He smiled faintly.“He takes a bath with me every day,” I chuckled at his remark.“Don’t use it,” he said in a deep, concerned voice, and I shook my head.
“I wasn’t going to anyway,” I said slowly. I didn’t know why, but I began feeling comfortable with him. It was as if I didn’t want to leave.
But I had to.
I looked at his hand resting on the bed and couldn’t help but take it and kiss his knuckles.“Thank you for trusting me, Kunwar-sa,” I said slowly, and he inhaled a deep breath.
“I want to hear you say thank you for thrusting into me, Kunwar-sa,” he said in a slow, playful tone, and my eyes widened in shock before I clenched my teeth slightly.
“I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of it. How about a change?” I said, and he laughed heartily.
I smiled and glanced at the dagger in my hand.
I didn’t know why, but taking this dagger with me felt wrong. He had brought me a black thread; since then, his thread had been missing, and then the dagger, too, especially when he was working on something dangerous.
He was used to this dagger. Not just for sinning, but to kill, protect, and even play. It seemed like a part of him.
I swallowed quietly and glanced at him.
“I think you should keep this dagger with you,” I said slowly, and he looked at me.“Why? Are you upset?”
I smiled to show I wasn’t, then shook my head.“I don’t need to take it. It’s about trust. And I trust you,”
I didn’t understand why I had said that. Perhaps we both recognised what was between us, despite everything we were saying to one another.
After everything he had said, I sensed he was uninterested in any girl. The way he returned from the brothel and shared everything with me made me confident that he would never make a mistake.
And even if he did, I would’ve understood there could’ve been a reason.
His safety was at risk. I couldn’t imagine what might happen if he ever got into trouble and couldn’t find his dagger; his situation could have worsened.
“It’s alright, you can keep it. It’s been with me since I was born. My mother used to carry this dagger. It has witnessed my life more than anyone else ever has, and has seen all the phases I’ve lived and loved. It has observed my innocent and sinful times with no judgment. I cherish it as a part of my life and want to share it with you. We don’t know what the future holds for us, but I want to give you a piece of my life,” he said, and I lowered my gaze to his clenched fist, listening to him.
I swallowed silently and shifted the dagger to his side.
“Don’t give me this dagger, then. Make me your dagger—a chamber for all your secrets and innocence. You have shared little about your life with your brothers, who raised you like fathers, but you’ve given me glimpses. I feel it’s a greater gesture than giving something dear to your heart,” I expressed as he placed his hand over mine.
“It would be too dark for you to be the chamber of my heart,” he drawled.
I bit my lip.“Still, I want to be more than just a half-wife, a dinner, Kaaki-sa, or anything you want me to be. I want to be the keeper of your secrets, as you mentioned in front of Princess Aishwarya, when you said your biggest secret is that you already have a wife.”
He nodded in agreement.“Okay…” he drawled.“Whatever you want to know, I’ll be honest,” He held my hand and kissed my fingers affectionately.“But don’t go to Mahabaleshgarh,” he added.
A faint smile crossed my face.“I’ll try,” I said, pulling my hand back. I parted the curtains and walked away.
Unknowingly, I sensed a sudden shift between us, as if a massive wall had crumbled. Yet I still couldn’t fully grasp what he had told me; it was overwhelming to process at the time.
“Hey, Dinner. I want lunch,” he suddenly called out. I watched him part the curtains and stand up, a white cloth wrapped around his waist.
“I will send another attendant, Kunwar-sa.”
He looked at me and smiled.“And the deal is still the same. If you want to get killed, I can gladly invoke my right,” he said, opening his arms wide, and I shook my head.
“In your dreams,” I exclaimed, and he laughed.
“You mean wet dreams,”
I felt a sudden blush spread across my cheeks.
