A King size Love - vignettes - update on page 12 - Page 4

Originally posted by: Javeria3991

fantastic story

Gayatri response was amazing. i love strong character of gayatri.

Originally posted by: .SSS.

Writers of your caliber should have written the show..
I just love the Gayathri of your fiction..
Would love to read more from you..

Bertie-joining others in requesting you to convert this to a FF. Would be lovely,if you can continue to give your spin to the happenings in the show.

Can't believe our luck! You're actually going to continue this! Waiting for the update as I can't see anything on pg 5, yet.

In deference to your request for a recasting of the towel scene, Simran!

CLOSE(D) QUARTERS!

"Rani Gayathri, I need you to do me a favour!"

The Queen Mother's voice was a welcome break. A break from the monotony of staring into the verdant royal gardens and seeing nothing but an endless stretch of empty sand! The vacuum that was her life seemed to have deafened her to the song of the nightingale on the gulmohar tree even!

"Why did you take the trouble, Rajmata! You could've summoned me! Please tell me what I can do for you! I am merely gathering dust here, not unlike the ornate pieces of furniture in the palace's many unused rooms!"

Her words pierced the Queen Mother's heart for she could hear the desolation behind the seeming lack of inflection! She felt a pang of guilt as she wondered if she had indeed done a disservice to two young people in her bid to safeguard the throne! It didn't last more than a fleeting second though! She was convinced that it would all come together eventually if not just now. They would eventually see what she already did! They had to!

"Rani ji, there is a very confidential letter that needs to be handed over to Rana ji. He is yet to return from his ride and I have to leave urgently for a visit to one of the rain hit villages. As you know, Rana ji has ordered the reconstruction of houses there and I need to go inspect the progress!"

She held out a brown envelope to the Queen, who was hesitant to accept it.

"But Rajmata...can't Arunodhay ji do it? Or even Yashoda ji?"

"They are both accompanying me, Rani ji. As you know, the palace is full of intrigue. There is no one else that I can trust other than you!"

The queen tried to spot any trace of guile in the Rajmata's eyes. There seemed to be none!

She nodded politely as she took the envelope.

"Don't worry, Rajmata! I shall do the needful!"

" I knew I could rely on you!"

In a rather uncharacteristic gesture, the Queen Mother came forward and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"There is an ancient Shiv ji ki Mandir en route to that village. I shall pray for Rana ji and you to find your happiness together and soon!"

As she turned around and walked out, Gayathri could not quell the eternal flutter of hope despite her best efforts!

Maybe God would have an answer to this conundrum that was her life! After all, it was He who had decided that they were to be bound together in holy matrimony!

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"Thank you Bucephalus...and yes, I love you too!"

Rana ji laughed as his beloved horse tried to nuzzle his shoulder, completely ignoring the sugar cubes he held in his hand! How unconditional was this love!

"Take good care of him"

The stable hand bowed deferentially and Rana ji nodded in acknowledgment before walking away swiftly.

As he walked into the palace, he found it unusually quiet. His mother was nowhere to be seen and that was probably the reason. She had a knack of making her presence felt even without saying a word, his mother did! He smiled fondly as he thought of her. Despite all the acrimony of the last few weeks, he knew they shared an abiding love.

As he entered his chambers, he flexed his shoulders in an attempt to loosen the muscles that had grown stiff with all the time he had spent seated on his beloved Bucephalus!

He recalled the fanciful notion he had had as a child, to keep riding till he reached the end of the world and then fall off it! Of course, he now knew the world was round and he would never fall off, not until it was time! The morbid thought quickly brought the memory of Sulakshana along with it. He was surprised to find that it no longer felt like scraping a raw wound. More the remembered pain that a healing scar evokes! He did not want to follow the line of thought though! He quickly walked into the en suite even as he shrugged his shirt off.

He heard a knock at the door just as he was about to close the door to the en suite. His valet must have finally realized that he was back!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She felt distinctly uncomfortable as she pushed the door open and walked in, steeling herself to more barbs and veiled insults!

It seemed like she didn't have to. There was no one in the room!

Wasn't that his voice that had ordered her to enter?

Just then, she heard the sound of running water from recesses of the room.

She didn't know why but she felt even more uncomfortable now!

What should she do now? Should she leave the letter on the table and walk away? What if by some chance it did not reach his hands safely? She could not take such chances surely!

Should she leave and come back later? What if he got to know that she had walked in and then left without bothering to wait for him?

