Agastya
"But her art is better than yours," Bhabhisa said, and I couldn't help but chuckle as I watched her leave us alone with a slight smile. When she disappeared, I exhaled deeply and looked at Suman, wiping the fresh tears from her cheeks.
"Hey," I muttered, stepping closer to her.
She broke into a few more cries, and I couldn't help but wrap my arms around her and caress her back.
"Bhala itni si par bhi koi rota hai," "Does anyone cry over such small things?"
She hugged me back tightly.
"I'm sorry. It's all because of me," she muttered, and I closed my eyes, kissing her head.
"No, nothing is because of you. Why are you even crying? This was meant to happen someday," I tried to say, but she shook her head.
"But she got angry because of me,” she sobbed, and I continued to caress her back.
"She wasn't angry," I said, pausing just long enough to find the right words. "She was experiencing postpartum mood swings. She just had a baby. It's normal," I explained, and she chuckled, pushing me away.
"Do I look like a fool to you?" she asked with a pout, and I shook my head.
"No, you look like my wife to me," I couldn't help but say.
"No one is going to agree with us. She agreed because I'm her best friend. Ranaji, Prince Ranvijay, and the other kingdoms won't like it,” she said with slow tears. I cupped her cheek to make her look at me.
" Dev Singh kahenge to bhagwan ko bhi manna padega, ye to fir bhi chote mote Raja hi hai," “ If Dev Singh asks them, even God will have to agree, let alone these minor kings.”
She laughed a little, and I wiped the tears from her cheek.
"But I hurt her," she said, and I pulled her into a warm hug again.
"That's okay; I'll gladly be her dog in return," I said, remembering what Bhabhisa had asked me to do as part of our arrangement this time.
"What would she ask you to do?" she asked, breaking the hug. I looked into her morning eyes—empty yet filled with love.
"Nothing," I paused, "Just stirring up a bit of drama between her and Bhaisa so their relationship continues to blossom, and finding some useful information for her—things she likes but doesn't share with Bhaisa," I said.
"What things?"
I furrowed my brows and asked, "Umm, that's a secret between us?"
And she nodded. "Of course."
"Mitti khati hai tumhari Priya sakhi," "She eats edible clay," I said, and her eyes widened in shock.
"What? She didn't give that up?" she asked.
I furrowed my brows. "Does she look like someone who gives up on anything? Just think about how she managed to win over my Bhaisa."
She raised her own brows. "You don't feel ashamed saying those words in front of her? I mean, doesn't she feel like a mother figure to you?"
I gently took her hand and guided her to the edge of the bed. I sat down and pulled her closer, settling her in my lap.
"I do, but she doesn't see me as a child," I said, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. I didn ’ t know why, but I lost my composure whenever she cried. The moment Bhabhisa tried to raise her hand to her, I lost it. I understood they were best friends, and her family treated Suman as one of their own. Daadisa cared for her, called Abhinandan Bhaisa, and Bhaisa respected her immensely, but I couldn't tolerate anyone raising their voice at her.
Because she didn't deserve it. I had always found her waking up before everyone else and being there for Bhabhisa whenever she needed her. And she never made it seem like a burden. She had forgotten herself for this family—my family.
She watched me silently and muttered, "I'm sorry for all the blunders."
I shook my head and cupped her cheek. "You are the most beautiful blunder any man could ever have, Suman," I said, stroking her cheek, and she leaned in closer, wrapping her arms around my shoulders.
Hiding her face in my neck, she kissed the base of my neck and whispered, "Thank you for everything, Kunwarsa."
Her words sounded sad, and I wrapped my arms around her tightly, closing my eyes. "I don't need a 'thank you.'"
Her hold tightened on my shoulders. "But," I paused and couldn't stop myself from smiling.
"If you want to thank me, you know... the bet is still pending,” I concluded, and she immediately lifted her gaze to meet mine with an intense glare.
