Page 220 of Rudra Nandani: The Saga of Control And Seduction

I smiled faintly at his words.“Sometimes, it feels like I’m not talking to the wrathful, mighty Rudra, but to a mature, peaceful Ranaji,” I said softly. He chuckled at that.

Suddenly, he pulled me closer and kissed my toes, making me giggle. His hands were now massaging my thighs.“You might not feel it now, but soon it’s going to hurt,” he warned.

I frowned and asked,“How are you so sure?”

He smiled while working his hands in long, warm strokes along my legs.

“Unlike you, I exercise,” he teased.

I gasped, offended.“How rude!” I pouted, and he just chuckled deeper.

He continued massaging my body, my legs, waist, lowerabdomen, midriff, arms, wrists, back, and neck, one by one, patiently and thoroughly.

By the time he gently turned me onto my stomach, I felt utterly exposed. But somehow, his steady hands and the way he treated my body with such calmness made me feel warm, safe, and accepted. For once, I wasn’t self-conscious.

Once he finished, he said softly,“We’ll bathe soon. The oil will ease your muscle pain,”

I nodded, feeling dizzy and heavy with sleep.“Okay,” I mumbled.

I heard him chuckle and say,“Don’t you dare fall asleep now, little wife. Your brother’s here in the palace,” he warned.

I smiled lazily and placed my head on his lap. His fingers lightly ran through my hair, and his touch made me feel more beautiful. I didn’t even realise when I drifted into sleep.

When I woke up, he was gently shaking me.“Hey, little bird, get up. Duty calls,” he whispered.

I stretched my arms and hugged his waist tightly.“Take me to the bath,” I muttered sleepily.

I felt him chuckle and then lift me easily into his arms. I barely opened my eyes until the warm water touched my body, and with it, a sharp, burning pain in my core.

As I let out a faint cry, he gently rubbed my back.“It will ease soon,” he said softly.

I leaned back against his chest, wrapping his arm tightly around me. His lips brushed against my ear, and the warmth of the water, the sound of his breath, the steady beat of his heart wrapped around me like a living cocoon of love.

I had always wondered what being married to Rudra would be like. I had thought it would not be easy. That he would dominate me, and there would be no softness. I thought life wouldn't be a bed of roses with him.

But here I was, gladly submitting myself to a Rudra who was both possessive and tender, both rough and gentle, both dominant and vulnerable.

In that moment, when his arms were wrapped around me, his breath tickled my ear, and his hands soothed my aches, I felt truly alive.

A life I had chosen bravely, one I wanted to live with all my heart. If he fought, I would fight back. If he loves, I would loveback. If storms came, we would weather them together because it was easy to move on with another man after a betrayal. But not when your soul belonged to someone already.

We have just one soul. So it is only right to be careful who you give it to.

I knew Rudra loved me. Because the mind can lie, and even the heart can be tricked. But the voice inside your soul never lies.

I felt him inhale deeply as we remained in the bath in silence, our bodies talking in ways words could never have. He wasn't more than I, and I wasn’t any less. We were equals, and that was the beauty of our bond. It is beautiful when you give your everything to someone, and that person returns it with their everything, too. It is truly the best feeling one can feel in life.

When we finally stepped out of the bath, sunlight poured into the chamber, making our skin glow. We laughed and helped each other get dressed, the world outside waiting for the King and Queen, but inside these nine-parted chambers, we were just two people in love, just Rudra Nandani.

I was happy we were trying our best, not bringing our titles, recognitions, and achievements inside the chamber, because everything else falls away where love exists. It needs no title, no recognition, no religion, no culture. It is pure and is empowered.

But to live, love is not sufficient. It is a hope, yes, a burning flame that gives us a sense of comfort, purpose, and the joy of being alive, and yet ruins us in ways we can’t imagine.

For love, it is malleable, shaped by circumstances and choices. It adapts to the way we want. If we choose to fight the world and claim the person we love, it is strength, and if we make ourselves stronger, letting the other person go, yet keeping our love alive in our heart, it is freedom, sacred.

Love is beautiful, yet so wrathful. Love can either make us or break us.

And we had seen both sides of it. We witnessed its beauty and its wrath. It broke us, and it made us.

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