The air grew heavier as Vihaan looked into the windows of the room where Aradhya and others tend to the injured prince of Ashokdhar. He had come to meet Aradhya, and beg for her forgiveness but instead was met with a terribly shocking scene. Though he was still concerned about his son Vihaan was tensed about how Aradhya would feel by him being there. It was evident that they didn't have the best relationship in the world at then.
He noticed Gaurang saunter over to him and stand beside him with his arms crossed over his chest. He sighed next to Vihaan.
"You seem to be awfully disgusted at yourself. I wouldn't expect anything less." Gaurang stated to which Vihaan glanced at him. He was right. He had no choice but to hate himself over what he did. And if he didn't it would be nothing but monstrosity living within him.
"Yes, look at her. She always had a glint in her eye which is lost now. She always used to be smiling and used to joke around and now it seems like she is a whole new person. someone who was attacked."
"Well, I cannot deny that. She was attacked...literally and hypothetically."
Vihaan felt his heart crumble again and he was well aware of the fact that no matter how many times he tried to put all of the pieces of his heart together and be there for himself, he could never. It was a dark mark in his books that he could never erase.
"I don't know how much she hates me now and how much I need to do to get her to love me back."
Gaurang dropped his hands, "You know...she still does love you Vihaan. She never gave up on loving you. It is just that she doesn't believe in you. She gave her everything to you and your family and your kingdom and in the end, she was met with nothing but a false accusation and a broken heart."
"I broke her," he sighed, "Can you please talk to her. Or at least tell me what I should do to redeem myself."
Gaurang gaped at him for a moment. "I cannot possibly tell you what you should do. She is your wife after all," he started walking away but stopped midway, "And for another...you didn't break her. You are not that powerful."
.  .  .  .
Vihaan stood before Aradhya, their proximity was the same as it was 17 years ago but one thing had changed. The two weren't standing to express how much they loved each other but they sure were standing to get every pent up emotion within them.
Vihaan glanced at Aradhya from head to toe but his eyes caught onto the scar on her gut. The most evident feature to have adorned Aradhya's body. He discreetly lifted his hand and softly brushed his fingers along the scar.
Aradhya's blood ran cold. Touch starved for seventeen years, she did nothing but take in Vihaan's touch. Though she knew it was not right on her part to do so, she couldn't let the moment slip away.
"Who did this?" Vihaan spoke in a hoarse tone as his throat dried up. the scar under his touch was more painful than anything he had comprehended in the past couple of days.
Aradhya sharply breathed and stepped back putting distance between them. Vihaan drew back his hand in disappointment and sighed.
"Sorry, Aradhya..." Vihaan took and step towards Aradhya.
"You've come an awfully long way to say just that." Aradhya room a step back.
"Please, Aradhya...I promise...I will do anything I can to gain your trust. Please, I am genuinely sorry. I have been nothing but trouble and an absolute jerk to you."
"I can't say no to that." Aradhya smiled sarcastically yet with a stung expression on her face.
"No one is blaming you now, Aradhya. No one is going to hate you from now on. I have proven you innocent. I have done everything to clear your name of the ignorantly put accusation..."
"What do you want me to do, Vihaan?" Aradhya frustratedly added. Did it take him so long to ask her to return? Was it that hard to tell her to come back again?
Vihaan looked up at her. His eyes were stud with tears. Aradhya could see that he genuinely meant everything he said. She could see that he indeed wanted her back. But it was beside the point if she returns or not.
"Come back."
Aradhya's breath hitched. An unknown sense of joy in her heart. She still upheld her stoic mask and scoffed at Vihaan. The aura was the tensest they had ever been while having a conversation.
"No, Vihaan. I can't return to you. Not anymore." Aradhya said lumps forming in her throat and tears starting to pool in her eyes. She knew she would go back to him in a heartbeat but she knew now that she was worth more. If he was going to treat her the same way again...
Vihaan showcased his nervousness through every quirk of his just wanting Aradhya to be back again.
"Why not, Aradhya? Why?" Vihaan blurted out hastily, stumbling upon words and breaking voice.
"I'm broken, Vihaan. I've lost your wife's place. I can't handle this, blow of hot and cold anymore." She said, stepping back from him and sitting down on the step. Vihaan jerked towards her but held back.
