Warrior Princess; Her Quest to the throne

0Shaurya nodded his head indicating his agreement. But his expressions didn't give away his actual thoughts. He still wasn't completely calm after witnessing the scene inside and initially wanted to refuse Mriga's offer. But the greed to spend more time with her made him agree to her offer.     0

Ever since he had gotten to know that he was assigned to the mission which could mean a no-return for him, he had told himself that it was good that her heart was engaged elsewhere. The next ten days with her were all that he had and he wanted to spend every possible second of them with her.     

Without even his realising it, his tone and actions had become much gentler towards her then onwards. Since he wouldn't express his feelings for her through his lips, his body had taken it upon itself to show it through every gesture what she meant to him.     

He followed Mriga out on the uneven path, walking one step behind her. He could hear her babble but instead of paying attention to her words, his senses were focused on her profile. He greedily absorbed the fragrance of her body, the way her hands moved matching the excitement of her words, the wavy hair which clung to her body like a second skin. Being this close to her was testing his self-control to its absolute limit. He didn't know when or how or why.     

All he knew without a doubt, was – she was the one, the last girl whom he will ever love!     

"That's why no one has ever discovered this spot. Don't you think it is amazing?" Mriga spread out her hands with a flourish and invited Shaurya to look at the scenery in front of them.     

Shaurya had no clue how they arrived at this place nor did he have any recollection of what she said was the history behind it. Using his stone-faced behaviour as cover, he simply nodded, hoping that she wouldn't ask him any questions about it, now or later.     

Seeing not even a trace of excitement on his face, Mriga rolled her eyes in frustration and sat down on one of the rocks there. They were sitting at a vantage point from where the twinkling lights of half of the zilla could be seen. Though the place wasn't located at a very high point, its slanting location made it seem as if they were at the top.     

After an indecisive moment, Shaurya also sat down next to her but kept his gaze firmly on the view.     

When there was no sound from his partner over the next few minutes, he wondered if she had fallen asleep. Craning his neck sideways, he looked and then looked again.     

Mriga's current expressions were a far cry from her usual jovial one.     

"Are you… err…" he wanted to ask her if she was ok but the words were stuck in his throat.     

"Have you ever been in a relation which hasn't worked out eventually?" she asked him softly.     

Not only was he taken aback at her question, the way that she had framed it was also weird. Was she curious about his love life? For a second, his heart soared at the thought but then he looked at her carefully. Was she sad? But she had been so cheerful a few moments ago.     

Why were girls such complex creatures?     

If that punk had hurt her, he would break his neck, even if he had to come back from the dead for it. He realised belatedly that while he had been busy grinding his teeth and clenching his fists, she was still waiting for an answer from him.     

"Uh, given my circumstances, it would have been a miracle had a relationship worked out," he said, without any trace of self-pity.     

He was looking at the stars above when he said so. The next second, he could sense her curious gaze upon his face. Somehow, the proximity to her or the impending circumstances made him say the next few lines.     

"If my being an orphan wasn't enough, add my near non-existent social skills and if it is still not a deterrent, don't forget the secret double life that I lead. How could I have ever had any chance?" his voice had no inflection but she could taste the bitterness of his words.     

Mriga forgot her own grief for a moment and said, heatedly, "What rubbish? One's background is something that is not in his or her control. So how can it be a deciding factor? As for your behavior, well, it does seem lacking at times but don't you know that most girls fall for the sulky, arrogant guys who seem to carry a chip on their shoulder. And your good looks just make that mix even spicier."     

Shaurya's jaw fell open at her words and he turned to look at her. But in her zeal to make him feel better, she continued without any filter on her mouth, not even realising the implication of her words.     

"The secret spy life may make it a little challenging to balance things out but women of all ages loveeeeee intrigue. Think about it, if you were a girl, would you choose a predictable, boring Mr. Goody two shoes when you have the bad boy with killer looks and sizzling aura in front of you. I mean is that even a choice. Don't lose heart. Just wait for a bit. You will probably witness women fighting for your attention and affection sooner than later. As for those in the past, they must have been blind," she finished her words on a high note.     

"So, is that the kind of guy you like?" Shaurya's softly asked question brought her back to reality.