Chapter- 5 Why was he looking at her like that?
Ayesha averted her eyes from his to still feel them on her. Ok, she knew men did that a lot without realizing how discomfiting it really was for a female but this was ridiculous! She opened her mouth to say so but closed it again as she got her sister's warning look.
And therein lay her other problem – Prachi. She hated to feel that she could read her mind and it annoyed her beyond reason that she could feel so protective towards her sister. Even now, looking at the thick bandage on her arm, she was restraining herself from ordering her straight to bed. She did not
like feeling so confused! How was it possible to hate a person and then care for them too? She did hate Prachi, didn't she?
Ah, ofcourse she did! It was silly of her to now start doubting her own feelings. And when will the guy take his eyes off her!
She stole a glance at him out of the corner of her eyes to see him looking at her with an expression that could only be described as tender. Was it because she had wiped his blood in the woods out of curiosity of a face that even after being almost covered by blood, promised handsomeness? But that was really odd considering that Prachi had saved his life and he was ignoring
her!
"I'm very glad to meet you, Princess," he said softly, his eyes caressing her features.
She stiffened at the boldness of the gaze. "I'm not."
With that she strode out of the room not caring if the King found her behavior distasteful. She made her way out of the Palace towards the wide grounds where many of the knights and squires were training. Standing near the fence surrounding the training ground, she tossed her heavy hair behind her back.
Why was she so testy all of a sudden? True, she was in a maddening rage most of the times over things but it had always been taken out at the servants. This was the first time she had done that to a Prince…oh my God, the
Crown Prince and that too in front of a King! She shut her eyes in despair. How could she be so stupid!
This was all that Prachi's fault! If she wasn't so confused and annoyed over her ever changing feelings about her sister, she wouldn't lose her head and do crazy things like reprimanding a
Crown Prince!
And he was so handsome too…His eyes had been so sensuous as they had raked over her. Hmm…and he was a Crown Prince…suddenly an idea formed in Ayesha's mind.
A handsome Crown Prince who, by the look of things was attracted to her! And as they said, a man was easier to deal with when he smitten. She could make him bend to her will…
Lost in her thoughts, she realized it too late that she had been staring unseeingly at a man practicing in the field for quite a long time and…he was walking straight towards her!
He was good-looking, she noted as he came nearer, and young. His shirtless profile provided her with a view of bulging muscles in a lean body. In fact, it didn't look like he had an ounce of extra fat anywhere…and he was tall.
And he was glaring at her! Blushing crimson at realizing that she had been caught looking him over, she raised her face to glare right back at dark eyes which seemed oddly similar.
"Aap ki koi problem hai?" he asked almost sympathetically.
"Problem?" she asked confused. What was he talking about?
"Nahi, woh aap tabse mujhe stare kar rahi thi without blinking, toh mujhe laga ki…" his tone still hadn't changed though the expression in his eyes turned derisive.
"Kya laga aapko?" she asked stiffly, knowing she wasn't going to like the answer…and she was beginning not to like this man either.
"Ki ya toh aapne kabhi kisi insan ko dekha nahi ya phir you're blind," he replied casually, crossing his arms.
Her eyes turned into shards of ice as rage, which was such a part of her nature, took over.
"Listen, you," she said, through clenched teeth. "Tum jaante bhi ho ki main kaun hoon?"
An insolent smile broke out over his face, which she found devastatingly handsome up close and did no good for her already frazzled nerves.
Flustered that her authoritative tone yielded no result, she said with haughty pride. "
I am the Princess of Shahjahanpur…Princess
Ayesha."
Whatever she had expected, she had not expected his expression to harden and his eyes to look her over as she was a disgusting insect.
"And I, sweetheart," he drawled, his tone mocking her. "I am the
Prince of Saharan…Prince
Neev."
She almost opened her mouth in shock.
This was the Prince of Saharan? What had her parents been thinking of! She simply could not marry this…this jerk. Prachi was welcome to him!
