Lust Or Love?

Chapter 18

Ajmer

"What do you mean by, you haven't seen him after he came back to the palace? " King Araman asked angrily, loosing his temper. Usually he did not become angry so easily, but from whatever was going on, he had became a restless man. He now easily loosed his temper.

Public is going against him, his courtiers are going against him.

His men are going against him!

And his daughter.....God knows where she is.

And now he was listening to a mad, unbelievable excuse!

"I swear on the name of God your majesty......." He guard said looking on the floor, his voice quivering due to fear.

"I have seen Badal sir to enter into the fort....through my own eyes. "

The guard stated slightly shivering.

"I don't believe it! " king Araman roared which forced him to take two steps back.

"He came into the fort and then suddenly disappear? You want me to believe it? "

"No one saw him going out, and he is nowhere in the palace! So where the hell did he went? " he scowled, his eyes red from the lack of sleep from last three nights and his eyebrows furrowed.

"It's been three days, since he went." He mumbled more to himself.

"Get lost! " he said seething in anger. And with a expression of relief the guard instantly scurried away.

As king Araman gripped his forehead with both his hands and sighed heavily.

He lost his last chance to know the exact truth!

***

The clanking sounds of metals woke her up from her dreams as she came back to reality.

A damn tent! She huffed and came out only to meet with practicing soldiers.

And in the middle was something she never intended to see....well, not like this! Not now!

A half naked Surya, wearing only his lowers, blocked the attacks on him and fought back swirling around his sword with such a ease like he was trying to catch a butterfly in the garden.

It wasn't that she haven't seen him shirtless before. Surely she had, in the forest, but it was a complete different scenario. There was a wounded, bleeding man in the forest and now....

His toned back and his abs along with a mind blowing biceps somehow managed to captivate Rajani.

She didn't move for a moment and just kept looking at him.

But soon her conscience caught her guilty on staring at a man like that.

It was wrong! But still her heart sang a different tune altogether and she had a hard time tearing her eyes off him.

"Dhat! " she smacked herself on the back of her head and looked anywhere but him.

She walked two steps forward when once again her eyes drifted back to him. His perfect abs glistening in the sun rays due to sweat. As she looked into his eyes and caught his brown pair of eyes staring back at her.

Her pupils dilated in shock and her face flushed out of embarrassment when she realized the fact that he caught her staring at him.

He held a smirk on his face and Rajani instantly looked away.

She stood there frozen, a few feet away from him, awkwardly staring at

The tree.

The squirrel which hid itself in the bush.

The tent.

The horse stable.

The sandy ground.

Anywhere but him!

She knew it looked awkward, the way she was standing frozen at her place when he had just caught her looking at him shamelessly. And that she should move and hid herself in the bush as well like the squirrel did. But her feet wouldn't listen, it wouldn't move!

Surya saw her standing there awkwardly a few feet away. She was starring at her surroundings with concentration. He followed her gaze....once she was looking at the tree then somewhere else.

I few seconds ago she was looking at him and when he held her gaze, she seemed shocked and embarrassed. Women! He thought.

But why was she still standing there? Did she wanted to talk to him, about something? Surya thought.

"Leave! " he ordered the soldiers as they scurried off, leaving the two of them in the peaceful solitude of the practice area.

Surya started to walk towards her, her back was facing towards him. She still stood there frozen at her place when Surya stood a arms distance from her.

Her hairs flew wildly in the air as Surya inhaled the sent the Jasmine from her.

"Rajani. " her name easily rolled out of his tongue as he saw her turning around to face him.

Her eyes went wide again in shock as she looked at him standing so close to her, still shirtless!

His brown eyes drowning her into it.

Stop it, Mallika! She scolded herself, hating herself for the fact that this man in front of her was affecting her in a strange way she have never felt before.

She have never felt so nervous in front of anyone like this.

So why did she felt like a wet kitten in front of him.

