*Nicole Pov*

"What are you doing?" I asked him, but he just continued to throw my clothes around the room.

"What are you doing?" he asked back finally clearing my packed bags.

"I can't stay here, Ali. I was really hesitant and now he doesn't like you to date. You saw what happened at the airport." I explained, picking up my clothes.

"I saw that, but you need not leave. Maybe he just needs some time." He pointed out and I ignored him.

I don't know how did I felt at the airport, but I know making Harsha accept me will be very difficult. How can I force him to accept me?

"Harsha is my son, Nicole. But it doesn't mean I will be with the only person he will accept. He can take his time, but I want you with me." He continued and pulled me towards him holding my elbow.

"What you are saying is correct, Ali. But with the experience I had, I can't take such step." I mumbled looking away.

"You are not your step-father. I know you will care for Harsha." He pointed out and this time I don't have any answer.

"Why are you here? You need to spend time with Harsha. He will stay only for two days, right?" I changed the topic and he gave me a look like he understood what I was doing.

"He is with my Father. I will give him some time and then I will be with him. Today afternoon I need to go for a long meeting." He explained and I gave him a nod.

"If you will not arrange your clothes back into those cupboards, then I will call ten servants and make them do this work. And don't think of leaving this palace. You gave me your word and you need to keep it." He warned and I stared at him with my folded arms.

"What?" he asked when I continued to stare at him.

"This is the new side of yours, I am seeing. I am just thinking where were you hiding all this ordering nature and also threatening tactics." I replied shrugging.

"I know I am good at one thing, Nicole. I don't want to go back to the place where you were not there in my life." Saying that he took a step towards the door.

I rushed to his side and hugged him tightly. I know I was letting my fears rule me and in that process hurting him. I am not with him because of Harsha then how can I leave him for that reason.

"I will try." I whispered and he hugged me back.

"I will also try to make him accept us. I want him to be happy too, Nicole." He mumbled and I pulled back a little to kiss him.

"Now, I will arrange all this before going to the field. You go and spend some time with Harsha." I said stepping back.

"I have something special for you tonight." Saying that he walked off before I can react.

"I hate surprises." I shouted, walking out of our room, but he just laughed and I glanced around to see at least five people are staring at me.

What the hell! Why is he thinking there are perks of staying at his Palace than my comfortable and private tent?

I should thank him that he didn't actually make me stay in his room. I can so imagine the things that will be said if he had done it.

****

"What are you doing here?" I glanced up from the chart to see Nick walking near to me.

"Working?" saying that word I concentrated on the chart to finish the marking.

"We thought you would take a break today. Spend some time with your Prince and his son." He mumbled to which I shook my head and stood up clearly to stare at him.

"Just because Ali is my boyfriend doesn't mean I will ignore my work. We all stayed here for enough time and finishing this last search, we all can go home. I can't postpone that just because of my personal life." I pointed out and he raised his hands, making me realize I was too rude in uttering these words.

"Sorry! I am not having a good day." I mumbled and he nodded smiling.

"It happens! Now, why don't you tell us what to do." He gestured to my team and I nodded before following him to give out the instructions for the next two months.

"This is the last segment and I hope everyone can finish it on time. After this we all can go from this place and so I don't mind if you guys finish it sooner." I smiled and turned around to return to my place but Nick followed me.

"We both will definitely mind if the work finishes sooner." He mumbled and I just ignored his words, not wishing to think about what will happen after two months.

Now, the main accept is what will happen in these two days. I pulled myself out of those thoughts and started working on my spot.

"Ugh! I just wish someone can just give me some water." I mumbled after one hour and flexed my hands feeling pain but it was a successful dig.

"Here!" I heard a voice and a bottle before me.

"Er... Thanks!" I mumbled, taking the bottle none other than from Harsha.

During taking sips I let my mind travel to all thoughts. What is he doing here? Did Ali send him? Is Ali forcing Harsha to accept me? But he will not do that. Or is he going to tell me directly that he doesn't want me to date his dad?

"I liked the gift you sent me. Do you another gift like that?" I paused my thoughts hearing those words.

"You..." I trailed off not understanding what is actually happening here.

"Do you?" he asked again and I shook my head.

"You found that?" he asked, looking at the small thing I found just now.

"Can I hold it?" he just continued to ask questions while I stared at him in shock.

"I thought you understood English. You don't?" he asked, frowning and I immediately cleared my throat.

"I understand English and yes, you can hold it, but I need to clean it first. And I can search for another gift of similar type." I replied to all his questions and he gave a small smile.

"Can I watch you cleaning it?" this time I smiled and gave him a nod.

He stayed with me when I continued to clean the artifact and he just continued to ask questions about archeology and my job.

"I like finding things. Sudhir and I used to play treasure hunt when I stayed in India. He is younger than me and so I used to find all before him." He said smiling.

"Do you want to be an archeologist?" I asked him smiling back.

His smile is as addictive as his Father. They both smiled rarely in my presence and when they do, I am just lost.

