His intense gaze pinned me down.“Yes. Trouble,” he repeated.“Whatever they’re doing is good. She played with the old king to get back at me. God knows if she is playing now or not. She is adept at killing them all. She is just faking it,”

My brother and his brothers frowned at his behaviour.“What are you saying, Bhaisa?” Agastya asked, baffled.

Anger flared inside me like wildfire.“Ohhh, so you think this filthy man holding a blade to my throat is with my consent? And this whole setup here is fake?” I said.“God! I did everything for you, and you dare show your true colours now, you bastard!”

Rudra stepped forward, not backing down.“I am showing my true colours? Me? You’re the one who showed her true colours,” he shot back.

I turned to Surgami Dev Singh, furious.“You know what? Kill me. Tell this brain-dead blockhead to move the blade already,” I said fearlessly.

Panic rippled through the others.“NOOO!” Ranvijay, Agastya, and Abhinandan screamed.

“What in the name of saving are you doing, Bhaisa?” Ranvijay shouted. Agastya looked visibly staggered, and Abhinandan seemed all set to murder him first.

“You know what? Let me kill you first,” he said, lifting his sword.

“NOOOOO!!! Kill me first. This man disgusts me. I cannot believe I wished to marry him,” I hollered. I could sense that this irate verbal exchange left everyone utterly confused.

“Yes, kill her,” Rudra said.

“Nooo,” everyone screamed.

“Yes, kill me!” I insisted, looking straight into Rudra’s eyes.

“Yes, kill her,” Rudra said again, a sharp, dangerous glint in his eyes.

I clenched my fists and stared at him.“Yessss, kill me!” The corner of his lips curved up ever so slightly, and he slipped his hand to his waistband, pulling something small and sharp.

Our eyes locked, speaking without words. He moved fast, flicking his wrist, and I caught the glint of a sharp pin sailing through the air toward me.

I closed my eyes instinctively.“Aaaaaaahhhhhh!” the tall man howled in agony.

He dropped the knife from my throat, clutching his side.Without missing a beat, I snatched the fallen blade and stabbed it into his waist.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaah!” he screamed even louder, staggering back. Blood poured out as he collapsed.

Chaos erupted, swords clashed, sparks flew, and the soldiers fought fiercely.

Through it all, Rudra fought his way to me.

When he reached me, I couldn't stop myself and slapped him hard across the cheek.

He blinked at me in shock.“If your aim had missed, Rudra…” I said, my voice shaking.“If you had missed…”

He chuckled and pulled me gently into his arms.“How could I?” he whispered.“Not possible, my love,”

He said, and I felt his palm gently caressing my head, sliding from the crown down to the back. As his fingers met the tangled mess of my hair, he broke the hug, his brows tightening with concern.

He swallowed hard, and I could feel his heart beating rapidly. Carefully, he tucked a loose strand behind my ear, his touch trembling with anger as he struggled to hide.

I lowered my gaze, glancing around at the chaos, but his gentle touch under my chin brought my eyes back to him.

He tilted my face sideways, inspecting the mark on my cheek. A heavy breath escaped his chest, and I could feel his fury rising. His fingers feathered softly over the bruise, and I closed my eyes at the tender touch.

The tall man was still screaming. Rudra gently moved me aside, handing me his sword.“Hold this for me,” he said.

I took it, instantly feeling its staggering weight, heavier than anything I'd ever lifted.

I watched as Rudra turned and strode toward the tall man whose hand still bled from the sharp pin.