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Abhinandan POV

I walked out, trying to calm myself down. I wanted to hate her. Punish her for what she did to me. My fingers ran into my hair.

Mindlessly, I walked towards the water vessel and washed my face—once, twice, and thrice. It was over between us. I had no friends now. She was the last one. I was finally alone.

I closed my eyes for a moment and heard the noise of chains.

My eyes snapped open to find my prime enemy there. A half smile appeared on my lips. This was precisely how I wanted to see him. Tied. Chained. Hurt.

He was the one everyone chose over me.

I walked around to wipe my face clean and sat on the wooden bench, widening my arms and putting my right ankle on the other leg's lower thigh.

"Aao aao Rudra. Tumhara hi intzaar ho raha tha,"

"Welcome, Rudra, we were just waiting for you," I exclaimed, and the soldiers pushed him near me.

"Abhinandan, what is all this?" he asked in a disappointed voice, signalling towards the tent, and I followed his gaze with confusion.

What did he mean?

Ohhh... I got it in a few moments.

He misunderstood her cries.

How dirty his mind was? I did not know what the hell Nandani saw in him. Bastard!

Nevertheless, I decided to play along.

"This is all what I call having fun," I deliberately brought a flirt in my voice. "Do you want to meet the girl? Or maybe..." I added, and the pause gritted his teeth, sending me a thrill of satisfaction. And, as his face stiffened and the tint of anger appeared, my smile became visible.

His gaze shifted to the tent again when the faded noise of Trisha walking out came. It was getting better.

"Bastard," he yelled and stepped hurriedly towards me before raising a punch. His nostrils flared with anger as he stopped a few inches from my face due to the chains' restraint. I could not stop myself from chuckling.

He deserved this feeling. Being powerful yet tied enough to act.

"This is just the beginning of your end," I declared.

He closed his eyes briefly to calm down—or maybe he showed me that he was trying to calm down. I did not care.

"What are you doing? Abhi," he asked in a low voice, and my hand immediately cupped his neck angrily.

I was not his Abhi. I was nothing for him. He would not get to talk to me like this. By betraying me, he swore to be my enemy.

"I am not your Abhi or anyone's, understand?" My voice sounded deeply enraged. All the threads of my patience were snapped, and the doors for revival had burnt. His cheap intentions worked like wildfire to ruin them to ashes.

"What do you think Nandani will think after knowing about this?" he asked, his voice almost choking and his breath shortening.

I would not lead him to death like this.

I chuckled and left his hand. Once again, he hid behind my sister, who had brought us here.

"Kon Nandani?"

"Nandani, who?"

I asked. And somewhere, his tactic worked.

It forced me to remember the childhood we spent together—the fights, the laughter, the teasing. She was my first best friend, my first companion, and my first fellow student. And yet, she took part in betrayal as if I was nothing for her.

He stepped closer. "Who Nandani? She is your sister," he reminded me as if I had forgotten, though she had.

I laughed. It came out without any warning.

"She is not my sister anymore. The day she steeped so low to run after a person like you, she died for me," my anger burst out, and he immediately grabbed my neck.

His hand was powerful. So was I. He was as tall as me, too, but he knew what could kill a man because he was older and had experienced many battles.

However, it did not look like he was to kill me. But, the possessiveness towards my sister was evident, which I did not like at all.

"How d-," He began, and I immediately cut him off with a strong punch to his face. It jerked back. His lips split a little, and the blood oozed out.

It was satisfying.

"Abhinandan, listen to me, please. I love her," he exclaimed, inhaling a deep breath. I closed my eyes for a moment.

This was the last thing I wanted to hear. His love for her was a lie. A man who loves a woman would never force her to do things knowingly or unknowingly. And what kind of love would he have for her if he used her?

It was ridiculous.

"YOU LOVE HER?" I stepped closer.

Punch.

"You love her, hnnn?"

Punch.

"Bastard,"

Punch, punch and punch.

His nose started bleeding, and he tried to push me away.

But I immediately pushed him under and began punching him even harder.

"You used her. You played with her. You proved that you are a bastard like your father. You showed your true blood. Son of a whore," the words dripped down my tongue senselessly, without occurring me their true meaning. All I wanted was to make him feel the hatred I had felt after what he did to Nandani.

And, suddenly, he pushed me down under him.

"Mind your language," he growled with anger yet planted a tiny smile. But I balanced myself quickly and continued punching him even harder before turning him under me.

