The afternoon sky hung heavy with overcast clouds, casting a somber hue over everything below. A gust of wind blew through the air, rustling the leaves and stirring up the dust. Satyakirth had just emerged from a bath, his wet curly hair tousled and clinging to his head as he dried it with a red-checked towel. His eyes were a stunning emerald green, deep as the ocean and filled with determination. His features were exquisitely handsome, his fair chiseled torso bearing battle scars that only added to his rugged appeal. He stood bare-chested, a white wet dhoti clinging dangerously to his lower waist and making him look irresistibly attractive.

The door to the small mud hut was closed, and Satyakirth was on high alert when he heard a sudden soft knock. His eyes swiftly swept across the shelf where a black revolver was placed, but then he heard the sweet, familiar voice echo from the other side.

"It's me," the voice said.

Satyakirth breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, the expression lighting up his face like a radiant sunbeam breaking through the clouds.

It was Raimoti at the door, his Raimoti!

But his smile quickly turned to a look of astonishment and confusion as he took in the sight of the woman standing in the doorway.

"Different?" He frowned, throwing the question at her, and Raimoti smiled mysteriously and walked inside. She was decked out in a bright, rich-looking saree, her jewelry glinting in the dim light of the hut. Her hair was freshly curled into wavy locks that cascaded down her back, very uncharacteristic of her regular hairdo, and her face was adorned with makeup that made her look exquisite.

Satyakirth approached her, his hand reaching out to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. The gesture was romantic and tender, and Raimoti couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement in her chest.

Satyakirth sighed in relief and smiled at her reaction, the corners of his lips lifting up like a bowstring pulled taut. His smile was like a ray of sunshine peeking through the clouds.

"What's with the get-up?" he asked again, keeping the smile intact on his lips. Raimoti raised an eyebrow at his question.

"Isn't this amazing? Am I not unrecognizable?"
She walked towards the small wooden shelf where the revolver was seated, and then she took the tiny mirror in hand, admiring her own face as if she were a blooming rose gazing at her own reflection. Her fingers brushed along her freshly curled wavy locks of hair, each strand dancing like a ribbon in the wind. She bit her red painted lips like a ruby glistening in the light, and a twinkle of happiness played on her dark kohled eyes like stars in the night sky. She looked ethereal, stunning!

Satyakirth was eyeing her from the side. He saw the bright and rich-looking yellow saree with a thick red border adorned around her slender body in an old-fashioned way, nearly pinned. He saw her jewelry too, glimmering in the muted light like stars on a moonless night.

"Whose saree is this? Whose jewelry?" he asked, the smile taking the shape of a concerning frown like a fleeting sunbeam disappearing into the clouds.

"Bhromor Di."
Raimoti kept the mirror down and turned towards him.
"The saree belonged to my dear dead friend, MuktaMala."
She ran her fingers along the pleated fabric and remembered fondly.

Satyakirth came closer, and with his right hand, he touched a strand of her wavy locks once again, as if it was different to not touch, like a sculptor delicately admiring a freshly carved masterpiece. Raimoti smiled, her cheeks turning the color of a ripe peach. It had been a long time since she had felt Satyakirth's presence this closely, in seclusion. And all the doubts, fears, and apprehensions regarding the truth of his affection seemed to fade away like the mist dissipating in the morning sun.

The moment felt pure, pristine, like a pearl in an oyster, and Raimoti thought she could hear her own heartbeat, and it was beating in the same rhythm as that of Satyakirth's, like the melody of two birds singing in harmony.

"But why princess? Why such a get-up?" Satyakirth asked, his voice a low hush like the whisper of the wind, enough to raise the hair on Raimoti's neck. Raimoti gulped in romantic anticipation, her heart pounding like a drumbeat.

"Revenge..." She raised her gaze and looked into his eyes like a warrior ready to face the battle. "A sweet revenge is all I seek, Satya."

"From whom?" Satyakirth asked.

Raimoti sighed and moved away from Satyakirth's loose embrace like a butterfly leaving a flower.

"Shashi Kaka murdered my friend Mukta, and then Charu, his next wife, and God knows how many. He touched me inappropriately too."
Raimoti looked away, forlorn like a bird with clipped wings.
"And now he deserves punishment!"

Satyakirth sighed at her words.

Raimoti continued.
"If there is anything such as Karna, trust me Satya, now is the time!"

Satya reminder quiet.
As he listened to Raimoti's words, he felt a sharp pain piercing his chest. A pain that was a reminder of how with all his deeds and love, he wouldn't be there to side with her when she would pursue her deeds, not tonight and not ever again!

"What are you thinking?" Raimoti asked and despite all the agony that he felt, Satya moved towards her and grasped her arm, pulling her closer to him. He gazed into her eyes with a tender expression, as if he were the only one in the world who could understand the depth of her pain.

"So, my princess is planning to scare Shashi in this guise?" he asked softly, his voice tinged with concern.

Raimoti nodded hesitantly, still feeling a hint of insecurity despite the reassuring presence of her beloved. Satya was surprisingly quiet that afternoon. Almost as gloomy as the sky outside. Raimoti looked away.

"Something like that," she replied in a low voice, her gaze fixed on the ground.

