The early morning sunrays flitted through the gigantic windows, the latticed jharokhas casting patterned shadows on the marble floors and teak furniture. As soon as the sheer curtains were drawn apart, the entire room was inundated in the bright sunshine, welcoming the start of a new day. Shreya ambled to the balcony attached to her room. She had grown so accustomed to the chamber and to the city in the last few days that the mere thought of having to leave and head back to Mumbai was giving her immense discomfort in her chest. Hence, she had been up since the wee hours of the morning, watching the sun come up the horizon and popping painkillers to keep the agony at bay.

Dr. Roshni did tend to all her wounds once they returned to the rooms late last night, and she even prescribed a few medicines to Shreya and Aryan, for both had sustained injuries during the skirmish. Shreya had the bandages on her arm changed only a few minutes ago while Dr. Roshni apprised that except for the bandaid covering the slight bruise on her forehead, she was all good to go. Then the lady went to Aryan's room to conduct a check on him, leaving Shreya to feel a strange void in her heart.

Her eyes went to the wall clock. They only had three more hours in Suryagarh before she and Aryan would leave for Udaipur. Their flight to Mumbai was early in the evening, and Aryan refused to let her miss it at any cost. Huffing, she went back to gazing at the views of Agni Bhawan from the balcony. The front facade was more or less perceptible from where she stood. Her eyes went to the metal gates separating the government premises from the private ones. Due to the slight gradient on which the city was built, the new palace ostensibly seemed to be at a greater height than the old one because of which, despite the vast garden between the two, she could perceive Agni Bhawan's dark stone walls.

With the arrival of a new morning devoid of any immortal breathing down their necks, Agni Bhawan should have gotten rid of the aura of darkness surrounding it at all times. It should have appeared fresh, novel, lively. However, the same pallor still hung over the edifice, and she was not sure what to make of it.

Perhaps it was nothing but the emptiness inside her that made her overthink, for she was certain a small part of her heart was going to be left behind in Suryagarh. And in the celebrated vicinity of a certain someone she had come to adore a bit too much, albeit without her explicit permission.

***

Aryan was not at the breakfast table yet, but Adya and Shreya were plopped adjacent to each other with the prince across from them. The girls spoke in hushed whispers about the events from the previous night as the latter narrated everything the mystery man had done for her while the former could only nod and hum in intervals. They even tried asking Aarush about the identity of the mystery man, but his response was a shrug of his shoulders and a scowl on his face. Deciding against asking him anything and avoid piquing him more, Adya asked Shreya not to broach the topic. Hence, Aarush seamlessly went back to reading the newspaper, his gaze darting over the printed sheets as he paid no attention to the chattering underway between the two girls, acting as if nothing major had happened mere hours ago.

Shreya was highly irked by his attitude. Just like the first morning she had been inside Suryagarh Palace, the prince had not exchanged a single word with her. Nor did he look at her even once. Almost as if these past four days hadn't transpired. They didn't go out to explore Agni Bhawan together. She didn't defy his order and slipped to the museum by herself. She didn't witness his towering wrath as he nearly annihilated Balwant Singh. He didn't click pictures for her despite that not being the protocol. Twice. He didn't skim his fingers against the birthmark on her back in the isolated and sequestered library under faint illumination. She didn't blush like the craziest girl ever due to the searing but innocuous brushes. He didn't call her an outsider just to hurt her. He didn't gift her all those thoughtful things, the third of which she hadn't even opened yet. He didn't scream at her when she brought Aryan along for the ritual. She didn't seek a promise from him to be safe and sound during the battle with the immortal. And she didn't hurl the necklace in the fire to save his skin before breaking the curse.

Nah! He just sat there at the table, not paying heed to her glares and grimaces, reading the newspaper and solving the problems of the world from his palace. Much to her disappointment, he didn't glance up even when Aryan came and sat next to her. Either he was pointedly evading any conversation with his guests—so highly rude of him—or the print indeed had something of immense value to him. But despite his insouciance, he looked more delicious in this attire—jeans and a casual shirt. Yeah, those formal outfits looked good on him, but this was a bit too—

All those sinful thoughts went to the back of her mind when her eyes fell on the headlines of the news article peeking from the sheet he was holding up. "Four boys brutally murdered in Aad... Aadar... whatever! Victims were accused with multiple charges of molestation and indecent behaviour with local women."

