It was all together an awkward situation where both of us were all alone in this cave of this unknown jungle.

I successfully again lit the fire inside this cave right in the middle of it. Nandini was sitting in one corner and I on the another corner but exactly opposite to each other, right in front of my eyes but as far as possible from me just like our sleeping arrangements in my palace room.

I kept glancing at her through the fire burning in the middle of our space while She was busy checking every inch of this cave fearfully as if some ghost or a big hideous creature would appear infront of her any minute.

"Relax !! Nothing is going to attack you. Not in front of me.... so don't be scared ." I said looking at her with a straight face.

"I know .....and I am not scared of anything except" she said talking like a great warrior prince.

" ......except for one thing...." I appreciate the honesty.

"And what's that ?? " I questioned her.

"No.... It's nothing " she said trying to avoid answering my question.

" Come on say it "

" Its a ..... a lizard....." she said hesitantly.

After hearing her I couldn't suppress my chuckles which slipped out of my lips.

" See .... ?? that's why I wasn't telling about it. " she complained like a kid wearing a frown on her face while looking at me over the fire place.

" Okay... I got it ...." I assured that I was no more making fun of her but I couldn't stop smirking so I bit my lips to control it.

" Anyway... you should get some sleep" I suggest her lifting my chin a bit.

She hummed to answer me and pushed herself back to lean on the cave wall and

quietly closed her eye where as for me, even though I was tired like hell, I have to stay awake for our protection.

As the night was passing , I could hear the howls and the calls of the animals out in the forest which forced me to stay awake even when my eyes were eager to go into a complete darkness called sleep . I looked at Nandini, she was sleeping like a baby but I noticed that her head was slowly tilting down but she lifted up again as in her sleep she was trying to keep her head steady.

As I was awake, I couldn't avoid what was happening infront of me and if this goes on like this, she'd gradually might hit her head and get hurt, which right now she has got many on her body so I quietly went near and sat right next to her.

I streatched my hand to touch her head but stopped as i hesitated but anyway I went ahead and slowly held her tilted head with my one hand and silently placed it on my shoulder, feeling the warmth of my body she snuggled a bit into my shoulder while releasing a soft moan from her lips and snaked her hand around my right hand hugging it loosely for comfort in her sleep. She was absolutely unaware of my presence.

I glanced at her sleeping face. I couldn't help take my eyes off her face as I have never been this close to her before ......actually I 'have' before ...... but that time I have been a total jerk to her. Looking at her I internally asked a question, that how can a person be so beautiful, so pure??

Silently learning her every corner of her face closely, my eyes were now just stuck on her full pink lips. At this point all I wanted was to just press my lips to hers, bring her on my lap and drown in an intense passion and desire with her but I somehow restrained my mind from this insane thoughts running in my stupid mind.

I looked away with a jerk to wash off my thoughts for her and hence promised myself to not to look at anything of her body atleast for tonight which will be better for both of us.

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

The warmth of the bed felt so amazing that I didn't wanted to wake up but I could hear birds chirping aloud which was kind of disturbing. Fluttering my eyes, I slowly opened it only to witness the reality, where I was still in the cave.

I lifted my head up, I discovered that I just woke up as I fell fast asleep at night and not only that but also was resting my head on her's and the warmth I felt was not from my bed but from this beautiful girl sleeping just next me.

Now after being wide awake and alert I still sat there with her being conscious while her head resting on my shoulder. After a while I sensed some movements of her body, she slowly lifted her head up only to notice me beside her.

Noticing me sitting next to her, she looked at me with her face overloaded with question mark.

" You .... here ?? she furrowed her brows being suspicious.

" No....No" I said instantly.

" No need of thinking anything stupid. I was here only to support your wobbly head and by the way for your information nothing is going to happen between us." I said rudely clearing all her doubts.

" I not dying for that either." She said giving a fake smile.

" Okay as you are awake now let me go for a quick outing." I stood up to head out.

But before I could go she instantly clutched my hand saying " NO NO NO NO... please don't leave me here alone" she sprang up like a little girl who is scared of dark.

" Never in this life " I blurted out without thinking. I looked deep into her eyes, actually meaning every word I just said.

Nandini's expressions went confused after hearing me and Realising that she was still holding on my hand , she left my hand quickly as if my hand was a hot metal rod.

" I ... mean ....I will come back soon, am going to get something to eat ..... but you be here ..... its not safe out there.... " I somehow awkwardly diverted my previously slipped out stenence and walked my way out but before stepping out I truned my head to look at her and said

" Be alert and Yes ..... if you're think running away from me will be a good idea, than I would better suggest you to skip that as we are in the middle of nowhere and if you do that you will definitely end in some animal's tummy ". To which she nodded a little as a gesture of agreement then all of a sudden I shouted ....

"....A LIZARD !!...." to which she screamed-jumped like a peacock in panic and darted her eyes almost randomly every corner on the ground

"WHERE ..?? " she asked worried

but when she saw no presence of any lizard anywhere, she just narrowed her eyes at me realising that I just fun mocked her out of nothing and with a naughty smirk I headed out with my sword.

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️

After a while I came back to the cave and the moment I stepped inside I saw a big stone flying towards me but before it could hit me I luckily ducked it instantly......

" Oops! I am sorry sorry sorry ..... I ... I.... thought that it was an animal.... " she pleaded, slightly bitting her tongue feeling guilty.

I narrowed my eyes on her in annoyance " I think you might not want to kill me in this dangerous unknown forest as I am the only Human here beside you."

