Published on:- 7/1/25 [Tuesday]
....
"Hawaon mein behne de khushboo
Tu baahon mein leke mujhe
Le chal kahin door"
...
The dungeon was dimly lit, with shadows stretching across the cold stone walls. Nandan, the loyal guard of Samanvitha, stood tall at the entrance of her cell.
His eyes were alert as he paced back and forth. His grip tightened around his sword's hilt, ever ready for any threat that might come.
Suddenly, outside of the dungeon a commotion echoed down the stone corridor.
Nandan's sharp ears picked up the sound of heavy boots approaching. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the steps - an official royal procession.
"Kya ho raha hai yahan?" Nandan called out in a stern and commanding tone.
As the figure came into view, Nandan's expression shifted. It was none other than Prince Ved Samaiyar, the second prince of Kundarastra. His regal attire and confident stride were unmistakable, but something about his presence now seemed different.
There was no mistaking the urgency in his eyes as he approached.
"Rajkumar Ved," Nandan said as he bowed his head slightly, though his posture remained firm. "Ap aur yahan?"
Prince Ved stepped forward and his gaze never wavered.
"Main, Rajdhara ki Yuvrani se milne aya hun", He said in a determined tone.
Before Nandan could respond, several of Shivaal's soldiers, stationed nearby, stepped forward, blocking the prince's path.
"Aapko aagey badhane ki anumati nahin hai, Rajkumar Ved", one of them said as his voice was cold and unwavering.
Prince Ved's brows furrowed in confusion, a flash of anger appearing in his eyes. "Main Kundarastra ka Rajkumar hoon! Tumhara kya matalab hai ki main nahi jaa sakata?"
He demanded and his voice was rising.
Nandan held up his hand, signaling for calm. "Aadesh seedha Senapati se aaya hai ki koi bhi, yahaan tak ki maharani Devi bhi, bina anumati ke Rajdhara ki Yuvrani se nahin mil sakta."
Ved's jaw clenched and his frustration was palpable. He was accustomed to authority and respect, but this treatment was different. He eyed the soldiers, their rigid stance unyielding.
It was clear that Shivaal's influence stretched far, and his control over the princess was not to be questioned. Shivaal was the general of the Kundarastra army, and had power and control over it.
"kya ek rajkumari ke saath ish tarah vyavahaar kiya jaata hai?", Ved muttered under his breath.
One of the soldiers stepped forward, his eyes meeting the prince's with cold determination. "Hum apne swami ke aadesh ka paalan karte hain. Apko chale jaana chahiye, rajkumar Ved".
Prince Ved glared at them for a moment, his pride pushing him to argue further, but something in his gut told him it would be futile. He could sense the weight of Shivaal's power looming over the situation.
After a long pause, he finally nodded curtly. "Ati uttam" he said, his voice low and controlled. "Ye baat yaha khatam nahi hoti hai".
He turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing in the quiet hall, his thoughts racing. The situation was becoming more complicated than he had ever imagined.
"Mujhe Rajdhara ki Yuvrani se milna hoga. Ek Kanya ko ish tarah se kalkothari me kaid kar ke kitna dushtata dikha raha hai ye Yuvraj Shivaal".
Ved's voice echoed through the cold stone hallway, his tone sharp with disdain as he glared at the soldiers.
Before anyone could respond, a cold, commanding voice cut through the air like a blade, sending chills down Ved's spine.
"Shivaal Samaiyar ki dushtata tumne dekhi kahan hai, Rajkumar Ved."
Ved turned sharply as his awkward smile faltered when his eyes met the icy gaze of his elder brother.
Shivaal Samaiyar stood tall at the entrance while his powerful and dominating aura was filling the space. His presence demanded submission, and every soldier, including Nandan, immediately bowed in respect to their commander.
"Bhaiya Shivaal," Ved greeted, attempting to mask his unease with a strained smile. His usual confidence wavered in the presence of the formidable general.
Shivaal's piercing eyes locked onto Ved, unyielding and sharp. He stepped forward as his long strides echoed in the silence. "Tumhare liye toh Yuvraj Shivaal hi kaafi hoga, Ved," Shivaal said and his tone was carrying a subtle warning.
Ved straightened and forced himself to meet Shivaal's gaze.
"Bhaiya... mera matlab tha... kya ek kanya ko kalkothari mein band rakhna uchit hai?" he questioned.
Shivaal's lips curved into a cold, dangerous smile. "Yeh baat sikhane tum yahan aaye ho? Rajdhara ki Yuvrani ab hamari bandi hai. Kundarastra ke niyam aur shakti ke samaksh uski haalat bas ek kaidi ki hai."
Ved clenched his fists, frustrated but careful not to overstep. He knew his brother's temper and influence. "Phir bhi, ek kanya ke saath aisa vyavhar..."
"Ved," Shivaal interrupted, his voice like steel. "Tumhara samay kitabon aur shastra mein behtareen guzarta hai. Yahan rajniti aur yudh ki charcha tumhare liye nahi hai. Waapas jao."
Ved's jaw tightened, but he knew arguing further would be pointless. His brother's word was final, and any challenge to his authority could escalate into a confrontation he wasn't prepared for.
"Jaisa ap kahe, Bhaiya," Ved said, his voice low with grudging respect. He turned to leave, but his mind raced with thoughts about the princess and the truth behind her imprisonment.
