She described the qualities of a man unknown to the fact that he would one day turn to be her man.
-Aditi

Minutes passed of me sitting on that luxurious sofa thinking about a story while he traced the pencil on the canvas. I was nervous to see what he was going to paint.

One part of me wanted to run away from the room while other wanted to give in my curiosity and keep sitting on the sofa. Maybe I was guilty that I cannot give something in return of his gratitude towards me.

His eyes bored in me like he was addicted to my features. Every look he gave me sent shivers down my spine

was this how it felt to be gazed on by a man?

I wiped the  non-existent sweat running down my face looking at the man who had his eyes  concentrated on the canvas infront of him. I cleared my throat gaining his attention and I immediatedly regretted my movement because the way his gaze pierced mine my stomach flipped.

"You are ready to start?" He stated more like a statement and I nodded slowly giving in. I clutched the ends of the shawl around my frame, the lemongrass smell hitting my nostrils making me feel him closer than ever. I knew how he smelt, I have gained the sixth sense of feeling him around me with just a whiff of his scent. Afterall he was the only man who had stepped closer to me.

"Uttara was the princess of  Virata (Matsya-desh). She was the wife of Prince Abhimanyu and daughter-in-law of Pandavs. " I whispered playing with the beads of my veil. His gaze occasionally brushed over me, the soft humming sound coming in between was the acknowledgement that he was listening.

"When pandavas were punished with 13 years of exile and one year anonymity after the game of chaupar, the dice game. In the last year of exile they were living in Matsya-desh, there arjuna used to teach the princess of Vitara dancing and singing. After the exile was ended the King of vitara wanted arjuna to marry his daughter but eventually arjuna declined because she was his student and that was unethical hence he proposed that uttara should be married to Abhimanyu, his son with yogmaya, Subhadara"

The only sound ringing inside the chambers was my voice and the scribbling of his pencil on the canvas.

"This is the story of Abhimanyu and Uttara. The sad tragic  story of two people who lost each earlier than they could have each other. " I felt his gaze on me for longer as I stated the reason of the story sadly. Everytime gayatri ma, recited this story to me in childhood I used to cry for hours thinking about the misery Uttara suffered all her life at such a young age. It was horrible to even think about her sufferings how can one endure that.

"What happened to her?" He asked placing the pencil on the wooden holder. He wiped his hands with the cotton cloth licking his lips in process. I averted my gaze feeling the picture of his light pink brownish lips infront of my eyes. The warmth of his blow on my lips few minutes ago was still fresh in my mind.

"Abhimanyu died in the war of Mahabharta that too brutally. It was horrific for young girl like uttara to witness such monstrosity in her life that too when she was pregnant. Abhimanyu and uttara loved each other immensely but the life span of their love was smaller. She was like a petal, soft yet beautiful to these eyes. Though always smiling and jolly, princess Uttara was unaware of her own will power. All it needed a tragedy of a monstrous magnitude to unravel it. "  I felt him walking towards me but I was so engrossed in my monologue that I ignored his close presence.

"Her husband was killed by his own family members who were suposoed to protect him. Afterall he was the first of the young generation but no one pitied him. He was too strongest and mightiest warrior to ever exist in the history of hind. Krishna was his maternal uncle, arjuna was his father, his mother was yog Maya, a goddess but still no one could save him. No one could save uttara's color less life. They were arranged but they fell in love. It was young love, The kind of love which was soon going to be born in this world. " A lone of tear escaped my eyes feeling the pain she had suffered looking at her husband' corpse the one she had built castles of dreams with.

"This story seems to be engraved in your heart " He whispered standing near the sofa,  I had my face turned away from him. But I could see him walking towards me and sitting beside me on the sofa. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and smiled softly at him.

I saw him breathing heavily the moment I smiled at him. Did I effect him?

"Uttara was young and she had dreams. She was a worshipper of dance and music. A fun loving innocent women who wanted just roses from the world. But destiny turned those roses into thorns. Even the color red did not last in her life. " I laughed bitterly thinking about all the colorless possession she held after her husband died.

