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When clouds of attraction and love blind you, all you can see is nothing but what the heart wants; love.

This is a dream come true for Sahasthra as she sat beside Dipankar. She once had a dream when she was little, in that dream, she and Dipankar were lying down on a grass field under a dark blanket of stars. Miraculously in that dream, Dipankar was laughing with her as he told her some stories of faraway lands.

Dreams are called dreams for a reason, they vanish when you are up from your sleep pulling you back to reality and so did hers. She lost her mother even before she could remember her touch, and on top of it, she was born with a speech defect. Even after several years after her birth, stories about her being cursed were whispered throughout the empire and having a controlling strict father didn't help but destroy her confidence.

However, Kashyap, her father was not even that heartless. He would take Sahasthra to the royal palace every alternate day and that is how she met Dipankar. Raghuveer was always reserved, he never either made a move to talk nor did he ever let anyone converse with him. And for a speechless Sahasthra, he was difficult but on the other hand, Dipankar was friendly and caring.

Within days, a ten-year-old Sahsthra found herself always behind Dipankar striving for his attention, her one and only friend. Dipankar was equally close with her, they would climb trees picking raw mangoes, steal pots of honey from the royal kitchen and hide themselves in their treehouse as they played mother-father games.

Those days were the happiest of her life, however, her days of happiness came to an end and that was when she realised that she was indeed cursed.

Puberty hit her early at the age of twelve. And the second this news reached her father, his levels of protectiveness upgraded to an unfathomable level. All the male guards were replaced with female guards, her visits to the Palace came to demise and no male was allowed, even a little boy like Dipankar was prohibited from entering her house.

Sahasthra was given freedom, but that freedom was only restricted between the walls of her house. More than the needling and gut-wrenching pain of her menses, the pain of loneliness hurted her more.

However, even all these strict rules couldn't stop Dipankar from visiting her, he would skilfully slip past the heavy security every weekend and meet her.

Maybe that was the beginning of her love for Dipankar, as she would desperately await his presence every weekend. These secret visits lasted for a year before the frequency slowly and gradually reduced to nothing.

Even though he didn't visit her daily, he would never miss her birthday. But Sahsthra lost even those few hours of happiness in her life when she was engaged to Agasthya.

Dipankar never visited her after her engagement with Agasthya. Yet, by then her heart only accepted him as the man in her life, she knew it was a sin to dream of another man when she was already engaged but somehow she couldn't let her heart to forget about her childhood love.

And now after years, she has got an imaginary reflection of her dreams to come true as she sat by Diapankar's side, his shoulders touching here, she relished this moment despite his rotten expression laced with disgust. At first, it used to bother Sahasthra about his constant foul mood but soon, crazily enough she started to find that scowl alluring. Isn't it what love does? Make every flaw of your lover look adorable.

"Rajkumar Ji!" Pulvit stood in front of them as he made a curt bow.

"I was just wondering if you are dead," Dipankar lifted his head in fury as he glared at his bodyguard and he just hung his head low in guilt.

"Will you keep standing like a rock there or will you help me stand up?" Dipankar's voice roared in anger and Pulvit jumped forward at once helping his master stand up and Sahasthra sat in the same position as she craned her neck up to see her charming prince.

Pulivt put his hand around his master's shoulder to help him stand and Dipankar did vice-versa sending a deep glare to Lady Sahastra.

And a little far away from the ground, Dhruvan was utterly happy beyond imaginations. Why? He just got a chance to talk with someone he always admired. Swinging in that happiness he swirled lightly and just by chance his eyes caught the frame of Lady Sahastra sitting down on the floor.

Where were her maids? Dhruvan silently wondered as he slowly took steps towards her.

"My lady, are you waiting for your maids?" Dhruvan obediently enquired as he noticed an always grumpy Rajkumar Dipankar and his hero Pulvit stand by.

"Namaste Rajkumar Ji." Druvan joined his hands together as he paid his respects. All though he does not like this prince but a teeny tiny part of him secretly pities the prince for his strict upbringing.

Sahasthra shook her head saying that her maids were nowhere around. She moulded her palm in a curve raising it up in the air and then imitated a moustache rolling gesture asking the whereabouts of her father.

Dhruvan once again scratched his head in confusion with a blank look on his face as he couldn't grasp what the lady was asking for.

Even in that barely standing position Dipankar bent forward and hit Dhruvan's head for his stupidness as he spoke, "She is asking for her father, you fool."

"Oh, okay." Dhruvan squinted his eyes in embarrassment, was he the only one who could not understand Lady Sahasthra's gestures?

"What okay, stupid? Where the hell is her father?" Dipankar barked loudly at the foolish servant of his stepbrother.