"You were right. A king should never love. Because if again, someday, there comes up a time when you have to choose between me and your kingdom, you will leave me and choose Ashokdhar. From a king's view, the decision is right. But I can't deal with more hurt." Aradhya wiped at her eye.
"You brought me to your palace, but I wasn't given the title for what I was worth. Many accusations which were agonizing for me, I bore. And at last, when I thought you would never leave my side, you did." Aradhya said and stood up, walking over to Vihaan who too held small tears in his eyes. Her brown eyes, getting drenched in the pain, brought tears to his eyes too.
"Even now, a king is standing before me. A king who has proved me innocent, but where was my Vihaan, my husband, when this king banished me? Where was the husband who did not even say a word in opposition when the king threw me out?" She drew in a sharp breath and gazed at Vihaan's eyes.
The place grew quiet again. Aradhya looked at Vihaan's face as he tried his hardest to remain strong but crumbled at every word Aradhya spoke. The silence again was a bit too overwhelming for the two. Aradhys broke the silence as she drew a breath.
"Sometimes I wish I cannot remember the sound of your voice."
"Please don't-"
"Because it is etched so deep into my heart. When I help all these people, I would hear you say how proud you are of me. When I am having a bad day, I hear you saying that I am stronger than this. And when I say that I miss you...I almost hear you saying it back to me."
Vihaan had tears falling from his eyes, "I'm sorry..."
"Yes," she looked at him, "I heard that sometimes too."
Aradhya finally drew back all her tears and stood strong before Vihaan. She looked at him dead in the eye.
"Maharaj, I...Darsh has been tend to, he too does not need me now," she said, pausing to stare into his moistened eyes, "you never did."
.  .  .  .
Rihit ran almost galloped to Aradhya's camp with a scroll clasped in his hand. He saw both Aradhya and Vihaan exiting a hut with dreaded expressions. All of the outcasts acknowledged Rihit's arrival.
Aradhya walked over to him and held him as he panted and gasped for air.
"What is it?" She asked him but Rihit turned a cold shoulder toward her. He almost was upset with her.
He looked at Vihaan and held up the scroll, "We are at war. Both the Dharini kingdom and also the Shiladhika kingdom's army is at our borders."
Vihaan, though heartbroken, had to go to serve his duty as a king. But how efficiently would he be able to do it? He didn't know. He grew insecure by the fact that he had lost Aradhya. He now didn't want to lose his kingdom too. He shared a lingering look with Aradhya and hurried away.
Rihit too was about to leave when Aradhya held him back. He looked at her again with an upset gaze.
"Why are you ignoring me?"
Rihit sighed and looked back at her, "I said I wanted both of you alive." He ran back to where he stationed his steed and went away without a word.
Chavi helped Darsh out of the room as Darsh needed to be there at the war. He couldn't leave his kingdom like that. Despite Chavi protesting that he should not go since he was injured, Darsh challenged her every persistence with nothing but stronger persistence.
He expressed his gratitude to Aradhya and walked out of their settlement steadily.
Aradhya turned around. The outcasts could see the nervousness in her eyes. She took a deep breath and spoke to Chavi and Gaurang
"Gather all our warriors. We are going to war."
.  .  .  .
"They need all the help they can get. It is two against one." Aradhya was speaking to herself while she grabbed poisonous herbs from the forest away from their camp.
She heard a twig snap behind her. She was ready to throw a dagger at anyone who was there but she was late. Just as she turned around, she found a pair of dark brown eyes looking at her through the mask of the man.
He immediately put a cloth against her lips and nose making it hard for her to breathe. His eyes looked concerned too.
The drug in the cloth gave its immediate action as Aradhya grew dizzy and fell back. She felt the person catch her and lay her down gently as though he was taking care of her.
"I really tried to save you, sis. I wanted to save you but everyone is holding me back. I am very sorry that I have to do this to you."
That was the last thing Aradhya heard before everything went black.
ð¡ï¸
Hello. Here is another update.
The war is closing in, Aradhya is taken, Vihaan isn't in the right state of mind and outcasts have prepared for war. Do you think all of Ashokdhar will be saved or will the joined forces finally succeed?
What is next for Aradhya's and Vihaan's relationship?
And let me know what you think of the chapter. Was it good? Was it okay? Was it too dramatic?
And drop a vote and support me if you want.
Stay safe
Until next time
With love
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