"Mind my language? hnnnnnnn... What the hell were you minding while sneaking into her chambers, sleeping with her and then leaving her? I trusted you. I FUCKING TRUSTED YOU, and what you did? You used my sister, you used her, you played with her feelings,"

I punched his face, and he seemed to be zoning out.

"I hhhaaaaammmmm, sorrryyyy,"

He muttered.

And I landed another punch on his face, breaking his nose.

"You just showed me that you are exactly like your father," I cursed him, and suddenly, he once again pushed me down and landed a strong punch on my face, followed by a few more.

"I am the son of my father, but where the hell you were when your sister was crying and needed your support the most," he roared.

And, hit me again.

"Hnnnn, where were you? Fucking your whores? At least I was better than you when I tried to check on her. I made her stop ruining her life. What did you do? Hnnn, being her brother, what did you do for her?" he asked while striking me, and I felt as if something broke in me hearing him.

I was not like him. I wanted to be with my sister, but it was him that she all wanted.

"What did I do for her? What did she do for me? Hnnn, she betrayed me. She never told me about your little affair," I spoke out. The very fact that had hurt me anything.

I was not against love, but as her brother, I deserved to know whom she liked. I would have guided her and told her that he was the wrong choice for her.

I punched him again.

"She ruined everything just for a man. She did not even think of her father and grandfather's reign or their pride, and she ruined everything to ashes. Even after knowing everything, she chose to marry you. She chose a man like you who disgraced her, ruined her, and destroyed her." I roared and hit his nose.

"Leave her aside; I AM NOT GOING TO CALM DOWN UNTIL I DRAW THE LAST DROP OF YOUR BLOOD OUT," my fist feeling even more vital and alive.

"Listen to me, LISTEN TO ME," his words faded, his voice shaky.

"I know you are angry, but listen to me at least," he looked into my eyes. "You can happily draw the last drop of blood from my body, but listen to me first," he added.

"Nandani misses you so much. And, whatever she did was only to protect you. Trust me, you do not even know what steps she was ready to take to protect... you. She never said, but I know, my heart knows that she loves you more than anyone in this world; I am far behind in the queue," his voice was painful, and I inhaled a deep breath hearing it.

"What did she do?" I asked, wondering what happened to her.

"She tried to marry Surgami Dev Singh to protect you," he told me, and I chuckled. He was a liar.

"Lies, lies and lies," I declared. I knew Nandani. She was a stubborn cat. She always knew what she wanted, and if her eyes were on Rudra, she would never let anyone talk about her marriage to another.

"No, it is true. She did all that to protect you," he tried to assure me, and I sucked on my lip a little. It confused me.

"She did all that to protect you from me," I corrected him.

"Aahh, Ummmm. Okay, if she did all that to protect me from you, but why? Why did she need to protect me from you?" he looked away momentarily, asking me.

"Because I am stronger than you and can kill you immediately. But, now you are her husband and so-called love; I cannot do anything to you," I told the truth. No matter how much I wanted to kill him, he was her husband. And, if the rumours were true that they married for love, then I could not steal her happiness.

"Yes, you are stronger than me. But she is your sister. You can hate me all your life, but you must face her. She misses you. The moment she heard that you are at war against us, she got worried for you," he agreed, and my gaze lowered. I did not know if she cared for me.

"I am sorry, Abhi. I did not know about my father. I did not know any of this. I am so sorry, I know I deserve all of this, but please, she is your sister. Do not do anything that will hurt her," he begged. And it entirely made sense to me. He would be pretty young when my mother beheaded his father, which he rightly deserved.

"Like she cared about me," but I was still angry with my sister.

He placed his hand on my shoulder.

"She does care for you. She always cares for you. If you do not believe me, ask her who she loves more. I bet she would choose you over me," he said.

And I chuckled.

"She did not even try to talk to me," I argued.

"She was so devastated that moment," he said, and I sat down. A tiny, weak smile appeared on my face.

"Little did she know about my devastation. She is selfish," I muttered, primarily to myself.

"She is not selfish," he tried to convince me.

And I looked at him. "She is selfish. She chose you over everything else,"

He inhaled deeply.

"She did not choose me. She chose to sacrifice herself in the name of a political alliance with Suryagarh so that I would not get the throne and could never access the army to attack Mahableshgarh. Only she knows how she survived everything. Not everything that seems love is a bed of roses, Abhi," he said, and I gulped. I did not know any of this.

"So, you love her now?" I managed to ask.

He stared blankly at me for a few moments and answered.

"I always did but was stubborn to accept it,"

For a moment, it felt good to hear.

"Is she okay now?" I could not stop myself from asking.

