Ranvijay POV

We travelled more than half of the distance and were closer to the nearby market. 

Suddenly, the thought of visiting the market with Aishwarya crossed my mind and I turned to look back at the convoy.

"Let's rest here for a while,"

I said and the attendees and soldiers stopped.

I stepped down off the horse and looked at them looking back at me with the confused brows. 

"You all should get some water and rest. The weather is pleasant, isn't it?"

I said and they replied in unison.

"Ji, Prince,"

I smiled and walked towards the Aishwarya's palanquin.

"Aishwarya,"

I called and looked at her peeking through the crack of the curtain.

"Are we home? Isn't it early?"

She said with the confused and thinned brows and I shook my head.

"No, come out,"

I said and she looked at me for a few moments before stepping out of the palanquin. She settled the dupatta on her head correctly and looked at me with the slightly tensed face.

"What happened? Hukum, why did we stop here?"

She asked raking her head around for a moment.

I smiled looking at her beautiful, cute face and said.

"Let's go to market,"

Her eyes widened a little and she looked at me with slight shock?

"Market?"

She questioned and I nodded.

"Yes, Market, its close,"

I said and she turned around to look at the convoy settling slowly.

"But, what about them?"

She asked and I smiled.

"It's a pleasent weather, they will rest for a while,"

I said and she shook her head.

"What will everyone think if we will get late? They must be expecting us,"

She said in a slow voice and I held her hand.

"Calm your mind down, Aishwarya, lets just go,"

I said and pulled her closer.

I asked a small group of soldiers to come with us but stay afar for the safety.

We both started walking towards the market and I looked at her, looking back at me. With her expressions, I could guess that she was pretty much shocked and excited for it. It was a short walk and I felt her grip tightening on my hand as we reached closer to the busiest market of the Suryagarh. 

It was the biggest one too and famously known for its wide variety of almost everything and low prices. Sellers from all over the Hind used to move to have a stall in this market. And, this was almost hundreds of years old. 

"I have never been to the market before,"

She said and looked at me with the sparkling, bright eyes.

I smiled looking at her and replied.

"All yours, get whatever you like,"

I said and she turned to look at the market.

"Clothes?"

She asked and I looked at her. 

It was crowded so I left her hand and wrapped my hand around her shoulder.

"Come with me,"

We walked passed the crowd and I took her to the Clothes section of the market.

She gasped looking at the never ending stalls of clothes. Colourful, heavy, simple, sparkling and hundreds of varieties.

"Oh My goodness,"

She muttered slowly and I looked at her amusingly walking towards the first stall.

"Welcome, welcome, what are you looking for,"

The shopkeeper asked looking at her along with the three more customers he was dealing.

I looked at her looking at the dupattas he had. Her eyes staring at the every piece available there. 

"I want to see that one,"

She said in a slow voice while looking at me.

"Show her that one,"

I said to the shopkeeper and she smiled turning her head back to the clothes.

The shopkeeper took out that beautiful, evenly embroidered multi color Dupatta with soft Latkans attached to it and showed her.

She touched the fabric, the embroidery and the beautiful small hangings of threads. The color of pink, orange, green, blue, yellow, red, purple were stitched to balance it beautifully.

"It's beautiful,"

She muttered slowly under her breath and I smiled looking at her. 

This was it. 

Her eyes were sparkling with joy, the freedom, the desires, and everything she lacked in her life.

"How much does this cost?"

She asked in her slow and respective voice and tone to the shopkeeper and he replied slowly and patiently too.

"Ten golden coins,"

He said and she thinned her brows and looked at me with the slightly confused eyes.

"Is this costly?"

She asked and I smiled looking at her sweet, innocent face and shook my head.

"No,"

Although it was. 

Every Kingdom was dependent on their golden coins they would make after mining the gold, collecting the taxes and toll, winning other Empires and from businesses and all.

And, currently the Kingdom of Suryagarh and its territory was going through the coins crunch. It was more like that people were demanding more and the Kingdom was releasing less. That's why there was this unemployment, pricing and recession in some of its states.

"Can I buy it?"

She asked and I nodded.

"Of course, you can have anything,"

I said and she looked at the shopkeeper.

"I want to take it,"

The shopkeeper forwarded his hand and she confusingly looked at him and tightened her fist on the dupatta not able to understand why was he demanding it back.

I chuckled slowly and and took the dupatta from her hand and passed on to the shopkeeper.

"He is asking for it to pack,"

I said and took out the coins from my pouch to give him.

I looked at her impatiently and intensely looking at the shopkeeper with the face that she was not trusting him.

Her eyes did not leave him until he packed the dupatta in a small jute bag and handed over to her.

She took it and smiled looking at me.

"It's beautiful,"

I nodded.

"Yes, it is,"

"Let me hold it,"

I said forwarding my hand and she handed it to me.

We walked to the another shop and then another and then another until she looked at the each and every shop and burdened half of the soldiers with her purchases. She got excited.

After finishing the clothes section, we went to the others too. Like utensils, decor and she even liked rugs and carpets.