"No! I want to be a Prince." He said with complete confidence.

"It's good that you already are." I said smiling.

"Are you learning good things from your Dad regarding how to be a perfect Prince?" I asked and this time he frowned at me.

"Is it done?" he asked, glancing at my hands.

"Almost! So, you meet your friend Sudhir regularly?" I asked him and he shook his head.

"I go to India only during summer and at that time everyone is so busy. And I too want to spend more time with my sister. So, I don't meet him much. Before leaving India, Sudhir shifter with her Mom to another area because of his step-father." He explained.

Why are they so many step people here? I thought shaking my head. I glanced at Harsha to see him concentrating on my hands continuously.

"Do you like your stepfather?" I asked before I can stop myself.

"Yes! He is a cool guy. And he is actually the father of Sudhir. But now he loves Mom." He replied and I paused hearing his words.

What the hell! What is going on in India? First the story of Nev and now this. He is completely fine with all this and he has been just shy in the morning maybe.

Why would he have a problem with me? Now, he is talking like he knows me for so long too.

"Am I talking too much?" he asked, frowning at me.

"Mom always says I talk too much." He added making me laugh.

"No! Your Dad also says that?" I asked him smiling.

"Can I hold it now?" he asked, ignoring my question and I moved the box to his hands.

"How to open this?" he asked frowning.

"I need to send the pics to my office where people will study about it. And then we can know everything about it." I replied.

"Why can't you?" he asked, looking at me.

"Because it will take time and in the mean time who will find the things?" I asked him back and he nodded.

"It's nearly dark. We need to go back to the Palace." I mumbled, standing up and turned to see three bodyguards standing a little away from us.

"Yeah!" we both walked to the storage tent and he carried it while following me and we left it there.

"I need to record this." Saying that I started writing and took some pictures and he observed keenly.

I even took one picture when he was holding it. Finally, we left the tent and walked towards the jeep to return to the palace.

"Can I come tomorrow?" he asked, sitting beside me.

"Sure! We will go to the market in between to find the things you want." I offered and he nodded smiling.

When we reached the Palace I saw Ali waiting for us and I waved at him. He was grinning from ear to ear when both Harsha and I started walking towards him.

I glanced at Harsha and immediately paused to see him having a blank expression. All the smiles and the joy are lost.

I glanced back at Ali to see him staring at Harsha's face and even his face lost the smile. What is happening here?

"Do you want to have dinner with us, Harsha?" Ali asked staring at him.

"No!" with that word Harsha walked off and I continued to frown.

"I really thought everything was fine when I heard that he is with you. But it seems nothing much changed. Maybe his treasure hunt passion brought him there." Ali mumbled and we both continued to walk towards my room.

"Hey! Don't worry! Maybe like this he will come near to you. These things take time." He added when he observed I was just frowning.

How can I tell him that I am not worried about that because Harsha really came close to me, but his change in behavior just when we reached Ali is causing me some tension.

What am I thinking? Maybe what Ali is saying is true. Maybe Harsha just forgot I am his Dad's girlfriend. So, he may not even come with me tomorrow.

"Surprise!" he suddenly said, opening the door and I stopped in my tracks looking at the dinner arrangement with candles and flower petals around.

"Did you just invited your son to come with us to this place?" I asked him and he chuckled hearing my question.

"If he had accepted, then all this would have shifted to the dining area and only dessert would have stayed back." He replied and I sighed in relief.

"I even have a surprise in the shower. Go and enjoy." He said closing the door.

"Well, let us enjoy it together." I mumbled, pulling him with me and smiled hearing him laugh.

****

"Where are you going?" I asked, raising my head using my elbow and he dressed completely.

"I will check on Harsha. It is his sleeping time." He replied smiling.

"And we didn't touch the dessert. So, we will have it after I return." He added.

"I want to sleep." I mumbled, closing my eyes.

"Wait for me." With those words he left the room, but I already closed my eyes and drifted off into sleep.

"I can't believe you slept." I can hear his words and then felt him hugging me.

"It is night and normal people go to sleep." I mumbled snuggling into his hold.

"I sent the desert away to store it." I ignored his words and again drifted off into complete sleep.

****

"You will be here for a whole day, Madam?" Rahim asked when I planned to check all the spots today.

"Yeah!" I replied, to which he frowned.

"But you informed me yesterday to take you to the market." He mumbled and I sighed.

"I don't think we will be going to market. The person we need will not come with us." Saying that I walked to the first spot and he followed me.

"Wow Nisha! You are doing this by yourself?" I asked when I saw her completely dusty by trying to search at one of the spot.

"Nick dared me to." She mumbled and I just chuckled before taking a step to leave her.

"Hey! Just be careful with the King. Be as bitchy as you are with me when you deal with him." She added those words and turned back to her work while I frowned at her.

Rahim coughed beside me and we both continued to walk and I glanced at Rahim saying, "Don't tell anyone that she talked like that about your King."

