Laxita's POV

"Have I reached at least a little bit closer to you?" I asked with my eyes closed.

"I regret to inform you that you're standing in the same spot since morning." Devika replied.

After yesterday's demonstration of my abilities, I was high on power, and I thought that if I was able to do everything, then maybe I would be able to use my teleportation ability. I even read about it a little bit last night. 

The three of us occupied the training arena to test my ability. Sadly, my efforts since morning have yielded no results and I am still in the same spot as I was earlier today.

"Ugh! This is frustrating." I said, exasperated. I opened my eyes and kept my hands on my waist to admit defeat.

Devansh scoffed. "What were you thinking? Did you really believe that you'll master all the magic known to human kind in just a single day?"

I really believed that. I thought that I was a full-on Arch Mage now, and I could conquer the world if I wanted to. Just to be clear, I don't want to conquer the world....Yeah. Anyways, I was holding onto a myth because I have experienced nothing but failure ever since I started this teleportation thing.

"Let's try again. I am sure you'll be able to do it this time." Devika said. Good, at least someone was optimistic. "Close your eyes and think of the place where you want to teleport. Stay focused and imagine landing in front of Devansh. Give him a good scare, he seems far too happy over there." 

"Hey!" He protested and Devika snickered.

Even her words of encouragement couldn't help me. I utterly failed, yet again. "Maybe you should try again after a bit of rest. Have lunch and get some sleep. We can try again in the evening. Devansh and I will come back to help you."

"Kya pata tab tak aap ek angul tak ki doori tay kar paane mai safal ho." Devansh teased me.

("Who knows, by then you may be able to cover a distance of up to one finger.")

I glared at him which only made him laugh. I think I should really sharpen my sword, Devansh is itching for a good beating. 

I followed Devika's advice and took a little nap in the afternoon. I really needed that because I haven't been able to sleep properly for the past two days.

I woke up after a while and saw that it wasn't evening just yet. So, I decided to go on a stroll.

Then, I remembered that I hadn't seen Veer since yesterday. Was he still busy? Maybe, I could ask him to join me. 

So, I got up from my bed, combed my hair a little and braided it. I also changed into my dark green saree. It was one of my favourites. When I accomplished the fact that I looked presentable, I made my way to his room.

I went up to his door and knocked twice. "Who is it?" He asked.

"It's me, Laxita." 

As soon as the words escaped my lips, the door was opened in a flash. Well, that was fast.

"Hey, what're you doing over here?" He asked.

Alright. So, he wasn't wearing a tunic.... and was standing there in just a white loincloth. I was definitely not staring at his chest. My eyes flicked up to his face and I noticed that he looked haggard. His hair was tousled and there were purple smudges under his eyes. "Are you not getting enough sleep? You look...tired."

He rubbed a hand across his face. "Is it really that bad?" 

I nodded. "Actually, I am planning to go for a walk in the woods. Um, if you're not too busy, would you like to join me? You might also feel a bit refreshed after a walk." Why did I add the last statement? It made me look desperate.

"Sure, let me just grab my tunic." He went inside the room and reappeared after a while, this time with a red tunic on and his hair neatly combed.

Hmm. I haven't seen him wearing that tunic. It was sleeveless, revealing his armlets. And not to mention, those biceps. They will be the end of me someday. He looked so good even when he was supposedly very tired.

I snapped out of my thoughts. Focus Laxita!

"Shall we go?"

"Lead the way, miss." That made me giggle. "Stop it, Veer. You don't have to be so formal." 

"As you wish." He grinned. Gosh, I missed this and it has been just two days.

We made our way to the entrance of Soma Sangha and ventured outside. We walked side by side, our hands occasionally touching, giving me comfort. 

I saw that the weather was cloudy today. I hoped that it didn't rain.

I distracted myself from the weather to initiate the conversation. I looked at him and asked, "I think we should get to know each other better. I hardly know anything about you."

He looked back at me and said, "What do you want to know?" 

"What is your favourite colour?"

"Really? Are we starting with that?" I nodded enthusiastically. "Fine. Mine's blue. Yours?"

"Purple. Next question - What is your favourite food?"

"Dal chawal. You know, when we camp at night while travelling, it is the only food we can have. It is quick and easy to make and it also requires very little spices. If it's a warzone, our tension wears off when we share a happy meal with our comrades. It also helps in relieving some of the fatigue."

