Bhaanu turned to leave the room ...she stood still by seeing suman. ..she neither  bowed  her head   nor said namaste  respectfully..

    Instead,  her eyes gauged suman from top to toe. ..

  A broad  smile crept in her face. ..she threw a meaningful glance at shravan. ..

  " Papa. ..you can challenge even thousands of war to win her heart. ..I was worried initially, that it's more unlike you to declare a war for a woman. ..now, I understood that  it's nothing wrong to do so. ..she is pretty and she worth it. .."

Shravan hung his head down in embarrass. ..

" and you. ..princess Sumantha. ..looking gorgeous. ..I like you. .."

She pointed at her and went out. ..Suman looked around quizzically. ..

Guruji who didn't want to be the part of further discussions slipped away for  his pooja rituals. ..

   Ranjith was yet to leave...

" Ranjith. .."

He stopped at Shravan's call. ..

" how is neela. ?.I didn't even see her. ..is she okay. .? "

   He inquired about neela. ..

" she is perfectly okay shravan. ..she is the one who saved you by reaching here on time. ..she was too tired that she might have run without a pause ...now, she is okay. .."

   Their discussion  about neela was getting deepened. ..Suman knew well that if she didn't negotiate them, they would keep on talking. ..shravan needed rest. more than that, she wanted some private time with shravan. ..

Hence, she deliberately made sound by coughing. ...

Ranjith understood and told shravan to take rest. ..

He left the chamber with a naughty smile.

..His smile disappeared at the very next moment to see Bhaanu at the steps. ..

   He hesitantly descended through the steps. ...those narrow steps were the only way to get down. ..Bhaanu stood at the centre of the staircase by blocking the way. ..

He waited by clasping and unclasping his hands. ..when his patience devoided him, he eyed Bhaanu nervously. ..

" please. ..leave the way. ..princess. .."

He said with due respect. ..

" What. ?How many times I could tell you that call me by name. .?"

  She was at anger yet her voice was soft. ..

" no. .you are a princess. ..I am a  senapathi at your dynasty. ..it wouldn't be right to call you by name. .."

   She rubbed her hands in annoy. ..

" senapathi Ranjith Singh. ..it's your princess's order. ..love me man. .."

She caged him in between her hands. ..He pressed himself at wall as much as he could to prevent their body touching. ..

" will any woman say her love directly to her man. ?.why don't you understand my love. .?"

  Her stiffness went off. .her voice was even more softer. ..

Ranjith cursed his day. ..her proximity already had an effect on him...infact, he too loved her. .

   ....shravan, Bhaanu and Ranjith were brought up together. ..they had four to five years differences. ..Bhaanu learnt all the war tactics and she had been reared like a boy

     ..since childhood, Ranjith was attracted towards her not by her beauty but by her courage. ..her furious charges against the opponent, her merciless blows while practicing sword fighting. ..

   After some ages, Ranjith started to stay away from Bhaanu since he was trusted by shravan. ..more than that, the status difference made him to understand the reality. ..He chose to be a good friend of shravan. ..

  Hence, he preferred to stay outside the fort  to avoid Bhaanu. .

.....Whereas, his ignorance made Bhaanu to be attracted more towards him. ...

Whenever possible, she never failed to display her love for Ranjith. .infact, she maintained her presence around him somehow. ..

Today, it's the high time that he had caught by red handed. ..His mind pleaded god to save him. ..

   'Ranjith beta. ..guruji had left just now. ..shravan wouldn't come for your rescue. ..no one dare to come upstairs as shravan and suman are at their private time. ..you have been caught today. ..oh. ..god. ..have mercy on me. ..'

   He knew well that no one could save him. ..hence, he sighed. ..

"  Bhaanu. .."

He called her by name. . . her face lit like a full moon. ..

" isn't it a dream. .?"She blinked   in enthusiasm. ..

" Bhaanu. ..try to understand. ..it can't happen. ..shravan is trusting me more. ..I can't betray his trust. ..you are a princ...."

