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When your strength becomes your weaknesses, that is when your downfall begins. Raghuveer's mother was hitting the bottom of that disastrous downfall, she had loved his father to an extent that she had no more life left in her living body.

The news of his father's diminishing health got Raghuveer's heart heavy, his father Vimaldas is finally leaving this world taking away the last ounce of sanity his mother had been living with. Knots of tension formed in his neck muscles reckoning the plight of his mother, all these years, all these days he was able to force the medications on his mother baiting her with the empty hopes of her husband's love. But how will he help his mother now? How will he save her from losing her sanity in this trap of love?

The bright morning rays burned his skin as they rode on their horses through the empty routes of their central capital of the empire. The capital village was always heavily packed with merchants and customers, trading and buying numerous eye-catching merchandise, but now the narrow dirty street was closed for today as two royal princes were passing by it.

Sagara kingdom had strict principles and beliefs, with one of them being that all their wealth should only be utilized for the welfare of their citizens. To implement these rules at perfection, all the empire's valuables were only available at this market, and the Sagara kingdoms Devbala Pearls were specifically known for their unique shine and radiance attracting every trader of from different parts of the world.

Devbala pearls were found in abundance but that state of abundance is only restricted to the Sagara empire's sea making it rare for the rest of the world. The sales of these pearls has always been reaching the sky with its demand. But what angered Raghuveer was that, even after such immense creation of wealth, major parts of their kingdom still lived in poverty.

A strong wave of hot wind knocked him making him curse the weather, he was so used to the cool and pleasant breeze of the trees around his house that this heat felt unbearable yet, he could not complain. He has to reach the fort as quickly as possible.

The huge iron gates of the palace were pulled open as a soldier announced the arrival of the royal princes. There were exactly three layers of entering gates around the castle, their ancestors have thought about every possible way of securing the royal palace with strong security and confusing entrances for any alien enemy.

That immediate second Raghuveer's horse passed the first gate of palace he could feel the emptiness in this royal air. The soil of the palace rose up in the air as the horses ran at the speed of light and a royal chariot trailing right behind them. The raising soil reminded him of the moments of his torturous childhood, how his day never passed without trying to impress his father or by taking care of his mother. Maybe, the soil has the capacity to hold memories of people passing by these lands, after all the earthly soil is the only thing which is left over after the demise of a man.

Raghuveer stepped down his horse and immediately Dhruvan approached him to lead his horse to the stable. Nodding his head, he looked around the palace entrance, every soldier stood straight in their places with their hands on their weapons while all the imperial palace maids stood in distance with pots of water ready for the princes to clean their feet and hands.

"What are you doing standing there? Go, serve your Rajkumar!"

A cold, harsh voice shouted from behind as the maids trembled, suppressing a cry they hurried forward making Raghuveer scowl.

Shortly, the man stepped ahead with a sly smirk on his face. His left eyebrow shot up in the air as his lips curved into a smile, "Ah, who else do we have here? What did this palace do to earn such a surprise, Concubine Latha's son?"

Raghuveer was not stupid to dismiss the line he was trying to draw, he is making sure that Raghuveer remembers his position inside this palace, that he is not Raj-kumar but a concubine's son.

Before Raghuveer could make any sarcastic comment Dipanakar walked forward as he warned, "If you want to keep that head on your neck learn to know your place, Senapathi Satya."

Just like that the Senapathi's face paled hearing the prince. Satya gritted his teeth as he nodded respectfully, while he cursed the prince internally. Why is the stupid prince trying to protect that bastard? While the Queen is shedding blood to save the throne for him, here he is sticking with his enemies.

Satya Ranjan, a forty-five-year-old Senapathi of this empire. He is the next powerful man in this kingdom after minister Kashyap, his connections with every royal makes the royal guards fear his presence while the authoritative officers of crime jurisdiction fear to even take his name irrespective of the crimes he commits.

Soon the princes cleaned themselves and in a blink, Dipankar ran inside forgetting his status as a prince while Raghuveer walked aimlessly. Of course, he is worried for he has always considered the king as his father but for Raghuveer the king was nothing more than his mother's misery.

While the princes hurried inside they completely forgot about a minister's daughter behind, Sahasthra. She timidly stepped down the chariot, all through the ride, only one thought kept eating her brain away, what if her father finds out her stay at Raghuveer's house? No, he shouldn't. He would be furious if he learns that she spent a night at a house full of men.

