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Trisha POV

"Aapke kehne par nahi karte vivah, Naa awashye keh dete parantu ab bhot der ho chuki hai, or hum vivah nahi karenge to kya karenge. Poore gaao me bahut badnami ho chuki hai hamari. Sab jaante hai ki hum apne ghar se vivaah ke kuch din poorv bhaag gaye the. Ab hum yaha kisi se drishti tak nahi mila paa rahe. Naa hamare pitaji humse baat karte, na Rudra Bhaisa, Ranvijay or Agastya yaha hai, or naa hi ab hum Ghaat par jaa sakte kisi se do baat karne or apni sakhiyo se milne, or aap... or aap to humse bass isliye rusht hai ki humne aapke pitaji ki baat ka maan rakha or unke kehne par aapko samjhane ka prayas kiya. Ab ye vivah hi hume swatantra ki anubhooti karata hai... kitne din tak hum ek gaaye ki tarah is kutiya me chup chaap rahe or chupte rahe un nazro se, jinki drishti me hum gir chuke hai, kitne din tak?"

"I would have denied marrying him as you wish, said the 'No', but it's too late now, and what will I do if not marrying? My name has already been tarnished throughout the village. Everyone knows I ran from home a few days before my wedding. Now, I cannot even meet anyone's gaze. Neither does my father speak to me nor Rudra Bhaisa. Ranvijay and Agastya are not here, and I cannot even go to the riverbank to have a conversation with anyone or meet my friends. And you... you are upset with me just because I respected your father's words and tried to persuade you at his behest. Now, this marriage is the only thing that makes me feel like I have a chance of freedom... for how many more days should I remain hidden in this hut like a cow, avoiding the eyes of those who look down upon me? For how many more days?" I tried to explain amid the dangerous closeness between us.

My heartbeats were audible, and the way his scent was caging me around him made me feel I would faint at any moment. I could not believe he came here only to make me deny the wedding with Shantanu.

The way I could feel his knuckles against my bare lower back, goosebumps appeared over my skin like the touch of butterflies.

I could hear his heavy breathing as he pressed his forehead against mine.

"Do not marry him, Trisha," he muttered against my face, and I slowly pulled my hand from his hold. My eyes blinked nervously as he gently placed his palm on the side of my waist. It was a mere touch, but I could feel the coldness and the water-wrinkled fingers.

"Then who?" I asked, and he slowly pulled me even closer. It was getting out of control. I could not comprehend his or my intentions, which were unclear to me now.

He remained silent, and I closed my eyes, feeling his lips coming closer to mine. I could feel his raspy breath on my mouth. Our noses collided, and I used the last ounce of my sanity and placed my trembling fingers on his lips while shaking my head.

It was wrong. It was way too dangerous. He was younger than me, a Prince, and I was his teacher's daughter. Our friendship was forbidden in the first place, and if any of this happened, I would become the culprit of society.

He would never be wrong. The royals are never wrong.

I tried to pull my face away from his despite his hand on my nape.

"Me," he said, and I stood frozen. "Marry me," he said in an almost inaudible voice, and I immediately pushed him away.

"No!" I shook my head.

"No, please leave," my fingers ran cold, and my feet stumbled as I turned around.

"No," I whispered to myself.

But, suddenly, he pulled me back with a strong force, and I shivered with fear.

"I am serious, Trisha. Marry me instead if marriage is the only thing you want now," he said, and I thinned my brows.

"Why?" I asked, feeling anxious. Why was he after me all of a sudden?

"What, why? Why are you marrying Shantanu?" he asked with an anguished voice, and I heard the breaking of my bangles. I winced in slight pain due to the firmness of his hold on my wrist. It felt as if he did not want me to go.

"Because my father wants to, because he wants to, because his family wants and I...," I inhaled deeply and muttered. "Because I have said 'yes' to him," I did not know if these words were for him or if I was reminding myself.

He clenched his jaw before stepping closer to me in a hurry. "He will touch you, Trisha," his words were loathed with jealousy and less concern.

