12 views
The Ballad of Nirvana
Chapter 24
part 3
“Lean in closer,” she rasped, and he obeyed.
She slapped him so hard he almost retracted in surprise and stared at the Princess who attempted to sit up straight but failed.
He instantly slid his hands under her forearms and helped her to sit, but she cringed away from his touch. “Aah. That hurts, careful!” She exclaimed.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to… I am sorry, none of this was meant to happen, it’s all my fault.” His eyes stung at the sight of her wincing in pain.
“Yes. Yes, it is definitely your fault and you deserved that slap. But guess what, your mistake has made me stronger, Manu did not have to use her magic to heal me.” She smiled at him, wincing slightly.
He sat down near her feet and looked at her in confusion, “How? How did that happen?” He asked.
“I don’t know but I stopped bleeding almost instantly and my skin covered my wounds, I saw it happen with my own eyes. Everything but the abdomen is back to normal, Ms. Madhura was pretty hard on the kicking part.” She smiled at him, smiled at him despite almost letting her die.
“Princess, I am sorry, I swear I did not know it was going to become so bad.” He touched her feet slightly and squeezed it slightly.
“I am sure you didn’t know she hated me, Agni. It’s alright! And stop, don't do that, it tickles.” She said with mocking sweetness and chuckled.
“I knew she hated you, but I didn’t know she would try to kill you. I…” The Princess cut in sharply, “ She loves you, Agni! Of course she hates me. She hates me because she thinks there is something between us.”
“She loves me, yes, she told me that when she arrived here, but I didn’t know she would be such an obnoxious fox about it! I had already told her that she was nothing more than just a friend.” He cried out loud.
The Princess fell silent for a second and said softly, “I wouldn’t blame her if I were you.”
“What do you mean?” He asked, knitting his eyebrows in confusion, but she only shook her head.
________________________________
Agni massaged Indriya’s feet, her heart was racing and her hands shivered slightly even though he touched her legs over the blanket . She couldn’t stop her heart from oscillating the way light a pendulum, to and fro.
She almost told him about how she felt, but some part of her was thankful he didn’t understand. They sat and chatted for half an hour about the most random things in the world, and all the while her heart fluttered and a swarm of butterflies were pinching the walls of her stomach.
Their conversation was thankfully interrupted by Chag, who brought her a cup of lemongrass tea and sent out a signal to Agni that if he stayed even a second longer, Chag would stab him in the heart and dump his body in the sewer.
Chag occupied the chair in which Agni sat only a minute ago and handed her the tea.
“You forgive him?” Chag asked.
“Everyone makes mistakes.” She shrugged.
“Yeah, but his mistake could have cost you your life.” Chag said gravely, sipping his tea, fooling his glasses in the process. Indriya chuckled at him and said, “Come on you can’t be angry at someone…”
Chag cut in. “You love?”
“Saved your life...someone who saved your life.” Indriya completed her sentence in a denial.
“What makes you say that, anyway?” Her heart almost stopped beating for a second.
“I threw a rock at it, to see if it would fall.” He smirked at her.
“And?” She questioned just to see if he had something on his mind about them.
“Looks like it didn’t fall, but if it ever does then, I assure you I will be the first to know.” He sneered and Indriya scoffed at his comment and dismissed it. Indriya scoffed at his comment and dismissed it.
“This is why I hate hot beverages.” He said in an exasperated tone, Chag’s glasses had fogged up for the third time as he sipped his tea.
Indriya laughed and he laughed along. Just then Mythri barged in through the door with a tray of food and kicked the door close behind her.
“Time for lunch, Princess!” She announced.
“What? I just had tea!” Indriya exclaimed, she was surprised to see the healer wearing shorts and a casual oversized t-shirt.
“Yes but you need rest and you need to have your medicines, so you will eat early and sleep early.” She said, setting the tray on top of the tiny work table and walking toward her bed.
‘Whoa! What’s with the short? Not that she doesn’t look good, but God!’ Chag thought, and Indriya shot him a glare and smiled slyly.
But he wasn’t even looking at her; he was busy staring at his friend’s sister.