Her father will kill her brutally and she knows how far he can go to protect his status.

All she has to do was to slip away silently and then she can spin some story to convince her father saying that she stayed at Vishwanath's Ashram. With those fears lacing her brain she stepped forward but all the colour left her face as she watched a certain man in front of her.

His tall and hefty frame made her shiver, the numerous golden ornaments around his neck clinked together as walked steadily, Satya was known for his desire to show off his wealth by wearing ancient and rare diamond studded ornaments, and the unsaid fact which only she was aware of was his lusting looks for her.

She has been seeing Satya since her childhood, at that time she used to anticipate for his visit, for him to pamper her with gifts, unlike her father. As a motherless child, she was deprived of love, and her father never attempted to care for her feelings but when one of her father's friend began to favour her she began warming up to him.

However, his soft looks turned lurking when she hit puberty, his gentle pats on her head landing on her shoulders and neck when no one was around them.

When her handmaid noticed this behaviour of Satya, she warned Sahasthra about the difference between a good touch and bad touch, shortly after that talk she distanced herself from Satya and mysteriously she never got to meet her handmaid again.

When Satya understood that Sahsthra was no more trusting him he as far as went to ask her hand in marriage but to her relief, her father didn't accept that proposal.

She was barely thirteen, and getting her married to a thirty-year-old soldier was not profitable in any way, so minister Kashyap got Sahasthra engaged to someone of her age, but shortly after her fiance's death, Satya kept appearing at her house.

With slow and predatory steady steps he walked forward, the left corner of the lips curved up alone. The palace maids standing behind turned away from them to give privacy to their Senapathi.

This situation was worse, and having no female guards around made her feel even weaker.

"Oh God, will you stop surprising me for once?" Satya laughed loudly as he stood before a trembling Sahasthra, but his looks struck at the sky as if he was conversing with God but immediately his bent low to meet her eyes passing a silent shiver through her spine.

"Tell me, why are you travelling along with men? How dare you travel without any female escort?"

Satya shouted loudly on top of his lungs and shortly began laughing like a manic as his predatory looks glued on a shivering Sahasthra.

"Don't worry, dear. Just be glad that it isn't me who would be punishing you. But, the time to punish you is soon in my hands, we will unite soon my love." Saying he patted her head lovingly, his looks masking an emotion of elderly love but his fingers slipping down to curve between her neck and shoulder as he gripped her.

Tears brimmed in her eyes as she felt disgusted by his touch, she wanted to slap his hand away and scream for help but her head remains facing the ground. Her large eyes brimmed with unshed tears as she now prays desperately for her thoughts to be mistaken but Satya never had the strength to talk to her like this, let alone visit her after her father has rejected his marriage proposal.

Yet now, the confidence in his voice spoke something different, it was possessive as if he owns her. This new courage in him might only mean one thing, though back then he never had any status or position, right now he was a respectable royal who is helpful to his father, this confidence can only be possible if her father might have promised her hand in marriage with him.

• •

Riya sat by patio lost in her thoughts, what is happening in her life? Her losing memories, ending up in an unknown land, meeting Raghuveer and Dhruvan, some old man warning her to go back and now as if all this drama wasn't enough she has developed feelings for Raghuveer who is absolutely cold faced. It is impossible to read his feelings on his face, how will he react if he finds out about her liking?

"Back to this world, child."

Riya ignored him silently as she turned more closer towards the pillar, gosh, what if he tries to kick her out of the house now!

"It's improper to ignore elders on purpose, child."

"God, " Riya groaned slowly as she spoke, "Just go away! I am not leaving this place any soon! I still have to talk-"

"So you are not interested in knowing how you have ended up here?"

That got Riya's ears open up large like a rabbit's. Of course, she was more than curious to know the whereabouts of this place, to be able to call her father and best friend and to inform them about her being healthy and fine but the fear of never returning to this place has held her back.

"I understand that night, I must have come as a threat to you but seeing both of the royal princes bleeding got me-"

"How am I responsible if two irresponsible brats fight with no particular reason?" Riya demanded an answer as looked at the physician. Anger radiating through her eyes as she spoke.

"You are right, it was unreasonable of me to force you about leaving this place. But child, listen to me now. I won't force you, I will not violate your decision but to take that decision you need to know about how you have come here, you should be knowing your way out of this world if you want to escape-"

"Why will I want to escape? I absolutely love everything about here-"

"Life is not always flowers and petals, dear. One should always have a chance ready with them, an option to chose in every situation to not feel trapped. So with no further worries come with me, meet my guru and know that information which I can't tell you and then, you are unrestricted to decide."

