"Kunwar sa, the diner is ready." Swarnima knocked on Abhedya's door. No response. After fifth time Swarnima gave up and with a spare key opened the door. Swarnima's eyes bulged out. Why? The sight of Abhedya in 'just towel' would make anyone's eyes come out of their socket.

"I am sorry! I am sorry! Youuuuu were nottt op.op.opening the door so I... I... opened the door. diner is readyyyy sorrryyyy.." Swarnima ran out of the room and put her hand on her heart.
'Bad idea Nim. Never do that again. Bad idea!' She kept chanting it like a mantra.

"I am going out for diner." Abhedya declared.
"I just cooked diner for us," Swarnima said stirring the gravy.

"Too bad. You didn't ask me. Feel free to eat. I have to go." Abhedya told her adjusting his omega speed master.

"Okay. Give me two minutes I'll just come." Swarnima turned off the burner, covered the curry and ran to her room.
In exactly two minutes she came out with a sling bag and jacket in her hand. Abhedya was not there. She ran out and saw his car on the road. She ran inside quickly and grabbed her car keys and followed him. Two cars, speeding on the roads. Abhedya was over 120 and Swarnima kept pace with him. Only when Mystic Grill arrived Abhedya reduced his speed and parked the car. Swarnima followed him.

"Look here, stay away... if you have to keep an eye, keep an eye from farrrrr end, don't interfere." Abhedya warned her and she nodded.

They stepped together but took opposite directions. Swarnima took a seat from where she could see Abhedya. Abhedya was all over the place. His fangirls were jumping on him, complaining about his reduced visits. Swarnima ordered a plate of nachos for herself. She was hungry. But, Abhedya's closeness and cosiness with other girls pricked her heart. Her hunger vanished. The way his hands moved from their hair to their cheeks, to their back, to their butts, to their sides, front, basically everywhere and the same with girls. She did not even hug him properly till date and here these girls were doing just everything. Hating what she saw but she could not blink her eyes, her duty as such.

A boy came and sat on Swarnima's table and laughed... "Hahahahah! look at her... the nerd... Swarnima is eating nachos... at a club... hahaha..." Many boys and girls gathered at her table and started laughing at her. Some were drunk, some were sane and some just followed the group.

Swarnima tried to leave from there but they blocked her way and made fun of her. Swarnima kept looking at Abhedya.

"Oh! So,  'He' is your target. Guys just look, Abhey, our star is her target." One of the girls pointed out and the laughter riot started.

"Abhey, dude... come here... you have a secret admirer come over quick.." a boy called Abhedya.
Abhedya reached there and saw Swarnima surrounded by a bunch of his friends.'

"Abhey, what happened at the quiz? You wooed the toughest nerd... wow!! You are a player." A boy commented and all others clapped in appreciation.

"I don't woo girls, girls woo me! I can't help if someone admires me or is after me. Let's go, guys the party is still on... leave her alone." Abhedya took his drink and left. He hated leaving Swarnima like that but he had to ignore her. He didn't want to hurt his heart anymore.
The gang left laughing at Swarnima and continued their party.

Swarnima called Abhedya around eleven in the night. He rejected her call... calls.. ignored her messages. Swarnima waited patiently for another hour. It was closing time. Only then Abhedya and his friends left.

At the parking, Swarnima came to Abhedya and declared, "sit inside. You won't drive."

"I am not listening to you. I am not talking to you. Don't you get it!" Abhedya got his face close to her and told her. Swarnima turned her face away from him, he smelled of alcohol. "So, you don't like the smell? Too bad! Get habituated with it."

"Just get inside otherwise I will have to force you," Swarnima warned him.

"Like hell, I care!" Abhedya turned her face.
"Too bad! You should." Swarnima hit a side of his head and before Abhedya knew he fainted.

Swarnima drove the car to the safe house and carried Abhedya inside. He was too heavy for her but she had sworn to carry all his burdens... she didn't know she will have to carry him too.

Swarnima put Abhedya to bed, opened his shoes, jacket, unfastened his belt and watch.
She put a little flower in the vase beside his bed with a note, "rise and shine. New day, new hopes."
Turning off the lights of his room Swarnima came out. She was famished, she heated the food for herself but kept it back. Food no longer could kill her hunger. She was hungry for love. The brutal and nasty game she thought she was prepared for was way beyond her expectations. It was tough and painful.
She went into her room and slept hugging her pillow.

