After putting it on, I neatly placed the dupatta over my head and said,“Bheetar aa sakte hain ab aap”“You can come in now.”
The lack of response, however brief, heightened my anxiety and sped up my pulse.“Kunwar Agastya,” I repeated, clenching my dupatta tightly in my fist. I stepped toward the door when he still didn’t answer.
“Kunwar-sa,” I cried out. Intense fear coursed through me, making my knees shake. It was getting dark; I didn’t know where I was, and he wasn’t responding.
“Please reply, Kunwar-sa,” I said, my voice trembling with fear as I cautiously approached the door.“Kunwar-sa,” I called again, pulling the door open. The creaking of the old wood sent a strong shiver down my spine.
My heart raced wildly, and my breathing grew heavier as my eyes searched for him.
I stepped outside, looking around. With the growing darkness, I could hardly see anything. The chirps of insects and the rustling of dry leaves stirred by the wind sent shivers down my spine. A hollow silence surrounded me; I felt a storm raging inside. Tears filled my eyes as I moved further, calling out to him.
“Kunwar-sa, where are you?”
I clenched my hand tightly around my skirt and looked around. My steps were small and fearful. When I didn’t find him, I burst into tears.
“Kunwar-sa,” I called again.
Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps rustling through the dry leaves, approaching from afar, alarmed my ear. I spun to find him walking toward me.
I rushed in his direction.
Before processing anything, I moved closer, wrapping my arms tightly around his torso.“I thought I’d lost you,” my voice trembled. Tears fell like a river.
He placed his hand on my head.“I just went to wash up in the river and pick some fruits,” he explained, and I tightened my fist over his back.
My entire body shook.What if someone had taken me from here?
I wasn’t afraid of death, but the thought of being burned alive wouldn’t leave my mind.
“Hey, hey, calm down. Everything is okay; you’re safe,” he said, nudging me away.
I nervously wiped my tears, looking at him.“You should’ve at least told me.”
“I told you to wait for me there. You didn’t listen,” he stated through gritted teeth, and I immediately stepped back.
He was a prince; I shouldn’t have hugged him like that. What was I even thinking?
“I’m sorry, I really am sorry,” I said, taking a few more steps away before walking back toward the cottage with him, keeping my distance.
We both entered the cottage. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed his wet hair and his clean clothes. He had taken a bath.
“I got this for you to eat,” he said, handing me two apples.
I took them with trembling fingers and asked,“Do we need to stay here for the night?”
He sat on the floor, resting his back against the wall, and nodded.“We don’t have any options. My horse needs rest, too, and the dense forest covers the path. It’s not safe to travel at night,” he explained in a tired tone. I lowered myself to the floor and wrapped my dupatta around me as snugly as possible.
I didn't know, but I couldn't accept that he had married me. It meant he was my husband.
No... Nooo!
“Aren’t you going to miss your husband?” he asked, catching my attention and biting into the apple.
I gulped slightly, shaking my head.“No,”
He lowered his gaze to his lap for a moment.
“Why?” he asked.