"And I…" he continued in the same vein, "Do
not want to marry you."
Considering that this had been on the tip of her tongue to tell him, she felt furious that he had managed to beat her to it. And on top of that, he was just walking away towards the Palace!
Odious man… she would now make sure there
was a wedding!
'Only,' she thought smirking, 'the bride would be different.'
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In the uncomfortable silence that followed Ayesha's exit from the room, Prachi avoided looking at either the King or the Prince staring after her sister in bewilderment.
"Uh…woh Ayesha thak gayi hai na toh thodi…" she offered as an excuse for her sister's behavior after some time had lapsed in silence. Finally looking at the King she caught his disapproving frown. "Uh…main medicine laga deti hoon."
To alleviate the tension, she took the bowl containing an assortment of herbs especially for curing wounds as deep as Milind's were, and proceeded towards him with a smile fixed on her face.
"Rehne de," he said, halting her in her step and turning his face away from her. Somehow that rejection hurt considering that she had stayed awake the whole night tending to his wounds in the absence of anyone who could do it better. She personally did not believe in the practice of leeching which was believed to be the cure for many illnesses and the village
vaid had been away tending a case of small pox in the next town.
"Milind, ye koi tareeka hua Prachi se baat karne ka?" the King said sternly. Turning to Prachi, he said, "Beta, humein lagta hai aapko ab rest karna chahiye. Aap puri raat soyi nahi hain and I'll forever be grateful to you for your timely help."
Brushing his gratitude aside gently with a smile, she crossed the distance between her and the surly Prince lying on the bed and lowered the sheet covering his chest. She heard the King leave and with a determined smile set to work inspecting his wounds and applying salve to them trying not to blush when she felt his eyes on her.
His skin was bronze all over and smooth, she realized belatedly watching the muscles bunch beneath her fingers as she gently touched the wounds scarring his magnificent body. Biting her lip as she usually did when she was flustered, she put a tendril of her hair behind her ear, and bent towards a particularly nasty gash inspecting it closely.
His hand caught hers in a viselike grip as she moved to apply salve to it and her eyes met smoldering dark ones, before his lips formed a word, "Go."
Getting up quickly she left the room, leaning against the door outside. What had just happened there?
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What
had just happened to him?
Raking a hand through his already tousled curls in frustration, he pondered over that question. One moment he had been absolutely disgusted over her meek behavior and prepared to dislike her and the next he had been about to kiss her!
He did not delude himself into thinking he wouldn't have if she had disobeyed that order to leave that had somehow been forced out of him through some sane corner of his mind. What was wrong with him, to like one woman and get attracted to another in the space of a few minutes?
'I guess that's what happens when you put a healthy male in close contact with a female…' he thought with rancor.
And a female who had been unable to disguise her fascination as she had applied that salve on his body too…He had been fascinated himself, watching the different emotions playing on her expressive face, a flush stealing up her glowing olive skin…long lashes covering eyes the colour of warm chocolate…
With a mental shake, he roused himself from his reflections. He had no
business thinking about her when he was about to get married to the most beautiful female ever and her sister on top of that! Ofcourse, Ayesha didn't know that yet but he would make sure she never regretted having him for her husband instead of Neev. A beautiful and courageous woman like her who also had a soft heart was worth anything…
A beautiful and courageous woman who for some reason had been wroth with him enough to give him a curt reply some time back. Hmm…he would make sure he got the answer out of her tomorrow during the ball that was about to take place in honour of the royal bride and groom…
And he…
was the groom, he noted with satisfaction.
And as for that sister of his soon-to-be-wife… he would make sure he stayed clear of her from now on. Those eyes of hers were no good for his peace of mind.
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Couldnt resist putting a michi moment there😳. hope you liked it! do comment and temme if there are any mistakes 😊
Edited by gurl.enchanted - 17 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Indian Mythology
Chakravarti Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan
Shiv Shakti