Abhedya was greeted with a cute yellow flower with a note attached to it. He smiled at the gesture. Then smashed the vase on the floor. Swarnima's betrayal crossed his mind.
Swarnima ran to his room and saw the broken vase and the note on the floor. She went out and brought the broom to clean the floor. Abhedya went to the bathroom banging the door.
'God save the doors of this house!' Swarnima thought to herself. If plan A doesn't work then there's always a plan B.
Abhedya finally came out of his room and saw the dining table was shifted near the window from where the mountains could be seen.

"Good morning. The breakfast is ready. Please sit." Swarnima pulled a chair for him.
Abhedya was stunned to see Swarnima in the regular mood. Anger, irritation or any variety of aggravation was not there.

The aroma of food reached Abhedya's nostrils. Fight, anger one side and food that too one cooked by Swarnima on the other side. Food wins!

Abhedya sat down and ordered, "sit here. Else I won't eat. No arguments." If she doesn't agree to this he will surely ditch food.

Swarnima sat on the opposite chair. "I have messaged you the plan for today, please see it." Swarnima was gobbling her food.

"I... will see. Eat properly, you are eating as if you'll eat a horse." Abhedya commented on her.

"Trust me, I can." Swarnima kept her reply short and hogged her food.
Abhedya just ignored her and surfed his phone while eating. "Governance class? What's that?"

"Ummm... you will be made familiar with your powers, responsibilities. Who does what, what needs to be done, what has been done all of that." Swarnima explained to him.

"Who is my teacher?" Abhedya asked her.

Swarnima dramatically bow and answered, "always at your service, sir."

"Since when did you start all the drama?" Abhedya was a bit shocked by changed Swarnima.

Swarnima just smiled and Abhedya lost his heart, again. 'Control Abhey! That smile is a trap. Don't fall into it, again.' Abhedya's brain has been in action since the time his heart was dealing with the breakup.

The bell rang and Abhedya opened the door for Mansi Rawat. "Hello, Kunwar sa. Hello Swarnima. I thought I will be greeted by you. Guess, Kunwar sa is too chivalrous to let the lady work."

"There are no doubts about it Miss Rawat. What brings you here though, if I may ask." Swarnima asked wiping her hands.

"Well, who better than the state affairs minister herself to introduce Kunwar sa with the state administrators, business houses, our friends, foes etc." Mansi took a seat on the sofa.

"Wasn't that my task?" Swarnima questioned her.

"It was. Eklavya has now asked me to do it. You were busy with studies and other things, so, I have been appointed to do so. Kunwar sa, shall we start?" Mansi who was in her late thirties asked in a very flirtatious tone.

Abhedya saw Swarnima's expression and thought maybe this was an achievement. "Yes, Miss Rawat let's start. Can't waste a minute with you."

Swarnima quietly picked up her plate and went to the kitchen. Mansi and Abhedya's mutual flirting was not even a matter of concern for her. She was worried about Eklavya. What was in his head? He can't just ignore her and give responsibility to others. Abhedya was her king. She wanted all his responsibilities.
'Possessive now? Are we Nim? Just go and sit there. Leave the kitchen.' Swarnima's brain instructed her and she went and sat where Abhedya's 'coaching' was going on.

"But, Nalandas do not hold a good value. We cannot trust them. They have relations with Rajatbhoomi as well." Swarnima pointed at a topic.

"Well they are big players, we cannot ignore them. Besides, times change. The sources that Rajatbhoomi has, no investors can ignore. You never know we may have to work with them too." Mansi countered her.

"Work with them? Why? They are not trustworthy. They have always double-crossed us." Swarnima could not believe her ears.

"Swarnima, why don't you restrict your parameters to only the king's protection. Please leave these decisions to us." Mansi told her in a calm but rude tone.

"She is right Nim, I mean Swarnima. Why don't you go and prepare lunch? Then you have to cram the lunch too just like breakfast." Abhedya hated himself for saying what he said. He wanted to answer back Mansi but he did just the opposite.

"Haha! Cram? Why? The king has enough money. He won't keep any beggar  in his kingdom sleep empty stomach, you are still his 'protector'." Mansi smirked saying that and Swarnima left with a pang in her heart.

She wanted to answer back Mansi, but what Abhedya said to her in front of an outsider pinched her very badly. Sure, she was at fault for not telling him but she didn't deserve these insults. Swarnima kept her thoughts aside and prepared lunch. She grabbed an energy bar from the fridge and started eating it.

