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They had finished their lunch. Karthik had noticed Naira look at the lake intently. He remembered that Naira had told him about daily boat rides in Rishikesh.

"You want to go for a ride", he asked with a smile and indicated towards the boat. A bright smile came on her face and she nodded her head like an excited kid.

The two walked towards the boat. Karthik helped Naira in to the boat. He himself was about to enter but just then his phone rang.

Phone call

"God, I forget. I will be there in 10 minutes", said Karthik sounding tensed.

End of phone call

"I am sorry Naira. I need to go. Why don't you continue alone", Karthik told her as he walked back to the palace in a hurry, leaving a confused Naira behind.

"Madam should I start the boat", asked the driver

"There is no need for that", said Naira forcing a smile onto her face and getting off.

She walked back to the palace to ask him about the matter, when she saw him exit the palace with a change on clothes and not just clothes but status as well, going from her Karthik, her mendak rajkumar to Prince Karthik Singh Rajput. Wearing a white shirt, blue velvet sleevlees coat over it, a midnight blue silk cape over his shoulders that reached till the floor and a gold crown on his head.

"Sorry, I need to rush", said Karthik giving an apologetic look to Naira as he walked past her and hurried to the car that was waiting near the door.

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After a minute Naira heard her phone beep and saw that it was a message from Karthik

"Am sorry I left without telling you anything. There is a meeting which I need to lead. Bade papa had told me about it a week back but it slipped off my mind. I hope you didn't feel bad", the message read.

Saying that she didn't feel bad would be a lie. She was extremely dejected as she saw him depart. She realized sharing her prince was more difficult than she expected.

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"So how was it", asked Akshara as she saw her daughter enter.

"Good", replied Naira with a sad smile.

"Aap ne kya sikha", asked Mishti in excitement.

"Sword fighting", Naira said happily, remembering the lessons and Karthik teaching her.

"Wow", exclaimed Gayu

"Who thought you, someone from Karthik's family or a special teacher.", asked Naksh

"Karthik ne khud", replied Naira as a light blushed reached her cheeks.

"Oohh, matlab kaam bhi, romance bhi", teased Gayu

"Agar Karthik ke saath thi kuch aur der rukh jaati wahan aur time spend karti usske saath hum samajhte", said Kirti, joining Gayu in pulling Naira's leg.

"Princess did you have lunch", asked Naitik like a concerned father.

"Tauji, do you think my bff would keep Naira di hungry", replied Mishti giggling at her uncle's protectiveness over her cousin.

"Kya hua Naira", asked Akshara looking at her daughter who seemed lost

"Nothing", lied Naira not looking into her mother's eyes

"Don't lie, if you don't want to tell it is okay", said Akshara and went from there.

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It was early evening when Naira got Karthik's message.
"I hope you are not angry jaan".

"Nahi, am okay I understand", replied Naira not wanting Karthik to feel bad.

"You know I shouldn't have left you for that stupid meeting.", Karthik wrote back.

"Why what happened.", asked Naira

"The usual. You know this was one thing I never missed for the five years I was in UK. Kahe ne ko toh these meetings are there so that the ministers can tell bade papa and chote papa about the problems in their states, which haven't come to all our notice yet. Lekin aisa kuch nahi hota all they do is brag. Aur aaj bhi aisa hi hua", Karthik replied

"Bade papa unhe samajha nahi sakte. I mean isn't he the king. They would listen to him right", asked Naira

"Aisi meetings har mahine mein ek baar hoti hi hai. I have attended them since I was 10 or humesha se hi aisa hota hai. When bade papa interferes, kuch waqt ke liye they come on the point and then back to, main ne apne state mein yeh kiya, main ne woh kiya and all that. And today was worst kyun ke bade papa nahi tha and I had to handle the meeting.", Karthik wrote

"What happened I can feel it there is something you are not telling me.", Naira asked

"I left, I just left between the meeting. I just wanted them to realize that time is important and limited and I don't have time to hear them brag. I don't want them thinking I ran away. I didn't or did I", Karthik answered her

"You didn't run away", she replied back at once. A smile came on Karthik's face seeing the quick reply.

"Tum mujh se naraz ho main janta hun. Tum kahogi nahi toh kya mein samjhunga nahi. Naira we are friends first before becoming lovers. That too Jai Veeru ki level wali friendship hai humari. Toh kya main yeh bhi nahi samajh sakta ke tumhara mood kab kaisa hai. I promise I will make it up to you.", Karthik messaged. Naira smiled reading how well he understood her.

"Acha ab smile karna band karo I know am very understating, maana ke Naira Singhania complicated piece hai, lekin yeh Karthik Singh Rajput bhi kam nahi, dhere dhere decode karna  sikh raha hun is complicated cheez ko", he messaged and Naira scanned around the room to see if he was anywhere near.

"Oho jaan idhar udhar kahan dhundti ho. Main toh tumhare dil mein rahta hun", Karthik wrote and Naira looked around more keenly but he was no where and she smiled even more at the way he understood her.

"I love you my Mendak Rajkumar", she sent a voice message to Karthik.

"I love you my jaan", Karthik send her a voice messsage as well.

Both kept on replaying the last  message until they were called for dinner hours later.

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