Aarush's sharp gaze finally landed on her, and he flipped the page to take a look at the article for himself. His nose flared, and he crumpled the sheet. "Aakarsh can't handle one thing, can he?"

"What happened?" Adya said, sipping from her cup of tea. "Who are those four murdered?"

Aarush cast a quick glance at his sister. He shifted uncomfortably at his spot, a scowl coming up on his features. "The same boys... from the other night... who tried to... harass..."

Adya got the hint and gasped, her eyes widening in shock. "Those four are killed?"

"Wait, the same four who troubled us?" Shreya shrieked. "They are dead? Murdered?"

Aarush hummed.

Adya and Shreya exchanged nervous glances with each other.

Aarush's lips thinned to a line. "Aakarsh was supposed to handle the media," he muttered. "Bad for business."

"Who killed them?" Aryan said, sitting next to Shreya and grabbing a cup of coffee from the table.

"Who cares!" Aarush rolled his eyes. "Good riddance. It's just the bad publicity I am worried about. Anyway," he sighed, "Adya, get ready for college."

Adya's face fell. "Oh, yes, I do have one lecture."

"Hmmm." Aarush picked up a different print and began perusing the contents, deftly avoiding the pointed glares from a certain someone across the table.

***

Aarush had instructed his personal driver to drop the guests off at Udaipur, and Santosh Singh complied by quickly hauling the luggage into the trunk of the blue sedan by the time Aryan and Shreya were done with breakfast. The prince and the princess came out to the foyer of the palace to see them off, and Shreya and Aryan were busy exchanging pleasantries with their lovely hosts.

Adya pulled Shreya into a hug. "I will miss you so much," she whispered.

"I am going to miss you too." Shreya pouted as she drew away. "But keep in touch, okay?"

Aryan didn't feel like bidding the prince goodbye, for he was still annoyed with all those bandaids and bandages adorning Shreya when that was not the deal finalized with the girl a few days ago by the royal. But he still chose to thaw the hostility by forwarding his hand to the man. "See you around."

Aarush glimpsed at the outstretched arm and scrunched his nose. Assuming a very farcical and forced smile, he shook hands with Aryan Sethi. "Hopefully never again."

Grimacing, Aryan withdrew his hand and looked away with a frown on his face. "Same thoughts actually."

Aarush was about to say something much more acerbic when he caught the beaming face of the girl inching towards him. He smiled at her too.

Shreya peered at the prince and fiddled with the sleeves of her dress. "Umm... it was... uh... a nice experience..."

He snorted. "Getting almost killed by a 500-year-old immortal sounds nice to you?"

She rolled her eyes and pursed her lips. "Forget it. Just pointless!"

He chuckled. "Have a good life, Shreya."

She huffed. "You too, Aarush."

He took a deep breath. "I need to take a call, so..."

She bobbed her head and watched on as the royal spun on his heels and slid back inside the palace, leaving the trio behind.

Adya and Aryan were not talking to one another but were exchanging coy smiles very often before looking away and censuring themselves for the blush on their cheeks.

Meanwhile, Shreya's hand unmindfully went to her wrist to twiddle her bracelet as she pondered over the emptiness in her tummy when she had just had a fulfilling breakfast, but she was surprised upon not finding it wound around her wrist. "I think I dropped my bracelet inside. I will be back," she muttered.

Striding inside, she went straight to the dining table, hoping to spot the piece of jewellery at the earliest, for it was getting late, and she didn't wish to miss the flight. Her grandparents would surely call up her parents in case she didn't turn up at their doorstep before the end of the day. So, she peeked at the long table with her lips parted slightly.

"You haven't left yet? You will miss your flight, Miss Awasthy."

She swerved around to find Aarush peering at her with a frown on his face while remaining stationed at the bottommost step of the ornate staircase. "I can't find my bracelet." She pouted as she hunkered down to investigate the space under the table and chairs. "I had it the previous evening. I don't remember where I saw it last, though. I hope I didn't lose it."

"I see. I will ask someone to help you search." Before he could call one of the caretakers to assist her, the girl spoke up.