" It was a mistake and I said. SORRY. " she said looking down again frowning like a child.

" What's that ?? .... are those the medicinal herbs you carrying?? She noticed

" Yes... " I replied placeing the the bunch of bananas on the ground.

And sat on the corner and started to grind the herbs into paste.

" Give that to me , I can help you with that ." She said eagerly.

" Yes you can ...... just stay quiet for sometime " I said wearing my straight face while grinding.

After a pause Nandini spoke

" But I have a question..... how do you know about that herb??

" I have a friend of mine he told me ..." by a 'friend' I meant her , I had seen this herb on Nandini's hand when she was trying to help the rabbit.

"Your friend .... he must be a smart and knowledgeable person."

" He is . Occasionally ." I paused " but never fails to surprise me with his good deeds " I said thinking about her in the forest and our time spent together as friends.

Finally the grinding was done and the herbs were now in the form of a paste to apply on our open and untouched wounds. We both started to apply the paste on the cuts of ours bodies and mostly it was done in the front side but I couldn't reach for the cuts on my back. I was trying hard to reach my hand to my back but it was not far possible.

" Let me do it..." she spoke softly , with utmost sincerity in her voice.

" No ... it's okay I'll..... " I hesitated.

" You won't reach up there. " she said with a little shy expression lowering her eyes.

Getting her point I silently nodded and turned my back to her. After a little moment I felt her soft touch on the cuts at my back torso. It was just simply a nice feeling where she was trying to heal my wounds with her touch.

Her touch felt like a silk but the magical part was that , that I did not feel any pain when she did that . This was feeling so good that I didn't wanted her to stop ever . soon it was done and she withdrew her hand back but I still somehow just wanted to feel her touch again as I was craving for more.

"Thank you.." I said sincerely with shy mixed with hesitation .

She turned and took some step away when her dupatta slipped off from her one shoulder exposing her own injuries at her back which she hid it successfully from my eyes but she quickly again placed her dupatta back on her shoulder.

Noticing the same I felt concerned about it as the injuries should be treated as soon as possible ,where in our case it was already a little late.

" Hiding injuries won't be a wise thing to do ." I said flatly looking at her.

" Very true " she gave a spontaneously reply.

"Then why are you hiding your's ?? " I said looking at her.

She understood why I was telling this to her especially after her accidental slip of her dupatta

" Hiding injuries?? Where ?? all are done. See... " saying that she confidently stretched her both hands to show her cuts which were already taken cared of.

" And what about the cuts at the back of your body which you are hiding with all ease ?" I said and to which she she lowered her eyes being shy and consciously adjusted her dupatta to a cover up more.

I felt hesitant too but showing it off will put us both in an awkward position and that won't be good for the injuries at her back as they will remain untouched and untreated, so I decided to be a little bossy to her about this.

" Let me apply the paste there" I ordered scooping up some of it on my fingers.

" WHATTTT....??!! Nooooo..." she looked at me in with her broad grey eyes .

" Look I know you are shy but your hesitations won't heal those. Whereas it will only make it go worst....." I explained not allowing my habitation take over my expression.

" No ..But ..... I am..." she tried to refuse more.

"Look you cannot reach there with your own hands and there is no other female around here to help you with the same and here, I am the only one who can do this so...... Just turn " I ordered.

By the look of her I could make out that she was in a very uncomfortable dilemma whether to let me do that or not.

Saying nothing she slowly turned facing her back to me. She stiffened her body clearly being shy and I hesitantly slid off her dupatta from her shoulder and leaving it loose as it lay down exposing her slender long neck and back showing the view of her milky white skin which looked like cream. I was trying hard to just stay focused on her cuts and injuries instead of focusing on the hot and wild thoughts dancing around my stupid mind.

I slowly forwarded my hand and slightly touch her cut which made her gasp and shift a bit due to the sensation of my touch. I quickly glanced at her over past her bare shoulder and half covered back.

I took a long gulped to suppress what was going on in my mind

and there, like a stupid , I thought it would be just done easily. I jerked my head a little and blinked fast to focus my mind only on her injuries. Every single touch of mine made her gasp softly as driving me crazy to take her right here, right now but I somehow managed to safely apply the paste on them without unleashing the tsunami of my wild horny desires for her.

Withdrawing my hand away form her I was still struggling with whatever was going on my mind and right now my only question was

"The medicine is been applied on her back but now how am I supposed to apply medicine on my heart, craving and burning for her."

I was feeling hot and uneasy because of fighting off this sexual tension swirling inside me and so I gushed out of the cave to get some air and furiously started questioning my heart .....Why does this happen when I am near her ?? Why I always have such intense feelings for her all the time ??

God knows how many times I have shut my feelings for her. No matter how much hard I try to push these feelings away but it keeps bouncing back being even more powerful.

After asking all those questions to myself at last my heart only came out with one answer and that's when I silently accepted the feeling which I never ever thought of accepting it before.. that I really cared for her , I really needed her and I am really and madly in......... LOVE with her.

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️⚪⚪

🧚‍♀️ : So ?? How was this chapter ?? Do you like the way the story is heading to ?? Finally Siddharth has accepted his feelings but what will he do next ...... stay tuned for more until next update.

And Do let me know your important views about it. 🌷❤

⚫⚪⚫⚪⚫⚪⚫⚪⚫⚪⚫⚪⚫⚪⚫⚪⚫⚪