"I can't believe you," her voice was astonished. She immediately pushed me to stand up.
But I held her wrist to stop her. "Hey, you can ’ t leave without a proper thank you. I ’ m a man of my word. If I say something, I stick to it," I said with a smile. Her frustration flared up as she shook her head.
"Are you mad? I've done nothing like that," she said with a flushed face, and I pulled her closer.
Our chests collided, and I gently cupped her cheek, gazing into her eyes. Her gaze flickered between mine and my lips as her heartbeat quickened.
“ Do you want to see how it ’ s done?” I asked. She inhaled sharply, her cheeks flushed. She shook her head slightly, as if trying to resist the effort.
A smile spread across my face as I asked, “ Do you want to go out with me?”
Her eyes widened slightly, and she asked, “ Where? Why?”
I sucked on my lips. “ To the rivers, the mountains, the markets,” I paused. “ To the place where you can see how to do it,” I finally said slowly, and she gulped nervously. Her lips trembled.
“ You,” her voice broke. “ You want me to see another man naked?” she asked slowly, and I muttered, “ Trust me, I wouldn ’ t mind unless it affects your comfort and happiness.”
She pulled her lips between her teeth and nibbled slightly. “ What should I say? Where am I heading? To everyone,” she inquired slowly, and I replied quietly.
"You do not have to worry about that. I will tell Bhabhisa,"
Her cheeks flushed, and she asked. "Tonight?"
A smile appeared on my face, watching her excitement, and I nodded. "Yes,"
She smiled a little and suddenly.
“ Kunwarsa,” an attendee walked in. She turned to look at the entrance and recognized that it was the same attendee who had watched us twice. She fumbled and tried to stand up.
“ Yes,” I said to the attendee while holding her firmly in my arms. She kept struggling as I noticed the shock in her widening eyes, and she spoke to me. "Umm, Ranisa is asking for you,"
"Hum bhi to yahi batane aaye the,"
“ I came to tell him just that,” Suman said, attempting to break free from my hold, and I glanced at her.
"Tum kal raatri se yahi bata rahi ho hume?"
“ You are telling me that only from last night?” I asked, and her eyes widened with surprise shock.
“ I ’ m coming,” I told the attendee as I watched her leave.
“ How can you do that?” she asked in shock, and I leaned in to kiss her cheek.
"Bass bhaisa ko pata chalne do, fir to hum tumhe baandh ke rakhenge,"
“ Just wait until Bhaisa finds out; then I ’ ll tie you to me,”
She bit on her lips, and I could not help but lean in closer to her neck. She struggled a little. "Kunwarsa," but gave in slowly when my lips wrapped around her neck, sucking her flesh in gently.
A soft moan escaped her lips as she pleaded, “ No more bruising, please.”
I couldn ’ t stop myself. “ It ’ ll take more than a request to stop me, love,”
She winced in mild pain and withdrew her face. Her anguished eyes locked onto mine, and she lightly slapped my cheek.
"Bilkul baat nahi maante aap,"
“ You don ’ t listen to me at all,” frustration dripped from her tongue as I looked at her expressionlessly. I loosened my grip and lowered my gaze in silence.
“ Kunwarsa, I ’ m sorry, I truly didn ’ t mean to,” she said, gazing at my face. She cupped my cheek and made me look at her.
“ Alright, go ahead and bruise me as much as you want,” she said in a low, tense voice, brushing her hair aside.
“ No, I don ’ t want it now,” I pouted as she cupped my cheek.
“ Oh, please,” she muttered, and I couldn ’ t help but smile as I looked at her.
"Suhaagraat ka samay aane do, tumhari deh ka ek bhi Kona nahi chodenge hum,"
“ Just wait for the consummation night; I won ’ t leave a single part of your body untouched,” I said, and she looked at me in surprise.
“ You ’ re joking, right?” she asked slowly, while I muttered, cupping the back of her neck.
