Sanjana

I wake up to a pounding headache and blinding lights instead of the all engulfing darkness I was surrounded by when I passed out.

The first thing I notice when I'm finally able to open my eyes, is that my hand is held by a familiar warm hand. His soft blonde hair cover his sweaty forehead resting on my hospital bed, and there's a frown on his handsome face even when asleep.

He came back?

"Ms. Sanjana, glad to see you're awake", a cop's voice suddenly startles both Brandon and I. He sits up in a snap, and the relief on his face when he sees me is endlessly flattering, even though my head is swarming with endless questions. My heart, however, feels warm and full, just by his mere presence. It's so unfair, that it's infuriating. But, atleast he came back. Why did he come back?

"Mr. Brandon here found you passed out on the floor in a dark, hidden room at Agra fort. We're just here to confirm whether it was an accident and you slipped, or somebody attacked you. We'll have to seal up or open that place accordingly, considering it's a public place. Then we'll investigate what happened based on your statement. The doctors have cleared you for talking to us, so if you can tell us what happened, we'll leave you to rest."

"Of course sir. You can open it up for public. It was just an accident. I leaned on a wall and it opened into that room suddenly, I just fell and hit my head."

Brandon looks at me with a strange expression, which I pointedly ignore.

"Okay, thanks for your statement, Ms. Sanjana. We'll take your leave, wish you a speedy recovery."

The cops leave the room and shuts the door behind them.

Before Bran can express his fake concern for my health, which I can already sense coming, I beat him to it.

"I'm fine now. Thanks for saving my life. You're free to leave now", I say as emotionlessly as possible, though my heart is pounding hard. I look straight ahead at the door of the room, and don't spare a glance at him, hoping he'll take the hint and not break my heart any more than it's already broken.

"Princess, please look at me."

I can't help but turn my eyes to him at the sweet endearment that has made it from the previous life to this one so effortlessly, but the remorse and pain I see on his face makes me look away immediately.

"Why are you here, Brandon? Why did you come back? Please, just go away. I don't have the energy for this."

"I'm not going anywhere, princess. I was stupid to leave earlier. I overreacted in a fit of rage and I turned around as soon as I realised I was an idiot for leaving you like that. I was so insecure, and afraid that you'll leave me, that I forgot everything else. And I can never forgive myself for it. I put you in the way of danger, it's all my bloody fault you're here. I don't deserve your forgiveness, and I hope you never forgive me, but I need you to know that I'm so, so sorry."

His words cut deep into my aching soul, I wish he had talked to me about his fears and insecurities, instead of just assuming the worst like that. I can see that he's hurting, but I'm hurting too, and I feel too angry to simply forget what he did even when I trusted him so much.

"Whatever happened there is not your fault Brandon, but you really should have left me to die there. It serves me right for trusting people so much, when they can't even trust me with their fears and insecurities."

My voice breaks towards the end, but I manage to keep my face straight and my tears at bay. Damn traitorous tears, came running back along with him.

"Please don't say that, princess. I'd never want you to get hurt, no matter whether you take me back or not. You're too important to hurt over someone like me. I'll never leave you to die. I was a coward to run away like that. I am so sorry. I'm sorry I didn't trust you, but I'm ready to spend the rest of my life trying to correct my mistake. I'll learn to trust you and treat you right, like you truly deserve, if you'd let me. Please let me take care of you and pamper you like the princess you are. Please give me one more chance."

"I can't really trust your words anymore, Brandon. It's all empty talk and no meaning. You throw away all your promises like they mean nothing to you."

"I know you don't trust me anymore, and it's my own damn fault. I jeopardized everything with my thoughtless actions. But, I'll do anything to win your trust back, princess. Just give me one last chance, I promise I'll make it up to you."

"See, just empty promises again. How'd you feel if I leave you like that? What changed your mind, by the way? You left me for my Prince Charming, didn't you? So why come back now?"

"I was wrong. I know you don't love him and I should've trusted you on that. In both lives. Deep in my heart, I know you care too much about me to do that to me. To anyone really. It's not you. Your feelings can't be swayed or wooed away like that. You're loyal, and I'm so ashamed of myself for even thinking I'll lose you to someone else. If you'll let me, I'll spend a lifetime trying to prove to you that I've learnt my lesson."

The anger leaves my body with his heartfelt admission of regret, leaving deep pain in it's absence. My voice rids of all bite and spite, and the words I whisper reflect the storm raining in my heart.

"I wish you'd just talked to me, you know. It's okay to be scared, or even jealous. I was jealous of your best friend too, even if for just a bit. But I didn't assume, I asked you and you vanished my insecurities by telling me I'm special to you. I wish you'd given that chance to me too. To let embrace you and kiss away your fears by telling you I can never choose anyone over you."

His face crumples in pain and a tear rolls down his cheek, followed by another and another, until it rains from his eyes too. And, how can my eyes stay dry when the love of my Iife is crying in front of my eyes?

I pull him into a tight, awkward hug, where I'm sitting on the bed, he's crouching and we're both crying, but it's alright, because he's here now, and he regrets what he did and frankly, I can't really love without him.

When we break the hug and he sits by my side again, holding my hand, I ask, "So you'll never leave me again when troubles arise?"

"Never. I'll be by your side. I'll quarrel and shout and cry, but I won't quit like that. I'll be with you, fighting for us, if you'll have me."

"And you'll always trust my loyalty? No matter the circumstances."

"I'll always trust you, princess. I think I trusted you back then too, because I know I waited for you. Anyway, that's not important. What's important is that our future won't have me doubting you ever. I'll trust you with my life. I'll be yours forever, if you let me."

