Inseparable Souls

Chapter 6

Abhivayakt's voice boomed, "You're crossing the line, brother!"

Abhimanyu shot back with a sneer, "Look who's talking. You spent the whole night alone with my wife. I can only imagine what happened. Only God knows if you two crossed any boundaries..."

Disgust twisted Abhivayakt's features. "How dare you entertain such vile thoughts? She's my sister-in-law! You've gone too far, brother."

Abhimanyu's words dripped with venom. "Spare me the act; I see right through it. I've noticed how you've been eyeing her since day one, and she craves your attention just as much. She flinches at my touch and lights up when you're around."

In a fit of rage, Abhimanyu slammed his fist on the table. "You're the one who's disrespected her, and now she's scared of you! Don’t try to shift the blame onto me!" he shouted.

"Get out now, and don’t come back!" Abhimanyu ordered, his voice unwavering.

Abhivayakt's response was cold and threatening. "I’m more than willing to leave. You’re so shallow that you don’t deserve a second of my time. But heed this warning: if you so much as touch Shree, I’ll forget you’re my brother, and you’ll regret it." The threat sent a chill through Abhimanyu.

With hostility lacing his voice, Abhimanyu retorted, "Shree is my wife, and I won't take lectures on how to treat her. It's a private matter, so mind your business and leave us be."

"It is my business if it involves Shree," Abhivayakt replied with a sneer.

"Why? Because you want to sleep with her? Tell me your intentions! You can borrow her for a few nights if you want!" Abhimanyu challenged.

"Brother, don’t you dare speak ill of her!" Abhivayakt shot back.

"Why do you get involved when it comes to Shree? Answer me!" Abhimanyu yelled.

Abhivayakt lost his temper. "Because I love her!" he yelled out, revealing his feelings without realizing it.

"Abhivayakt! Watch your words!" Abhimanyu retaliated, slapping him hard. Suddenly, reality hit Abhivayakt, and he regretted his confession.

"This can't be happening! It's a sin! No, I can't do this," Abhimanyu stammered, panic rising within him as he stared at the floor, overwhelmed by the shame of his confession.

"You ungrateful bastard! Despite being the child of my father's mistress, I accepted you as my brother. I gave you the title of prince and all the luxuries that come with it, and here you are, repaying me by lusting after my wife. You've crossed every line. You've shown that my father's blood is weak compared to your mother's filthy lineage, which thrives on taking what belongs to others," Abhimanyu shouted, filled with rage.

"Brother, I'm sorry," Abhivayakt replied softly.

"Tell me, Abhivayakt, did that woman seduce you? If so, I’ll make sure she learns her lesson. I've noticed how easily she is with you," Abhimanyu demanded.

"Brother, she is your wife. How can you speak ill of her? She is innocent and has no idea how I feel," Abhivayakt gasped.

"Then explain why she shies away from my touch but welcomes yours," Abhimanyu slammed his fist on the table.

"Because she’s afraid of you. She’s still just a teenager. She needs time," Abhivayakt reasoned.

"She doesn’t deserve it. I bought her, and I can use her however I want. You should stay out of this, and it would be best to return to Italy," Abhimanyu declared arrogantly.

"Brother, I’ll do as you wish, but please don’t punish Shree. She’s innocent," Abhivayakt pleaded.

"She should have known her limits. If she had, you wouldn’t be infatuated with her. She needs to learn how to act like a respectable woman, not a reckless teenager," Abhimanyu retorted.

"She will learn. Just give her time to adjust," Abhivayakt urged.

"Don’t show concern; your closeness will only increase her punishment. The choice is yours," Abhimanyu stated coldly.

"I understand, brother. I will leave for Italy as soon as possible, but until then, I’ll find somewhere else to stay," Abhivayakt replied.

"Good to know," Abhimanyu said dismissively.

Abhivayakt remained silent as he left, leaving Abhimanyu with a smirk. "Finally, I’ll be rid of that bastard Abhivayakt. He deserves to be beneath me."

.......................

"Abhi, why are you packing your things?" Madhurima asked, noticing Abhivayakt stuffing his clothes into a suitcase.

"We're leaving," he replied, continuing to sort his belongings.

"Why? Why the sudden rush?" Madhurima's surprise was evident on her face.

"Not much to explain, I just want to go," Abhivayakt stated, avoiding her gaze.

"Abhi, look at me and tell me what’s going on. Remember, we came to India to talk about our marriage with your brother. You can't just leave like this," she insisted, trying to make him meet her eyes.

Abhivayakt sighed and gently cradled her face in his hands. "I promise we will get married. But right now, we need to leave. Madhu, you feel more like my best friend than my fiancée. Please understand where I’m coming from. I’ll discuss our marriage with my brother, but this just isn’t the right time."

Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Madhurima nodded, joining him to finish packing and even adding her suitcase to his.

Once they were done, Abhivayakt went to bid farewell to Nandini.

"Uncle! Why are you leaving so early?" she whined.

"Nandini, I need to check on the factory in Kolkata. There have been complaints from the labor union that I need to address," he lied.

"Other people can handle that! Why do you have to leave?" she pressed.

"It doesn’t work that way. I need to oversee things closely, especially since it’s a new factory. An inspection is necessary," Abhivayakt explained.

"But why so early?" Nandini protested.

"We’ll miss you, Nandini. If it weren't important, we wouldn’t be leaving you behind. But I promise to talk to your dad about sending you to Italy with us so we can spend time together. You’ll also get to explore Italy," Madhurima added.

"Promise?" Nandini asked, pouting.

"I promise," Madhurima replied, pulling her into a tight hug.

"You’re the best aunt ever!" Nandini exclaimed.

