Lust Or Love?

Chapter 24

"Everything is ready you majesty! " Kumar informed surya, who now stood facing the sky with a orange hue across it at the broke of the dawn. His broad back facing him.

"Prepare my horse! " He murmured in response and left.

His lips pressed into a thin line once again with the thought that soon he would be joining the large army, leading them into the war field.

'What will you gain with this? ' a part of his mind mocked him, 'except killing thousands? '

'I am just claiming what is mine! ' a small voice in his head whispered.

But a strange kind of feeling have settled into the pit of his stomach.

'Something is going to change, nothing is going to be in the same way it was. '

But shrugging away the thought he started to walk towards horse, awaiting him, with the large army.

For a mighty come back!

***

~Three days later~

"Surya pratap singh zindabad! "

"Surya pratap singh may live long! "

The palace was impregnated with such voices throughout the first court session, where once again Surya was declared as the king of Umarkot as he settled on his throne in all his glory.

The palace gates were first time in the history of Umarkot were opened for the commoners on the royal order. And the place was fled by people, as the cheered and rejoiced the relavation from the clutches of the torturers mugals. And the coming back of their king. The poor peasants rejoiced the lowering of taxes as a gift from Surya. The women rejoiced the coming back of their husbands and sons with the end of this war.

Surya sat on the throne and felt the soft velvety seat under him. This was worth it!

Whatever he went through was worth this. This throne, these people! He smiled and nodded towards them which seemed to encourage them and the excitement among them increasing.

The journey back here wasn't easy at all! The heart breaking decision of leaving his people to die in the battlefield and fled was eating him alive, but now he understood that Kumar was right. At that time it seemed as a cowardly act but it was a wise action and he should thank Kumar and acknowledge him. But there was someone else, who needs to be thanked. Rajani!

If she wouldn't have been there, till now he would have become a spoilt corpse. But then she helped him! She saved him! If she wouldn't have been there this day would never have been come.

His eyes wandered around to find the know eyes, scanning the court room and finally landing on her.

The beautiful black orbs looking directly at him, standing behind the curtain where the royal women sat, just a few feet away from his sister Rohini and niece Rashmani.

Working on his instincts he smiled at her and she instantly looked down, her face flushing red.

He should have thanked her earlier, but then her statement, "you should be lying on my feet thanking me with all your being! " have had bruised his ego terribly.

Apart from the fact he now know that she have a sharp piercing tongue, he had also understood that she had a kind heart. If not, then why would she had bothered for a wounded stranger in a dark forest? He was nothing to her, she didn't even knew that he was king. She could have left him in that condition, but she didn't. She helped a stranger.

Selfless!

He turned to look around and his eyes caught another person. King Rishikesh!

He was the one to help them in the most crucial phase of his life.

A friend in need is a friend in deed!

The proverb proved itself to be true.

He nodded towards him and he returned with a smile.

***

"So here you are! " Rajani caught a giggling Rashi, behind a large pillars dividing the part of the palace concubines and the dancers live.

Laughing voices of women were clearly heard from where they stood. Broken parts of a song drifted to their ears. And Rajani flinched.

Well, she clearly hates these women, they are nothing but people with cheap mentality who could even die for money.

Even without her knowledge, she hated herself for saving a man who is not only a threat to her family but a womanizer.

He have five wives, and here he is, still in need of new women to warm his bed each night. She flinched at the thought! "Let's go princess! " she said taking her little hand in her own. When suddenly she heard the jingling sound of anklets. Turning around they saw a woman, overly dressed up in a eye piercing shade of green walking from one of the quarters of the concubines.

Her arms overflowing with golden bangles and a necklace falling upon her bosom. As she came closer a sharp smell of Jasmine filled the air and Rajani can't help but flinch. Soon the woman walked away and she heard a hearty laugh from the little girl standing beside her.

"She smells bad! " she said and scrunched her nose which reminded Rajani of her mother, she used to do the same when she would find Rajani doing something she tagged as, unladylike!

"Shh...."She shushed the little princess. "We shouldn't laugh at someone. "

"But the perfume was horrible. "She said and pouted and that was all it took to her to start laughing herself.

"Well, I might agree on that, princess! "

And then both them started to laugh again.