“ Only fools take my words as a joke. The wise understand the wrath behind them,” I muttered, pulling her closer to me.
Her lips trembled slightly, and I pressed my lips against hers. She inhaled deeply as I brushed my lips over her soft, pink petals; I closed my eyes and drew their essence in.
She shivered in my embrace as I tilted my face to the side and began kissing her lips. She was soft, and when the heat between us intensified, she pushed me away and stood up.
“ I have to go,” she inhaled deeply and quickly stepped away from me.
A smile crept onto my face as I watched her hide her blush and smile while walking away from me.
I gulped silently and stood up from the bed to take a quick bath.
After taking a bath, I walked out to meet King Abhinandan in his guest chamber.
“ Pranam, Abhinandan,” I muttered as I entered the meeting area of his guest chamber and found him savoring breakfast with his twin sons, enjoying the fruits.
“ Pranam, Kunwar ,” he said, stepping forward to give me a loose hug.
“ Where have you been? I couldn ’ t find you during the entire ceremony,” he said. I smiled weakly and replied as I took a seat on the couch.
“ Um, I had been watching a few activities,” I said as I looked at him, picking up one of his crying sons.
“ Ohhh, my baby,” he muttered, patting his chest, and I inhaled sharply, realizing that my Bhabhisa was his sister. That meant my niece was in a relationship with this crying child. They shared the same genes, which meant that when she got a little older, she would cry like him.
"Oh God!"
“ What happened?” Abhinandan asked, and I couldn ’ t believe I had said that out loud.
"Ahh, nothing, he is cute and lovely and beautiful, I mean children!"
Wait! I ’ d also have children one day.
I exhaled deeply, trying to focus on one thing at a time.
Girls are definitely better than boys. My niece was better than those twins.
"So, where have you been?" he asked again, and I smiled.
"Um, you were right to doubt," I couldn ’ t help but declare.
His eyes widened. "What? Is that true?" he asked in shock, while the child cried even more intensely.
"Aaauuuuuuujajauaaaaammmmmaaaa,"
"Awwwlllleeeeeooooohhhhhhuuuuuuuuu," Abhinandan sang him a lullaby in his language, and I swallowed hard in silence.
"Then?" He asked.
"Um, I went to see that, and yes, it was there. I do not know what to call them," I said. The other child also started crying.
"Aaaaaaaaammmmmuuuuuuppppaaaaa,"
He exhaled in frustration. "Trisha," he called, then called louder. "Trisha, they are crying." I saw his wife running to him, and I stood up.
"Pranam, Ranisa," I bowed slightly, and she nodded.
"Ji, pranam," she replied.
"Take them away for a bit," he muttered slowly, and I didn ’ t catch her response, but it sounded like, "Want more babies?" I struggled to suppress my laughter and glanced at Abhinandan's face, which flushed a bit as she took the babies away with the attendant.
"So, yes, where were we?" he said, scratching his brow and muttering, "Canons; these are called canons. My cousin in the Sultanate of Darmiyan, Kainat, and one more—I forget the name—owns them; I think it's Hamid Sultanate."
He continued, and I furrowed my brow in confusion.
"So, is there a chance they could be the same people?" I asked, and he shook his head, confused.
"No, but the area they cover is vast, and they own the northern Arab region without any clue about what ’ s in the south. It could be them, or it might be someone else, or it could be someone we ’ ve never heard of," he replied, and I bit my lip.
"Well, we can surely find out, but for that, Mehrangarh needs to open his mouth wide," I said, and he nodded.
"And we can ’ t just wage war based solely on what we know about Mehrangarh; we don ’ t know how many kingdoms have already been sold. These people look sharp; they're not coming through the door directly; they ’ re brainwashing our people against us. We can stop Mehrangarh, but what if they have another kingdom as backup?" he said, and my head started to ache.
It was too much for one day.
"I ’ m getting it," I managed to say.