He didn't complete. ..His strong lips were captured by her delicate lips. ..she didn't ashamed to display her love. ..Ranjith who was completely shocked by her sudden kiss, started to reciprocate slowly. ...it was deepened by time as they were longing for it to happen. ..

  When they broke their kiss,  they were embarrassed to face each other. ..Bhaanu was  the one who took initiative to break the silence. ..

" Ranjith. ..i knew  this would be embarrassing. ..but, there's nothing between papa ' s  friendship and our love. ..and my love for you meant your good quality and courage not the status between us. ..I made my mind to be your wife. ..I don't feel ashamed to tell you directly. ..but, even now if you're not  comfortable to love me. ..then it's okay. ..I choose to live alone with your thoughts. ..."

She exhibited her thoughts. Her eyes were shining in expecting his favorable reply. .

    ..she was about to leave , since Ranjith didn't respond. ..

" I am sorry. .Ranjith Singh. ..I won't disturb you henceforth. .."

She wiped her tears and smiled. ..she stepped down. ..

  Ranjith grasped her wrist. ..

" Bhaanu. .."

She turned. ..

His eyes were gentle and it stared her with loads of love. ..

" be with me. ..I will be always your's. .."

He simply proposed his love to her. ..

     Her face turned redder. ..it was a different feeling for them. ..Ranjith had never seen her blushing. ..she had never shown her feminity. ..

   To be frank, she had broken so many men's arms since they had teased her. ..and. ..no men dared to eye her with love. ..

  He laughed in thinking about her wrestling. ..even he scared to duel  with her. ..now, he had to fight with her  daily. ..not the sword fighting. ..it's  about the love war. ..

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

   Shravan, on the other side. ...was resting his head on Suman's lap. ..she was massaging his scalp mediculously. ..

" shravan. ..tell me one thing. ..you have enquired about neela. ..why you didn't had a thought to think about me. .?"

   Her feminine quality peeped out. ..

" jealous. .."...shravan smiled. ..He got up by holding his neck. .

" ahhh. .." He winced with pain. ..

" shravan. ..is it paining too much. .?shall I call guruji. ?"

She asked him worriedly. .

   .He held her hands...

" suman. ..in a warrior 's life three things are important. ..sword, horse and his wife. ..i am so lucky to have everything perfect. ..neela would take care of me as like you did. ..and my sword, it never let me failed. ..obviously, I didn't want to describe the love you had for me. ..I am lucky in either way. ..right. .?"

    His words were satisfactory. ..

" who said that I am your wife. .?"

She asked him naughtily. ..

" I heard it from you...infact, those words brought me back from death bed. .."

  His hands ran at her waist with a sigh. ..

  Her eyes were moist. ..she blocked his hands to hinder further moves. ..

" you are too tired. ..take rest. ..i will  stay here itself. .."

She made him to lie down. ..

" shravan. ..how Bhaanu is related to you. .?"

" she is my daughter. ."

"  shravan. ..stop kidding. ..she is almost at my age. ..how could it even be possible. .?"

Her eyes let out a real surprise. ..

Shravan laughed. ..He tapped her head funnily. ..

" my dear idiot, it doesn't mean that she is my own daughter. ..she is my elder brother's daughter. ..hence, mine too. ..all doubts clear. ..shall I sleep now. .?"

He nodded mischievously. ..Suman smiled sheepishly. ..and nodded yes to him. ..

  
   Shravan drifted off slowly, suman sat beside him..by simply staring at him. ..

Little while later, there was a indifferent sound from somewhere. ..

  Shravan awoke hurriedly. ..

" suman. ..call Ranjith and tell him to assemble everyone at royal court. .you too be there. .."

Suman who was unaware of the eminent danger stopped him. .

" shravan. ..you are too weak. ..take rest. .."

Shravan's body stiffened. ..He looked suman with determination. ..

" princess suman. . . I ordered you to assemble everyone at once. ."

He pressed each sentences. ..

She understood that it's the commander ,not her lover. ..

Hence, she descended down to pass the orders. ...unaware of the eminent danger. ..

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  Here is the next chapter. ..do have a happy read friends. ..don't forget to pen down your views. ..

Love,
Arulpirai. ..