"Where do all the fats go? Eating a chocolate bar in the kitchen, then you have to cram lunch too. Tell me the secret to not go fat?" Mansi asked Swarnima. She filled a glass of water for herself.

"If you ran like your mouth, and jump like your conclusions you'd be in good shape." Swarnima had a lopsided smile telling her but Abhedya who was standing outside the kitchen burst out laughing. Swarnima was indeed a tigress. He was laughing holding his stomach. Mansi also joined him in his laughing session. She did not know how to counter Swarnima but she knew how to keep the future king happy.

During lunch, Mansi kept telling Abhedya more about the state. Abhedya's attention, however, was diverted. Swarnima was eating her lunch quietly and uninterestedly. Was his comment on her eating so harsh?
'She has never eaten like that? Why was she eating so fast in the morning, then the energy bar in the kitchen? What was the reason? Did she not eat anything last night? Fuck! She definitely did not. His friends made fun of her then after coming home also she did not eat... maybe. She waited for him till breakfast. Why? She could have eaten before him. Was she only following rules or were there any feelings beyond rules? Huh! Feelings? Forgotten word! Just don't develop a soft corner Abhey. Nothing can happen between you two.' With that thought, Abhedya lost his appetite.

Mansi left a bunch of files and hard disk for Abhedya to study.
"Did you eat your diner last night?" Abhedya caught Swarnima's hand and asked her.

"Yes," Swarnima tried to come out of his grip.

"Liar. Everything starts from a lie and ends with a lie in your life. Have you ever spoken a word of truth in your life?" Abhedya's grip became tighter.

"It's hurting, please leave my hand." Swarnima twisted her hand in his grip.

"You can't even tolerate hurting your hand and here I am dealing with my hurt heart day and night. You even realise it's so painful." Abhedya was now digging his nails in her skin unknowingly.

Swarnima stopped struggling in his grip. The pain that Abhedya's eyes showed was much more than the pain his digging nails gave her.
Abhedya kept pressing his hand but on receiving no response from Swarnima he left her hand with a jerk.
Beyond her stillness and silence was her pounding heart.

"Will you have diner or go outside?" Swarnima asked him calmly.

"Is that it? Breakfast, lunch, diner? Are you a cook or what? Fine! I will have diner at home... cooked by you.. with you." Abhedya turned on the television on full volume.

Swarnima rubbed her hand and the corner of her eye. After twenty minutes of calming herself down and changing into a full selves T-shirt, she came to Abhedya and requested, "can I see the files and the hard disk which Miss Rawat gave you."

Grumpy Abhedya nodded his head in yes. Swarnima read the files and called up someone. "It is from Miss Rawat. You were right when you suspected her...
No, she gave a green signal to Nalanda in the morning.
Eklavya sent her.. to introduce Kunwar sa about state affairs and all...
It doesn't matter phuphu who tells him. He should know all is what matters...
yes. I am good.
Bye."

Abhedya clapped for Swarnima and she looked at him all confused. "What makes you confused? Oh! My claps?! Don't be. They are in appreciation of my protector. You bitched about Mansi, then very cleverly told phuphu that it doesn't matter to you that your 'rights' to teach me were snatched from you. Like wow! These are actually brilliant tricks. I must learn some from you."

"These are acquired skills for me but you are a pro in them. You don't need to learn them." Swarnima answered him.

Abhedya was taken aback by her response. "What do mean? I play games, Like you?"

"Like me? I don't know. But, being sugar-coated with unknown people and being sour with 'your own', ain't it a game?" Swarnima questioned him.

Abhedya grabbed her arm and said "MY OWN? that word no longer exists in my dictionary. You will see me turn bitter."

"Bitter is a healthier option. Too much sugar causes diabetes." Swarnima changed her mood and gave him a cute smile.

Abhedya pulled her close and raged, "don't try these cute tactics on me."
Swarnima looked in his eyes and flattered her long lashes and asked, "oh! So is that what they call cute..?"

Abhedya had no comeback. He bit the inside of his cheek to control a small smile. He left her hand and went towards his room.
Swarnima counted one, two and the door banged. She laughed a little.
Quote of the day... "If, Life throws lemons... make lemonade."

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Dear Readers,
You may or may not find Abhedya's behaviour justified. But, he felt betrayed by his forever love. He is overlooking the sacrifices too in the process.
Swarnima is quiet and composed but she will give it back when required and hard.
Welcome to a safe house.

Stay hooked!
Lots of love!