"I think we should alert the other kings, too," Abhinandan said, and I looked up at him, joggling my head.
"You just said we don ’ t know which kings are already compromised, and now you want to tell them about it? Don ’ t you think spreading the word will draw Mehrangarh's attention? I ’ m not informing my Bhabhisa yet because we need a plan for execution that doesn ’ t put any lives at risk," I said, and he inhaled deeply, intertwining his fingers in his lap.
"Lives are already at risk whether they know or not, Kunwar . “ His words made me lower my gaze. I said, "I know," before adding, "By the way, when are you leaving?"
He furrowed his brows a little. "Today," he said, and I pressed my lips together.
"Let me set up a quick meeting between us. At least Pratapgarh, Mahabaleshgarh, and Suryagarh should stay ahead in the plan," I proposed, and he nodded in agreement.
"Yes," he muttered.
I rose from my seat. "Alright, I ’ ll send someone to bring you to the meeting hall, King Abhinandan," I said, joining my hands. He stood up as well.
"Ji," he muttered with a weak smile.
From there, I walked to Ranvijay Bhaisa's chamber.
"," Bhaisa said, noticing me in the meeting area. "What happened? Everything okay?" He asked, taking the seat beside me and placing his arm around my shoulders.
"Yes, everything ’ s fine," I tried to assure him as I looked at Aishwarya Bhabhisa approaching us.
"Pranam, Bhabhisa," I said with a smile, and she joined her hands, placing the breakfast plate on the table before sitting on the couch across from us.
"Pranam, Devarsa, how are you? Where did you go after the ceremony?" she asked, furrowing her brows with a smile, and I chuckled.
"Nowhere, you know me," I replied, and she laughed.
"Of course, of course, but you know your fiancé was here; you should have been with him," she said, and I smiled, trying to blush a little.
"Ji, Bhabhisa," I said, unable to come up with anything else to say.
Suddenly, I felt Bhaisa's hand on my shoulder, and I looked at him.
He smiled suddenly, looking at me, and said, "Aishwarya, I think I left my books open; would you check?"
"Ji, Hukum," Bhabhisa smiled and walked away.
"What ’ s going on?" he asked, looking at me, and I said, "It's getting serious."
He gulped, understanding what I meant. "How serious?" he asked, already knowing where I had been lately.
"Very serious. They have cannons, and they ’ re planning to use them against us. Abhinandan mentioned that more kingdoms could be involved in this too," I explained, and he inhaled deeply.
"Maybe," I nodded, listening to him, and he asked, "What's a cannon?"
I inhaled sharply and briefly explained everything I had seen, causing him to lower his gaze for a moment.
"I believe it's time to take this matter to Bhaisa," he said, and I nodded.
"Yes, it's time."
We both stood up and walked towards Bhaisa's chamber. My gaze fell on Suman with the baby, strolling her in the sunlight, and I noticed her looking at me. She quickly turned her gaze away as I walked closer to Bhaisa.
"Is Rahu and Ketu together today?" he asked as he took a seat on the couch.
"Suman, where's my princess?" he said, looking at Suman as she walked closer and handed him the sleeping baby in his arms. He sat in the sunlight, and we both took a seat across from him on the couch.
"Pranam, Bhaisa," I said, looking at him as I freed the princess's small hands from the fabric, allowing her to move a little more freely.
I smiled as he caressed her cheek to wake her up.
"Rudraja, my princess, look who ’ s here to meet you? Both your Kakusa's," he said, and she yawned, opened her big eyes, and smiled at him.
"Aaaaaannn," her sweet voice filled my ears, and I didn ’ t know it then, but seeing her, I felt she didn ’ t deserve this. She shouldn ’ t have to lose any of her family to these senseless wars, nor should any child.
She began playing with Bhaisa's neckpiece, and he turned his attention to us.
"So, what brings you here this morning?" he asked, and I inhaled sharply.
