Chapter One

The smell of rain invaded the earth as a gentle breeze blew across unexpectedly over the lawns of the kingdom of Vidarbha. The sound of cheers and happiness followed, for the people had been praying to the King of Kings to bless them in time for the harvest.

The mood could not have been more sombre, however, for a certain man busy in the stables of the royal palace. Bahuka gently combed through the tresses of the horse in front, his mind as stormy as the clouds above. There had been no signs of rain in the Kingdom for the past few days, the Sun God making his presence known with intensity, as he rode across the clear blue canvas in his chariot. However, the people had awoken this morning to the greeting clap of thunder and the sprinkles of mist, and were busy rejoicing the end to the severe heat. However, to Bahuka, the sudden change in weather seemed too suspicious to be called a good fortune. Almost as if the Wind God himself were heralding the news of a change to come. After all, rain was said to be an omen of reunited love, of new lives and happier times, wasn't it?

His tumultuous thoughts were brought back to the matter at hand by his focus of attention, clearly unhappy at him having stopped his rhythmic brushing. With a slight chuckle, Bahuka continued weaving through the soft hairs framing the majestic horse, one of the two that had led the almighty King Rithuparna's chariot across the many lands at breakneck speed to reach their destination in a night's time (Of course, the motive and determination of the charioteer himself could have seldom to do with it). He kept up his soft murmuring and clucking, calming the fidgety horse down just as quick, until it had its eyes closed in happiness. Strangely enough, Bahuka had always enjoyed the art behind mundane tasks like grooming horses, even in his... previous life, the domesticality behind it intriguing him despite having been born in a family filled with royals. Perhaps it had been a sign sent by the Gods to him regarding what was to become of his future, of how he would come to regard all that he had and all that he lost with nothing but gratefulness, with peace and understanding, with optimism and cheerfulness.

Or maybe it was just fate's idea of a sick, twisted, ironical prank, in which case its humour was as twisted as his own.

Deciding he had spent long enough wandering - hiding - in the stables, Bahuka gently clambered back to his feet, set on returning back to the garden where he had promised to take care of the more wilted flowers, when his eyes unknowingly, almost magnetically, drifted to the room at the topmost corner of the palace, The room which was said to house one of the most invaluable treasures of the kingdom, whose beauty had captivated eyes and ears far and wide, whose laughter had once held every corner of his own - his old - mind, whose arms had once lovingly draped a garland of flowers around his neck in the sacred hall of the palace.

Whose second marriage was to be held in those very same halls that very same day, within the span of a few hours.

Bahuka ripped his eyes away from the sight, beyond furious at himself for allowing the momentary lapse of weakness. This was not the time nor the place to be reminiscing about the past, about the has-beens and the what-ifs, and certainly not about her... He set off on a brisk walk cutting through the gardens, forgoing his earlier plans and instead deciding to just rest by the side of his chariot for the rest of the day with the horses for company. At least they never change their minds on a whim, he thought viciously to himself.

Just as he had turned around to set back, his ears were blessed with the sounds of ringing anklets, their sounds in rhythm with the storms above. And he froze, not because there could not have been any sane source outside save for him in this weather at this particular time, but because he knew that sound like he knew his own heartbeat, knew it by the way it had once echoed across the walls of his own palace, knew it by the way it would draw closer and closer just as it did now, knew it by how his treacherous heart would speed up in anticipation, in order to catch a glimpse of the anklets and the feet they adorned, admonishing their luck at having to never part sides with his beloved...

Hey Mahadev, not now, not when I had managed to keep away from her sights for so long...

But not even the power of all the penance he had performed could prevent his body from turning around, like a body parched of water in the desert, like a bee deprived of its honey, like a lotus deprived from sunlight, it could not help but react to the reason it survived every day, the very soul of its existence.