"Hmmm. Mine's chole puri. I loved it when my mother used to make it."

"Is it still painful? Reminiscing about your parents, I mean."

"It's not painful anymore but I do miss them, a lot in fact. I miss them every single day. But now, I have learnt to live with it. I like to think that they're watching over me from somewhere. So, if I am sad, they'll also be sad. 

For a long period after their death, I was terrified of stormy weather. But now, it has decreased to just a little feeling of discomfort. I am not terrified of stormy weather anymore but I do try to avoid it if possible."

"The sky's looking cloudy today. Would you be alright if it rained?"

"I'll be fine. It's just a little discomfort, nothing more." He let out a thoughtful hum.

"So, enough about me. You know about my family, it's only fair that I know about yours."

"My family? Our little family only consists of me and my mother. My father passed away when I was barely three months old. I never really saw him but my mother says, I am a lot like him. She says my looks and personality matches my father. The more I grew up, the more I resembled him. Guess, I would never know."

"His absence might have impacted you a lot."

"In a way, it did. But then again, not so much. After his death, the king stepped up into my father's role. He taught me everything I know. The king still blames himself for his friend's death. He adopted me because it was my father's dying wish. My father had asked the king to take care of me and my mother in his absence. A promise, that the king has upheld till this day."

"I am glad that you had someone to fill in your father's shoes."

"The king isn't the only family I have. The princess of Somapura, Nitya, is like my unofficial sibling. She was born just a month after me so you can say that we practically grew up together. We bickered and fought a lot during our childhood. We were so mischievous that the queen was sick of us." 

"How are they doing? The royal family, I mean. Do they know that you're here?"

"They're doing well. And yes, they know that I am here. When I regained consciousness in Soma Sangha, I informed Raghav and Chitra right away.

Chitra, or should I say Chitrasen is my childhood friend. He's the son of the royal advisor of Somapura. Currently, he's one of the commanders of the Somapura army. As for Raghav, he's my friend from University. He's also one of the commanders in the Somapura army."

"It must be nice, having your friends so close by. I, on the other hand, haven't met my friends for over three years. Although, we communicate regularly through communication artifacts, I still miss them."

The earlier communication artifacts worked only one-way. It meant that I could only send a message to someone but I couldn't talk to them in real-time. Not to mention, it left traces of magic, which was not good considering the security issues. But this new artifact was much better. As soon as it was developed and ready to use, aunt made sure that one of them reached Kshatra Gadh, to Vanya. This way, I talked to her whenever I wanted to without compromising my safety. Also, I could also stay connected to her.

"You know, my friend Yashwardhan, the crown prince of Kshatra Gadh, ascended the throne last year and his wife, my best friend Vanya gave birth to a baby boy, a few months back. I wanted to be there with them but I couldn't." I remember how upset I was when I missed Yash's crowning ceremony. I also failed to be by my best friend's side when she gave birth, when she needed me. I missed her so much and I wanted to meet her baby boy.

"Because of the circumstances, you couldn't be there. I am sure they'll understand."

"Oh, they do. Vanya told me that since we're like sisters, her son is my son. This is also one of the reasons as to why I want to rush back to Kshatra Gadh." It's been too long, I want to meet them as soon as possible.

We walked in silence for a while. Then, I continued, "Vanya and Yash were lovers before they got married. Our entire friend circle at the University, except me, was displeased with their public displays of affection. I used to find their interactions cute." A relationship like theirs was something I used to wish for.

"You don't have to tell me, I know exactly how it feels like when your closest friends are in a relationship.

Chitrasen was in love with Nitya for as long as I could remember but he was too much of a coward to confess his feelings. On our graduation day, Nitya called him out and confessed her feelings. She had also liked him for a very long time and was waiting for him to confess his feelings.

After that, those two were insufferable. Raghav and I even caught them in compromising situations a few times. We were so fed up with them....They got married two months ago." A smile crept on his face.

I laughed. "Well, wow. That's actually very sweet."

We continued our walk and wandered off into the woods. It was nice, knowing little things about each other. We shared a lot of things with each other.

"Do you hear that?" He asked.

"I don't hear anything."

"There's water nearby. I am thirsty and I forgot to bring water with us. Do you mind if we take a little detour?"

"Sure."

We followed the sound of the water and soon found a small waterfall.

I inspected our surroundings and it left me in awe. "It's so beautiful around here," I said. The spot was actually really great. The waterfall was blanketed by a bunch of trees. It was as if the trees hid this tiny spot from the world. It was so serene and soothing.