"Yes, please. It's a birthday gift from Aryan. Can't lose it," she mumbled, biting her lips.

Fury crossed his features, and his tone turned gruff. "Oh, that unsightly and ugly bracelet you keep twiddling?"

She blinked and jumped to her feet, scowling at him. "Hey! He gave it to me on my 20th birthday."

He shrugged. "That information doesn't make it any less... hideous."

She looked him once over, puffed up her cheeks, and flipped her hair. "You have poor taste, Mr. Chauhan. And you are blind, Mr. Chauhan."

He remained silent, the corners of his mouth slightly curving upward as his hands went behind his back.

Her eyes went to the smartwatch around her wrist. It was getting late. Sighing, she said, "Can you please do me a favour?"

"Hmmm."

"Can you please post it to my address if you find it? I might have left it in the room or dropped it somewhere, and I don't have the time to search for it now."

He grunted in response. "If anyone finds it, you will receive it at your address."

She pursed her lips, regretting the loss of one of her favourite pieces of jewellery. Her eyes swept the gleaming floor of the massive hall once more before she crossed her arms in front of her and glowered at him. "And my mouth is not a garbage can, okay?" she snapped.

His brows shot up. "Of course, of course," he said in all seriousness.

"And the root issue is not my brain, okay?"

"Definitely, Miss Awasthy," he said with as much sincerity as he could muster, nodding vehemently. "There is no garbage can inside your head."

She beamed wide.

He bit back a grin. "It's just a tiny dumpster."

Her smile dropped, and she flashed her eyes at him before huffing and spinning on her heels. However, out of the corners of her eyes, she could swear she saw movements. Almost like one of his arms went in the air in an attempt to stop her from leaving. The mere possibility of such a sweet gesture from his side led to her heart picking up pace, and she veered instantly. Only to have her hopes dashed, for he was still standing with his hands behind his back and a polite smile on his face. She stomped her feet and strode away without exchanging another word with him.

A full-blown impish grin appeared on his lips, and he finally unclenched the tightly linked fingers hidden behind his back upon seeing her silky tresses disappear beyond the door.

***

Once Shreya had slipped back inside the palace, Aryan found himself in the company of the princess. The driver was a certain distance away with his head bowed down and a couple of other men were loitering in the garden too far off from them.

He furtively glimpsed at the princess, unsure of what he wished to say but knowing well that there were millions of questions and concerns running in his mind regarding her. "It was nice knowing you."

She took her gaze off her phone's screen and halted in the action of transcribing a message to a friend. "Likewise."

He leaned against one of the doors of the vehicle. "Any plans for the summer?"

She puckered her lips and shook her head. "If Bhai is free, we might go somewhere on a vacation, but as far as I know," she rounded her shoulders, "I am staying put in Suryagarh because I have classes."

He flashed her a feeble smile.

"What about you?"

He shrugged. "Will explore Udaipur for a couple of more days and then head back to LA. I have a summer internship that starts in two weeks."

She beamed and nodded. "That sounds lovely."

He dawdled for a moment, tapping the screen of his phone with his nails while a sheepish smile made its way to his lips. "Have you been to LA before?"

She drummed her finger against her lips. "Well, considering it's my favourite shopping destination," she shrugged, "I would say a few times."

He chortled before clearing his throat, looking everywhere but at her. "If you are not... uh... visiting any... nice... place... during the summer... perhaps... uh..." He rolled his lips inward. "Probably... if you want that is..." He raked his hands through his hair. "I can send you nice pictures of my..." He gulped. "I mean... my hikes and trails... and... and... uh... just in case you haven't hiked. Or even pics of... uh... whatever... shopping... items... you might like..."

She groaned and rolled her eyes, forwarding her unlocked phone to him. "Just ask for my number already!"

Heat crept up his neck, and he grinned, peeping at his shoes. "I... I was about to... I mean... it would be nice to keep in touch... with... one another... I..."

She clicked her tongue and flashed her eyes at him. "Don't waste time. Bhai doesn't like you as it is. If any of his minions catch us exchanging numbers, you aren't going out of Suryagarh anymore. Instead, you will languish in Agni Bhawan's dark and dank prison."

He bit his tongue and took her phone, punching in his digits and saving the number with his name. A missed call on his mobile flashed with her number. "I will," he handed over the device to her, "wait for your call. Or message. Or... whatever."

