Aradhya ||Indian historical fiction||

20| THE LAST THING

~6 days after the promise~

Aradhya and Sadhana sat in her room speaking about everything that had happened. Aradhya had Darsh on her shoulder, sleeping. Sadhana was completely healed. Just a couple more days of medication and she would be as fresh as ever.

"What did you two talk about?" Sadhana asked sipping a honey medicine from a bowl.

"I just went there to apologize to him. And I may or may not have told him about Tamasvini and my history."

"Are you serious? Did you really tell him about all that after he believed Tamasvini?"

"I had to give my explanation. I didn't want any misunderstanding or false miscommunication between us. I told him that it made me insecure"

"What did he say to that? Because as of what I know he definitely didn't say anything comfortin-"

"He promised to make me feel the most secure."

Sadhana almost choked on the medicine. She coughed a couple of times and looked at Aradhya with extremely surprised eyes.

"He...Vihaan told that to you?" she asked with a hoarse voice from coughing.

"Yes?..."

"Oh my God. You two are so in love. I'm not even joking around. He has never once been that considerate to me. It's a different issue that I am more his soulmate than his wife but still."

"You need to calm down. Catch your breath. It's really not that serious. Maybe he still pities me."

"What do you mean by still?"

"I know he pitied me ever since we got married. I think he pitied me for being so weak after Vikram's death. That was the reason why he married me probably. And maybe that is why he told me that he'll make me feel secure."

"No. Shut up. He married you because he actually cared about your well-being. He knew of Amar's plans. He didn't want you to be just another step in Amar's plan. Yes, he felt bad about you losing Vikram but he definitely is not the person to marry someone out of pity."

"If you say so..."

"Will you just accept you two are in love if I say so?"

"We are not in love, Sadhana. It is not that serious. It's not that big."

"I can't wait to embarrass the living world out of Vihaan," Sadhana ignored Aradhya's words and continued with her own thoughts.

.   .   .   .

Nandini and Rihit raced on horseback in the open fields of Ashokdhar countryside.

Nandini gained on Rihit who had picked up as soon as they began. They were head to head and it would take almost a minute to reach the other end of the huge field. Rihit was baffled. He had never seen Nandini be so efficient in getting a horse to gallop. She could only ever make it pace.

Nandini moved way ahead of Rihit with almost a quarter minute to spare. Rihit pulled his reins to which the horse picked up speed. He started gaining on Nandini with just a few seconds left.

Nandini effortlessly jumped over the potholes and logs on the field and in lesser time, she reached the other end of the field, Rihit following after.

He drew a hungry breath in and stared at Nandini who sat caressing the horse calming it down. He looked at her with the funniest of faces he could make.

"How...h-how did you learn to do that?" Right asked catching his breath.

"Aradhya taught me. When Sadhana was in labour and we went to get the outcasts to help us."