"She was not polite to you." He mumbled frowning.

"She just gave me a best compliment." I said, shrugging and until the afternoon we finished the check.

When I returned back to my spot, finishing lunch, I saw Harsha sitting and checking the charts.

"You are here?" I asked, walking near to him.

"Yesterday you told me we will go to market." He replied frowning.

"Right! Don't you want to spend some time with your Dad?" I asked him frowning.

"I was with him until now. He just left for the meeting." He mumbled, looking back at the charts.

"Rahim! We can go to market now, right?" I asked glancing at him.

"I will get the jeep ready, Madam. But we have to return early. The flight is in the early morning." He replied gesturing Harsha.

"Okay!" I gave him a nod before sitting beside to Harsha to explain the progress until the jeep is ready.

"You came here before?" I asked when we reached the market.

"No! I always stayed at the palace." He replied, glancing at the shops.

"Your Dad didn't bring you here? I will scold him that he didn't take you to anywhere else." I joked but he kept silent.

"I bought it here." I said when we reached the shop and the owner immediately brought a few similar ones.

"Which one should I take?" he asked, holding two of them.

"Uh... both?" I asked and he smiled, but shook his head.

"I didn't bring enough money." He mumbled, taking out a pouch.

"My pocket money is only this much. I have to ask Mom to increase it." He added with a serious expression.

"I am buying them for you." I said, pushing his pouch away.

"Mom said it is bad manners to take advantage like that." He said shaking his head.

"Actually, I am helping myself to do this." I said, smiling and really wishing to meet his Mom.

"How?" he asked, frowning.

"By this stuff you will learn everything about this place. And if I need any help with my work, I can just ask you instead of my co-workers who are far away. I will save money too." I pointed out and he gave a thinking expression before nodding.

"I will buy one with this money." He added.

"No! You buy some gift for me with this money. I love gifts." I said, smiling and he gave a sincere nod and took the gifts.

"What do you like?" he asked when we were travelling back to the palace.

"Me? I like everything. Actually, when you go to India, bring something for me. I went once for my friend's wedding and I liked the place." I replied and he gave a thoughtful expression but finally nodded.

"Do you like me, Harsha?" I suddenly asked and he gave a nod.

"I really want to meet your Mom and your sister. You love your sister, right?" I asked and this time he smiled.

"Yes! She can talk now and I really want to meet her. But I have to wait for so long to meet her again." He mumbled.

"Hmm... what will happen if you go in between?" I asked him frowning.

"Grandfather!" that's all he replied and I sat in silence until we reach the Palace and like yesterday he again went into blank mode.

Today Ali and I spent time with him for dinner and he didn't utter a word during the whole time and he acted like he doesn't like me.

What is happening here? I thought and started thinking about every aspect and couldn't sleep at all.

"I am really glad you took him to the market. I don't know what you did to make it possible. Every time I try he says he doesn't want to. And these two days he talked just a couple of words. I hope he is fine when he is with you. He is not doing it forcefully, right? He is happy when he is at the field?" Ali asked nervously and I turned to place my hand on his cheek.

"Ali! Was he angry when you met him after all those years?" I asked and he just frowned.

"No! He was such a happy kid and talked so much about everything." He replied making me frown.

"You told him that you weren't able to be with him because of your kidnapping and memory loss, right?" I asked him again.

"In the beginning I didn't say to either of them. But when I opened video chat before he left for boarding school, I told them. He was there too." He replied looking at the wall and I turned his face back to me.

"What happened?" I asked and he just cleared his throat.

"Nothing! He started being serious when he announced he wants to be a Prince when I gave him the option to stay in India and I will meet him regularly. That was the second time he optioned to be here and the first time was because of my Father's cruelness and second time was his wish. So, when he acted serious I thought he was trying into dwell into the Prince's role. But... but now I feel like he hates me and this place. I am asking him again and again whether he wants to be with his Mom, but he just says he wants to be a Prince." He explained and worry lines covering his face.

"He told the same." I mumbled and we stayed like that without saying another word.

Early in the morning when we took Harsha and his teacher to the airport, it was the same behavior when we were travelling from airport to the Palace.

"I will talk to the pilot." Saying that Ali walked away and finally I stood before Harsha.

"This is my mail ID. You can mail me anytime." I said, passing the paper.

"I can? I can ask any doubts?" he asked and I nodded.

After sending off them, Ali and I got into the jeep and started travelling back to the palace with my thoughts still on Harsha.

"What are you thinking?" he asked when we reached my room.

"I just realized one thing." I replied, turning around and he gestured me to continue.

"Harsha likes me as Nicole and the archeologist. But he doesn't like me as your girlfriend." I explained and he stared at me frowning.

"That means something went wrong, Ali. We need to find about it as soon as we can." I added and he sat on the bed and this time he got lost in his thoughts.

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hey guys! The story will finish soon... i am changing a few things but still not decided....

how is the chap???

comment plz and vote...