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***

At a few moments, life gives you something which you often wanted to avoid, from which you have always run away. And tonight poor Raghuveer might face this situation, he wanted to hide Riya away from the minister at any cost but look at the fate, she is standing right in front of the minister's daughter.

Strong winds of the freezing night were engulfing Riya as she stood scared if Sahasthra shouts for help the worst might happen. So without wasting any time Riya quickly joined her hands together and prayed silently, begging Sahasthra to not shout and like a blessing she closed her mouth and motioned her index finger asking Riya to come in light.

With no solution at hand, Riya obliged walking forward but however, her sore legs didn't team up making her collapse to the floor. And somehow Sahasthra came running to Riya to help her, she quickly pulled out an oil lantern hanging down the roof examining her foot and Riya was shocked beyond words seeing her personality. Which fool will take the risk of helping a complete stranger who can be a potential threat to you?

Sahasthra made Riya sit leaning on a close-by wall for support as she twisted her palm in a sign language asking who Riya was and her sign language.

"Um," Riya bit her lower lip in anxiously, trying to shake her tiny brain to come up with some lie which would be believable, unlike the truth, "Um, I-i am an um-"

Sahasthra's eyebrows in disbelief as she closely observed Riya's facial movements.

"Um, I am a- maid! Yes! Yes, yes I am a maid and-"

Before Riya herself could believe her lie Sahasthra folded her hands over her chest as she shook her head, silently saying that what she said is a pathetic lie. And Riya's head dropped down in dejection.

But Sahasthra didn't give up, she crossed her hand over her heart and moved it to her mouth as if telling Riya to speak the truth making her huff loudly as Sahasthra squatted beside her, leaning her back to the wall.

"It is going to sound absurd, but I-um, somehow I can't remember my past." Saying sadly glanced at Sahasthra from the corner of her eye and was surprised to see that expression of trust on her face. She is believing in her?

Sahasthra slowly moulded her fingers in a sign asking how and somehow Riya couldn't feel any threat from her. Her warm expressions and her friendly nature got Riga talking.

"All I can remember is that I was chased by someone and I feel off that cliff, there." Riya pointed her fingers towards the cliff which could partially be seen from this angle and Sahasthra turned around with curiosity to see that place, "But other than that I can't recall anything else, my legs were hurt in that process so Raghu-I mean Rajkumar is treating and helping me."

Sahasthra nodded her head continuously as if she understood everything but soon her deep thoughtful expression broke out into a small smile, while she pointed one hand towards Riya, the other towards the wall indicating Raghuveer inside and joined both hands together placing them near her heart asking if they are in any relationship and unexpectedly Riya's cheeks warmed up with an unseen blush.

"What! Ewe, no!"

Sahasthra's eyebrows rose up in disbelief and Riya laughed saying, "I mean of course he is inhumanly handsome but not my type!"

And soon, the two young women were lost in talks about random stuff. Neither Sahathra's inability to speak nor the freezing cold wind could stop them from gossiping like two lost best friends.

Slowly a door behind crept open and Dhruvan peeked outside and all the life left his soul as he saw Riya; a demon woman actively chatting with Lady Sahasthra and he gulped loudly in fear.

"Uhh, demon-Un no I mean woman?"

Sahasthra looked up at the sudden voice and when she remembered that he is Raghuveer's servant she gave him a smile and made a Namasthe.

"Namasthe Ji!" Dhruvan immediately bent down a little in respect as he continued, "I think your father is done with the meeting so they might be here any minute so-"

"Stop blabbering and help me stand up, boy!"

Dhruvan narrowed his eyes in frustration as he helped Riya stand up, cursing her mentally and right before that could leave Riya caught sahasthra's as she spoke, "I am Riya by the way!"

Sahasthra smiled as she tried to sign her name but Riya stopped her by saying, "Don't bother! I know your name, Sahasthra right! And also keep visiting please, I am bored to death here!"

Sahasthra laughed listening to her tone and soon she went back to her position standing near the entrance and Dhruvan hurriedly dragged Riya inside the chambers.

It felt pleasant to talk to someone for Riya, though she had talked to Dhruvan just before it was different with Sahathra, even with no voice her eyes spoke a thousand words, even knowing each other barely it felt like they could pull an all-night just with talks. It never felt like they couldn't communicate and such a sweet daughter to a person like Kashyap is so unfair to her.

••

Dhruvan and Riya sat at each corner of the bed like culprits and a furious Raghuveer stood before them and Dhruvan could see the invisible smoke coming out of his master's ears.

"It was her who-" Dhruvan tried to complain but Riya beat it to him saying, "Ha! Very funny, you were the one-"

"Shut up, you two!" Raghuveer shouted, rubbing his forehead in frustration. Why does it feel like he is handling two five-year-olds?

"We were almost caught, twice!"

"But it didn't happen, right?" Riya squeaked slowly, fueling Raghuveer's anger a bit more.

"But Rajkumari Ji, are you accepting minister Kashyap's marriage request?" Dhruvan asked trying to divert the topic and thankfully it was working.

Raghuveer settled down in a chair nearby as he spoke, "First of firsts, his intention is not a wedding, but power accumulation. He is very well aware of the queen's hatred for me so he was here scapegoating his daughter to gather power."

Soon Dhruvan escaped from the chambers saying that he will have to prepare dinner but a curious Riya got stuck to the conversation.

"How terrible! She is such a lovely woman!" Riya exclaimed as she gave this situation a deep thought, for all she knows is that she is attracted to this man but if an innocent woman like Sahasthra gets married to him, her life will be saved. However, the uneasy pain was still wavering around her heart.

"She is, but it seems like her heart belongs to someone else," Raghuveer muttered disapprovingly.

"Seriously?" Her eyes grew wide hearing that, "She never mentioned anything about this man, who can that be?" Riya asked with utmost excitement to know that man in her new friend's life but for some unknown reason, Raghuveers features turned dark.

"It must be prince Dipankar, but the far she stays from him the better it is for her." Saying he stood near the window, staring at the star-filled full moon night.

"Um, why?"

"He is a carbon copy of my father, a fool and a man whore." Raghuveer gritted his teeth as those distasteful words left his mouth, nightmares from his childhood dancing right in front of his eyes.

His eyes burned with hate and rage and it did not go unnoticed by Riya, his hands fisted up as he talked to himself as if he was reciting a distant reminder, "They will be burnt to ashes and" Raghuveer slowly turned behind looking straight in her eyes as he spoke, "I will be that fire."

Riya sat frozen as she couldn't divert her eyes from his, Raghuveer's sharp pair o eyes held the pain of loss and a desire for power and somehow that authoritative look sent a shiver down her spine.

***