house." What the hell am I saying? For God's sake, I couldn't care less about what my family does on a daily basis. It's their life, after all, and so I cannot interfere in any way, much less keep a check on them.

"Well, if it helps, then I last saw your wife exit your grandmother's chamber. She was all dressed up in attire that you would usually wear when setting out for a journey of some sort." Anusha informs me, as she busies herself in preparing a cup of tea. "I swear, Your Highness, I fail to understand that woman's dressing sense. She dresses up like a man, and nothing like the lady of this house should."

"Agree to disagree," I say, as I recall Nandini's usual attire. Most days I can already guess the clothes she's going to show up in: brown, leather, knee-length boots, which are complemented by a pair of perfectly fitted pants. Of course, these are always as black as ebony. After all, I can bet that Nandini has nothing other than the colour black in her closet. Heck, I bet opening her cupboard would be the equivalent to staring into an abyss. As for Nandini's upper half, she's always adorning a black full-sleeve shirt, which fits her like a second skin. And I always find it tucked into her pants, not a single corner of it peeping out disobediently. The corner of my lips tugs upwards; I'm not surprised that she manages to intimidate her clothing into obedience too.

Casting my gaze towards Anusha, I realise that there is surely a similarity between her attire and Nandini's; both of their respective outfits always have a thread-work decorating the front of their chests. The difference, though, is that Anusha utilises these strings to enhance her bust, whereas they're just for show on Nandini's attire. Moreover, I think when Nandini is in a good mood on some days, and she feels like decking up, I've seen her pair this attire up with a black, button-up pullover, which trails all the way down to her ankles.

"Since when is standing out so wrong, Anusha?" I ask, as she holds out a cup of tea towards me. Raising my eyebrows, I seek an answer from her. "I don't recall you becoming the fashion enforcer of our land."

"Your Highness, do you mean that you'd like me better if I dressed up like your wife?" Anusha questions, her tone incredulous. "Like a lady who people cannot differentiate from a man." Glancing at Anusha over the rim of my cup, I offer her a small shrug.

"Frankly, I don't think everyone can pull that look off." I say truthfully, a small smile lingering across my lips as I watch Anusha's mouth open and shut, like a goldfish. Good God, I can get under this woman's skin with utter ease. Unlike teasing Nandini, doing so with Anusha is a piece of cake. Nandini, on the other hand, is well able to serve me some good wit in return at any given point of time. I'm sure Anusha now wishes to say a lot to me, but considering who I am, unfortunately she cannot. A thought enters my head causing me to look up at Anusha questioningly.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" I ask, as she begins to gather up the crockery back on the tray. I must admit, Anusha isn't the quietest in doing so.

"What?" She snaps, quite clearly fuming on the inside.

"Aren't you going to ask me how Dadi's doing?" Leaning towards Anusha across the table, I tilt my head so as to meet her gaze. "Did you check up on her?" Without so much as looking at me, Anusha continues on with her work, shrugging.

"Your Highness, you know she despises me." Anusha replies, her lack of interest quite evident to me. "So why would I do either of those things?" Scoffing in disbelief, I lean back against my chair, shaking my head at Anusha's words. Good God, she's making it seem as if Dadi is a complete stranger to her.

"Wow," I manage to say, unable to recover from the surprise of Anusha's callous attitude. "Look at you." Gesturing towards her, I cast my gaze across the entirety of Anusha's frame. "And look at Nandini. I've recently brought her to this house, and she's got herself worried sick for Dadi. You, on the other hand, have been a part of my life for years now, and I see no emotion from your end. Why can't you be more like Nandini?"

"Because I'm not her!" Anusha yells, her eyes wide, as she grabs the tray from both ends and slams it against the tabletop. "You know what? If you're so damn interested in her, then I suggest you start memorising the route to her chambers." Narrowing my eyes, I lean towards Anusha.

"Maybe I already have," I say. "After all, have I once visited yours after my marriage to Nandini?" Grabbing the tray, Anusha whips around and begins to march towards the door. Silently, I trace her steps with my gaze, more than eager for her to leave.

"You know, Your Highness," Anusha says, halting, as she turns to face me. "You weren't saying this to your wife the other day. If my memory serves me right, I remember you blaming her for your grandmother's current condition." Confused, I knit my brows together. How the hell does Anusha know of this? "I was listening," she says, offering me a reply to my unsaid thought.

"You were eavesdropping," I correct Anusha. "For your kind information, Anusha, what goes on between my wife and I should be none of your concern. You have no right to know, or interfere." Clenching my jaw, I cock an eyebrow at Anusha. "Am I making myself perfectly clear?"

"Crystal," Anusha replies curtly, as she yanks open the door and stalks out of my study.