And there, across the white marbles of the long corridor, came into view a beauty dressed in royal garbs, her white and blue sari flying behind her, her jeweled feet unable to stop her in time with the momentum as she crashed into the opposite wall. But she paid the pain no heed as her eyes fell on the figure a few feet across from her, even as she stumbled to a halt.

Time stood still as the two lovers met each other after a decade of separation.

Bahuka's eyes travelled along the lady's body, from the red rimmed eyes and the smudged kohl, to the hastily and incorrectly draped sari drooping across her shoulder, from the dull sheen of her face and the pale visage, to the weakened figure as she clutched a nearby pillar for support.

He had never seen a sight so beautiful in his entire life.

The figure stiffened, the hand not holding onto the pillar flying to her mouth as she stared at his own self for what felt like an eternity. And Bahuka would have waited lifetimes more, were he not suddenly reminded harshly of the fact that he was staring at the sole remainder of his past that he had wished to avoid, the reason he had set off on this dark and dreary journey, the one who had promised to stay by his side but was now to be forced to the side of another. And he instructed his own muscles to stiffen, to produce an act of impatience even as his heart threatened to jump out of his chest with every passing second, as he waited for a response.

The figure shivered, as if taking a deep breath, before her feet once again started off, though this time with none of the hurry it had previously carried. This time the steps were small and hesitant, as if unsure if it were stepping onto a pile of rose petals or thorns next. And he waited with bated breath as the reason for all his dreams and nightmares came to stand in front of him, gazing at his face as if in disbelief. Then she seemed to pull herself together, quickly running a dry hand beneath her eyes and straightening her spine before bringing her eyes to his feet, And then she spoke, her voice unknowingly causing him to close his eyes in bliss before he reminded himself to snap them open,

"Hey Arya! My beloved Sakhi had brought me news of the conversations you had with her, and I could not find it in me to wait any longer for an answer! Have mercy on this lady and answer me truthfully. Oh brave one, where is my husband, the righteous King Nala of the kingdom of Nishada?"

And Bahuka had to force himself not to flinch and give himself away on hearing that cursed name spill out like the sweetest nectar from those lips, even as its meaning made itself known to his brain. And it only added pain to his wound, the fact that she could not see him despite seeing him, for definitely she was searching for the face that had once mesmerised the eyes of men and women alike, the body that could have put even the gods themselves to shame, the beauty whose fame had gained followers and dislikers for him. That man, with his glory and beauty and manliness, that was the man she wanted for a husband, not this scarred, disfigured piece of meat that vaguely resembled a human.

The lady, growing impatient with his silence, spoke again, almost desperately, "Please, oh kind one. Do not turn away from me without answering my question. I know you know where he is. I shall fall on my knees if I have to, please bless this sister with this knowledge. I beg of you, tell me where my husband is?"

"Why do you care?", the words had slipped from his mouth, whispered into the dead of the dawn, but it could have been shouted the way the figure stumbled back, the doe eyes rounded in surprise, as if not understanding his question. And this drove him more angry, the fact that she would act innocent as if not understanding why this man would question her right to search for her husband, that he spoke again before she could reply,

"Why do you care, Princess? That old man has nothing to give to you anymore. Not his wealth, not his kingdom, not even his life to call his own. In fact, is that not the reason you have decided to marry again? A good decision, Princess, leaving that worthless man to reside with another."

The woman kept stumbling back with every word he spit out, her hands covering her ears, clawing at them as if to unhear the words he had just said. She kept shaking her head, confused and shocked, before staring at his feet once more in agony.

"Say no more, I beg of you, say no more of this to me. What I have to - need to - say, I shall do so to my husband. He shall understand. Where is he, Oh Wise one?"

And this just toppled him over with rage, all the sufferings and humiliations he had gone through all driving itself to the centre of his mind. He had been forced to give up his crown, his kingdom to his cousin because of jealousy . He had been forced to shift with his wife to the forest and to traverse its labyrinthine ways. He had to start from square one in the hopes of one day winning back all he had lost, had to forgo his pride and live beneath the command of a king as a mere stable boy. Despite all this, the one thing that had kept him going had been the love his wife held for him and he for her. Now, to know she had been ready to give herself to another and forget him as if he meant nothing to her, and then to act innocent about it in front of him...