All he wanted - was to see the Crown Princess of Rajdhara Kingdom but he failed in his mission.
Shivaal watched him go, his expression was unreadable but his aura exuding finality.
Once Ved was out of earshot, Shivaal turned to Nandan. "Ye bhul dobara nahi honi chahiye".
"Ji, Senapati ji," Nandan replied, bowing once more.
Shivaal's icy gaze lingered on the dungeon entrance for a moment before he turned back to Nandan. His tone was sharp and devoid of any warmth.
"Rajkumari ne bhojan ya paani maanga?"
Nandan hesitated for a moment, lowering his eyes as he replied, "Nahi, Senapati ji. Rajdhara ki Yuvrani ne ab tak kuch nahi maanga."
Shivaal's jaw tightened, and an unreadable expression flickered across his face.
"Hatth toh bahut hai," he muttered under his breath, more to himself than to anyone else.
His voice held a mix of irritation and something darker, something deeper.
He stepped closer to Nandan, his tone dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Dhyan rakha jaye ki agar Rajkumari kuch bhi maange, to mujhe turant suchit kiya jaye."
"Ji, Senapati ji," Nandan replied, bowing low once again.
For a fleeting moment, Shivaal's cold facade faltered as if he were debating something internally.
But just as quickly, his expression hardened once more. Without another word, he turned sharply and his long strides echoed through the stone corridor as he walked away and left behind an air of authority and unease.
Nandan straightened and glanced briefly toward the locked door of the dungeon.
Whatever emotions stirred within the mighty Yuvraj, they were well-guarded beneath his commanding exterior.
...
The royal chamber of crown Prince was cloaked in darkness and the faint glow of a single lantern casting long shadows on the walls.
Shivaal lay on the intricately carved bed and his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
Sleep eluded him, as it often did since the war, but tonight was different.
Scenes from the battlefield replayed in his mind with relentless clarity-the clash of swords, the cries of soldiers, the burning fortresses. And then, the moment his eyes had fallen on her.
Samanvitha.
He remembered the defiance in her stance even amidst the chaos.
Her fiery eyes had locked with his, unyielding and fearless, even as her kingdom fell. That single moment on the battlefield had etched itself into his memory, refusing to fade.
He shifted uncomfortably, running a hand through his hair.
"Rajdhara ki Yuvrani," he murmured under his breath, the words tasting both like victory and something he couldn't name.
Her face haunted him now- the way her lips had pressed into a thin line when she was thrown in the dungeon, the stubborn tilt of her chin even in chains, and the way her eyes held an unspoken challenge.
There was something about her, something that made him restless, even in the silence of his chamber.
In the dungeon, her face was streaked with dirt but was still radiating a regal beauty that struck him like a bolt of lightning
Frustrated, Shivaal sat up and the silk sheet pooling around his waist. He poured himself a goblet of water from the bedside table and drank it in one go, as if the cool liquid could quench the fire in his veins.
"Kyun mera sara dhyan ushke taraf jaa raha hai?" he muttered, setting the goblet down with a thud.
He was Shivaal Samaiyar, the undefeated general of Kundarastra, a man feared and revered in equal measure.
And yet, a single woman- a prisoner, no less- had managed to shake the very foundation of his composure.
His mind flashed again to the battlefield, to the moment he had ordered her capture. Her eyes were red with fury. Her voice in the Sheesh Mahal was sharp and laced with venom and had echoed in his ears then, and it still did now.
He had expected tears, perhaps even pleas for mercy. But instead, she had fought back, even in chains, her spirit refused to bow.
Shivaal clenched his jaw and ran a hand over his face. The memory of her fiery eyes stirred something within him, something he didn't want to name.
She was like a magnet, pulling him towards her.
Unable to bear the oppressive stillness of the chamber any longer, he stood and walked to the window. The cool night breeze brushed against his skin, but it did little to calm his tumultuous thoughts.
"Rajkumari, itna hatth, itni jwala" he muttered in frustrated tone.
The war had ended, but another battle raged within him- one that he was not sure he could win.
Shivaal continued to stare out of the window while his eyes were fixed on the vast expanse of the Kundarastra capital bathed in the silvery light of the moon.
His heart and mind were at odds, and for the first time in years, he felt like a man stripped of his armor-not on the battlefield but within the confines of his own mind.
He closed his eyes, but the image of Samanvitha's face lingered, refusing to fade. Her defiance, her unrelenting gaze-it was as if she was taunting him even now.
"Woh aur ushke khyal mujhe kyun pareshaan karti hai?" he murmured as his voice was barely audible over the rustling leaves outside.
He was used to control, discipline, and dominance. Yet, this woman, locked away in the dungeon, had managed to take over his thoughts with an ease that infuriated him.
The battlefield had been a place of clarity-of decisions made with a singular purpose. But here, in the quiet of the night, clarity seemed like a distant dream. He leaned against the cold stone of the window frame, his fingers tightening around the edge.
A knock on the door broke his trance. Shivaal straightened as his icy demeanor snapping back into place like armor.
"Andar aao," he commanded.
A soldier stepped in, bowing respectfully.
"Kya baat hai?", Shivaal asked the soldier.
"Yuvraj, wo.... Wo Bandi apni aankhein nahi khol Rahi hai," he reported hesitantly and Shivaal's heart fell down at the report.
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How's the chapter readers?
Thank you
ShineeSunshine â¤ï¸