Yes he matryed in the war but Uttara's whole life and dreams matryed with him too. She dedicated  her whole life for the kingdom of Hastinapur. For her son, Parikshit.

"You think it was destiny who snatched everything from her?" He said making me turn towards him. His eyes held a softness in them, the one he was showing me for the first time. He caressed my left cheek softly, his warm gaze providing comfort to my aching heart.

"I think it was love. " He said making me furrow my brows in confusion. It was the brutal killing of her husband who snatched her innocence the destiny.

He laughed softly looking at my confusion laced face before continuing.

"Uttara loved abhimanyu and he loved her back. You said it was a sad story. But it was a sad love story. Some love stories have tragic ending for better cause. You said abhimanyu died early, death is inevitable, Yes. But love is not. Love lives centuries, there is no ending of love. And uttara and abhimanyu's love was the proof of it. People die but the love, The feeling of completing each other doesn't. Uttara survived because of the love she has for abhimanyu. She lived because of the symbol of her devotion, love for her husband, their son. "
He smiled rolling the loosing strand of my hair again. He was doing this for the 3rd time this night. He was obsessed with the loose string of hair dangling on my face.

"Some stories are tragic yes, but the fortune of feeling the royalty and prosperity of an emotion called love in a lifetime is bigger than the timespan we spent with the person who we are in love with. Love makes two people fall for each other but it still exists even after the two hearts who fell don't. "
My eyes flickered from his eyes to his round lips as he recited his words slowly and calmly. The thoughts he possessed on the unknown feeling of love made my heart flutter. He made the feeling of love sound so gigantic and treasurous making me yearn for it.

"Does love completes us?" I asked him, he smiled sighing silently.

"If you want someone to complete you in love, it will. But love is different for everyone. For some people it's about feeling the presence of the lover beside them, for some its filling the emptiness, for some its the yearning, for some its peace and for some its family. "  He was so smart and the way he talked made me ponder over the fact  that he was just infatuated towards me. His words held a depth, the depth Maybe he wanted me to fell into.

But falling in love with him was so dangerous. Falling in love with anyone would be dangerous and it could hurt me atlast.

"You are saying uttara suffered yes but she fell in love and experienced that? I don't want to suffer that, I don't want to go through that. I cannot bear the pain of my lover dying while i breathe. That pain chokes me. I have seen all my loved ones dying infront of my eyes, the same way abhimanyu died I cannot be next uttara I cannot " I blabbered standing up from the sofa and moving away from him. My heart ached thinking about someone dying infront of me.

The images of a 5 year old lekha looking at her uncle killing her father and rest of the family flashed infront of my eyes. That night I was saved because I hid behind the table and babasa saved me in time. I cried softly feeling the pain of my family. Why do I always remember that tragic night. Kids are supposed to forget that. Why couldn't I? I didn't want to be another uttara no. 

"Lekha," I heard him calling me but it was too late. Tears rolled down my eyes remembering those stupid memories again. Not again. Think about babasa and tanirika lekha. Think about them.

I felt him close, his arms held me securely around his frame making me give up.  I cried silently fisting my fingers on his kurta. I had completely lost all my senses.

I had one of the worst habits that was relating stories to my own life. And they ended ruining my mental health.

I felt him caressing my hair slowly making me sigh in relief.

"You are not uttara, you are lekha. My little rose. " I blinked the tears off, craning my neck i met my eyes with his. My eyes closed voluntarily feeling his thumb across my cheeks. He wiped my tears softly. His expression held pain in them making me ponder over the fact why was he sad. He shouldn't be sad. Over someone like me.

"I want to go to Tani, please let me go to her. I promise I will come tomorrow again to help you complete the canvas but I need to see Tanirika" I pleaded moving away from him, a hurt expression graced his face  when I created distance between us. I won't lie I missed his warmth.

But I needed Tanirika right now more than anyone. And moreover I need my family not a man whose intentions were still not clear to me.

I turned around walking away from him but a slow tuck held me back. I looked back at him and then at his hand which held my arm in a soft grip. My Bangles giggled around him muscular arms.