"Bhaisa, we need to tell you something," I said, and he furrowed his brows.
"Is Mehrangarh planning against us?" he asked, and my eyes widened in shock.
"How do you know?" I questioned, and he chuckled slightly.
"So you think I ’ m too busy to know where, what, and how my brothers are doing?" he replied, and I bit my lip.
"But it's more dangerous than we think," I asserted, and he nodded.
"Tell me everything," he urged, playing with the princess ’ s little fingers as she yawned, feeling sleepy again.
"Bhaisa, they have something called cannons, and we won ’ t be able to fight them with just soldiers," I said, and suddenly our attention was drawn to Abhinandan.
"Rudra," he called, and we looked at him as he walked towards us and sat beside Bhaisa.
"Come, Abhi, we have something to discuss," Rudra Bhaisa said, and he smiled, looking at the princess.
"Aw, our little niece is enjoying her sunbath," he said, touching her fingers before looking back at Rudra Bhaisa.
"Well, I ’ m somewhat aware of it," he said, and he nodded.
"So what do you suggest, ?" he asked, turning his tone a little serious, and I inhaled deeply.
"I think we should prevent them from coming this way across the mountains in the first place. No contacts, no war, no problem," I said, and Ranvijay Bhaisa added.
"I agree with that. Why don ’ t we stop them from invading in the first place so their powers weaken before they enter?" he said, and Abhinandan asked.
"How will we do that exactly?" he inquired. I inhaled sharply.
"The first state that comes near the mountains is Mehrangarh, which is already compromised as they are helping them out. The first kingdom they would come across is Pratapgarh, and we cannot overlook the fact that Pratapgarh is currently under the watch of a Subedaar, not a King. It would be easy for them to take that, and it could become a weak point for us. Because if one falls, two wouldn ’ t be much of an effort. We cannot let them win even one," I said and paused for a moment.
"We should keep an army on standby in Pratapgarh. Even if our plan fails, that would be the first point of contact for the fight. Plus, no women and children stay in Pratapgarh, so it will be a safer option to lead a fight from there," I added, and Rudra Bhaisa agreed.
"But, , moving heavy troops could alert Mehrangarh. Plus, Princess Rashmika and their army chief are in Suryagarh now," he cautioned.
Suddenly, Abhinandan interrupted. "Well, that's a good thing. We can keep them busy, and at least Mahabaleshgarh should start moving the troops. Also, no one would suspect anything because both kingdoms are under my rule, and I could easily say that I am rebuilding that empire," he concluded, and Ranvijay Bhaisa nodded.
"Exactly, and we should not move our soldiers because they clearly have cannons, and we cannot place all our army in front of them in plain sight. The more we attack in small intervals, the better. They will get tired, and this way, we can see how much gunpowder they have left to blast," he said, and I immediately interrupted.
"They have a lot, Bhaisa. A lot means a lot. Mehrangarh has been buying yellow sand from Songarh for the last four years and has taken a majority for that. Mehrangarh is rich in other minerals too. Moreover, they have more than a hundred cannons in their possession, so you can guess how much they have," I informed him, and Rudra Bhaisa inhaled deeply.
Suddenly, my attention fell on Suman bringing breakfast to the table, and I realized I had lost my mind before; I had lost my sanity right at that moment.
"Ranaji, breakfast, shall I serve?" she asked, and I inhaled deeply, trying to clench my fingers tightly.
"Suman," our attention was caught by Bhabhisa walking in, and she turned to look at her.
"Leave it; Reva will do it. You come with me," she instructed, and Bhabhisa glanced at me for a moment. A hint of apology appeared on her face, and I watched Suman silently walk away.
"That's okay, Bhabhisa, I will serve," I said, watching her leave with Suman.
"So, we should plan something to stop them before they enter," Abhinandan suggested, and suddenly something struck my mind.
"Bhaisa, let me lead," I said, looking at Rudra Bhaisa. He stared at me for a moment and nodded.