She was anything but a wet cat!

"Uh-uh" she heard him clearing his throat and that's when she realized that he has called her by her fake name and expected a reply.

"Uh-um....yes? " she asked not daring to look into his eye. Instead she preferred the ground.

"What is it? Do you want to say something? " he asked again, when the tension in the air around them increased a notch.

What gave him the idea that you want to talk to him, Mallika? She questioned herself as she nervously thought about a answer.

She have nothing to say!

"Uh...um...uh the weather is cool!"

Oh Lord! What did she just say?

For a second Surya was amused.

"Indeed it is! " he said, his eyes dancing in humor.

And she flushed again.

"I....I have to go! " She stated and started to walk in a direction where her back faced him.

Her face covered in her palms. As she thought how awkward the conversation went. And how much like a i***t she behaved like.

This never happened before, She have talked to men at the numerous wedding ceremonies of her cousins and festival celebration. And had been asked more than inappropriate and awkward questions at many times.

But never had been she like this, a nervous wet kitten!

She clearly remembers how the young Prince of patliputra had asked her, "I want something between us. " in the night of the wedding ceremony of her cousin.

She was taken aback but she still masking her emotions she flashed a smile back and said, "even I want! "

His face glowed in happiness and excitement. "Like....What? " he asked with a sheepish grin on his face and Rajani decided to rub it off.

"A wall would do! " she had said.

Later that night when she told everything about it to her parents, she remembers her mother making a weird kind of face and his father had laughed at lot.

She was always like this, but what did suddenly happen to her? Why can't she be normal in front of him?

She had now reached at the end of the camp, She realized and turned around only to find Surya still standing there in the middle of the practice area, shirtless, his head tilted, looking at her with a amused expression.

"Aah! " she wanted to hit her face somewhere. Now, she have to walk back to her tent crossing him once again.

What would he think, I was going mad? Once walking there at the end of the camp without any reason and then walking back to him?

"Oh good Lord, save me! " She mumbled.

------ Ajmer

"What do you mean by, you haven't seen him after he came back to the palace? " King Araman asked angrily, loosing his temper. Usually he did not become angry so easily, but from whatever was going on, he had became a restless man. He now easily loosed his temper.

Public is going against him, his courtiers are going against him.

His men are going against him!

And his daughter.....God knows where she is.

And now he was listening to a mad, unbelievable excuse!

"I swear on the name of God your majesty......." He guard said looking on the floor, his voice quivering due to fear.

"I have seen Badal sir to enter into the fort....through my own eyes. "

The guard stated slightly shivering.

"I don't believe it! " king Araman roared which forced him to take two steps back.

"He came into the fort and then suddenly disappear? You want me to believe it? "

"No one saw him going out, and he is nowhere in the palace! So where the hell did he went? " he scowled, his eyes red from the lack of sleep from last three nights and his eyebrows furrowed.

"It's been three days, since he went." He mumbled more to himself.

"Get lost! " he said seething in anger. And with a expression of relief the guard instantly scurried away.

As king Araman gripped his forehead with both his hands and sighed heavily.

He lost his last chance to know the exact truth!

***

The clanking sounds of metals woke her up from her dreams as she came back to reality.

A damn tent! She huffed and came out only to meet with practicing soldiers.

And in the middle was something she never intended to see....well, not like this! Not now!

A half naked Surya, wearing only his lowers, blocked the attacks on him and fought back swirling around his sword with such a ease like he was trying to catch a butterfly in the garden.

It wasn't that she haven't seen him shirtless before. Surely she had, in the forest, but it was a complete different scenario. There was a wounded, bleeding man in the forest and now....

His toned back and his abs along with a mind blowing biceps somehow managed to captivate Rajani.

She didn't move for a moment and just kept looking at him.

But soon her conscience caught her guilty on staring at a man like that.

It was wrong! But still her heart sang a different tune altogether and she had a hard time tearing her eyes off him.

