chapter 19
Throughout the night...
Far beyond the state border, nearly fifty mounted horsemen rode without stopping.
Neither the darkness nor the rough terrain slowed their pace.
Their horses thundered across forests, narrow trails, and rocky paths, driven by a single purpose.
At their head rode Abhimaan.
His sharp brown eyes remained fixed on the distant horizon.
"We're close, Maharaj," one of his commanders said.
Abhimaan merely nodded.
---
The first rays of dawn spread across the eastern horizon as Abhimaan and his men finally arrived at the place.
where the Amber camp had stood the previous night
As Abhimaan and his men finally reached the place where the Amber camp had been set up...
Their horses came to a halt.
Only silence greeted them.
The tents had already been dismantled.
The royal standards no longer fluttered in the wind.
Only dying embers of extinguished campfires, deep wagon tracks, scattered hoofprints, and a few forgotten pieces of firewood remained to prove that hundreds of people had camped there only hours earlier.
The vast ground before them was completely empty.
One soldier dismounted and examined the ground carefully.
"They left before sunrise,Raj Kumar."
"Not long ago."
Another guard pointed toward the fresh wheel marks stretching into the distance.
"The tracks are still fresh."
"They cannot be more than three or four hours ahead."
Abhimaan looked silently toward the road stretching into the distance.
"So..."
"They slipped away."
Ummag rode beside him.
"Shall we continue the pursuit immediately?"
Abhimaan glanced behind him.
The horses were breathing heavily after riding the entire night without pause.
Several soldiers struggled to remain awake in their saddles.
Even Suraj looked exhausted.
He shook his head.
"No."
"The scroll has remained hidden this long."
"A few more hours will not change its fate."
His gaze swept over his weary men.
"But if I continue forcing exhausted soldiers and tired horses..."
"...I will lose both before reaching Amber."
Turning toward Ummag and Suraj, he ordered,
"Take few men."
"Find a suitable place nearby."
"Arrange food for the soldiers."
"Water for the horses."
"And allow everyone to rest."
"We resume our journey after everyone has recovered."
"As you command, Rajkumar/bhaisa"
The two men immediately rode ahead with a small group.
Not far from the abandoned campsite they discovered a grove beside a clear stream.
Tall banyan trees spread generous shade over the cool ground.
Within minutes, soldiers began pitching temporary tents.
Some filled leather bags with fresh water while others unsaddled the exhausted horses, rubbing them down and feeding them grain.
Nearby, cooks quickly lit a fire and began preparing a simple meal.
For the first time since the pursuit had begun...
The camp finally grew quiet.
Abhimaan stood alone beneath an ancient banyan tree, his arms folded across his chest.
His thoughts, however, were nowhere near the missing scroll.
Without warning...
Hazel-green eyes flashed before him.
A frightened young woman...
Hidden beneath a delicate veil...
Looking up at him in complete surprise.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"I don't even know your name..."
"And yet..."
"I cannot seem to forget your face."
The Previous Night...
Inside her softly lit tent, silence had finally settled.
The day's jewellery had been removed.
Ashnoor had changed into a comfortable light cotton lehenga and a simple embroidered blouse, her long light-brown hair left in loose braid down her back.
The gentle glow of an oil lamp danced across the fabric walls.
On a small couch near the entrance, Shyama had already fallen asleep.
Outside, the sounds of soldiers changing the night watch echoed faintly through the camp.
Ashnoor lay beneath a thin quilt.
Sleep refused to come.
She turned to one side.
Then the other.
Closing her eyes only brought back the same memory.
Strong arms catching her before she fell.
Rough yet careful hands around her waist.
Those impossibly deep brown eyes.
She covered her face with the edge of the quilt.
"What is happening to me...?"
She whispered to herself.
Eventually...
Exhaustion claimed her.
Ashnoor was sleeping when she suddenly felt a heavy weight pressing down on her and a large hand resting on her bare waist.
A warm, wet sensation brushed against her neck and collarbone.
Her eyes flew open instantly, only to be met by the sight of a magnificent crystal chandelier and intricate mirror work adorning the ceiling.
But what truly sent panic coursing through her veins was the naked man lying on top of her, his face buried in the crook of her neck as he peppered her skin with soft, lingering kisses.
Ashnoor desperately tried to scream. She struggled to move, to push him away with her hands, but her body refused to respond.
The man slowly pressed a kiss to her jaw before moving closer to her lips, making her gasp softly.
Then he lifted his head.
They were suddenly face to face.
Ashnoor's pupils dilated in shock as she recognized him.
It was the same man she had met earlier that day.
The same man who had been appearing in her dreams for the past few days.
His breathing was heavy, his face slightly flushed, and his long eyelashes glistened faintly, as if damp with sweat.
His lips were moving as if he was saying something to me, but I couldn't hear a single word. His deep eyes held so much love that it made my heart ache.