There was this beautiful cream coloured carpet of big size with the maroon designs on it. It was soft to touch and the look she gave to it was enough for me to understand that she liked it.

"Can we buy it too?"

She asked and I chuckled.

"Where will you place it?"

I asked and she smiled.

"In the resting area. Whenever you will be able to not sleep on the bed, we will make this one our bed,"

She said and I bit on my lower lip and the thought of thrusting into her while we lay naked on this carpet and moonlight fell on her body crossed my mind.

"Okay,"

I said and asked another soldier to take the carpet too.

She even liked fragrances. She purchased a rose with spice, cinnamon and sugar, lavender with mist and so many I could not keep count of.

"You like applying fragrances?"

I asked and she shook her head.

"These are for you,"

She said and I thinned my brows.

"For me?"

I questioned and she chuckled.

"Yes,"

"Why? Do I smell?"

I asked and she looked at me.

"No, but this is to tell your oddly satisfying and charismatic presence. The women in the Kingdom is already insane for you and when you will walk wearing these, they will go crazy,"

She said and laughed at the end and I could not help but chuckle.

"You are buying these to jealous them,"

I stated and she lifted her to look at me.

"Not jealous but to mark my territory. When they will smell your perfume on me they will know who you belong to,"

She said and I just wanted to eat her raw. Like that, in the middle of the crowd.

"And, how do you think you will get the smell from me?"

I asked and she smiled at me.

"It's your ritual to either hug me, kiss me or sleep with me with your hands on me every day. There is not a single day since our wedding that you haven't done any of these, so, like that,"

She said and I smirked.

"Smart wife,"

I commented and she smiled.

She even shopped for Bhaisa, Bhabhisa, Agastya, Moni, Badi-ma, their daughter-in-laws and everyone she had a connection with.

And, after shopping she got tired and I looked at the soldiers were way too burdened with the bags and stuff that they had to ask for more soldiers for help.

But, in the end she was happy.

I asked her to shop for her stitching stuff too. She purchased a whole varieties of threads, beads and everything she liked or thought of buying.

I mean, I had never been fond of money or treasure but just now I realised that somewhere its important. Because, efforts needs resources and it could be mental, physical, emotional and most importantly it needs time.

After finishing the shopping we went back to the place where the convoy was waiting for us. She got hungry after the shopping and for our luck, the attendee had already prepared the food. It had turned dark by the time we reached back and we found the tents were already settled.

We stepped into our tent and she immediately collapsed on the mattress. Well, the tents were not in the plan so attendees did not bother to bring bed and heavy stuff but always carried the mattresses and tents in case of emergency.

I chuckled looking at her and my hands reached to undo my overcoat.

"I am tired, Hukum,"

She said and looked at me with the small pout but then laughed a little.

"But, it was amazing. You know I had never seen the market before. I mean this was the first I shopped. Since childhood, I wore clothes and used things of my sister's choices but finally I shopped myself. I will tell Jiji about this, she will be so happy. And, have you seen that dress. The one he said that it was imported. The women from other continent wears that. It was so beautiful. The length, the fabric so shiny and it was so elegant. I bought three pieces of it. Similar dress. One for myself, one for Jiji and one for Devarsa's wife. Of course, whenever he will get married..."

She continued speaking, laughing and I just kept listening to her silently. I did not know but the time we spent till now was one side. The silent, innocent and timid Aishwarya but this day was another side. The playful, lovely and talkative one.

It was not like she changed. It was more like that she discovered her new self.

She talked all the while we ate. She was insanely hungry today and I looked at her eating. She ate too much that her stomach started to hug but still she craved for sweets.

Her eyes were sparkling differently today.

It was like she lived this day.

After dinner she laid down on the mattress after taking off her jewellery and dupatta. I laid beside her, keeping my head on the elbow while my eyes were looking at her talking, laughing, remembering and her fingers moving to animate along with her talks.

Our knees touching each other's oftenly she was moving while smiling and laughing.

The back of my mind was listening to her but my eyes were the actual one who were listening to her.

"...and then he said that,"

She laughed.

"You know I am thinking of making that design for you. I even bought a book and pen and ink for myself too. I mean, do you think that in six months I will be able to read and write,"

She questioned while looking at me and nodded.

"Way before that,"

I said in a slow voice.

She kept talking and I was feeling dizzy now with the sleep.

I wrapped my arms around her and brought her closer.

"Are you listening?"

She questioned and I hummed in her ear.

"Hmmm,"

I did not know when I fell asleep.

I woke up next to her. Only to find her sleeping in my arms. With us facing each other, she had her arm around around my waist and her face against my chest. Her hair was messed up and her feet touching mine. My bicep was under her head and I felt so alluring in her sleep.

Her collarbones and her shoulders were looking so beautiful and fine. Her skin was glowing differently and the pink was looking so good on her brown skin.

I inhaled a deep breath and could not stop myself from touching her base of the neck.

She inhaled deeply with my touch and I caressed her cheek slowly.

"Aishwarya,"

I called her slowly.

Another Update!!!

Do not forget to vote, comment and share the book.

Love You All ❤️❤️❤️