Vishwanath smiled compassionately as he completed his talk, it was undoubtedly wrong of him to try and push this girl away from Raghuveer's life. At the end of the day, Raghuveer was also a victim of life and if this girl is courageous she could bring some colours to his life, bring back his lost happiness.

Shortly after the conversation, Riya and Vishwanath walked through the muddy path of the narrow road, outside the house. She could feel thin particles of the sand poke her feet as she walked, but somehow that felt good, like a walk on the beach.

"But let me warn you, old man. I know karate and martial arts! If you try anything thing funny, I can hurt you to death with one strick!" Riya crackled her fingers as she spoke in a low voice, trying to intimidate him the best she could.

But in reality, she hardly remembers the karate classes which she had taken up in her school.

"Oh my, I never knew that you are so talented, young lady! A woman who knows to defend her self is always admirable."

"I am. That's my style, be pretty and kill pretty." Riya bluffed as she babbled with haughty pride.

She was speaking utter nonsense, she couldn't even kill a spider for god's sake, but he need not know that.

• •

The Ashram almost looked like a set-up from historical dramas, wooden fences and huge huts with milky white rabbits running around as kids chased them laughing and playing. An instant smile curved her lips as observed the place, the Ashram was located at the beginning of the forest making it isolated and beautiful at the same time, the running blue river by the north side of the place made her eyes go wide at the beauty.

Right by the river bed, sat a few students studying and reciting their lessons.

"This place is so beautiful," Riya spoke in a daze as she glanced at the running white and blue flows of the river.

Vishwanath laughed as he talked, "Of course, peace and beauty always prevail in a place where gods are prayed."

Soon, he leads her to the opposite direction of the river. The silent path made her ponder over her decision to come here. Indeed the place was mesmerising but who knows if this is a bad decision to come here without informing Raghuveer?

"Young lady, this way." Saying Vishwanath walked towards an open hut.

The but was open from all the sides allowing the fresh air circle around while the roof was made of a dry and thick stack of palm leaves, covering the floor in a circular way and right at the centre of the open Shack sat an old sage, his thick white hair tied in a huge bun with a beaded chain and his beard almost touching the ground as he sat meditating.

Vishwanath asked Riya to stand outside the hut for a moment as he cleaned his feet and stepping inside, he slowly whispered something to the old sage.

After a long period of silence, the sage finally opened his eyes with a soft smile as his looks remain focused on Riya but shortly he instructed Vishwanath about something making him pull out a bunch of mats from the corner of the hut. Shortly, he placed a mat near the sage and Riya couldn't help but wonder about the tiger pattern on it. Can it really be tiger skin? Riya quietly knocked her head forging herself to concentrate on the present situation.

She quietly walked closer to them and Viswanath signalled her to sit down, somehow the situation was irking her up. What is this place? A hospital to maintain silence?

"Would you like to eat anything, child?" The sage's deep voice reached her ears as she sat confused, he looked close to a fifty-year-old but his voice was sounding older, older than her eighty-year-old granny.

Getting the surprised look on her face the sage smiled as he spoke, "I get that look a lot, dear. We sages spend most of our lives meditating and praying for God, that peace in praying we find makes our skin look young and healthy."

Riya nodded her head as she tried to understand his words not believing him, maybe he got plastic surgery done? Many of her colleagues in her work field get it done to look younger and brighter.

"Anyway, would you like to drink anything maybe?" He asked her again, with the same politeness making her uncomfortable.

How can people be so respectful to strangers? She as much as doesn't even spare a glance to an acquaintance!

"Umm, no? I am good."

"Good, I have been hearing a lot from Vishwanath about you."

Riya resisted a long, deep eye-roll at those words, he was talking as if he knows nothing at what Vishwanath said that day.

"I thought you were the one who told him about me leaving this place?" Riya taunted as her voice rose in pitch making Vishwanath's eyes go wide hearing the rudeness in her tone.

"Ah, a fierce lady I see." The sage smiled as he spoke, "You are right, it was me who informed him of your presence."

"How? How do you even know me? I don't even understand-"

"Do you believe in god, child?"

Riya hesitated as he interrupted her.

"I don't."

"Then, " His combed his long white beard with his fingers as he spoke, "What about soul-mates?"

❤