Quiet chirps of birds in near distance could be heard and Arjuna stood rooted in his place, his eyes fixed on Chitra's broken face. He knows, if not now, never. So he closed his eyes for a second before he took Chitra's small face in his hands.

"I know your pain, Chitra." He said, whipping her tears with his thumb, "But at that moment there was nothing I could do, nothing, I never felt so weak, never." Arjuna's voice broke as those words slipped from his lips.

Chitra's eyes looked blood-shot as her heart was quenching in pain just seeing Arjuna's broken face, "You have lost too much blood that day which was already a threat to our baby. But I tried, Chitra." Arjuna moved closer so that he could lean his forehead to her's.

"I really tried, I was so happy to hear that we are going to have our first child but ill fate has us, the healer who could deal with such complicated pregnancy situations was outside our kingdom which was nearly a two day travel, which means if we remain expecting her I might have lost both of you."

Chitra stood numb listening to his words, Arjuna's voice was filled with pain, the same pain which she had been facing all this while. If this was the truth then what was she believing all this while? Had Apsara lied to her?

"I was forced to make the decision to choose you over our child, Chitra. But if it was my way, I will happily give my life to you both, just to see you and our child happy, alive."

Chitra felt as if she was slapped, words have refused to come out making her throat paralysed with pain. Her husband has been innocent all this while and she was hating him for something he never did, he received the punishment of something he never did. Her heart throbbed in pain and hate for herself, Arjuna will never forgive her again. He will loathe her and abandon her and with those thoughts made her head feel light and she saw blackness dots dancing infront of her eyes. Slipping from his hands she fell to the ground fainting.

Chitra felt a sprinkle of water on her face as she slowly opened her eyes observing her surroundings and she in contact with a beautiful pair of brown eyes, Arjuna looked anxious as he slowly made her sit, "Chitra! What is wrong? Are you sick?"

His shaken voice made Chitra steep low in guilt, tears spilled out of her eyes and low moans of pain escaped her lips as she clutched Arjuna's arm crying, "I-I am sorry Arjuna! Please forgive me!"

"Why- what are you talking about, Chitra? Calm down, we-"

"No, you will hate me if you get to know the truth." Chitra's heavy wails reached Arjuna's ears as he stood confused. He should be the one seeking for her forgiveness but happened to her all of a sudden?

"I thought you aborted our child because you doubted my purity." Chitra whispered those cruel words and Arjuna was visibly shaken listening to those words, how did she think so low of him? He felt offended, was their love that weak to her? Did she ever love him?

"What?" Arjuna asked, not because he couldn't hear it was because he couldn't believe what Chitra was talking about.

Chitra never answered him as she sat crying her eyes out in guilt. Arjuna turned away from her, his heart sinking in hurt and betrayal. And when Chitra noticed him, she slowly stood up and hugged him from behind.

Even this thick dense Reetha forest could not suppress his heavenly musky scent, she pressed her head on his back and her hands circling around his waist.

"I love you Arjuna."

Arjuna stood shocked listening to those words, how his heart had longed to hear these words from her but now in this situation, though his feelings were the same as hers, something is stopping him reciprocating her words.

"For so long these words have been on my lips, Arjuna. Every morning when I wake up beside you I always have this euphoric feeling and every night I would just wait to melt in your arms, you are world Arjuna. You are both, my strength and weakness, you came like a bundle of love in my loveless life as your love is my only strength and we-weakness because I-i can never survive without you, as much as I have loved you that much have I feared about losing you."

"When my fears came of losing you and your love came in the form of words from someone, I believed them." Chitra hiccuped crying, she confessed her fears shamelessly, the shiver and raw pain in her voice brought tears in his eyes. "Maybe it is true, I am never destined for happiness. For once in life I have found love through you and what did I do?"

"Chitra, stop it." Arjuna's voice came out low as he could no more listen to this, of course Chitra made a mistake, she believed in those lies over him but what she is doing now is breaking him more than anything, she was blaming herself and was killing herself from inside.

Chitra began to sob uncontrollably, but she took no name to stop, "I have lost your trust, I have killed our innocent child with my cursed fate-"

"Chitra!" Shouting Arjuna turned in behind in a swift, he gripped her shoulders as she stood crying, "Get hold of yourself!" Saying he pulled her in a hug and Chitra placed her head on his shoulder, hiding her crying face.

His left arm held her close by her waist while his other hand patted on her head slowly trying to calm her down, "Our child's death, is no one's fault Chitra."

Chitra shook her head in disagreement, not accepting the truth. Arjuna took her face in palms and rubbed those wet tears off her cheeks.

"Don't do this Chitra, if we keep blaming ourselves our child's soul can never rest in peace."

Tears rolled down her cheeks but she listened to her husband, it would be cruel on her part if she keeps troubling her child's soul.

"I am sorry, Arjuna."

"I know." He said, placing his soft lips on hers and Chitra happily welcomed them, slowly their lips picked up pace as if they have their own brain and soul, days and months of pain and separation evaporated as they moved close trying to be as close as possible.

"I love you Chitra, more than my life, more than anything."

Love is broken at times, with sprinkles of jealousy, insecurities and tons of heart breaks but overcoming those hurdles and bracing each other's imperfections only can let the love survive.

* * *

Small twitching sound of a twig made Vikram and Rajan halt their walk. Vikram immediately pulled Rajan behind a tree trying to cover them but as time passed they did not see anyone around, maybe his ears were creating illusionary sounds.

However when Rajan was about to step away from the tree they saw a group of four men, all dressed in black came out from a bush, but the creepiest part was that the last man had a young girl around eight years lying on his shoulder like a sack of rice bag.

They quickly passed the area walking deep inside the forest.

"Rajan, I will follow those men and track them out so you go inform our king and queen about this."

Vikram pulled out his dagger and slowly walked in the way those men left while Rajan ran back to inform this important news but when he reached the spot he almost tripped down witnessing his king and queen's private moment.

He cursed himself thinking about how one can always have such a perfect wrong timing?

"Ehem." Rajan coughed loudly as his eyes remained rooted to the soiled forest ground, trying to save his innocent eyes.

Chitra and Arjuna jumped back in shock listening to some hard cough and when they noticed Rajan, Chitra blushed red in embarrassment and Arjuna's face looked rotten with annoyance.

"What!" Arjuna almost barked in irritation and Chitra controlled her laugh seeing Rajan shiver in fear.

But when Rajan explained the situation Chitra and Arjuna started running to catch up with Vikram and Arjuna was angry saying that Rajan had left Vikram alone. Miraculously, somehow everything Rajan did was annoying him.

Arjuna knocked Rajan's head with his right hand as he moved ahead him which made Chitra giggle, poor Rajan.

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A fun question! Does anyone read historical fantasy?