Nanda couldn’t sleep that night. She tossed and turned in her bed. The night wind seemed too noisy for her ears. Nanda shut her eyes forcefully. She felt as though she couldn’t breathe. Suddenly, Nanda heard a sound inside her chamber. Nanda got out of the bed and took her knife. She stood facing the window and she could see a figure standing next to it. She knew who it was.

Nanda: Aditya, what are you doing in here? Get out of my chamber now.

Nanda said in a low but stern voice.

Aditya moved towards the burning fire. His face became visible. His eyes were puffy and sad. Aditya looked in to Nanda’s eyes and pleaded to her.

Aditya: Let’s leave Nanda. Take what you want. Let’s just get out of here. I can’t take this anymore. I can’t live without you. Please come with me.

Aditya moved towards Nanda and she moved back.

Nanda: Then what Aditya? Where are we going to go? What are we going to do?

Aditya: We will think about that later. Come with me now.

Nanda: And leave our country and people to Hadharans? You know them right. They will destroy our nation. Then their king will wage wars on other countries. He will find us, or other countrymen will betray us. There is nowhere we can go, Aditya. It’s over.

Aditya felt as though he was hit by a rock. He fell to the floor on his knees. Both him and Nanda where in tears. Nanda ran towards Aditya and hugged him tight.

Nanda: The marriage will happen tomorrow; Aditya and I will leave for Hadhara after that. We might never see each other again. Please forget me and find another woman and stay happy. After marriage, I can no longer love you. My virtues won’t allow me to love anyone except for my husband. So, move on from me, my thoughts. Maybe, we will meet again in another life.

Aditya looked at Nanda’s face. Her eyes were flooding with tears and her voice was choking. Aditya wiped her tears off. He spoke in a calm voice.

Aditya: I will not come in front of you to trouble you again, Nanda, but I promise you that I will love only you. In this life, the next and all the lives to follow.

Nanda: I am sorry, Aditya.

Nanda hugged Aditya harder and he softly caressed her hair. Both stayed there in each other’s warmth and pain for hours to come.

******

Salandh was decorated with flowers and banners for the royal wedding. Dignitaries from many nations where invited and it was a grand affair. Aaryaan suggested the marriage to be carried out in Hadharan tradition and Naren agreed. Nanda had no say in anything and she didn’t want to say anything as well.

Aditya checked the security measures in the palace. He was merely existing since the last few days and he felt as though his breathe was plundered from his lungs. Aditya was close to tears many times. He couldn’t accept that Nanda was leaving him forever. He packed his things and readied his horse to leave the palace for the mountains after the marriage. He wanted to have a lone life at least for some time. He hadn’t told anything to Nanda. He hadn’t talked to her since days.

Nanda laid on her bed. It was past time to get dressed for her wedding. Her maids were waiting outside the chamber since a long time. Nanda didn’t open the door. She didn’t want to get dressed or face anyone or get married. She looked at the Hadharan diamond embedded dress which was kept near the mirror table. Silent tears rolled from her eyes. She wiped them of and got up and opened her chamber door. The maids quickly came inside and fixed her bath and after that dressed her in blue and silver. Nanda looked at herself after getting dressed and she looked like some other person in Hadharan dress. Maybe it was good, Nanda thought. Alakananda died the day she rejected Aditya. This is some other person who is marrying Aaryaan. Nanda smiled, and a lone tear escaped her eye.

*******

Aaryaan waited below the decorated platform for Nanda. Then he heard the announcement of her arrival. He looked at her side and beheld the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Aaryaan smiled at Nanda and she didn’t reciprocate, instead she looked at a broken Aditya who was watching her from the side. Nanda wished if she had left the country with him. She controlled her tears which were about to fall. She walked towards Aaryaan and found him sad but acted as though she didn’t.

The rituals were completed, and Nanda was left in her room to be ready to leave for Hadhara. She sat on her bed lost in thoughts. Tears fell from her eyes. She looked outside her window and the sight broke her heart. Aditya was leaving. His horse had a heavy baggage on its back. She felt alone and scared. She cried calling his name, but her voice won’t come out. She laid on the cold palace floor looking at the ceiling and closed her eyes.

******

Aditya didn’t know where he was going. He wanted to be away from the city. He thought of going to the mountains. He informed the king and Gautam. In his absence, Gautam was to take charge as the commander. Everyone was sad because of his lose but people were happy that there was finally peace and maybe it was worth the sacrifice but for Aditya it still didn’t seem convincing. He rode as fast as he could, to the dark, to the night, to the loneliness.

******

Nanda didn’t interact much with anyone from Hadhara, on her way to the country. Aaryaan was mostly silent. She could feel his eyes on her even though he was on a horse leading at the front. It was a feeling as though he was only thinking about her and she could sense it. She was scared to core but she stayed in silence inside the cart. She prayed to the Gods to give her strength to love Aaryaan.

When the cart reached the Hadharan Capital Sanese, Nanda could feel only hostility. She looked around and found people on the streets wearing black. She understood that they were protesting their king’s decision to marry her. Nanda watched the people booing at them. Her throat went dry. Suddenly she heard a knock on the cart door. She opened the window.

Nihil: I am sorry about this, your majesty. I should have warned you beforehand.

Nanda: It is okay. How are you going to handle this?

Nihil smiled.

Nihil: The king would take care of it. They are his people. He has earned their trust. Your majesty, you won’t find any love in Hadhara except for what you earn.

Nanda didn’t say anything back.

Aaryaan: Queen, come out of this cart please. Our people want to see you.