Her brows shot up. "And why should I be the one calling you or whatever?" She flipped her hair. "I am a princess, and I am a girl."

He grinned wider. When his gaze fell on his best friend rushing down the steps of the palace with a frown on her face, he tipped his head at the princess. "Bye, Adya."

She beamed. "Bye, Aryan." She gave a final hug to a slightly miffed Shreya once the girl was by her side, watched the duo slide into the backseat of the car, and waved them until the vehicle turned right at the main gates of Suryagarh Palace. A morose smile came up on her face when she realized how she would be back to being lonely and bored in that gigantic and desolate palace with only one other extremely busy soul to keep her company. Tears stung her eyes, and her arms were by her side.

Aarush cleared his throat behind her.

She took a deep breath and blinked back the sheen of moisture in her eyes. Spinning on her heels, putting up a wide faux smile, she quirked her brows. "Is it a busy day for you?"

He evaded meeting her gaze. "I need to... take a recce around the fort to... to assess the extent of damage. Too many on our security team died in the unforeseen ambush. I should talk to their families too."

She hummed and rolled her lips inward. "You should, yes."

His fingers went ahead to caress her cheeks and pinch her nose. "What happened?"

She shrugged and beamed. "Nothing. Everything is great. Go! Don't be late. And," she looked behind to find Balwant Singh waiting by her car, "I should head to college too. I will get my bag."

"Balwant Singh can—"

"No, it's okay," she muttered and strode in.

He pursed his lips and sighed. His sister's loneliness was as much of a curse as the one they had just broken. But her safety was more imperative than anything else in the world. At least, with the breaking of the curse, the worst was over. Girls wouldn't go missing from the town randomly. Unseasonal outpours wouldn't bring doom, death, destruction in its wake. Adya and any future princesses in the lineage would lead a happy and healthy life. However, one small doubt tinkled in the back of his mind. Someone was relaying vital information from the Society of Protectors to the foes. Someone was betraying them. And strangely enough, that someone was already aware of Rajshri and the unborn child when that information was highly restricted within a very small group of people. Not even Adya knew what that pregnant lady was doing in the palace.

But all of those questions could have a potential and valid reasoning as their answer. One thing that he could not comprehend no matter what... was Dharamraj's decision to not disclose his wedding. Regardless of what everyone else had to say, Aarush could smell something extremely fishy in the entire event.

***

Rajshri was sitting by the window sill of her room on the ground floor of the palace. She was allotted the first chamber in the second corridor off of the living hall, and she could see the lush green garden from the very comfort of her room. It had only been a couple of days since her arrival at Suryagarh, but His Highness's strict instructions to keep her secure made her feel safe. So did Dr. Roshni's frequent visits to the recently widowed woman. She was sated. Her baby was fine inside her womb, Aarush Chauhan had promised to bring Dharamraj's killer to justice, and she was even informed by the high priest a day ago that Dharamraj's last rituals would be carried out with utmost respect once the body would be handed over by Rampur Police after the autopsy.

Hence, despite being fearful because of all the explosives and gunshots resounding across the city the previous night, a sense of security and warmth enveloped her. She had only heard numerous tales of Aarush Chauhan's generosity despite him boasting a fierce temper, but now she knew it firsthand. He was as gracious as the other Chauhan men. However, the other man she had come to know had a supremely scary temper too. Hopefully, she would never be on the receiving end of their wrath.

Shuddering at the mere thought, she peeked out of the window again, and her gaze fell on the man standing amidst an aisle of lilies. The red turban wound around his head and the thick moustache he flaunted was oddly familiar from such a great distance. She had to rack her brain only for a few seconds until comprehension dawned on her, and her eyes widened with dread and a sense of immense loss.

The man turned towards the building while conversing with someone over the phone, a sickly smile etched on his face, and she couldn't believe her eyes. She did not know his name. She did not know where he came from. But this very man had taken a sword and driven it through Dharamraj's heart. She could never misremember the brutality with which the task was carried out, and she was fearful beyond limits, for the killer was right inside Suryagarh Palace. The murderer was someone very close to Aarush Chauhan, and the sinner was in the immediate vicinity of her unborn baby.

***