He nodded weakly. "Yes,"

A lone tear fell down my cheek. No matter how much I hated her, she was my sister. And I wanted the best for her. All this hatred and war was to ensure that she gets the best.

"I could not see her in that situation. And I could and never would be able to face her again, knowing I was the reason it all happened to her. If I had not trusted you, you would not have come into the Kingdom; if you would not have come, she would not know you, and nothing would have happened," I finally broke my silence.

"It was not your mistake, Abhi. It was mine. I used everything, and trust me, I am utterly ashamed and do not feel like I deserve her at all," he immediately replied. His words seemed full of guilt that a part of me wanted to believe, but another was stubborn.

"You do not deserve her. You call it 'love'. You do not love her. She loves you. You hurt her, but still, she chose you over everything else. And you did nothing for her." I knew it, and I said it aloud.

"I know Abhi, I am so sorry, but please, this hate should be towards me, not for her. I am sorry that I came between you, brother and sister. I should not have done it," he apologised, inhaling a deep breath.

I looked at him.

"Yes, you should not; you have to pay for it," I said and stood up.

"Before you could hurt her anymore. I want you to be killed. Because once a traitor, always a traitor," I added.

"Hand him a sword," I asked one of my soldiers.

But he shook his head. "I am not going to lift my blade against you," he said weakly. I ignored it and walked towards the side table to get a sword for myself.

"Open his chains," I ordered, and the soldiers quickly followed.

"I have promised her that I will not lift my blade against you," he said, and I looked at him, shaking my head. This was not the choice he would get to make.

"If you cannot fight, then just leave and let me save my sister from a bastard like you," I offered him another option.

"I am not going to wage a war against you," he stated.

"Then, leave my sister. You have done enough harm to her. Leave her to be happy. A person like you, for whom the grace or disgrace of a woman does not matter. Who does not know the limits of revenge and who does not know the values of relationship does not deserve her or any woman, understand," and I demanded.

But, suddenly, he raised his voice, and anger returned to his tone. "And, what were you doing? You are lecturing me about the grace or disgrace of a woman. What were you doing with Trisha did not seem graceful at all," he roared.

Oh, so he got hurt seeing his sworn sister here. But, a man like him did not deserve to take her name.

"What Trisha and I were doing is our personal matter, understand?" I warned him, and he pushed me away.

"If a girl is a commoner, then it is not grace or disgrace, but if she is a princess, then it's grace or disgrace," he yelled at me with a chuckle, signalling that I had made fun of Trisha's life.

"Do not you dare bring her into all of this," I said, enraged that he had brought her into the middle.

"I will because she is like my sister," he replied with equal anger.

But I liked it. He was a hypocrite. I couldn't stop myself from chuckling.

"You are angry for someone who is like your sister but did not even care about a girl who was madly in love with you, wanted you, and you bet you loved her too," I asked.

And he closed my eyes for a moment.

"I am sorry Abhi. I am so sorry for that. I can apologise about it daily, day and night, because it was a sin, and I am ready to suffer everything for it. I have already done this: this revenge, this hatred, this rage and everything. I have already tried and see, I lost everyone. I am a loser. It is easy to break someone in just a few moments, but healing someone takes more than life. Your parents, sister, Trisha, and others do not expect this from you. Just because I did something bad to you does not mean you will do something bad to them. A person who cared and loved all the women in his life could not do something like that to a woman who means so much to you; for her, you mean so much. This is not you, Abhi. This is not you. Tell me what you want. Do you want us to be separated? Do you want to hurt me by separating us? I will do it. Nandani will also be happy to do that rather than seeing you like it. She would be happy to do that rather than seeing you become the same person you hate," he said softly.

My eyes softened a little, and I put my sword down.

"You need to go home. Do not run away from your family. It is not your fault, not your mistake, not your burning home. You were deceived, and your trust was broken. And you must not deceive yourself, Trisha, Nandani and your parents," he added. Thank goodness he realised his mistake.

I inhaled a deep breath and looked at him when he asked.

"You want me killed?"

His words were loathed with pain and weakness. Listening to whatever he said, I did not. After all, he was my sister's husband, and if there were a tiny bit of possibility of the two having genuine feelings for each other, I would regret killing him my whole life.

"No, just leave," I said, looking away from him. "As fast as you can," I added, and he placed his hand on my shoulder. "Abhi,"

I pushed it away and walked away from there.

If Nandani was happy with him, who would I interrupt?

I climbed my horse and rode back to Pratapgarh. Once again, into the forced solitude.

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