"Since you figured this out, you lead," he replied, and I stood up from the couch.
"Then Mahabaleshgarh will keep the army on standby, and I will be the head commander," I declared, and they all stood up too.
"Alright, then, let us know more; I will lead the army of Suryagarh," Rudra Bhaisa said, smiling at his Princess and Ranvijay Bhaisa.
"I will try to contact the other princely states and ask the people to shift to the outskirts of the Kingdom for their safety," I nodded.
"Alright, I will see you later then," I said, leaving them to walk into Bhabhisa's chamber.
The moment I entered, I saw Suman and Bhabhisa talking.
"," Bhabhisa noticed me and turned to look at me.
I ran my fingers through my hair and said, "Suman, we need to talk," trying to keep my voice down, but she frowned slightly.
"Yes," she replied, and I glanced at Bhabhisa watching me.
"In my chamber," I added, and she gulped nervously.
", be calm," Bhabhisa advised, and I nodded.
"I am calm, Bhabhisa," I assured her, and she nodded back.
"Okay, I am coming," she said.
"I will be waiting," I replied, looking at Bhabhisa.
"Also, she is going out with me," I added, and Suman's eyes widened a bit.
"Umm, actually, just to roam around a little," she explained, and Bhabhisa smiled.
"That's fine, I don ’ t need to know. You deserve a life, and if he is giving it to you, I could not be happier," she said, patting her hand.
"You should go now," she instructed, looking at me.
", we need to talk," Bhabhisa said, and I nodded while watching her, leaving me alone with her. I walked towards her and sat down beside her on the couch.
She smiled weakly and said, "It's in her blood, . It will take her time to understand the line between a Prince's wife and a royal servant."
I nodded and inhaled deeply. "I do not want her to do anything. Not anyone's and not even yours," I said, looking into her eyes, and she smiled back.
"I know. I will talk to her," she assured.
"No, I will talk to her; it's our responsibility to understand this," I insisted.
She nodded. "It couldn't be better than this," she said, inhaling deeply before continuing.
", she had a difficult past. I ’ m not sure how much you know, but as a woman, I can tell she has experienced the worst. And no matter how much time has passed, it still affects her. Be humble, kind, and understanding towards her. Just don ’ t do anything that might awaken her past. It ’ s been such a long time since I ’ ve seen her smile effortlessly. And protect that smile, because while it's easy for a child to smile, it's hard for a wounded soul to do so," she said, and I nodded.
"I understand, Bhabhisa, don ’ t worry; I know what I ’ m doing," I replied with a smile.
"Also, thank you for what you did outside," I said, and she smiled.
"You're my brother-in-law. That was the least I could do," she replied as I stood up from the couch.
"I should head out now."
Suddenly, Bhaisa walked in with the Princess. He said, ", you still don ’ t want to hold your niece?"
I chuckled and shook my head. "I ’ m not ready yet, Bhaisa. She ’ s so fragile," I said, moving toward him and admiring the beautiful sleeping charm in his arms.
"By the way, what happened to your lips?" he asked, and suddenly, Bhabhisa chuckled. "Aa jao Rudra me karke batati hu kya hua hai,"
"Come in, Rudra, I will show the practical,"
My eyes widened with shock, and Bhaisa's brows thinned.
"Do not you dare to get Rashmika pregnant before the wedding. I will kill you," he said, and I shook my head.
“ Not even in my dreams, Bhaisa,” I managed to say, but Bhabhisa interrupted.
“ Rudra, your warning should be, ‘ Don ’ t you dare get any woman pregnant before the wedding,’” I immediately turned to look at her.
“ Bhabhisa!” I glared at her, and she raised her hands. “ Fine, I ’ ll be quiet now,” she said, and I turned to Bhaisa. “ Okay, Bhaisa, I ’ m leaving,” I said as I headed toward my chamber.