the next day:

morning: 

ruhaan's room:

ruhaan was looking outside his window, lost in his own little world. he could only see one pair of eyes...her eyes...her beautiful light brown infused with forest green eyes...those eyes which he could see the whole world in. people wear their emotions on their sleeves but not pooja. she wore her emotions in those breathtaking hazel eyes.

dhanu entered his room only to see his best friend daydreaming. "he is probably thinking about his goddess saraswati," he thought to himself. dhanu walked up to ruhaan and said: are pooja, you here? welcome.

ruhaan looked away from the window as quick as a flash and then looked at dhanu, very disappointed: dhanu! there is no pooja!

dhanu: I know but you were stuck in your own little world. I had to get you out of it.

ruhaan: you know dhanu, your future Bhabhi is simply gorgeous. 

dhanu: you only known her for two days and already she is my Bhabhi?! next you will be making me an uncle. ruhaan meri dost, I am still young...don't make me an uncle too quickly.

ruhaan gave him a 'grow up idiot' look but then they started to laugh.

ruhaan: relax dost, for now I want to keep her to myself. if we have kids quickly, they will steal her from me.

dhanu: good. when are you meeting her again?

ruhaan: tonight when the moon appears.

dhanu: if you get caught.

ruhaan: we won't.

dhanu: matlab?

ruhaan: kuch nahi, don't think so much. now tell me, what are the arrangements for pitaji's birthday?

dhanu started to talk as ruhaan listened carefully.

...

meanwhile: 

palace's terrace:

on the palace's terrace, sabu was teaching ashok how to do archery - focus on his grip. ashok was in no mood to learn but didn't show it to sabu. sabu was explaining everything everything slowly. after thirty aims, sabu said: well done rajkumar ashok. you did just as well as your brother. you may now have a well deserved break. after your break, we will do another thirty aims.

ashok kept his bow and bag of arrows down. his face very well showed that he was annoyed...annoyed with the fact that he was always compared to his older brother. 

ashok: sabuji?

sabu: bolo rajkumar.

ashok: was I picked up from some abandoned place when I was a baby?

sabu: no. why do you ask?

ashok: I asked because pitaji seems to love my older brother, yuvraj ruhaan more than me, and no matter what I do, I always get compared to ruhaan.

sabu: that's not the case rajkumar ashok. raja Abhay only wants the best for his two sons, he wants both sons to be well-trained for the battlefield. when yuvraj ruhaan was your age, your pitaji was also making me teach him about his grip. 

ashok just nodded, not saying a word. he knew sabu was only saying that to make him feel better...ashok know very well that ruhaan was sabu's favourite student and his pitaji's favourite son.

at the court dancers' building:

in the middle of the dancing floor:

akshani was sitting on a small stool whilst pooja was on the floor...

pooja: I've missed your massages akshu maa. it's been so long.

akshani: I gave you one four days ago.

pooja: so it's been a long time.

akshani rolled her eyes with love as she stopped massaging her angel's hair and began plaiting her silky lockes. 

akshani: pooja Gudiya, what did the yuvraj wanted to talk to you about yesterday?

pooja: about...voh...akshu maa...voh...umm...umm...voh...

voice interrupting: he wanted to talk to her about how beautiful her singing is and how well she plays the sitar. 

akshani and pooja turned to the entrance to see ruhaan walking towards them, smiling.

ruhaan: and how her looks remind me of an angel. that's what I told her yesterday.

pooja gave a smile, her cheeks turned into a deep shade of pink.

pooja: haan akshu maa, that's what he was saying.

akshani tied pooja's plait and said: yuvraj, you here?

ruhaan: I came to check on my people. 

Maithili: really?

ruhaan, akshani and pooja turned to see Maithili and mishti walking towards them.

ruhaan: yes maa. I just came to check on them (in mind) actually to admire my saraswati. why wait till night when I can do it now? 

Maithili: if you are done, then please go. I need to speak to the dancers.

ruhaan: but...

mishti: ruhaan, do what maaji told you to.

ruhaan: ok.

ruhaan goes but turned only to see pooja smirking at him. he could tell that she was fighting a laugh.  

ruhaan in mind: now I know that night time meetings are safer.

he goes out of the building.

Maithili: akshani, pooja, tomorrow you know that it will be raja Abhay's birthday.

mishti: tomorrow we want you two and the rest of the dancers to put a performance at the birthday gathering. and after the gathering, please don't stay around.