"Um, My lord, as far as I know, many royals went to attend dinner at Military head Bhupal's house." Pulvit silently piped up the information and once again Dipankar's face twisted in disgust.

"He left? Leaving this pathetic daughter of his behind?" Dipankar's rude words shot arrows at Shasthra's heart.

His way of talking was soon pulling her out of her bubble. Dipankar, her childhood love hates her and she has to accept it and how much more shameless can she be?

Sahathra slowly blinked away her threatening tears with a determined look on her face, she stepped forward and caught Dhruvan's hand and pulled him away from there. She can tolerate all his taunts, all his flaws, but insulting her and her father is something she will never accept.

All the colour left Dhruvan's face as he held his breath. Did a royal just touch him? And that too, an unmarried woman likes Lady Sahasthra? If this news gets out he is dead for sure.

"Mi-miss, where are you taking m-me?" Dhruvan managed to squeak out and Sahastrha stopped in tracks as she glared at him, challenging him to guess.

"Um, okay. Are we going to your father now?" He guessed as he brought his hand near his mouth trying his best not to bite his nails.

She just shook her head and Dhruvan prayed to god to make his next guess right.

"Are we going to Prince Raghuveer now?" Dhruvan voiced out his one and only last idea and miraculously Lady Sahsthra nodded her head in a yes and he had to suppress a happy squeal.

"What the heck!" The loud angry voice of Dipankar almost made Dhruvan faint on the ground. Has no one ever taught him that screaming is bad for health? Especially for sensitive people like him.

Dipankar quickly yanked her arm making her face him, "At this late in night why do you have to go to that bastard?"

Sahsthra was lost, not because of Dipankar's irrational shouts but because for the first time he touched her. A slow blush crept on her face and she battled her best to maintain a grim.

"Answer me!"

Sahasthra slowly pulled herself away from his arm as she slowly gestuerd a house and tried her best to slowly explain to him that her house was far away and if travelled from Raghuveer's place it would help reduce pointless time in travelling.

It almost awed her as she observed Dipankar's seriously adorable expression. His eyes carefully moved along her hands trying to understand what she was trying to express. Usually, people would give up, but her prince was patiently following her.

"Seriously? Your house is far so you want to stay at his? This is ridiculous!" Dipankar almost complained as the scowl was back on his face.

Yes, this is seriously ridiculous that I have fallen for a stupid man like you. Thinking Sahasthra facepalmed herself.

And after a three hundred multiplied with infinity times of explanations, Dipanakar finally understood what she was trying to say and finally for the first time a small happy smile caressed his face in victory and Sahsthra couldn't be any happier seeing his smile.

"So what if your house is far? I have a chariot of mine. I can drop you my way back to palace." Saying Dipankar crossed his hands over his chest as his chest heaved in pride. Of course, he is richer than that bastard prince.

Shortly, the chariot was called. Luckily, it was a four-seater and Dhruvan was more than excited seeing it, he would have jumped straight and landed on the cushioned seat but was held back by Pulvit.

"Shouldn't do that, always prioritize your master and royals first." Pulvit slowly whispered in Dhruvan's ear as he preached and Dhurvan would have bitten his ear off saying that prince Raghuveer never told him that, if this had not been Pulvit. But now that this is his hero he decided to follow his words and stayed back behind with Pulvit.

Sahasthra carefully stepped inside as she sat on a cushioned seat, even the interiors of the cart screamed of riches. Who would have a window made out of gold and silver rods? Her stupid lover boy does.

The chariot has two tiny compartments. One for the driver who controls the horse, the other closed-off compartment for royals and the seats were placed in a parallel way, so Sahasthra was facing Dipankar who was right now struggling with his wounded foot.

Dhruvan was happy as he got to sit by the window, it was amazing to feel the night's cool breeze as he keenly watched the wild trees.

Sahsthra could no more see this. Dipankar was clearly suffering from his leg hanging down, so she swiftly lifted his heavy leg and placed it in her lap and Dipankar was almost shocked to see this.

How dare she lifts his leg without his permission!

"Look, you pathetic-" Right before he could complete his standard foul scolding, Sahsthra patted forcefully on his wound making Dipanakar almost scream and she suppressed a smile in victory.

He quietly turned his head away glancing outside while Dhruvan and Pulvit mentally hanged their heads out pretending as if they didn't see anything.

Sahsthra leaned her head on the rich smelling wall of the chariot as she observed Dipankar's sleeping face. The pain must have taken a toll on him that he was sleeping dead.

Ah, why are his lips so delicious. Sahasthra thought to herself and she was surprised at this bizarre foreign thought. Oh my God, what am I even thinking?

Why am I thinking like Riya? Gosh, is this why it is said one should make sane friends? She silently giggled to herself wondering about what her friend was up to now.

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