Even as she debated the thought in her mind, she heard him call out.

"Towel please"

She cursed herself, wishing she had reached her decision earlier and just left! What would he say if she gave him the towel? Or what would he say if she didn't!

"Towel please"

His voice sounded just a tad annoyed now!

Making a quick decision, she walked towards the wardrobe and looked for a towel in there. Thankfully, it was all so neatly organized that she didn't have much trouble finding one! As precise as the man himself, she could not help thinking. As if he arranges his wardrobe himself, her inner voice mocked. She did a wonderful job of feigning indifference in his company, at least going by his reactions! But how did she quieten her inner voice, her thoughts that seemed to revolve around him every waking minute!

"Towel please!"

This time his voice indicated that his temper was on the rise!

She grabbed the towel and walked quickly in the direction of his voice, coming to a sudden halt at the sight of him!

The sheer beauty of him took her breath away! The chiseled body, the golden sheen of his skin and the tiny droplets of water that clung to it! His riding breeches clung to his narrow hips, making no secret of the muscular strength of his lower body!

Her face flamed and she could not help the quickening of her pulse.

Thankfully he had his back to her!

No, she would never let him know how he affected her. She drew on her reserves of inner strength, controlled her rioting senses with effort and handed over the towel to him.

He quickly mopped his face and chest and turned, even as he asked.

"What took you so long anyway?"

For a minute, the look of stunned surprise on his face actually made her want to laugh.

It was as if she was the very last person he expected there!

"What are you doing here?"

"Your mother sent me!" she answered quickly before realizing how that sounded!

She held up the envelope in her hand.

"She wanted me to hand over this confidential mail to you. She's gone with Arunodhay ji and Yashodha ji to the village to inspect the construction work. So she had no choice but to ask me to give this to you!"

She quickly said all that she had to say, hoping that her dry tone effectively covered up the tremor in her voice.

He took the envelope from her and looked at it for a moment before dropping it on the dresser!

He then proceeded to leisurely towel himself and she quickly turned to leave.

"I have not given you permission to leave yet!"

Her back stiffened and her fingers clenched but she had no choice but to come to a halt!

"Turn around, Rani ji!"

She hesitated for a moment before finally complying.

She would not give him the comfort of seeing her averted eyes.

She continued to stare at him as he dropped the towel to the floor and looked deep into her eyes.

"Like what you see?"

She could not help the heat rising to her face. She itched to give him a stinging retort but kept her silence.

"No?"

She would not deign to give him a response.

"Cat got your tongue, my queen?"

She gave him a level look as she replied.

"May I leave, your highness?"

"Where's the hurry now?" Surely you wouldn't grudge your poor husband a few moments of your time?"

"Is there something else that you need?"

"And if I did?"

Why was he doing this to her? Speaking in an intentionally low and seductive tone? Did he think she was going to melt into a puddle at his feet?

"Let me know what it is and I will see if I can help you with it!"

"Oh you will, will you?"

There was not more than a distance of three feet between them. It wouldn't have taken him more than a stride to cover the distance. But it seemed like he was inching his way forward! As he drew closer, she realized that he expected her to back off. She was not going to give him the satisfaction. She stood her ground as he came dangerously close to her, his warm breath fanning her face and causing quivers to start in the pit of her stomach. She kept her face carefully blank though, even as a part of her could not help but marvel at her ability to do this.

"So, you won't back off, my queen?"

"Surely you of all people would know that in shatranj, the queen does not move backwards, your highness?"

His eyes narrowed

"Done your research well, have you?"

"I didn't even have to try!"

He seemed a bit taken aback by her response.

"What do you mean by that?"

"In return for helping me dupe the guards, the librarian chacha insisted that I spend an hour listening to his ramblings. He has no family, you see, and no company!"

"Why did you have to dupe the guards?"

"Because I had no library card and had to use my brother's?"

"How did you do it?"

He sounded amused and interested.

"You know my brother's name is Shyam. So I told them that I was Shyama and the a in the name had gotten erased with time!"

"But surely there was a photograph!"

"Yes...that was the tough part...I told him I once had a moustache...and then the librarian chacha bailed me out..!"

He gave a bark of laughter.

"I don't believe this!"

She shrugged her shoulders as if to say she didn't care!

"Anyway, why did these ramblings include my passion for chess...or shatranj as you call it?"