He whirled back, eyes wild, to meet her gaze, the suddenness of the action startling her, as her eyes snapped up to meet his. "How dare you ask for his understanding? What do you want him to understand, Princess? That just like his kingdom, his people, his dignity, he is to lose you too? Fate has been cruel to him, Princess, for he lost everything that he stood for through means of cheating and betrayal. But fate has not been as cruel as you, to have made a promise to stand by him in sickness and in health, in grief and in cheer, and then to take it all away from him, and then you have the audacity to ask for his understanding? Will you not spare him anymore suffering?"

He took a deep breath, the words spilling from him like a burning ember, a spark setting the whole ablaze. "It is true, he forced you to give up everything and leave with him, to give up on all the riches and luxuries of a life in the palace, to live in the forest, with no food nor clothes to keep you warm, no guards to keep you protected, no house to live within. It is also true", at this his voice faltered but he powered on, "that he left you alone in the forest at night, having torn a piece of your garment and leaving nothing but an empty pile of leaves in return. That he hid from you by adorning a disguise so you would never recognise him, a new life, a new name - Bahuka."

 At this he once again gazed at her face, able to calm down enough to see the shock and hope and disbelief swirling within those expressive hazel eyes, nearly drowning in red. And he decided, he had hid for long enough, had suffered for long enough, if it was all to come down today, it may as well be to the end, and brought out the small garment the Serpent King had blessed him with, a help he had received when he had nothing but his own life to give in return. A kindness of a form he hadn't witnessed until then. Then, with expert grace, he covered himself in it under the watchful gaze of his companion, before the entire world succumbed to a flash.

When it had all subsided, a sob burst open from the one who had remained gazing at him, her eyes now pouring water in rivers down her pale cheeks, leaving red, burning skin in its wake. And Nala, now reborn, stood to his full height in all his resplendent glory, the anger of vengeance burning within his soul to overpower, if only for a few moments, the love that had always occupied the centre stage. His furious eyes found that of his beloved's , whose arms had come outstretched as if to haul him within her embrace once again, but never was he to fall in another trap blindly again. Nalan stepped away from her reach, once again speaking in rich, dark baritones, "Don't you dare act innocent in front of me, wife. I had believed in so many people, and they all gave me nothing but pain in return. The first and only act of selfless kindness I got to see was from the Serpent Karkodaka himself, when he helped me disguise myself to my will. No more will I trust blind acts of love and kindness again. Go on, move on and marry another like you had decided. Don't bother spending this time trying to make me understand your decision, love. No excuses you make will ever justify your abandonment. How cruel could you be, to use your own body and beauty to try and make me fall in love with you? And what a fool I was, to have believed everything you said and did. You never really loved me, did you? It was all a plot from the very beginning, I can guarantee, to entice me with your innocent demeanour and kind words until I was in your trap. Then, like a predator leeching the blood of its prey, you left me with nothing in the wake. Was this all a plan of yours too? With your mom, perhaps, or was it with that cousin of mine? Were you planning to kill me off too, in the forests? You know what, it was better to have died than live the way I was forced to. And it was all because of you!"

"So, by all means, go ahead and marry the next king of your choice. Who will it be, I wonder? Perhaps the great King Rithuparna, with his immense wealth and gentle heart? He would forever keep you happy, Princess, and you will never have to yearn for anything else ever again. His charm and beauty has no bounds too! Isn't that just the cherry on top! But please, as a well wisher, I must beg of you, Oh Heartless One, don't hurt him like you have me! Or will you leave him behind too, once he makes himself useless to you, once his wealth has run out, or his beauty blemishes with age? Will you leave him and go again in search of another man then? Will we all have to find the Fountain of Youth to keep up with your wishes, so that we can keep you with us? Will it ever be enough for you, or will you charm us all, like a snake charmer, and then leave us begging at your feet? Will you, tell me, I beg of you, you witch!", by the end of his rant, Nala's chest was heaving, years of anger washing out from him as quickly as it had come, leaving him hollow. But where was the person having heard all of this? Nala kept staring forwards, brows slightly furrowed in confusion, before slowly bringing his gaze downwards, and freezing there.

