Warrior Princess; Her Quest to the throne

0Mriga hadn't planned to visit the store but when she saw Yash and that pretty girl looking at each other like a shy newly wedded couple, she had gone not green but black with jealousy. Fair enough that she and Yash weren't dating but there was an unspoken understanding between them about liking each other.     0

How dare he blush in front of that girl!     

Wasn't that expression reserved solely for her? Once she reached the two of them, she had realised that the girl was gorgeous and angelic looking. A sudden insecurity had gripped her. She had no idea who the stranger was and suddenly she didn't want to know. In order to avoid talking about it and to bring her poor little heart back into control, she had suggested that she and Yash go separate ways for a bit.     

Mriga found herself walking the now familiar path leading up to the store. From her experience, she knew that there was absolutely zero chance of Shaurya being present at the shop right now. But she didn't mind going and acknowledging the neighbouring store owners who had become her friends during those three weeks. She just needed to divert her attention somewhere else to calm down.     

Mriga found the store unmanned as always. Dust had settled in just and it looked exactly as it was on her first day there. Out of habit, she went inside and brought out the cleaning supplies. It was therapeutic to scrub, mop, wipe and she did it almost on an autopilot. Giving the place a final check, she went next door to greet the shop keepers.     

To her, it was a never ending surprise that till date no one had plundered the place and stolen whatever little was valuable in there. What she didn't know was that all the local thieves were aware that the place belonged to someone badass and would never dare to break-in.     

She was enjoying a refreshing glass of buttermilk at the shop next door, when a sweaty and harrowed looking Yash reached her.     

She got up from the jute chair and walked upto him, hurriedly.     

"Is something wrong? What happened to you?" she asked in concern.     

Yash grinned at her widely, "I have wrapped up my task for the day."     

Mriga's eyes widened in surprise.     

"Wasn't this supposed to take a couple of hours? You finished it so quickly? Are you sure that you haven't done a shoddy job?" she was worrying about the repercussion of a hastily done assignment on his grades.     

The internship was taken very seriously by the Gurukul and each assignment carried enough weightage, requiring a student's full commitment.     

"Let's say that I deliver fantastic result when under pressure," he said cryptically.     

She wrinkled her nose in confusion and looked at him.     

"Don't ask me to explain it any further. Are you not happy to see me back early?" he asked, insecurity surfacing in his words.     

Mriga blushed at his statement.     

"I know a good eating joint nearby. Should we have an early lunch then?" she asked him with a smile, after a moment.     

His heart was relieved to see the smile back on her face and he nodded enthusiastically. Just as Mriga was about to leave, she thought of something and ran back to the newly cleaned store.     

Penning a note, she stuck it on the top of the register kept at the table.     

Yash gave her a curious look but didn't ask her anything. As they walked, she kept pointing at different things and places which may interest him. They reached the eatery where Shaurya had taken her often during her internship with him.     

Lunch was a happy, noisy affair. Food was peppered with discussions varying from governing policies to sports to latest happenings in their respective zillas. It had been long since they had held such an animated conversation.     

"Oh my God! Look at the amount of food that we have polished off in such a short time," Mriga looked at the piled up dishes in front of them.     

Yash's eyes twinkled with mischief as he frowned and said, "you are right. But it couldn't be helped. I have always known you to be a voracious eater, despite your diminutive size. My only worry is whether I have enough money to pay for all this. After all, it was my invitation today."     

Her nostrils flared in anger immediately and she pushed back the sleeves of her dress, forming an aggressive stance.     

"What do you mean by voracious eater? Are you trying to imply that I am a glutton? Let me tell you that you eat much faster than me, hence you always manage to finish a larger portion in lesser time. And who are you calling diminutive? Just because you gained some height and muscle during this vacation, you dare to look down on me. Let's spar the minute we reach back. I will show you who's what!!" she challenged him.     

Yash simply looked at her and absorbed the flushed cheeks, brightened eyes and the fast beating pulse at the base of her neck.     

Smiling softly, he said, "I was defeated by you, long ago. If you were to continue looking like this, I am afraid it would be the death of me."     

Mriga was taken aback at the sudden change in the atmosphere. The air around them felt heavy and the noises seemed to have drowned under the roaring beat of her heart. She couldn't take her eyes off him. The way he was looking at her, gave her goose bumps.