Of course, he was a man. A real man.
There was a long pause, and suddenly, he asked softly,“So, you haven’t been... touched... I mean... for the last seven…”
I gulped, shaking my head, lowering my gaze, feeling warmth in my cheeks. This conversation didn’t seem normal at all.
“And you never wanted to...? I mean...” he paused, curiosity clear in his voice, and I shook my head in response.
“Married women cannot...”
He chuckled softly, shaking his head.“Then you haven’t met many,” he said.
True, I hadn’t. But his words twisted my stomach, and I looked at him.
“You’re getting married in just six months… You should stop meeting so many women now. Women appreciate loyalty.” I couldn’t stop myself from saying.
His eyes darkened.
I felt fear run deep in my bones—a soft nod followed by him.
“Don’t worry, you’ll never come in many.” His words crushed my gut.
I immediately shook my head,“I didn’t mean th—”
“And I don’t have much experience with women,” he cut me off, pulling out a golden-brown sheathed dagger from behind him.“This has...”
A shiver ran down my spine.“You’ve killed women?!”
He chuckled softly, lying on the floor, covering his face with a small cotton cloth, adding,“Let me know if you ever want to get killed too. I’ll gladly assert my rights.”
I furrowed my brows, unable to comprehend what he meant.
Why would I ask him to kill me when he just saved me?
I ignored him, lay in a corner, covered myself with my dupatta, and tried to fall asleep.
?????
I woke shivering in the same spot. My gaze immediately found him gone, causing my heart to race.
Standing up, I placed the dupatta over my head and hurried to the door. But before I could even touch it, it swung open, revealing his towering figure.
I instinctively stepped back as he ducked his head lower to enter the cottage.
“Where did you go?” I asked before realising how loud my voice was.
He frowned at the floor as though searching for something, and then he spoke,“Keval praan bachaane ke liye maang bhari thi; patni nahi ho humaari.”“I married you to save your life; you’re not my wife.” His voice was dry, and I immediately covered.
“I know, I know, Kunwar-sa. I just got scared when I found myself alone. I’m sorry.”
“Come on, let’s go. I’ve arranged a small palanquin and a few soldiers to escort you safely back to the palace. I’ll come later,” he said.“Remember, nothing happened between us. My marriage is important, so I cannot afford any mistakes.”
I looked down right away and objected.“I’m just a maid, Kunwar-sa. There’s no need to arrange a palanquin and soldiers for someone like me.”
He stepped closer, and I hastily stepped back with wide eyes.
“Pralaap mat karo... jitna kaha hai utna karo.”“Don’t argue with me… do what I say.” he ordered furiously, and I immediately shook my head.
“No, I cannot go in the palanquin. People will notice something is wrong. Just show me the way to Suryagarh out of this forest, and I’ll manage on my own,” I said, stepping forward to walk past him, but he stopped me.