"That's huge promises you make there, Bran. Forever is a long time. What if I ask you to abandon your work and family, to come and live with me in India?"

He smiles the first time since I woke up and the way his ocean deep eyes light up takes my breath away.

"Then, I'll leave everything for you. Just like you choose to do for me, regardless of which lifetime. I'll choose you over anyone and anything in a heartbeat. Trust me, I've learnt my lesson, princess. These two days were a nightmare. A living hell. I've realized I can't live another day without you, so damn the place and damn the job and country and lifestyle. If we're with each other, I'm sure everything else will fall into place in due time."

A chuckle escapes my lips at his optimism and he visibly relaxes.

"So, do I get another chance?"

I nod with a tentative smile, "But this is the one and only chance you'll get, Bran. Break my heart again and I'll ensure you won't leave my country without broken bones."

He chuckles in response, "That's my brave and fierce princess. Thank you for giving me this golden chance, and I ensure you, it'll never come to that."

"I hope so, Bran. By the way, you said I was out for two days?"

"Yeah, you scared me, princess. All that blood around you when I found you - for a moment there, I thought I lost you. It didn't really look like you slipped, you know, the impact looked too deep, and you were lying face inside, not head first. It doesn't make sense."

"I lied to the cops, Bran."

His eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"I didn't want them to seal the place. I did fall inside accidentally first, but when I stood up, somebody hit me from behind. But I have no proof, so telling them was useless anyways. We've to go back there, Bran. I think it's the room from your dreams. I couldn't let them seal it. I'm sure we'll definitely find some proof there."

He shakes his head immediately, "No way. We're not going anywhere right now. Those bloody answers are not more important than your health. Somebody tried to kill you, for God's sake. I'm not letting you go. You have a concussion and you need to rest."

"I'm fine now, Bran. I've already rested for two days, remember? Please go get the doctor so I can get discharged."

"Alright, but I have something to show you first. I asked a friend in England to visit the British Indian library when we found those newspaper articles. In case, he could get something from there. Guess what he found?"

He pulls out his phone and opens up the photos of an old newspaper article to show me. The headline leaves me totally baffled.

"Viceroy Lord David Evans goes missing in India under mysterious circumstances"

"So you never really left without me? Damn, it was all lies! I knew it."

"That you did, princess. The Indian articles were definitely a propaganda. I should have trusted you more. I'm sure your suicide is a lie too. It's all a ruse, just lies fabricated to make a sensational story, whether by the royals to save grace or by someone else, I've no idea."

"I think I've a fair idea, Bran. Somebody attacked me from behind. I don't really know many people here, so why would someone want to kill me?"

"You mean Prince Shaheer or Princess Amaara? What would they get by murdering you? If anything, I cleared Shaheer's way, he could have tried to court you. But it kind of makes sense too, they'll obviously know about that hidden room since it's their fort after all."

I shake my head at him.

"Yes, but that's not what I meant. I meant somebody could've actually attacked us back then too. I've no idea who, though. I'm sure we can find out. But first, we've a dark room to visit. And, I remember you mentioning a proposal earlier, I think we're closer to that too."

His eyebrows furrow in confusion, but he smiles nonetheless. It's good to see him trusting me without knowing what I really mean.

_________

The next day, I'm finally discharged from the hospital and cleared for travel as well. Upon repeated sweet requests and lots of nagging, Bran finally agrees to visit the dark room again.

With handheld torches and whistles as precaution, to invite attention in case we get stuck here, we finally enter the dark, hidden room again. It takes lots of prodding against the wall, but we finally manage to find a brick in the wall that opens the sliding door to the room. It's blinding dark inside, and even with the flashlights, the darkness is eerie and disturbing, and it's difficult to breathe properly.

"You can wait outside if you want, Bran", I whisper as his experience in the Amer Fort tunnels comes back to me.

"I'll be alright with the flashlights", he reassures, and we continue to walk deeper inside. It's a fairly large room, almost like a hall, and the floor slants downwards, like it goes downwards into a basement of sorts.

Descending a few feet deeper into the darkness, the air thins considerably and a strong stench hits us suddenly. We walk a few steps ahead, and suddenly, the flashlight slips away from my fingers and falls on the damp floor, and the sight before my eyes makes me puke without warning.

I spill my guts out and once I'm done, I find Bran frozen in place. I wipe my face with a handkerchief and hug him tightly, pulling his gaze away from the sight.

"I waited for you, princess. I knew I couldn't have ditched you, even after everything I heard in the royal garden. I loved you too much not to wait for you. I promised you, I'll wait for you forever."

"I'm so sorry, Bran. I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve this."

"It's not your fault, princess."

"I should have trusted you. You never left me, not then, not now. I don't want happened back then, but I wish I had come sooner. I wish I had looked around for you, I don't even know if I did that or not. I don't know what happened, but I really hope I didn't give up on you. That'd be so unfair."

"Shh... Don't fret over it. I know you'd have done your best. You loved me too much not to."

"I promise Bran, whoever did this to us will pay for their sins. Why would you wait in here when we were supposed to meet outside? It's some strange conspiracy, and I'm going to find out who did this. But first, we need to bury that carcass. It deserves an honorable farewell."

"We'll arrange a proper funeral, please? Not a simple burying in the ground."

"Of course, love. You didn't even have to say it. I'll get all the preparations done. And after that, I've a proposal to make."

"Proposal?" His voice is laced with confusion.

"Yeah. Marry me?"

I feel his smile against my temples.

"Whenever you're ready, princess. I'm yours."

________