© YDR
part 3
“Lean in closer,” she rasped, and he obeyed.
She slapped him so hard he almost retracted in surprise and stared at the Princess who attempted to sit up straight but failed.
He instantly slid his hands under her forearms and helped her to sit, but she cringed away from his touch. “Aah. That hurts, careful!” She exclaimed.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to… I am sorry, none of this was meant to happen, it’s all my fault.” His eyes stung at the sight of her wincing in pain.
“Yes. Yes, it is definitely your fault and you deserved that slap. But guess what, your mistake has made me stronger, Manu did not have to use her magic to heal me.” She smiled at him, wincing slightly.
He sat down near her feet and looked at her in confusion, “How? How did that happen?” He asked.
“I don’t know but I stopped bleeding almost instantly and my skin covered my wounds, I saw it happen with my own eyes. Everything but the abdomen is back to normal, Ms. Madhura was pretty hard on the kicking part.” She smiled at him, smiled at him despite almost letting her die.
“Princess, I am sorry, I swear I did not know it was going to become so bad.” He touched her feet slightly and squeezed it slightly.
“I am sure you didn’t know she hated me, Agni. It’s alright! And stop, don't do that, it tickles.” She said with mocking sweetness and chuckled.
“I knew she hated you, but I didn’t know she would try to kill you. I…” The Princess cut in sharply, “ She loves you, Agni! Of course she hates me. She hates me because she thinks there is something between us.”
“She loves me, yes, she told me that when she arrived here, but I didn’t know she would be such an obnoxious fox about it! I had already told her that she was nothing more than just a friend.” He cried out loud.
The Princess fell silent for a second and said softly, “I wouldn’t blame her if I were you.”
“What do you mean?” He asked, knitting his eyebrows in confusion, but she only shook her head.
________________________________
Agni massaged Indriya’s feet, her heart was racing and her hands shivered slightly even though he touched her legs over the blanket . She couldn’t stop her heart from oscillating the way light a pendulum, to and fro.
She almost told him about how she felt, but some part of her was thankful he didn’t understand. They sat and chatted for half an hour about the most random things in the world, and all the while her heart fluttered and a swarm of butterflies were pinching the walls of her stomach.
Their conversation was thankfully interrupted by Chag, who brought her a cup of lemongrass tea and sent out a signal to Agni that if he stayed even a second longer, Chag would stab him in the heart and dump his body in the sewer.
Chag occupied the chair in which Agni sat only a minute ago and handed her the tea.
“You forgive him?” Chag asked.
“Everyone makes mistakes.” She shrugged.
“Yeah, but his mistake could have cost you your life.” Chag said gravely, sipping his tea, fooling his glasses in the process. Indriya chuckled at him and said, “Come on you can’t be angry at someone…”
Chag cut in. “You love?”
“Saved your life...someone who saved your life.” Indriya completed her sentence in a denial.
“What makes you say that, anyway?” Her heart almost stopped beating for a second.
“I threw a rock at it, to see if it would fall.” He smirked at her.
“And?” She questioned just to see if he had something on his mind about them.
“Looks like it didn’t fall, but if it ever does then, I assure you I will be the first to know.” He sneered and Indriya scoffed at his comment and dismissed it. Indriya scoffed at his comment and dismissed it.
“This is why I hate hot beverages.” He said in an exasperated tone, Chag’s glasses had fogged up for the third time as he sipped his tea.
Indriya laughed and he laughed along. Just then Mythri barged in through the door with a tray of food and kicked the door close behind her.
“Time for lunch, Princess!” She announced.
“What? I just had tea!” Indriya exclaimed, she was surprised to see the healer wearing shorts and a casual oversized t-shirt.
“Yes but you need rest and you need to have your medicines, so you will eat early and sleep early.” She said, setting the tray on top of the tiny work table and walking toward her bed.
‘Whoa! What’s with the short? Not that she doesn’t look good, but God!’ Chag thought, and Indriya shot him a glare and smiled slyly.
But he wasn’t even looking at her; he was busy staring at his friend’s sister.
© YDR
