❝ʏᴏᴜʀ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴍʏ ᴅᴀʀʟɪɴɢ,❞ ʜᴇ sᴀɪᴅ, ❝ᴡɪʟʟ ғᴏʀᴇᴠᴇʀ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴍʏ ᴏᴡɴ ʀᴇsɪᴅɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀs. ʟɪᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ sᴏᴜʟ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ʀᴇsɪᴅᴇs ɪɴ ᴍɪɴᴇ.❞

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"This daughter of yours my lord, will bring your name embarrassment in future, according to her kundli," said a priest to the man sitting regaly in front of him with a child of a few days in his arms.

Kundli, meant the astrology chart that is made by the astrologers at the birth of every child. These were not certain predictions but people in those days believed the orthodoxy blindly.

The man, presumably the father of the child, stood up with a spark of anger and displeasure in his eyes.

"Take the child away from my eyes. She will be taken care of, yet will be considered no daughter of mine," stated the man calmly yet with a cold dominance. And handed the now orphaned baby to a maid.

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And the predicament of the astrologer became reality according to the noble man when he saw the same child sleeping at the corner of the cave with a boy present on the opposite side after twelve summers from the day when the kundli was predicted.

He was enraged by what he saw in front of his own eyes. Those days, a girl can only spend the night with her husband. Otherwise, her and her family's reputation gets tarnished.

Sensing the commotion, the girl who was unconscious and not asleep, woke up startled. And the boy that saved her from the heavy rains of last night stood there clueless.

As soon as her eyes met the similar honey brown orbs of her father that she prided at, he seethed in rage, "I am ashamed that I birthed something like you."

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She woke up with a gasp. The dream, more like her past, never fails to give her chills. When she came to her senses, she noticed the partially see-through net drapes dividing her bed from the middle.

She recalled the day's event when she met her naath today morning and after a day of busy schedule they slept there while parting the bed in two halves with the drapes.

Her eyes wandered towards his side and she saw him sleeping peacefully while a certain radiance radiated from his face where moonlight touched him. She can't help but admire his features when her eyes darted to his bare chest.

His toned torso and muscled stomach were on full display while he slept calmly.

Her eyes widened and she yelped while covering her own eyes out of innocence.

His warrior senses alerted him of the small sound while he gracefully positioned his body in an attacking stance.

He glanced at her sliding the curtains apart and saw her covering her eyes with a small pout adorably. He couldn't help but ask, "What happened woman?"

"Why are you sleeping without clothes, naath?" Her innocent question with her tone filled with panic and shyness made him relax a bit while he registered the cause of her distress.

"I am not sleeping naked lady! It's just, I am habituated to sleep without my angavastram in my camps, so I removed it." He reasoned rather amused.

Her innocence sure surprised him. He has yet to meet a lady who was more than eighteen summers and yet so innocent and shy. Well that didn't deter him in the slightest.

She didn't open her eyes but retorted, "This isn't your camp naath, you can't sleep here without clothes or-" she left it at that.

"Or?" He challenged while raising his eyebrow in amusement. Though being a doctor, he adored her innocence and wanted to see what she could do if he chose to disobey.

"Or I would throw you out of our room like other women of the village do when their husbands do not listen to them," she retorted firmly.

His eyes widened in surprise. Do the common women of his Awadh torture their innocent husbands like this in reality? This was so unfair! In royal families, it was an honor for any lady to have her husband sleep in her chambers.

And no one has permission to sleep with the king, except when he requests one of his wife to do so on any special occasion. This threat was more of a nightmare to a husband than an embarrassment.

His pride will be shattered in 0.1 second while he would have to spent the night freezing in cold outside in verandah.

"Will you really do that?" He asked agaped.

"Try me." She replied with a period at the end of her sentence. He wrapped the upper cloth sluggishly on his torso and coughed to gain her attention.

First she peeked through her fingers and then opened her eyes finally with satisfaction when he saw him 'clothed' enough. She hummed with a pleased smile while he scowled indigenously.

After a second she frowned and asked, "Why do you call me a woman or lady throughout the day? You can call me Baijisa like others," she asked.

"Because Baijisa is a term used for a respected lady that you are, but that simply isn't your name." He answered while yawning.

But after a second he realized he didn't know her name himself and asked, "What is your name?"

She smiled mischievously at him and answered, "According to the religious beliefs, a woman is named twice. Once by her father after her birth as a daughter. And then by her husband after becoming a wife. So address me with a name that is something meaningful to you, naath."

Giving a name to your wife, means a lot to a husband. That defines your connection and affection towards your other half. A matter of pride to a husband, that she will be increasing her and their family's fame by the name given by him.

"Your name my darling," he said, "Will forever have my own residing in yours. Like your soul, which resides in mine." He stated looking deep in her honey brown depths while the fire surrounding the iris sparkled with an unique affection.

A beautiful smile blossomed on her lips while she asked, "And what would it be, husband?"

"That my wife," he said, "Would be revealed in front of the whole Awadh when the time comes, but for now aren't you sleepy, priye?" He asked with a tint of mischief and concern.

Priye, simply meant an endearment used for a beloved by a husband for their wife.

"Don't call me priye, naath." She huffed out annoyed yet a bit shyly.

"Sleep." was the only reply she got.

"Priye," he added while controlling his chuckles and closed his eyes with content while she huffed with her cheeks blown and nose red.

"One of these days, you're surely going to sleep in that verandah of ours," she muttered, peeved, while he just laughed some more.

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sʜᴀʙᴅ-ᴋᴏsʜ :- ᴅɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴᴀʀʏ.

ᴋᴜɴᴅʟɪ : ᴀsᴛʀᴏʟᴏɢʏ ᴄʜᴀʀᴛ

ᴀɴɢᴀᴠᴀsᴛʀᴀᴍ : ᴜᴘᴘᴇʀ ᴄʟᴏᴛʜ

ᴘʀɪʏᴇ : ʙᴇʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