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If anything, women are complicated and to deal with someone like Riya is next to impossible. Raghuveer has been trying to seek her attention for almost half-an-hour but she remained adamant about being angry at him. Never once in his life had he ever apologized, at least that was the rule he was taught. Men, and most importantly a prince of such a huge empire should never soften or apologize and that too, to a woman? Not even on your life.

Yet, somehow that logic doesn't make sense having Riya around him. She is different, a complete contrast to his boring life, even after her being able to walk he could not stand on his word to kick her out of his house, maybe her unsophisticated way of conversation, her child-like fights with Dhruvan and her top-most thoughtless flirting with him were just breeze of cool air in this mundane life.

Riya stopped by a store as she glanced at the accessories, she carefully picked a pair of green-coloured bangles and just like usual, Raghuveer was shocked. As far as he knows, women love ornaments and they exceptionally go crazy over golden ornaments but this woman right in front of him always runs away from them. She has no interest neither in the costliest of silk dresses nor in any eye-blinding ornaments. But for the first time, she as much as casted a look at some ornament.

"Do you want them?" Raghuveer asked as silently as possible, standing beside her and Riya didn't bother to answer him, and somehow after all these days she regrets forgetting her memories. Why is she so annoyingly dependent on Veeru? Or why couldn't she lose her memories with a pouch full of gold coins? Damn it!

"Hey, hey! How dare you! Put them down, I say! These are not your normal glass bangles, they are made from jade!" The stall keeper shouted loudly, startling Riya and diverting all the attention of the people towards Riya and her face flushed with embarrassment while Raghuveer's nostrils flared in anger.

"Really? And who are you to decide what she should buy?" Stepping forward Raghuveer stood in front of her, facing the stall keeper and with just a glance he knew that the man standing before him was no ordinary man. His rich silk clothing, the aura of power and the rage on his face made him shiver.

"Uh-tha-that, I-i" Involuntarily he visibly stuttered under Raghuveer's glare.

"Pack these." He ordered throwing a pouch of gold coins at his face and the stall keepers hands trembled as he quietly packed those jade bangles with his head hanging low.

And after that incident, Riya and Raghuveer quietly walked side by side enjoying the crowded cool night. The temple was surrounded by huge sandalwood trees letting out its pure fragrance.

"Thank you." Riya mumbled as she kept walking and Raghuveer raised his eyebrow mockingly as he spoke, "You know right, you should be more than thankful to the things I do for you."

"And you know right, that you are arrogant?"

"Whatever," Saying Raghuveer waved his hand in the air as if he was refusing her compliment and Riya's features moulded in distress thinking how he has no appreciation of compliments.

Walking at a slow pace they reached the stage where plays of historical epics were taking place. Every citizen was around the stage as they intently watched the drama unfold by the actors and every time the crowd clapped, applauding the actors mesmerising acting Riya couldn't help but feel euphoric as if she could see herself in those actors and likely, that thought didn't feel foreign to her.

A famous scene of Ramayana was being enacted. Woefully, it was the last scene of the epic. Riya quickly settled down on the carpeted ground pulling Raghuveer with her, though irritated he silently obliged by sitting beside her. It was difficult for him to apologise but he can compromise by doing this to reduce her anger.

Lord Ram is always known for his rightful ruling, and the love he has for his wife is unforgettable, for he has fought wars with the greatest powers to get his wife back to him. However, their tragedies did not end and once again after their reunion they were separated. The stage play was soulfully being done that the audience was almost on the verge of crying seeing Sita Devi handing over their twins to her husband, Lord Ram leaving him for forever.

"Oh god, I can't see this anymore," Riya whispered in a hoarse voice as she slowly wiped her wet eyes suppressing the huge urge to cry.

"There is nothing left to watch also, so get up. Let's get moving." Raghuveer stood up instantly and stretched his hand to Riya to help her stand up.

Rolling her eyes Riya took his hand standing up.

"Poor Ram and Sita, why couldn't they have a happy ending?" Riya whispered as she slowly entangled her arm with Raghuveer's walking beside him and unlike usual Raghuveer took a low breath in relief. Riya being touchy would mean that she is no more upset, how lucky is he that this drama has been performed today?

"There is nothing to pity if you ask me." His nonchalant tone irked up Riya's nerves.

"What! They did not have a happy ending!" She complained, glaring at him almost as if challenging Veeru to contradict her sentence.

"Whose fault is that? Isn't it his?" Raghuveer replied monotonously and Riya stared at him as if he had grown another head.

"How is it his fault, huh? He was just being a righteous king-"

"A Righteous king by abandoning his wife for his people? Ignoring the negativity is also a king's duty, isn't it?" Raghuveer spoke as he looked straight in her eyes and Riya felt something weird swirl in her stomach as she lost herself in his brown eyes.