For the fire had sparked, and raged and roared, but now that it had subsided, it had left but ashes in its place.

The Princess lay sprawled in the ground below, her legs bent and chest leaning, but her head turned away from the towering man in front of her. Her once beautiful curls, now appearing like dried tangled vines, swayed like dead weights in the breeze. She must have taken hurried steps backwards, every word falling from her beloved's lips like stones pelting her body, until her knees had fallen beneath the waves of grief tormenting her soul. Even then, he had not stopped, had not realised she now lay prone on the floor, defeated, for him to take his wrath out on. And Nala could only stare, horrified, captivated but oh so horrified, at the figure at his feet.

And he realised, if he had been scared about her anger, he should have died a thousand deaths before allowing himself to hear the sheer pain in the voice that fell from her mouth, as she spoke,

"Forgive me, my lord, for turning my face away from you, but I cannot - I will not - survive hearing these words fall from that face I worship. This must surely be some trick of the Gods, who haven't punished me enough for my sins, to appear once again in front of me in the form I crave to see the most. You, surely, are not my husband." And the surety in her sentence left him staggering beneath its weight.

"You asked me, on lord, how I could ever dream of his understanding. It is because, you see, my husband trusts me more than anyone else could, including myself. I have never done anything worthy to have gained such valuable trust, but he does so all the same, asking for nothing in return. So", her voice broke, "how can I not search for that man, whose every decision I could not help but worship? The one person who gave me all that I could have wanted, who had given me the key to the greatest treasure I have had the fortune of gaining, his love, his heart? No, oh great one, my husband will surely understand my actions'', at this her voice grew stronger, steel and strength ringing in its core, " that this Bhima Putri would lose her wealth, her status, her very soul, before she would ever let someone else take his place in her mind and heart."

A sudden clap of thunder sounded above, bringing the great King to his senses, as if the very sky was protesting against the drops of water falling down the

lady's cheeks. Her face slowly lifted to look at the skies above, but even then, did not dare turn to face the husband she had longed to meet. And Nala was left staring at the side of her face in agony, wondering if he would ever get to see those golden orbs again, if he even deserved to.

An almost bittersweet smile took over the Princess's lips, confusing Nala, as she started speaking again, "It was on a stormy night like this, my lord, when I was born in this very same palace. At the time, you see, my parents weren't very happy, for they had wishes for a strong and valorous son as an heir to the throne, but had received a soft, chubby cheek-ed girl instead. But as I grew older, people started noticing me for the beauty my body held, for the way I looked. So much so, that my parents decided they couldn't possibly let me roam around and risk myself, and instead decided to lock me at home with no one but my Sakhi for company. Even then, countless proposals arrived from far and wide, some just to catch a glimpse of the famed Princess, the unattainable beauty!" And now, she was laughing deprecatingly, the sound so unbearable it made Nala want to sit down and weep for eternity. But he could only continue to stand and watch as the beauty slowly brought her face back down to once again face the ground, the haunting smile still fixated on her lips. "But I was homeschooled, having grown without any social interaction save for the ones with my mom and my Sakhi. How then, could they have expected me to become a good Queen? Surely not! And for that they called me naive, ignorant, a beauty with no brains! Indeed, all I could possibly be good for was royal decor, like the very ornaments adorning my neck, I too would adorn some palace, a beautiful muse for a beautiful throne. I would perform my duty as a wife, provide heirs and stay away from all things related to running a kingdom. That was all I was meant to be, even my parents agreed so. And how could I refuse, my lord? For all the pain they had to go