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20.
She gave the feeling that the old folk-tales about princesses really did exist.
Maybe it was in the way the wind swirled around her and played with her hair. The way her laughter made the birds leave their flight and gather around her. The way the tinkling of her bangles caught everyone's attention. The way she walked on the water so the drops of water kissed her anklets and didn't let go.
Or it was the way she acted. Like a child whenever she saw her favorite sweet for dessert. The way she ran around the palace, playfully running away from her siblings. The way she would win the hearts of everyone with one smile. The way her body moved effortlessly to the music of any traditional instrument.
She, simply put, didn't feel real. Inside or outside, she felt someone out of this world. And he saw her, playing with her dupatta in the blowing wind, hiding behind the pillars and stealing glances innocently, dancing in the crowd yet managing to stand out like a pearl among stones.
He always saw her...
...and he always fell for her.
But she never did...
...see or fall.
21.
Being on the verge of losing everything was such a scary feeling. And right now, he was going through that.
Under the brilliantly shining stars in the cool night, they stood facing each other. She was in his sight but so out of reach. The distance of a few feet felt like a distance which eternity couldn't cross. He had said what he wanted to. He had come clean. About his feelings, his frustrations, his hopes; everything that related to her, he had told her. Now, the decision was in her hands.
The wind blew and covered her faces with the strands of her open hair. He stood there firmly as the cool wind hit his face. Slowly, she pushed aside the hair from her face. She was biting her lower lip and refusing to meet his eyes. Her face was mirroring her inner struggle. True, he had put her in a tough spot all of a sudden and was making her choose. But enough was enough.
"Manyata, say something."
She looked at him when he broke the dragging silence which hung between them. Despite saying the words, he wasn't exactly sure whether he wanted to hear what she was to say. The silence scared him for the verdict but at least it was the proof that not everything was over yet.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. When she opened them again, the decisive shine told him that he had made a decision. All of a sudden, he started feeling a little nervous. Clenching his fists, he braced himself for her answer.
"Uday, I..." She started and he closed his eyes. An inaudible prayer left his lips.
"Please..."
22.
He had this habit of putting his mark on this which belonged to him. From his toys to his books, everything that was his' had something on them which indicated that they were the property of Yuvraj Udayveer Singh. And things which didn't have his physical or spiritual stamp on them, he gave them up easily.
He could've let go of Manyata if he wanted to. There is so much of a refusal that a man can take and when the man was a royal who always got what he wanted, the bar of patience was always lower than the rest. But whenever the thought of giving up the trouble crossed his mind, the memory of childhood over-came it when he slashed her back with his sword.
Then, a determined smirk formed on his lips. He would never give up on her. Intentional or not, the fact that the visible scar on her back was given to her by him, proved that she was his.
"Like it or not Princess, but you are mine. And what's mine, remains mine."
23.
Ever since he had known that she was the lost heir of Devgarh, he had always called her Princess. At first, it was because that he wanted her to know what her reality and title was because she refused them both. Or so she thought. She had given up thinking why he called her that. Oh well, she called him names as well so he was probably being even.
But for him, it was different. The reason lay in the events of 16 years ago; in the events which she had forgotten but were still etched deeply in his mind. It was true to some extent that he called Princess because she called him names. But it wasn't because of those colorful names, it was because of something else.
"Princess, I can see you! Hum aap ko pakar lenge!"
"Yuvraj! Hum bhag jaenge! Kabhi nahin pakar paenge aap...!"
CID
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