"Every husband does after the wedding," I reminded him, and he gulped.

"He will think inappropriately of you," he said, and I knotted my brows.

"And you do not?" I asked, and my words built an invisible wall of silence between us.

"Does this intention of marrying me signify that I have succeeded in seducing you?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"This is not it," he muttered, and I tried to pull my hand from his hold.

"Then, what is it?" I asked, and he lowered his gaze before closing his eyes.

"I cannot see you with any other man. I cannot settle the thoughts of you wearing bangles or anklets for a man,"

"But, for you," I cut him off, shaking my head in disbelief. I took him as a good friend, and I did not know that these intentions were there for me all the while.

He gulped silently and suddenly lifted his gaze to look into my eyes.

"Yes, for me," he declared, and I stood frozen. I could feel goosebumps appearing on my body. How could he say that so quickly?

I looked away for a moment.

"You must be drunk, and you should leave right away," my voice was slightly up, and he stepped closer, towering over me.

"Am I too bad to your husband?" he asked, and I lifted my surprised gaze to look into his eyes. I had never thought him of my husband, even in my wildest of dreams. I did not see him that way.

I could not say anything.

"Yuvraj," I breathed. "Please, do not make it any more difficult for me. Please leave. I do not want to hurt fath-"

"But, you can me and yourself for it," he asked, and I shook my head.

"I do not understand how I am hurting you by marrying Shantanu," I asked, and he held my forearm.

"Trisha," he said, and I lowered my gaze. My family wants me to get married, and I cannot think about any other girl being near me, even if it's a friend," he said, and I shook my head.

"That does not mean I have to marry you or you have to marry me. Feelings change. If you do not meet any girl, how will you feel comfortable with them?" I asked, and he bit his lips.

"What if I do not want to feel comfortable with anyone else? What if you were the one I wanted around me? I swear it's not lust, and I cannot even imagine coming near to you that way. But, the farthest I can walk towards any girl is the distance I covered walking towards you, and I cannot bear watching you with any other man," he said with slight frustration, and I could not believe my ears.

"You never spoke of it. After five years, we met just a few times and...," I stuttered. And you cannot claim to want me," I tried to explain to him, and he sighed deeply.

"How long will it take you to understand that I do not want you to get married to Shantanu?" He raised his voice, stepping closer to me, and I looked into his eyes.

"And how long will it take you to understand that this decision is not mine but of two families? Moreover, the invitations have been sent, and the preparations have begun," I reminded him, and he ran his fingers through his hair.

"And, most of all, I still do not understand the 'why'?" I said, and he looked into my eyes.

The silence followed for a few moments, and he nodded. "If you are not going to deny the wedding. I will do it my way," his words sent a wave of fear into my body, and I immediately held his hand as he tried to move towards the door.

"Yuvraj, you will not do anything stupid. Your family needs you the most, especially your father," I tried to say, and suddenly, he turned around and pushed me against the door.

"After all of this, you worry about my father, not me?" he asked, and I shook my head.

"Are you separate from your father? You are his son," I reminded him, and he punched on the door.

I immediately pushed him away as the bamboo in the door broke.

"Are you out of your mind?" I asked, and his eyes widened a little, seeing the hole.

"I am sorry. I thought it was stronger," he said, looking away and suddenly looking at me.

"Should I talk to my parents about our wedding?" He asked, and I immediately shook my head.

"No! I am getting married in just ten days. What will people think of me, of you, of our families? It will be the bigger talk for the Kingdom than your sister's wedding, and do you not remember that you were worried for the reputation of your Kingdom," I tried to say, and he clenched his jaw.

"You will keep rounding it to everything else but would not tell me if you want to marry me or not, right?" He asked, and I looked away.

"It's not that simple. You are a Prince, and I... I do not know who I am. Nobody knows my religion, my caste, my community and my parents. I can never marry a highborn. The family will never accept me,"

"Trisha, do you want to marry me or not?" he asked suddenly. I lowered my gaze, shaking my head. It was not that easy to answer.