Without a word, Satyakirth cupped her face and lifted her chin, causing their eyes to meet. He spoke with such tenderness and devotion that it seemed as though the entire world had faded away.

"But I can still recognize you, Princess. You look exactly like yourself, and it's difficult to hide your beauty in any disguise you may try, you know that, don't you?"

Raimoti couldn't help but smile at his words.

"How about seeing me in the dark?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Satyakirth nodded lovingly, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I'd still recognize you," he replied with a gentle smile.

As he leaned in to touch his forehead to hers, Raimoti felt her heart skip a beat. The moment felt almost surreal, as if they were the only two people in the world, lost in each other's love.

Finally, Satyakirth pressed his lips to hers, each movement of his mouth slow and deliberate. Raimoti felt her face flush with heat as she responded to his kiss, savoring every moment of their tender embrace. As he pulled away, she couldn't help but smile, feeling truly and completely loved, once again.

"I heard what you said to Maha and others." Her words were a gentle complaint.

"You heard?"

"Was I not supposed to?" Came a sharp reply, and Satya pulled her closer to his bare chest.
He signed deeply.

"I need their unwavering trust in me and the cause, Princess. Even for a moment, for a split second, if they think I'm weak, may it be physically or emotionally, they will fail to hold their devotion and determination."

"A king can't show his weakness, I know, Arthshaastra." Raimoti sighed too, and then looked straight into his eyes.

"Do you love me?"

"More than anything else in this world." Satya smiled.

"Not true." Raimoti pressed her index finger on his lips to hush him.
"You love our motherland more."

A brief silence and then Satya slowly planted a kiss on her finger.
"I guess you are right, but... But if there is a rebirth, I swear I'll live only for you."

"You swear?"

"Yes, I do... I swear on the same motherland Raimoti." He paused, and he slowly leaned forward to steal a kiss from her lips.

"Do you love me Princess?" Satyakirth suddenly broke from their kiss and asked her.
Raimoti frowned I'm confusion, and then smiled at him.

"If you come to me like this, how can I say no?"
She pressed her lips in amusement, teasing him with her words, perhaps once last time.

Satyakirth's eyes widened in confusion as Raimoti pecked a kiss on his nose, and he looked at her with a hint of bewilderment on his face.

"What do you mean? 'Like this' as in'?" he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.

Raimoti grinned mischievously at his words, her fingers trailing lightly across his cheek. "Like this," she said, nodding towards his bare, fragrant form, "with those naughty water droplets on your eyelids, your nose, your lips, your neck..."

Satyakirth's heart raced as he felt her lift to toe to align her lips with his, and then very skilfully she brushed them against his lips, her seductive tone sending a shiver down his spine.
"How can I resist, Rajasaheb?" she added with a hint of naughtiness.
Satya gulped at her playful ministrations.

Despite his desire for her, Satyakirth knew they had a serious duty to fulfill that night.
"We have a grave duty to fulfill tonight Princess."
He murmured, as if reconfirming himself and his touch escalated at the same time, savoring her warmth against his skin as he tried to focus on their mission yet again.

"I know," Raimoti half-moaned in response. "I'm not stopping you."

His lips had found their way to the sensitive spot on her neck, and Raimoti's body was responding eagerly to his touch.

"Nothing should jeopardize the plan tonight," he reminded her, his words punctuated by gentle kisses along her collarbone.

"Nothing would," she moaned in response.

"And no matter what, we stick to our... "
Satyakirth tried to reiterate the importance of their mission, but Raimoti silenced him with a deep, primal kiss that left him breathless. It was as if all the passion and desire they had been holding back for so long had been unleashed in that one moment.

Their bodies intertwined, Satyakirth and Raimoti gave in to their desires, knowing that no matter what happened that night, they would always have each other.

She pushed him down on the mud floor, making him sit against the wall, his legs parted, and with an urgency she tugged at the soaked dhoti that he wore.

"You are in a hurry today!" Satya chuckled and Raimoti bit her lips in response.

"Shouldn't I be?"
She opened the knot and freed his hard manhood to the feast of her eyes.
"Today is all I get, isn't it?"
She tried to smile, but Satya felt the moistened undertone of her voice.

"I'll always love you my princess."
Satya held her waist and tried to tug at the beat pleats of her saree, but she held his hand to stop.

"Don't open these."
The naughty glint had returned in her eyes as she lifted her saree and saddled him, squatting on the floor, right on his thighs, grinding them seductively.

"Come a little up." Satya gesture at her, and Raimoti let out a nervous chuckle.

"Well, um... Go slow alright?" She cleared her throat and moved up to position herself on top of his erect manhood.

"I thought you love it fast!" Satya teased, as with a gentle thrust he entered inside Raimoti's soft core, but instead of her usual reaction, Raimoti widened her eyes and squealed.

"I said SLOW!" Her fingers had found to clasp his hair tighter.

Another fantasy of my princess, Satya thought, pushing her insides with utmost gentleness, and Raimoti closed her eyes to relish the softness of their lovemaking.
And, in between their action, she slowly left Satya's wet hair and moved her right hand to her lower belly, holding it lightly to support the jerks of his thrusts.

"This feels amazing... " She moaned.
Just the three of us, in a single body!
She mused, letting a drop of happy tear seep down her closed eyelids.