Nayantara pov:

We arrived at the vibrant fair, and he held my waist gently as he helped me step down from the horse.

I struggled to contain my bubbling excitement; this was my very first time experiencing the village mela. My palace companions had always regaled me with grand stories of its lively colors and music, and now, finally, I was standing right in the middle of it.

We wandered through the maze of bustling stalls, taking in the sights and smells. While I was busy admiring a colorful display of drapes, Raj slipped away to a nearby sweet vendor and returned with a paper cone filled with piping hot, golden jalebis.

My eyes landed on a stunning crimson chunni adorned with delicate floral embroidery. Lifting the fabric, I draped it softly over my head, turned to face Raj, and asked, "Kaisi lag rahi hoon?" (How do I look?)

Raj froze. He stared at me, his lips parted slightly, blinking as if mesmerized by a vision. He stood in complete silence for several long seconds, caught in that spellbound gaze. A warm blush rushed to my cheeks, and I lowered my eyelashes in shyness, whispering his name softly. "Raj..."

Sapping back to reality, he cleared his throat and darted his eyes around awkwardly, deliberately avoiding mine. "Beautiful," he murmured in a deep voice.

A small smile touched my lips as I handed the drape to the vendor. "Bhaiya, how much for this?"

"Five silver coins, sister," the shopkeeper replied smoothly.

"Bhaiya, that is far too much," I countered instantly, stepping right into my favorite pastime—bargaining. Even as a Princess, I loved the thrill of negotiating, especially when vendors tried to overcharge. "It is worth two coins at best."

"Sister, this is genuine fabric imported from the northern provinces, complete with intricate handwork!" the vendor protested.

"Give it to me for two coins, or I walk away," I stated with absolute confidence. I knew two coins was a bit low, but I was setting the stage for him to drop his initial price. I turned to leave, taking a slow step away.

"Four coins! That is my final offer," the vendor called out.

I smiled secretly, turning back with a deadpan face. "Three coins."

"No, four coins is my absolute limit," he insisted.

"Three coins," Raj's deep, authoritative voice suddenly interjected beside me.

"Bhaiya, as I just explained to your wife, four coins is the absolute lowest I can go," the shopkeeper sighed.

Wife?

My heart did a sudden leap. I darted a quick look at Raj to gauge his reaction. He appeared momentarily stunned by the merchant's assumption, but a tiny, suppressed smirk flickered across his lips for a fraction of a second before he restored his stoic, neutral mask and looked down at me.

He caught me staring at him, and I instantly looked down at my sandals to hide my burning cheeks.

In the end, I purchased the chunni for four coins. The shopkeeper packed it into a neat jute bag, and Raj immediately took it from my hands, insisting on carrying it himself.

I happily munched on the crispy jalebis while he browsed a tailor's stall for simple cotton tunics. Afterward, we made our way over to a glass bangles merchant.

"Bhaiya, give me those dark green ones," I requested, pointing to a shimmering set.

The vendor picked up the delicate glass bangles and took my hand, carefully sliding them over my knuckles. They were a tight fit, but after a bit of coaxing, the entire set rested against my wrist.

"I'll take them!" I announced happily.

The shopkeeper reached out to slide them back off my hand to pack them up, but the glass was far too tight around my palm. "Ouch!" I cried out as he forced them roughly against my skin.

CRACK.

The fragile glass shattered under the pressure, a sharp edge slicing right across my palm.

Before I could process the sting, Raj forcefully yanked my hand out of the vendor's grip. A tear slipped down my cheek from the sudden shock and pain.

Without a word, Raj stepped away to a neighboring ghee stall and returned in seconds with warm butter on his fingertips and a clean strip of white cloth. Working with incredible gentleness, he smoothed the ghee over my skin, sliding the remaining unbroken bangles off my wrist effortlessly. He then carefully bound the small cut with the cloth, his focus absolute.

I couldn't tear my gaze away from his face, completely overwhelmed by his fierce, tender care.

"My payment for the broken bangles!" the merchant demanded loudly as we turned to leave.

Raj slowly turned his head, his dark eyes flashing with lethal fury. "Do you truly expect to be paid after hurting my love and causing her to shed tears?" he asked, his voice dangerously low.

The shopkeeper visibly paled, flinching under the weight of Raj's terrifying glare.

Fearing Raj might lose his temper, I reached out and gently plucked at the fabric of his sleeve. The moment he felt my soft touch, the fiery rage in his eyes dissolved instantly, replaced by a calm warmth.

He turned back to the terrified merchant. "Give us the exact same set of glass bangles—in a larger size."

I offered him a soft, grateful smile, and he returned it with a gentle nod.

The shopkeeper hastily packed the new bangles, and I paid him the coins. But as Raj reached down to pick up our shopping bag, he deliberately pressed a stray, sharp shard of the broken glass directly into the shopkeeper's palm as he took the bag.

"Aaargh!" the merchant gasped, wincing in sharp pain, but he didn't dare breathe a word of complaint against Raj.

"Raj!" I chastised in a hushed whisper.

He turned to me with an entirely innocent expression, as if the incident were a complete accident—though we both knew better.

Soon, we began our journey back toward the temple path. I sat comfortably atop his horse while Raj walked alongside us on foot, holding the reins.

The afternoon breeze blew softly, and I looked down at him. "Raj... mujhe khana banana nahi aata, keval daal aati hai banani. Puri zindagi daal ke bharose bita donge kya?" 

(Raj... I don't know how to cook proper meals, only simple daal. Are you prepared to spend your entire life surviving on just daal?)

A slow, breathtaking smile spread across his lips. "Aapko jarurat nahi padengi kuch pakane ki."

(You will never have to worry about cooking a single thing.)

I tilted my head in confusion. "Kyu, aap kahi ke raja hain? Aapke ghar mein kaun pakata hai khana? Aapki maa nahi pakati?" 

(Why, are you the King of some realm? Who cooks at your home then? Doesn't your mother cook?)

Raj threw his head back and laughed, shaking his head gently. "Do not stress yourself over such trivial matters."

I grew quiet for a moment, a lingering fear creeping into my mind. "What if your parents do not approve of me?"

He took a slow, deep breath, looking up at me with unwavering confidence. "They could never say no to me. And besides... who could possibly fail to love you?"

"And what if... what if my parents do not approve of you?" I asked quietly. I didn't understand why my mind was suddenly exploring every scenario where he would have to approach my royal family for my hand.

Raj stopped walking and looked straight into my eyes, his tone firm and unyielding. "I love you, Tara. And I have more than enough courage to ask for your hand from your parents—even if you were the royal Princess of some grand kingdom."

A wild flock of butterflies erupted in my stomach, taking flight all at once.

Main jitna bachna chahoon,

Utni doobti ja rahi hoon.

Kitna bhi mana karoon,

Aapse prem karti ja rahi hoon.

(The more I try to guard my heart,

The deeper I keep sinking into you.

No matter how much I try to deny it,

I am falling helplessly in love with you.)

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

Dil main raz chhupa hai dikhau kese,
Ho gya hain pyar aapse batau kese,
Duniya kahti hain mat likho naam dil pe,
Jo naam hain dil mein use mitau kese.