"Oh they were always about you...your excellence in academics at University, your bravery during the war, your painting skills, your kindness to your subjects...he spoke of you all the time and I never tired of listening..!"

She realized she was letting on more then she should and came to a stop.

But she could not help the flicker of emotion in her eyes that the memory of all of Chacha's ramblings never failed to bring!

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Was that a flicker of emotion in her eyes that he just saw?

It was there one minute and gone the next! He could've sworn he saw it though!

So, the tales of his exploits still had the power to move her!

That meant she was not as indifferent as she feigned to be! He did not know why but he felt an undue satisfaction at the thought! Was it male ego or more? He would be better off not dwelling on the whys for the moment!

But now that he had found the opening he wanted, he was not going to let go before he got to know more!

"As delightful as our conversation has been, I must confess that my back muscles are aching just a bit. Would you mind applying some cream on my back? It would be a great help!"

She looked unsure!

"Your valet...!"

"He must be around somewhere. But why not give him some rest! Surely it is not too much of an ask?"

She seemed decidedly unsure still and so he went for the kill.

"Would it bother you to touch me?"

Faced with a direct question, she had no option but to shake her head furiously!

"Of course not...why would it?"

"Of course not...why would it!

He went and lay down on the bed and waited.

The way he lay sprawled in all his regal splendor mildly irritated her. Like he was some king and she his handmaiden! Well, she may not be a handmaiden but he was certainly her king, her inner voice chastised!

She picked up the cream that he pointed out to and walked up to the bed.

As she neared him, he moved further in and indicated the space next to him.

"Make yourself comfortable!"

She gritted her teeth and sat down gingerly.

As she opened the cap of the bottle, he turned over onto his stomach.

She took a generous amount of the cream onto her fingers.

It felt rather cold and she hoped it would freeze him where it touched him!

As she started massaging the cream onto his shoulders, a tremor seemed to pass through.

She wondered if he felt it too. Was it his tremor finding its echo in her or the other way round?

His stiff muscles slowly relaxed as she rubbed more cream into them.

"Mmm...that feels so good...has anyone told you that you have magical fingers?"

"No one turned me into a masseuse before!"

She could feel the silent laughter that shook him but chose to ignore it.

As her fingers hit the scar on his back, he seemed to flinch!

"Ah...!"

"I'm sorry...does it hurt still...!"

"It hasn't been too long, Rani ji!"

Indeed it hadn't been!

She still vividly recalled the moment the sword had pierced his skin.

She had felt the pain in her heart then and felt an echo of the same even now!

How quickly he had jumped to her defense!

How valorously he had fought for her honor!

How foolishly her heart had jumped, convinced that it was more proof of the deep and abiding love that he felt for her!

She was jerked back to the present suddenly as he sat up and touched her cheek.

She shrank back quickly but he had gotten what he wanted.

He showed her the teardrop that she hadn't even realized that she had shed.

"The tear drop I was looking for!"

She could not help it anymore. She scrambled to her feet and ran out of the room as if the hounds of hell were after her!

He looked at her retreating back as a faint smile came to his lips.

"I don't know what I think or feel anymore but you still seem to feel what you claimed you did, Rani ji. Deny it all you want but you do!"

In a gesture that was almost involuntary, he brought the tear drop to his lips!

Well.. emm.. IDK what should I say..

☺️ <== This is what I'm doing while reading this..

"Surely you of all people would know that in shatranj, the queen does not move backwards, your highness?"
^^
Loved this dialogue..👍🏼

Thanks for reviving those scenes with your amazin' writing!
Keep up the good work..

Originally posted by: .SSS.

Well.. emm.. IDK what should I say..

☺️ <== This is what I'm doing while reading this..

"Surely you of all people would know that in shatranj, the queen does not move backwards, your highness?"
^^
Loved this dialogue..👍🏼

Thanks for reviving those scenes with your amazin' writing!
Keep up the good work..

Originally posted by: BertieWooster

Thank you...but frankly I hope we get such lovely scenes that I don't have to try even 😊

We can get these lovely moments in show too..

If only..
a) Gayathri can be little patient and let the things happen with flow rather than pushing them..
b) RNG can be little more sensible and loosen up himself a bit..
c) CV's are a bit intelligent to weave a better story around it to give that shirtless scene which can make sense so that we can enjoy it..

Seriously you should be the writer of etr2.
I wish .

Bertie-🤗 I feel special😃 Thanks so much for writing
Will read this in leisure and comment.