Veer bent down and drank a few handfuls of water.

"You should also drink some." He said, moving away. I also crouched down to drink some water. The water was so cool, perfect for a parched human.

I stood up and said, "I think we should head back. It will be nightfall soon and the weather is also not looking so good." I completely forgot that I had a training session with the twins in the evening. I was definitely going to get an earful from Devika.

He nodded and we started heading back. 
I was so busy admiring the area that I didn't notice the mud and my foot slipped. Veer was right on my heels to catch me.

He stood just behind me, with his hands wrapped around my torso. His lips grazed my ears when he said, "Careful. It rained last night. The mud's still slippery." It sent a shiver down my spine.

"I think I'm fine. You can let me go now."

"Hmm." He said that but he didn't let go.

"Veer?" I turned around in his arms and rested my hands on his shoulders.

"I was resisting the urge to kiss you but I don't think that I can take it anymore."

"Wh-What?" I stuttered and broke eye contact. The change was so sudden that it caught me off-guard.

"After our kiss that day, all I can think about is you. How soft your lips felt, how perfect that moment was and how I wanted to kiss you again." He gently rubbed his thumb on my lips.

I had also thought about our kiss an awful lot, more than I care to admit. He lifted my chin to look into my eyes and my pulse started racing. His eyes darkened, abandoning the previous light. The air around us was soon teeming with desire.

"Tell me you want this. Tell me you want this as much as I want it." He said in a gravely voice.

It was a no-brainer. I was insanely attracted to him and it was becoming increasing difficult to resist him. So, I surrendered to my desires. "I want this."

I couldn't even finish my sentence when his lips slammed onto mine. Our first kiss was sweet, gentle and soft. But this? There was nothing gentle about this kiss. It was passionate, needy and full of desire. This kiss was all consuming. His hands gripped my back tightly. Instinctively, I also wound my arms around his neck. I wanted to be closer to him. Closer than ever.

His tongue darted out, tasting my lower lip and coaxing my mouth open. As soon as I parted my lips, his tongue darted inside, exploring me. I was gone.

I wanted this. I wanted more of him. So, I glided my fingers through his hair and gave it a gentle tug. He groaned and continued his onslaught on my lips. I liked that sound. His hold tightened even more and he pulled me impossibly closer. I loved this feeling. It felt so good.

Suddenly, we heard a loud thunder and it started pouring. Way to ruin the mood rain! I broke the kiss first and looked at him. His lips were swollen and his cheeks were flushed. I was thinking that I wasn't any better. Our passionate kiss left us breathless and both of us were panting hard.

He was the first one to gain composure. "I think we should take cover, and wait until the rain subsides a little." I nodded as I was not in a position to speak.

He released his deathly grip over my body and took my hand in his. We started walking, searching for a shelter. The rain was getting heavier. We had to take cover, fast.

After searching for a while, we finally spotted a small cave and rushed towards it. By the time we reached inside the cave, we were completely drenched.

I started shivering because it was very cold inside the cave. Even my teeth started clattering.

"Are you cold?" He asked and I nodded in response. "Wait here, I'll be back."

He went out and returned after a while with a few branches and stones. He arranged them to start a fire. The branches were wet so it was taking him a lot of time to actually start the fire. I think, I might've frozen mid-way.

"Looks like we are stuck here for a while. You're not uncomfortable, right? With this sudden rain and all?" He looked concerned.

"No." Apparently, the rain was the last thing on my mind, all thanks to him.

After the fire finally ignited, I settled near it. Veer also took a spot beside me.

"This was not the way I was expecting the day to end." He said.

"Me neither."

The thoughts of our kiss earlier lingered in my mind. If the rain hadn't interrupted us, I don't know how far we would have gone. I shook my head to dissipate those thoughts.

We were too quiet. I think both of us were processing what all just went down. The only sound I could hear was of the fire cackling and the rain pattering.

I decided to fill the silence by picking up where we had abandoned our previous conversation. "I think, we should meet each other's friends. It would be so much fun. You should introduce your friends to me and in turn, I'll also introduce you to my friends."

"If you're planning to introduce me to the current king of Kshatra Gadh, then I want you to know that I've already met him."

"Really?!" I screeched. "When did you meet him?" That came as a surprise. Veer has met Yash?

"I met him over a year ago....."

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