"What about me?" Abhivayakt raised an eyebrow.

"I hate you," Nandini replied, sticking out her tongue, which made Madhurima chuckle at her childishness.

"Feeling's mutual," Abhivayakt joked, gently tapping her on the back of the head.

"Aunt!" Madhurima scolded playfully.

"Abhi!" She shot him a warning look.

"Fine! Now let me say goodbye to my big brother," Abhivayakt said.

"I'll miss you, Uncle!" Nandini hugged him one last time, and he embraced her before leaving.

................

"Brother, I’m leaving to handle some matters at the Kolkata factory, after which I’ll return to Italy," Abhivayakt informed Abhimanyu, who was engrossed in a journal.

"I hope you’re planning to leave for good. I may seem harsh, but everything I do is for our family's sake and to uphold our reputation. We're royals, and we need to maintain our status in society. I hope you understand," Abhimanyu replied.

"I understand, big brother," Abhivayakt replied before taking his leave.

As he walked through the gallery, Abhivayakt paused by Shree's room, feeling compelled to see her one last time. His heart led him inside, where she lay sleeping peacefully like an angel. He noticed the tear stains on her pink cheeks, making him frown.

He gently brushed her cheek and said, "I’m sorry for leaving without telling you. It’s for your good." He wanted to memorize the sight of her beauty as she slept.

A few minutes later, he heard a maid entering the room, jolting him from his reverie. As he prepared to leave, his eyes caught the simple yet beautiful anklets adorning Shree's feet. He took one and tucked it into his pocket as a keepsake before exiting.

"Let’s go," he said to Madhurima as they made their way out.

"Goodbye, Nandini," Madhurima called as they stepped into the courtyard where their car awaited.

The servants loaded the suitcase into the vehicle while Abhivayakt remained lost in thought, tempted to call Shree and plead with her to stop him, but he knew that was nearly impossible.

....................

Shree was stirred from her slumber when the maid touched her legs to clean a wound. "It might hurt a bit," the maid cautioned.

"How long have I been asleep?" Shree asked, disoriented.

"Two or three hours," the maid replied.

"Did anyone come before you?" Shree queried, suspecting Abhivayakt had been in her room.

"Yes, the younger prince Abhivayakt came to see you, but you were asleep, so he didn’t wake you," the maid informed her.

"Why didn’t he wake me?" Shree muttered, feeling distressed.

"Huh? Pardon me?" the maid asked.

"Did he leave a message for me?" Shree pressed.

"No, he didn’t. He probably came to say goodbye since he’s leaving today," the maid explained.

"What? Why so suddenly?" Shree's disappointment was palpable.

"I don’t know," the maid replied helplessly.

"Can you help me walk?" Shree asked, desperate to stop Abhivayakt from leaving. He was her only support in this confined existence.

"You can’t walk," the maid said firmly.

"I want to see Abhivayakt, please help me!" Tears filled Shree's eyes, blurring her vision.

"I can’t help you, but you might be able to see him from the window," the maid suggested.

"Help me stand," Shree implored.

"You can't; it will be too painful," the maid warned.

"It’s all right. I’ll manage," Shree insisted, determined.

"No, you can't do that. If you put any stress on your leg muscles, your wounds will reopen, and the injury could worsen to the point where you might not be able to walk properly," the maid pleaded, trying to reason with Shree, who was desperate to catch a glimpse of Abhivyakt. Her heart raced with anxiety, and panic began to set in.

"Just do as I say; it's an order," Shree insisted, her voice rising with authority for the first time as she noticed the maid's disappointed expression, realizing the impact of her words.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to, but please help me," Shree begged.

"But if King Abhimanyu finds out, he'll punish me. I can't risk going against him," the maid replied, fear evident in her eyes.

"That's fine; I'll take the blame. No one will punish you, I promise," Shree assured her.

"Aren't you afraid of King Abhimanyu's wrath? After all, he's the reason you're bedridden," the maid asked, her curiosity piqued.

"What more could he do? Kill me? If that's the case, I'm ready for it. Living in this gilded cage feels worse than death," Shree sighed, wiping away her tears.

"Alright, I'll help you. It will hurt, but you have to endure it," the maid said as she supported Shree, helping her place her feet on the ground.

As Shree's feet touched the floor, a wave of excruciating pain shot through her legs. "Aaaahhh... Krishna!" she screamed in agony.

"I warned you it would hurt. Your wounds have reopened and are bleeding," the maid pointed out, noticing the fresh blood soaking through the bandages on Shree's legs.

Shree gritted her teeth and replied, "It's fine. Just take me to the window."

"You’re only hurting yourself," the maid murmured.

"I can handle it," Shree insisted, gripping the maid's hand tightly.

Blood dripped from Shree's legs, leaving a trail of red-stained footprints on the ground, but she was oblivious to the damage. Her sole focus was to see Abhivyakt.

When she finally reached the window, her heart raced as she spotted Abhivyakt saying his goodbyes. She wanted to call out to him, but then she saw Madhurima smirking at her, holding Abhivyakt's hand tightly, signaling that he belonged to her.

Shree's voice caught in her throat as the reality sank in: she was insignificant in Abhivyakt's life, which was why he hadn't bothered to inform her or wait for her to wake up. She watched him bid farewell to everyone except her before he climbed into the car.

He didn’t even glance her way, leaving Shree rooted in place, the pain of separation from Abhivyakt far more intense than the agony from her wounds.

She longed for him to look at her just once, but all hope faded as she saw the driver start the engine, and soon the car disappeared from view.

"Why am I not important to anyone? Why can’t I find love?" Shree sobbed, her vision blurring from blood loss. Just as she turned to return to bed, she collapsed to the ground, leaving the maid in a state of panic.