Chapter 13-What Did You Do?
Vikram released her as though burned.
"What—"
Vinaya said nothing.
He looked around.
At the bed.
At her.
At himself.
Memory came in broken pieces.
Drinking.
Priya.
Crying.
Someone helping him.
A woman's face.
His stomach turned.
"What happened?"
Vinaya stared at him.
"You don't remember?"
His silence answered.
She looked away.
Vikram's shame transformed rapidly into something harsher.
Fear.
And then anger.
"What did you do?"
Vinaya turned slowly.
"What?"
"You knew I was drunk."
She stared.
Vikram stood.
"You knew I wasn't thinking clearly."
"Yes."
"And you stayed."
The words struck her harder than anything he had said before.
Vinaya's face drained of color.
"You think I planned this?"
"I don't know what to think."
"You think I waited until you were drunk and seduced you?"
"I said I don't know!"
His raised voice echoed through the room.
Vinaya flinched.
Vikram saw it.
But he was too ashamed to stop.
"I told you what this marriage would be."
"Yes."
"I told you I couldn't give you—"
"Love?"
Her voice cracked.
"Do you think last night felt like love to me?"
Vikram went silent.
Vinaya climbed out of bed and pulled her clothing around herself with shaking hands.
"I came because I heard you fall."
"Vinaya—"
"You could barely stand."
Her eyes filled.
"I tried to tell you who I was."
Something cold moved through him.
"What?"
Vinaya looked at him.
Now she wanted him to remember.
She wanted him to remember every unbearable second.
"You looked at me."
Her voice became quiet.
"You touched my face."
Vikram stopped breathing.
"And then you smiled."
A tear escaped.
"I thought for one moment that you finally saw me."
His face went pale.
Vinaya wiped the tear away angrily.
"But you didn't."
"Vinaya..."
"You called me Priya."
Silence.
Vikram stared at her.
Vinaya opened the door.
Before leaving, she looked back once.
Not at a prince.
Not at her husband.
At the man who had finally managed to make her wish she had never come to Krishnagiri.
"You called me Priya."
Then she walked away.