"If that was me, I will annihilate every soul that dares to as much as think wrong about my wife. If that was me," Raghuveer's hand crept around her waist flushing her against him, "I will brutally massacre this empire if I have to keep to my wife safe with me."

His hushed words sent shivers of pleasure deep down her spine, Riya's eyes fluttered in disbelief as she stared at his sharp spellbinding features which pulled her in a deep web of his charms.

However, that night, that minute Riya was too lost to notice the darkness in his eyes and the sheer destruction in his words.

• •

Dhruvan has been fighting tooth and nail to develop a conversation with Pulvit, yet, he looked least interested in him. Maybe talks about training can make his lips move?

"Um, so you got promoted?" Dhruvan hesitated as he spoke with a tiny smile grazing his face.

"Yes." Pulvit huffed as he didn't bother to even look at Dhruvan, "I am a personal escort to the prince."

"Th-that's cool! As I still suck at battling, I am just a helper to prince Raghuveer." Dhruvan explained and after that, he lost all his courage to speak, Pulvit is a professionally trained protector to the prince whereas he is no match to him.

Dhruvan grew up in poverty, his mother and father struggled all day to feed him at least one grain of rice. Their village customs and those cruel caste system just pushed them a bit more into the deep hole of poverty and poorness. When he was fourteen, his parents passed away due to some unidentified sickness and ever since he was alone until he came across the news about the royal palace hiring soldiers.

Without any second thought, he enrolled in that training and soon found himself alone in that new world. When other fellow trainees got to know about which household he comes from, his life turned hell. Everyone made sure to taunt and insult him about his low birth and the only one who helped him at that point was Pulvit.

Pulvit was their coach for soldier training, despite being a seventeen-year-old himself he looked like an overgrown adult which always helped the fifteen-year-old Dhruvan to keep those bullies away.

However, shortly after he began his training under Pulvit, Prince Raghuveer has decided to move out of the palace and miraculously the Queen has picked him as a watchdog for the prince, kicking him out along.

Three years passed by since then, yet Dhruvan never forgot Pulvit's aid. He could not.

"Join the new training batch, otherwise how will you protect your prince?" Pulvit's deep voice pulled Dhruvan away from digging his pathetic past.

"I should, but I am not sure. I mean, you know right that Rani Anasuya does not like my master. So no one might take me in their training block." Dhruvan let out an awkward smile as he spoke. Was he doing wrong by openly speaking out about the queen's hatred? But this is Pulvit he is talking with and he will never choose the other side to gossip.

"I can train you." Pulvit offered as he halted in his place. They have finally reached the end of the night market, which means that they are entering the horse tracks area.

"I know my way from here, so thank you." Pulvit's lips stretched into a thin smile as he continued to converse, "I am serious about the training, so give it a serious thought Dhruv." Saying, he ruffled Dhruvan's hair slowly and departed from there to meet prince Dipankar and a deep Cheshire cat-like grin took over Dhruvan's face as he softly touched his hair trying to feel Pulvit's touch.

• •

It was a little uncomfortable for Riya after Raghuveer's open talk about the love he has for his future wife. All those flirty cells in her body now turned dead after their full-blown conversation about Ramayana and a minor headache started to irritate her.

Raghuveer suspended their silent walk before a small house like a store. It did not have any herbs hanging around like the previous stall but from the mild soil smell Riya could make out that this is a herbal store.

The head-splitting headache prevented Riya from being curious as she just stared at Raghuveer for his next step.

"You stay here while I go and get those roots. " His dictating tone didn't sound favourable to her ears but ultimately she chose to remain silent. In seconds Raghuveer vanished from there walking inside the hut and Riya sat on the patio leaning her head on a cylindrical pillar watching people pass by.

"Papa! Please come back!!" A little girl screamed as she ran behind her father who was angrily stomping forward.

Shortly, she caught up with her father as she clung onto his arm begging him not to leave. The girl wailed loudly hanging onto her father but with every passing minute, the man turned more furious.

"Get off me you leech! I no more need you and your mother!!" Shouting on top of his lungs he forcefully pushed his daughter to the ground and tears swirled in Riya's eyes as she witnessed this scene.

All at once, she felt a wave of pain shoot up in her head making her let out a whimper in pain as she caught her head in between her palms. Flashes of a particular scene were being played in front of her.

"Go back to your father, Riya." A sad feminine voice resonated in her ears.

Riya collapsed to the ground as she let out a cry at the painful drumming in her head and a depressing string of pain gripped her heart.

"Please, ma. Please, I want you-" A little girl's crying voice vibrated in her head.

What is happening? Riya let out a tiny scream as the shooting pain intensified in her head.

The woman slowly untangled her hand from the girl's as she ran away from there.

And watching that scene Riya lost all the energy as if her heart could remember that pain. Her head spun and a few inconvincible mind blocking thoughts filled her brain. Riya completely lost herself as black clouds took over her eyes lulling her into a painful unconscious state.

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