Page 184 of Rudra Nandani: The Saga of Control And Seduction

He gently brushed his lips against my cheek, and I clutched at his kurta.

“You’re in pain,” he whispered.

I shook my head.“No,”

He sighed and lifted me in his arms again, standing up.“I can feel your pain in your breaths, little bird,” he said, and carried me to the bed.

Lying me down gently, he sat beside me, and I cupped his cheek.“You met Abhinandan?” I asked.

He smiled.“No. He had already left for home by the time I reached,”

“Really? He went home?” I asked, hardly believing it.

He nodded.“Yes, he went home,”

A wide smile spread across my face as I felt so much lighter suddenly. I laughed, and tears of relief streamed down my face.

“Thank God!” I breathed.

“Do you want to visit him?” he asked, and I nodded eagerly.

“Yes, yes, yes!” I said, my voice filled with excitement.

He smiled and said,“You must leave as soon as you’re well,” and I nodded in agreement.

But — “You won’t come with me?” I asked and watched his smile fade.

His fingers gently played over my hand as he replied in a quiet voice,“I have to handle something. But I’ll come soon—to bring you back,”

I smiled softly.“Ohh,”

It was a strange mix of feelings—excitement, happiness, and a bit of sadness. I would finally see my brother, but Rudra wouldn’t be coming along.

“I missed him so much. I can’t wait. I want to talk to him,” I said, and he nodded with a smile.

“Now, my little liar has to eat,” he said, making me chuckle.

“How do you always know what’s in my heart?” I asked, and he leaned in to kiss my forehead.

“Because you are my world,” His words had me smiling shyly, and I watched him get off the bed. Clapping twice, he called the attendants and asked them to bring us dinner.

Once they left, I grabbed his hand and pulled him closer to me again.“When is Ranvijay’s wedding?”

I asked suddenly.

His smile faltered slightly.“Can’t say anything yet. The peace treaties are still pending, and in the middle of it, Surgami DevSingh is stirring trouble,”

Furrowing my brows, I asked,“Why don’t you just kill him?”

He looked at me for a moment, then said,“It’s not that easy,”

“Why not?” I asked, genuinely confused. I didn’t understand. If he was the biggest obstacle in our way, why couldn’t we end it? Why couldn’t we just… kill him?

“He’s not just my enemy—he’s my uncle by blood. The husband of Badimaa. And no matter how wrong a person is… life is still better than death,” he said, and I swallowed hard, understanding the weight behind those words.

“So, you'll not kill him?” I asked, and he shook his head weakly.

“When I attacked Suryagarh, I thought he laid hands on you even though I had warned him,”

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