Duryodhana entered his chamber with a charming smile on his face. He looked at his bed and sighed in disappointment to find it empty. He had expected to see his beautiful wife on his bed with her face covered and waiting for him. But soon his disappointment was replaced by happiness when he saw her standing a little away facing the window. The pale moonlight was beautifully outlining her body. With slow steps he walked towards her.

Nandha stood near the window lost in her thoughts when she felt two cold hands slithering on her waist. With a gasp she turned around only to find her husband standing behind her with a smirk on his handsome face. He moved more closer to her in a way trapping her in between himself and the window.

"My wife is looking so beautiful that I want nothing but to devour you the whole night. I still can't believe you have become mine." He whispered as he placed a kiss her neck.

He continued kissing her neck and shoulder blade making her clutch her lehenga tightly. Her breathing became uneven as she felt his cold lips on her shoulder and neck. His lips moved on her skin giving her twinkling sensation on her stomach.

Taking a deep breath and composing herself, she asked,

"Why?"

Her this question made Duryodhana halt in his action. Lifting his head from her neck, he looked at her with a confused expression.

"Why what Nandha?" He asked confused with her question.

"Why did you marry me?" She spoke again wanting answers to her questions.

"Now why are you asking me such questions? We are married now. You are my wife and I am your husband that's all matters now." He said and was about to kiss her when she pushed him and moved away from him.

Not expecting the push he stumbled a bit but soon regained his posture. He gritted his teeth controlling his anger.

"No I want answers. Why did you marry me when you yourself wanted me to stay away from you? Is it because you didn't want the outer world to know you hideous crime or is it lust for my body?-" Before she could complete the last sentence she found herself pinned to the wall.

"How dare you? How dare you say that I married because I lusted over your body?" He roared making her flinch.

"Then why did you marry me?" She asked her voice showing her vulnerability.

"I married you because I love you." He confessed not wanting her to make anymore stupid assumption.

"Love? Really the yuvraj of Hastinapur love me? What is there to love in an ordinary girl like me?" A humorless chuckle escaped her lips.

"Alaknandha." He growled.

His grip on her waist tightened making her wince in pain. She pressed her lips together to control the pain.

"You are hurting me arya." It was not more than a whisper but he heard it.

He cursed himself for loosing his anger. He loosened his grip on her waist but did not leave her instead he pulled her into him. Because of the sudden move Nandha lost her balance and fell on Duryodhana's chest. She kept her hands on his chest trying to balance herself.

"I'm sorry priye. I did not mean to hurt you but your are forcing me to hurt you with your words." He said making her look at him.

"My words? Arya how can you love me? You are the yuvraj of hastinapur and I? I am just a mere rajkumari. There are many rajkumaris in this aryavart who are more beautiful than me then why did you choose me? What is there in me that made you to love me?" Nandha asked looking into down.

Duryodhana cupped her face in his hand and lifted her head making her look at him. Her chocolate brown eyes meet his light brown ones. His eyes held so many emotions in them which made it hard for her to understand what he was thinking.

"What is there not to love in you? I love everything about you. I like the way your eyes shine when you get exited. I like the way you smile when you get happy. I like the way you bite your lips when you get tensed. To be honest you are the most beautiful woman I have seen in this entire aryavart. You are the first woman in my life who made me feel things which I have never felt before. You are the most important girl in my life after my mother. I liked how you helped the small kids who are completely strangers to you. From that moment I wanted you to be mine. I wanted to marry you and have kids with you. Everything was going fine until our last meet." He said caressing her face.

Nandha felt her eyes watering at his confession. Their last meet was something she could never forget. It still gives her nightmares. The way he shouted at her and kissed her forcefully. He took her first kiss without her will. A shiver ran through her body as she recalled the happenings of that day.

"I want to apologize for my behaviour that day. I didn't mean to hurt you that day but my anger took the best of me. I wanted to apologize and convey my feelings to you before our marriage but you were busy avoiding me. Can't we just forget whatever that happened that day?" He asked looking at her lovingly.

"I forgive you for whatever you did to me that day. It is not easy for me to forget whatever that happened that day. I will try my best to forget it." Nandha said making Duryodhana smile at her.

"Can you give me a promise?" Nandha asked looking into his eyes.

"A promise? If you want I will give you my whole life. Now tell me what promise you want from me?" He said making her look at him.

"Promise me arya that you will never leave me like my mother. She left me all alone in this world to suffer. Promise me that you will never leave me." She asked.

"You are my soul priye. Can a body survive without its soul? No right. You have become my life in this short period of days. Like it or not priye but you are bonded with me for the rest of your life. I can't even imagine my life without you. I will die rather than leave you. " Nandha kept her palm on his mouth preventing him from completing the sentence.

Shaking her head, " Arya please don't talk about death." She said with teary eyes.

He removed her palms and kissed her fingers making her blush lightly.

"I am sorry I will never talk about death. But I mean what I said like it or not priye but you are bonded with me forever and there will be no escape for you from me. Now please don't cry it hurts me to see tears in your eyes." He said making her smile slightly.

"Even I don't want to escape from you." She whispered blushing.

Pulling her closer by waist, Duryodhan planted a kiss on her forehead. She closed her eyes feeling the depth of the kiss. She laid her head on his chest with a smile on her face. 

*****