But no matter how much he spoke, I couldn't hear a single word. Everything around me had gone silent.
A piercing ringing echoed relentlessly in my ears, drowning out his voice until all I could do was watch his lips move, helplessly wondering what he was trying so desperately to say.
Gently, he cupped my cheek with one hand, his thumb softly caressing my skin before he leaned down and placed a tender kiss on my chin.
His lips were moving, as if he was desperately trying to tell me something.
The love shining in his eyes for me was so deep, so intense, that it stole my breath. One of his hands gently cupped my cheek, his touch so tender it felt almost unreal. Then, with the utmost care, he tilted my chin up and placed a soft, lingering kiss on it.
Only then did I become aware of how close we were.
We were wrapped beneath the same sheet, our bodies separated only by its soft fabric. My breath hitched at the closeness-I could even make out the fine texture of his skin. Yet, despite his lips continuing to move, no sound reached me. Everything around me faded into silence.
The only thing I could hear was the loud ringing in my ears, as if the entire world had disappeared, leaving only him in front of me.
I know it's only a dream... my body refused to obey me.
:
couldn't move, couldn't look away, couldn't even force myself to wake up.
Everything felt terrifyingly real.
Everything feels far too real-so real that it feels as though I've lived through this moment once before.
A strange sense of familiarity wraps around me, making my heart pound.
Why does this feel like I've lived this moment before?
But that couldn't be true... could it?
When I died in my last life, I was still just a teenager... just a child. Then how could I have experienced something like this? Or is my mind simply weaving an illusion? There was no way something like this could have happened back then...
So why does it feel like a forgotten memory instead of a dream?
The thought sent panic coursing through me.
Did this already happen...?
In my previous life?
But that can't be possible.
The questions came one after another, each more frightening than the last. Panic tightened around my chest, making it difficult to breathe.
A sharp, throbbing pain suddenly shot through my head, many image fragments fash before my eyes it's intensity force me to squeeze my eyes shut as the ache grew stronger with every passing second.
Ashnoor awoke with a sharp gasp.
She sat upright immediately.
Her heart pounded wildly against her chest.
Tiny beads of perspiration covered her forehead despite the cool morning air.
For several moments she simply
breathed.
Slowly.
Deeply.
Trying to calm her
She placed a trembling hand over her racing heart.
"It... was only a dream..."
Yet somehow...
It had felt astonishingly real.
She touched her own cheek unconsciously, as though expecting to find the lingering warmth of his presence.
Outside, the camp had already awakened.
Soldiers were preparing for the journey home.
But Ashnoor remained seated on her bed for several moments, unable to understand.
Shyama, still half-asleep on the couch, opened one eye.
"Rajkumari...?"
Ashnoor quickly looked away, gently placing a hand over her racing heart.
"It... it was only a dream."
Yet even after waking...
She could still remember those deep brown eyes as clearly as if he had truly been standing before her.
before the sunrise .
Soldiers dismantle tents, horses are saddled, and supplies are loaded.
The palanquins were prepared.
Raghu inspected every arrangement personally.
Dev also personally double checks the security arrangements because now both.
Ashnoor and the injured princess are traveling separately because they are going in different directions
Harshvardhan arrives, still half asleep.
Harsh: "Bhaiya... are we going to Amber or conquering another kingdom? You've inspected the guards three times already."
Dev gives him a look.
Dev: "When responsibility is yours, you'll understand."
Harsh grins.
"Then I hope responsibility never finds me."
as everyone checking the things
Harshvardhan begin Harshvardhan ,he secretly steals sweets from the food cart.
A cook catches him.
"Rajkumar!"
Harsh immediately points toward raghu.
"He told me to taste them."
raghu looks at him in disbelief.
"I wasn't even here."
The soldiers burst into laughter.
Even karan Dev shakes his head.
No one noticed another pair of eyes quietly watching them.
The princess.
She saw Dev personally helping Ashnoor into the palanquin.
He reminded her something
Harsh handed Ashnoor a pouch of sweets with a grin.
Ashnoor rolled her eyes before accepting it.
All three brothers smiled at her as though she were the most precious treasure in the world.
The princess unconsciously bit her lower lip.
"Again..."
"Why only her?"
Harshvardhan catches the princess staring toward Dev.
He immediately understands everything.
He whispers to Raghu ,as he was standing next to him.
"I think someone has lost her heart."
Raghu sighs seeing his mischievous grin.
"please Mind your own business kuvar sa for now "
Harsh smirks.
"Never."
the saffron flags of Amber appear on the horizon.
Soldiers become excited.
The citizens waiting near the border begin cheering.
Harsh whistles proudly.
"Home."
Ashnoor looks outside her palanquin.
Her heart starts beating faster.
"This... is going to be my home?"
Dev notices her nervousness.
Without saying anything...
he rides his horse beside her palanquin for the rest of the journey.
Just his presence is enough to reassure her.