"Dhat! " she smacked herself on the back of her head and looked anywhere but him.

She walked two steps forward when once again her eyes drifted back to him. His perfect abs glistening in the sun rays due to sweat. As she looked into his eyes and caught his brown pair of eyes staring back at her.

Her pupils dilated in shock and her face flushed out of embarrassment when she realized the fact that he caught her staring at him.

He held a smirk on his face and Rajani instantly looked away.

She stood there frozen, a few feet away from him, awkwardly staring at

The tree.

The squirrel which hid itself in the bush.

The tent.

The horse stable.

The sandy ground.

Anywhere but him!

She knew it looked awkward, the way she was standing frozen at her place when he had just caught her looking at him shamelessly. And that she should move and hid herself in the bush as well like the squirrel did. But her feet wouldn't listen, it wouldn't move!

Surya saw her standing there awkwardly a few feet away. She was starring at her surroundings with concentration. He followed her gaze....once she was looking at the tree then somewhere else.

I few seconds ago she was looking at him and when he held her gaze, she seemed shocked and embarrassed. Women! He thought.

But why was she still standing there? Did she wanted to talk to him, about something? Surya thought.

"Leave! " he ordered the soldiers as they scurried off, leaving the two of them in the peaceful solitude of the practice area.

Surya started to walk towards her, her back was facing towards him. She still stood there frozen at her place when Surya stood a arms distance from her.

Her hairs flew wildly in the air as Surya inhaled the sent the Jasmine from her.

"Rajani. " her name easily rolled out of his tongue as he saw her turning around to face him.

Her eyes went wide again in shock as she looked at him standing so close to her, still shirtless!

His brown eyes drowning her into it.

Stop it, Mallika! She scolded herself, hating herself for the fact that this man in front of her was affecting her in a strange way she have never felt before.

She have never felt so nervous in front of anyone like this.

So why did she felt like a wet kitten in front of him.

She was anything but a wet cat!

"Uh-uh" she heard him clearing his throat and that's when she realized that he has called her by her fake name and expected a reply.

"Uh-um....yes? " she asked not daring to look into his eye. Instead she preferred the ground.

"What is it? Do you want to say something? " he asked again, when the tension in the air around them increased a notch.

What gave him the idea that you want to talk to him, Mallika? She questioned herself as she nervously thought about a answer.

She have nothing to say!

"Uh...um...uh the weather is cool!"

Oh Lord! What did she just say?

For a second Surya was amused.

"Indeed it is! " he said, his eyes dancing in humor.

And she flushed again.

"I....I have to go! " She stated and started to walk in a direction where her back faced him.

Her face covered in her palms. As she thought how awkward the conversation went. And how much like a i***t she behaved like.

This never happened before, She have talked to men at the numerous wedding ceremonies of her cousins and festival celebration. And had been asked more than inappropriate and awkward questions at many times.

But never had been she like this, a nervous wet kitten!

She clearly remembers how the young Prince of patliputra had asked her, "I want something between us. " in the night of the wedding ceremony of her cousin.

She was taken aback but she still masking her emotions she flashed a smile back and said, "even I want! "

His face glowed in happiness and excitement. "Like....What? " he asked with a sheepish grin on his face and Rajani decided to rub it off.

"A wall would do! " she had said.

Later that night when she told everything about it to her parents, she remembers her mother making a weird kind of face and his father had laughed at lot.

She was always like this, but what did suddenly happen to her? Why can't she be normal in front of him?

She had now reached at the end of the camp, She realized and turned around only to find Surya still standing there in the middle of the practice area, shirtless, his head tilted, looking at her with a amused expression.

"Aah! " she wanted to hit her face somewhere. Now, she have to walk back to her tent crossing him once again.

What would he think, I was going mad? Once walking there at the end of the camp without any reason and then walking back to him?

"Oh good Lord, save me! " She mumbled.

------------------------------------