Growing up, I was not told to make choices; instead, I had my way of living my life as it was. I could bear the pain, remain silent even if I was unhappy, and just live with whatever was happening.

"It's my father's decision to make," I said, and my voice barely came out of my mouth.

He sighed deeply and shook his head. I heard the door open and closed my eyes, shaking uncontrollably.

He left without hearing my answer. If it was what I wanted upon having a choice, it was 'Yes'.

But, I was not privileged enough to speak out loudly about 'Yes'.

And I knew I would never have a chance of it again. He walked down the stairs again, drenched in the rain, and I palmed my mouth.

I fall to my knees, placing my hand on my chest. It was aching.

The tears rolled down my cheeks uninvitedly. And I burst into silent cries.

At that moment, I felt I had lost him. Until now, I knew a part of us belonged to each other, but today, I felt that threat broken.

He was right here, asking me, showing me the weight of my options, and asking if I would make my own choice.

But choices have strange things about them. When made in self-interest, a few broken relationships are certain.

And I did not have even a few; I only had one proper relationship, which was with my father. I could not hurt him.

He left, and I sat there until it stopped raining, and the fun light of the sun peaked through the tiny hole in the door he had made.

Its glow fell upon my face, penetrating my eyes, speaking to me without words. It was a brightness towards a different future, a road that would take me to an extraordinary life, a different purpose to serve.

But he was not serious. He seemed jealous or anxious. And, maybe angry with me.

I could not figure it out.

"Trisha," suddenly, my father's voice caught my attention, and I immediately stood up. Once Yuvraj left, I could not go back to sleep, and I did not know that for the rest of the days, I would not even be able to take my mind off him.

"Ji, Pitaji," I tried to sound normal, but I was anything but normal.

It felt like he came and left my world, similar to the earthquake's aftermath.

"What happened? You did not milk the cows today. The buyers are waiting," he said and I shook my head.

"Ummm, give me a little time, Pitaji; I could not sleep well last night," I said, walking towards him and bending down to touch his feet as my morning ritual.

He stared at me blankly at first, and then a few lines appeared on his forehead.

"Are you okay? Did you go somewhere?" he asked, and I immediately lowered my gaze, remembering that I smelled like him. His scent. It was all over me.

"umm, no, no, Pitaji. I am okay. I should go," I blabbered, walking towards the cows shed.

My father knew, but he did not choose to speak about it. After that incident, his suspicion of me grew even stronger, and I could not help but think about Yuvraj only. A part of me was waiting for him to come back and see me and ask if I was okay after whatever he said to me.

Because I was not okay, another three days passed, and I made up my mind that he would never come back. Forcibly, I had to stop thinking about him and begin doing the pre-marital rituals.

As the ladies of our neighbourhood suggested, I decided to do the seven-day Haldi on myself, seeing the tan I had after harvesting crops.

The ritual began, and I could not help but sit like a statue before them. My father did not apply to me for the first four days, and I felt even sadder about it.

But, to my surprise, Agastya arrived just before two days of my wedding.

"Didi," he screamed, and I could not stop running towards him.

"Agastya!" I cried out and stopped before him.

"What took you so long?" I asked, and he sighed deeply.

"You know the Kingdom and the things," he said, and I looked behind him.

"Where are others?" I asked, and he smiled, hugging me loosely.

"They will arrive tomorrow. Nandani Bhabhisa, too," he said, and I smiled.

"By the way, where is your best brother?" he asked, and I thinned my brows with confusion. "I mean, the way he loves you he must be here to make sweets for your in-laws," he said and looked around.

"Whom are you talking about?" I asked, growing even more confused.

"Abhinandan," he said and I immediately rolled my eyes, slapping his cheek.

He laughed and turned serious of a sudden, asking me in a slow voice.

"Is everything okay between you two?" he asked and I looked around to see if people were seeing us or not and I could not help but shook my head.

"Bring it on," he said, walking with me.

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