Maithili: exactly. if raja Abhay asks you to stay, just say that you can't because the children need to sleep early.

pooja: theek hai rani and rajukumari. 

mishti: good. that's all. see you tomorrow evening and keep in mind, the performance better be good. 

pooja and akshani: ji.

mishti and Maithili went out from the building and pooja whispered to akshani: I think only raja Abhay and yuvraj ruhaan are the kind ones from the royal family. the rest of them seem to be cold-hearted.

akshani whispering: I know but don't say this to anyone. understand?

pooja whispering: haan akshu maa.

nighttime: 

pooja was looking outside her window, waiting for the moon...akshani was brushing her own hair with her fingers. 

akshani: again you are waiting for the moon?

pooja: haan akshu maa. the moon's beauty is gorgeous. 

akshani: theek hai. I am sleeping. you sleep when you see the moon.

pooja: theek hai.

akshani lied on the bed and closed her eyes. as soon as she slept, pooja saw the moon. chupka chupka, she left the room and then the building. 

she walked to the gate but ruhaan wasn't there.

pooja quietly: where is he? did he forget?

she waited and waited...a while later:

pooja: I think he forgot. I should leave. 

before she could leave, ruhaan came.

ruhaan: pooja, don't go. I am so sorry.

pooja: where were you? I was waiting here for ages, I was scared if you got caught or I thought that you forgot and was peacefully sleeping whilst I was waiting near this gate, freezing to death!

ruhaan: yell a little louder pooja, let everyone hear you lecturing me. let everyone know about our secret meetings. 

pooja: sorry. but tell me why you were late.

ruhaan: I will explain it when we go to our secret place. do you want to risk being seen here?

pooja: no.

ruhaan: then go.

pooja: then bend down.

ruhaan: I should be grateful that you won't break my back.

he bent down as pooja rolled her eyes. she went on his back and went over the gate. then ruhaan, with ease, went over the gate.

the two started to walk to the forest and to their secret place. they sat on the grass and ruhaan said: pitaji was teaching some important stuff that I will need to know for when I am king. I tried to leave but he wouldn't let me. soon he left me alone and then I had to wait for him to sleep. are you still angry?

pooja: now no.

ruhaan could see she was shivering so he pulled her on his laps and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him until she could feel his heart beating against her body. his embrace was warm, and his big, strong arms seemed very protective when wrapped around her frail body. the world around me melted away as she squeezed him back, not wanting the moment to end. despite the heaviness in her stomach, it fluttered at the feeling of her body pressed against his. she sunk into the warmth of his side, appreciative of the simple gesture.

ruhaan: what did my maa and mishti wanted to talk to you about?

pooja: they want us to do a dance performance for your pitaji's birthday gathering tomorrow and after the dance performance, they want us dancers not to stay around if raja abhay asks us to.

ruhaan: mishti and meri maa...they prefer people who are royalty. ashok seems to as well. 

pooja: you know I told akshu maa that only raja Abhay and you are the kind ones from the royal family. the other three are a little bit cold-hearted.

ruhaan laughed, saying: I think that too.

pooja just smiled. just then ruhaan asked her: pooja, why do you call akshani 'akshu maa'? why don't you just call her 'maa'?

pooja: she isn't my real mother.

ruhaan: matlab?

pooja: I lost my mother eight years ago and my pitaji...ten years ago. my mother was also a dancer and she was best friends with my akshu maa. one day my mother fell ill and she couldn't get better. she died a few days after becoming ill. so akshu maa raised me as her daughter because she was dedicated to her friendship with my mother. she even gave me her name.

ruhaan: I am so sorry for your mother pooja. but your pitaji? it's ok if you don't want to tell me.

pooja: it's fine. rahul shah.

ruhaan: rahul shah?

pooja: in the battle between the Khanna empire and gupta empire, your pitaji nearly got killed by a member of the enemy empire. that member shot an arrow in raja abhay's direction but...my father rahul shah was a loyal and dedicated solider so he went in the way and the arrow stabbed his heart. 

ruhaan could see tears rolling down her cheeks. cupping her face, he gently wiped her tears and then kissed her forehead.

ruhaan: don't cry. I can't see tears in your beautiful eyes.

he hugged her tight and pooja hugged him back.

pooja: I miss my parents ruhaan. I miss them.

ruhaan: you must, parents are really special. they help us walk, speak, they make us learn everything.

pooja: I love my akshu maa, but still I miss my parents even though akshu maa has given me both mother and father's love.

ruhaan kissed the top of her head and just kept hugging her.

precap: birthday gathering

so now you know about pooja's real parents. 

will ashok warm up to ruhaan?

how did you like ruhaan-pooja's scenes?

what will happen at the gathering?

hope you guys like the chappy, if so...do vote and comment :)

target: 13+ votes and 5+ comments