Nihil: Your majesty, it’s not safe.

Aaryaan: They are my people, Nihil. They won’t hurt me. Nanda, open the door.

His voice was soft when he called her name as though he feared that his very voice would hurt her. Nanda opened the door and found Aaryaan standing outside the cart. He gave his hand and she took it. He helped her to get down from the cart. Then, to Nanda’s surprise, Aaryaan held her waist tightly and lifted her and placed her on top of the cart. Then he climbed on it as well.

Aaryaan and Nanda stood on the cart facing the citizens. Nanda was trembling. Aaryaan was only smiling. He waved his hands at the crowd and they stopped booing.

Aaryaan: I know that you are angry. I know that you feel betrayed but trust me, that would be the last thing I would ever do. All my life, I have hated Salandh and its people and I never thought that I would lose my heart to a Salandhian. You might feel that I have made a mistake and if you do, I am ready for any punishment you want to give me. But Queen Alakananda is my wife and my love and that won’t change. And this is my word.

Nanda expected stones and vegetables on her, but nothing happened. The crowd raised their hands and they hailed the king. Nanda looked at Aaryaan in disbelief. She realized why he was feared. He was feared because he was loved. Aaryaan got down from the cart and helped Nanda down. He smiled at her and she tried her best to smile back.

Aaryaan: They are your people, my queen. They will love you more than I do.

Nanda: Thank you, your majesty.

Aaryaan smiled and kissed her lips and that took Nanda by shock. The crowd cheered for their king.

*******

Aditya rode through the rocky forest floor. He felt as though his horse was tired and he was about to stop when he heard the howling of wolves. Salandhan forests were full of wolves. He was not afraid, but he was worried for his horse. Aditya could hear the wolves approaching him and his horse neighed. It tried to run and because of the rocky landscape, it fell and broke its neck and Aditya fell with it. Aditya tried his best to get up. By then, the wolves were nearing him. Two of them came towards him and the rest towards his horse and they started eating it. Aditya took out his sword and he felt pain shooting all over his body. He tried to defend himself, but more wolves came forward and then two of them jumped on him. Then all he could see was a flash of red light.

******

Nanda watched the royal Hadharan court. It was bigger than the entire Salandhan palace. She gasped. Nanda felt Aaryaan’s hand holding hers and pulling her towards the stairs to the throne. She was hesitant. They climbed the stairs and Aaryaan asked Nanda to sit on the throne and she trembled in fear.

Aaryaan: Now, you are my queen. Hadhara is as much as yours as mine.

Nanda: But I don’t know any of these and your people dislike me.

Aaryaan: They will love you as I do. In my absence, the throne is yours, my Queen.

Nanda looked at Aaryaan with surprised eyes.

******

Aditya woke up to the crackling sound of fire. He thought that he had died but he was fine. He tried to open his eyes and get up and he felt a heavy woolen blanket over him.

Mihara: Stay down for some more time. It will take a while for you to be completely conscious.

Aditya: What happened? Why am I here?

Mihara: It was unwise of you to travel alone at night. You already knew about the wolves right. They would have killed you.

Aditya: I seek death.

Mihara: But you are alive, but your horse is dead. Your actions might not just bring doom to you but to others as well.

Aditya: When I lost consciousness, the wolves were over me. They were biting me but now there is no pain. What did you do?

Mihara: Dark magic.

******

Nanda sat on the bed waiting for Aaryaan. She was dressed in red. Nanda felt empty. She missed her country and more than that, her Aditya. She cursed herself for thinking about Aditya while waiting for her husband. Then she heard the door to her chamber opening. Aaryaan walked inside and Nanda got up, trembling. The chamber was huge and ten times the size of her chamber at Salandh. Aaryaan was looking straight at her and Nanda felt as though she was naked. It was his right, she kept on telling herself. Aaryaan came closer to her and softly touched her shoulder.

Aaryaan: Nanda, are you afraid?

Nanda: I am.

Aaryaan: Do not be. I won’t hurt you. I know that it would be tough for you to forget Aditya this fast, but this is our custom to seal the marriage the day we enter our nation.

Nanda: I understand. I am ready. Our Salandhian traditions do not allow us to think of anyone else other than our husbands. I will only think of you and only let you touch me until my death.

Aaryaan didn’t say a word but he came close to Nanda and kissed her lips. Nanda trembled, and he kept his hand on the back of her head and kissed her harder. Nanda couldn’t kiss him back. Aaryaan turned Nanda around and then he took of his clothes and he gently pulled her dress down from her shoulder. He let it lie on the floor and admired her figure. They stood there, naked and confused. Nanda was frozen cold. Aaryaan started kissing Nanda’s neck and shoulder. Then he lifted Nanda and placed her on the bed and she closed her eyes tight. He started kissing her hard. He could feel the softness of her skin against his lips and his temperature increased.

When Aaryaan entered Nanda, she felt so much pain. It was both down between her legs and in his heart as well. She remembered the kisses she had shared with Aditya. She wanted to scream on top of her lungs, but her lips were sealed with Aaryaan’s kisses as though her voice was chocked. Nanda shed silent tears. Maybe, another life, she thought.

Aaryaan realized that Nanda was a virgin and it shook him. He never expected that from a princess engaged to her commander for many years. He smiled softly and showered her body with kisses. He was proud of Alakananda.

********

Aditya laid on top of the hill watching the stars and the moon. He could only see Nanda’s reflection in everything around. She looked beautiful but sad. He cried. Everyone said that the sacrifice was worth it but now it didn’t feel that way, nothing was worth losing Nanda, nothing.