" Yudhishthir! " I kept shouting but to no avail.

I sat on the floor, crying as I couldn't find him. He was my friend before all. It was hard to imagine if he was gone. I then realised that Kanha ji had left him in my care.. I disappointed him too. Everyone I was ever around lost their lives.

I needed to send Mini away. The aunties were right. I was a bad omen. I killed everyone who ever loved me. I can't be around them. Mini, AJ. They need to stay away.

I stood up, frantic, trying to pack a set of quilts, blankets, a pair of clother for Mini when I heard the sound of the door jingling open.

I rushed to the kitchen, knife in hand as I stood by the door. The dark made it harder to see, so the moment the man stepped forward, I held the knife against his throat, but it was intercepted by his hand.

"Sagarika? What are you upto? Why do you have a knife in your hand? " The voice asked.

My fears melted, my panic erased as I clutched the owner of that voice with all my might.

He held me close and when my adrenaline finally wore down, I realised.

" You! You absolute irritating, annoying idiot! Where were you? The bed covers were ripped apart, the sofa upturned! What did you do! " I yelled at him, while he tried to explain.

But my anger was beyond me that day as I repeatedly hit his chest.
"You made me think someone had kidnapped you or killed you! What was I supposed to do huh? You vanished! I asked you, çdo you want to go somewhere' but no. You choose to go alone and my house is in disarray. Answer me! Where were you? " I shouted, the last of my traitorous tears falling down the corner of my eyes as I looked up at the one deserving of my anger.

" Answer me! Why won't y-"

" How will I answer if you keep speaking? " He said, ever calm with a hand on my mouth.

" I was here only. You had left the door open and so a cat came inside. I hoped to help her out but she wouldn't budge. She wanted to stay here for some reason. I am not as good with animals as my brother Nakul, but I tried. Then she apparently decided she wanted to make me run around the house. Hence the torn sheets. "

" And -and wha-what about the blood on the bed? " I asked, now wiping my tears when a hand came to do that for me, holding my face with both his hands.

" That's my pain Priye. That's simply paint Sagarika. Red paint. I was looking at a picture of you and AJ to figure something out when she had ran into the room, toppling over my bottle of red paint. " He whispered.

My legs gave out as the panic left my body, yet the fright it gave remained. I couldn't loose him. It was unimaginable.

" I have a gift for you. Won't you close your eyes? " He said, sitting down on the floor with me.

I opened my eyes to look at the cutest cat in the whole world.

It was a beautiful black cat, with eyes like glowing emralds. He, I had observed had the softest coat of fur on him, with the adorable nature of a child.

"Toothless."

" What? Sagarika, I'm sure he has all his teeth. "

" What? No. He's Toothless. Wait. You haven't watched How To Train Your Dragon have you ? Of all the moveies we saw we didn't see that.We must watch it. But for now. He is our
Toothless. " I said, cuddling the cat against my neck.

The cat seemed to love me too, so I took him to Mini. She was scared. She doesn't like cats. Oh well... This is not going to be conducive.

As my mind wandered back to the man in my room, I entered to see him cleaning the bloo-no, the red paint away.

I sent the cat on his way, as he made his way out of the room in front of the television, where he himself had created chaos.

I sat him down, clutching him like a cobra would entrap his pray. But I don't want to eat him. Alright?

" You scared me today you idiot."

" I know. I am sorry. But I am your idiot too aren't I. That's why. "

" Yes. You are. You going away scared me so much. I - "

" What's that bag there? " He interrupted, as he saw the bag I had begun to pack for Mini.

" No-nothing "

" Don't lie to me Priye. It hurts me. What's wrong? " He asked, lifting my chin with a finger, looking at me. I never saw judgement in his eys, no matter what.

" I panicked. Thinking that I was the reason everyone in my life was dyi-dying. Ma, Papa, Dada, Dadi, then I didn't see you. I was so scared. I was about to send Mini away from me. Scared that I would cause her to come to harm as well. " I said, eyes downcast in shame at my foolishness.

" My dear apsara. You are so wrong. You look at it from the wrong perspective. You imagine their deaths because they are related to you. I see that they found their moksh after being in relation to the most loving daughter, sister and granddaughter they could ever have. What more pleasure does one need in life? " He answered, holding my head against his chest as I felt at ease yet again.

" I know. "

" Hmm. You should also know. Mein tumse atah, anant, parishudh prem ki astha rakhta hoon, par apeksha nahi. Asha hai, par mehatvkanksha nahi. " ( I have hopes to love you, forever, unending and purely. I don't expect it of you. I have wishes, but not wants. )

" Me too. " I whispered, a quiet admittance to myself. He needs to know, but not like this .

" Did you say something? "

" No. Nothing. Just keep me close. "

" Always. "

^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•^•
𝔸𝕁'𝕤 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖!

Sivi raj was quickly becoming my favourite places on earth.
I mean, who wouldn't love being served food, working out during the day, enjoying with family and being able to be happy all the while? I would. I was. It was one of the best times of my eighteen years on this planet.

Kumari Devika seemed the everpresent questioner. She would keep asking me questions in and smirk and leave when I did give her my answers.

It had been two months in Sivi when I was called by the king, the queen and the princess of questions herself.

" Nam- Pranaam Maharaj, Maharani, Yuvrani. " I said sitting in the chairs of the balcony opposite to them.

" Please come Yuvraj. We have something important to ask of you. "

" Please. You are my elders. Whatever you may wish. "

"Well, we hope that you would consider our daughter for.......

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I now understand why authors love cliff hangers....

Well I think this one is rather predictable but still.

Anyways, share your opinions in the comments and vote as much as you can.

Much love

Radhekrishn ❣️