"I will take you to her. I am not living you alone when you are this vulnerable" I had no strength in denying him, I allowed him to take me towards tanirika. We both walked silently around the passages in that dark night. My anklets singing in that silent night as I kept the tears at bay.

"Why are we going towards the king's chamber"  I asked pulling him back, he stumbled in his steps making me chuckle suddenly. He was going to fall. He turned around glaring at me, I widened my eyes pressing my lips tightly. I tried to suppress my smile.

I saw him rolling his eyes, claiming his fists and then looking at me with a smile. He was weird. Why was he smiling at me after I mocked him for falling ?

"Did you wish that I fall ?" He asked furrowing his eyebrows at me. My eyes widened when he slammed with this insult I never think bad about anyone.

If you think bad about someone bad happens to you.

As if something nice was happening to you, my coinsensce mocked.

"I did not. Why would I?" I fired back clutching the shawl around me.

"Maybe you want me to fall because you want to get rid of me. But let me tell you this my little rose, If I break my arms or something I would clearly appoint you to take care of me"   He held a teasing smile on his face

"I am not your personal maid that you would appoint me. I am the head lady, not some maid. I belong to tanirika. " I said tilting my neck proudely. If he thought i would wipe his sweat as he screamed in pain I won't.

2 minutes passed in complete silence which started getting tense as he kept staring at me. Was he mad? But I stated the truth.

"Your one gaze will cure my pain, my little rose. And the only place I am going to fall for is your heart. " my jaw dropped seeing him smirk in response.

"And soon I will sweep you off away from Tanirika. "

"You are delusional. You have some pretty stupid fantasies. " I said rubbing my palms glaring at him. What did he think of himself?

"I left my whole kingdom for Tanirika. No one when I say no one can take me away from my sister. She is very important for me. And i thought she was important for you too. You should not take me away from her she will be hurt. "  I said moving away from him. He was so annoying.

I felt his hand around my arm and In a swift moment I was slammed securely on the nearest wall. I gasped feeling him press his body on mine. Our chest clashed making me gasp in realization.  Whenever he was this close to me I turned mute.

"You have a tongue huh! Where was this until now? " He whispered holding my chin in his hand. I pouted making him groan in return. He sometimes made very weird sounds. He was mad I think and I also think he needs proper medication.

"You need to see a doctor and get yourself treated " I said making him look at me in confusion.

"And why is that?" He asked. I pushed him away, let me rephrase it I tried pushing him away but the man was built of stones, he didn't budge. I groaned pouting at him, blinking my eyes I glared at him. He smiled teasingly placing both his hands parallely on the wall caging me between him and the wall.

He was a mountain man and I was just a little mouse. He appeared too intimidating. Didn't he feel ashamed of caging a little animal under his big arms. It was a shameful act from his side.

"You keep making this weird sounds. Get yourself treated or else no one will give their daughter to you for marriage. You already have a negative trait that is you are a foreigner. " He nodded his head hearing me attentively. I got the confidence to speak my heart out feeling his understanding eyes on me.

"So what should I do to get a beautiful hind bride  as my wife, enlighten me " he asked making me smile proudly. Now he was going on the right path. I had the best plan in my head, I would show him the right path to get a beautiful women and get myself rid of him.

Easy.

"You should be calm and composed. You should proudly show your glory and strength to impress your woman. You should work on your habit of getting closer to a unmarried woman, like how you are getting closer to me. This is not acceptable. Men of respectable houses don't do this. Especially with a stranger women. You can break your future wife's heart. " I whispered the last part focusing on it.

I just wished that this worked and he would leave me alone.

Did you get what I was trying to convey from the quote I teased in the starting of the chapter lmao.

Lekha is too innocent to think that she could get rid of meglos so easily.

My favorite character from Mahabharta is abhimanyu. What's your?

Please take care or yourself. Drink alot of water especially if you are leaving in states which are going through heat waves.

Hope you liked this chapter. Daily updates are on I will inform if I take a break on some day.

Love Aditi ❤