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A story by Light_ray l Copr.2022 Light_ray and TSU Publications
20th Century, Jaipur, India
Sanchana Sisodia is an ambitious girl who wants to become a lawyer just like her father. However, her world turned upside down when her father died in an ambush by the bandits on one deadly night.
She was almost caught by the bandits until her grandmother helped her run away. While saving Sanchana, her grandmother lost her life after being shot by the bandits.
'Sanchu, you have to survive and become a lawyer,' The last words from her father rang like a temple bell in Sanchana's ears.
Sanchana took the forest route that night without thinking that she could become the food of a wild animal because, in her eyes, humans were more dangerous than animals. Sanchana ran until she saw the other end of the forest. It was early morning, and the redness in the sky was visible. She did not know how many miles she had covered by running. However, her body had given up, and she fainted on the sideway outside the forest, which led to an adjacent town.
When Sanchana opened her eyes, she found herself on a mattress softer than a feather. The poster bed had white curtains hanging around it. The memories from the last night flashed before her eyes, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Miss, are you good?" She heard a deep voice, and immediately the tears stopped pouring. She tilted her head and was startled to see a man in his late 20s.The man was wearing a white shirt and black trousers, and his black hair was parted from the left side, while short fringes covered the right side of his forehead. His skin was fair, with high cheekbones and a pointed nose.
Sanchana looked away and tried to sit up when the man stood up and pulled the duvet to cover her upper body. Her clothes were torn from various places.
Sanchana looked down and tightly pressed the duvet against her body. The man stepped back and again settled on the chair.
"Where am I?" Sanchana asked, looking around the room. It appeared to her that she was in a palace or a mansion, and her assumption was proved right.
"This is a mansion of my ancestors," the man replied and then thought to introduce himself. "I am Rudra Singh Rajput, the owner of this mansion."
"Thank you for saving my life," Sanchana replied and lowered her eyes. "I shall leave. I will surely repay you," Sanchana said and lifted her eyes to meet his brown eyes.
"To where? You are still injured. Your feet were bleeding earlier. I am afraid, but I cannot let you go, especially when you are injured," Rudra replied humbly, "Miss," and keeping the courtesy.
"May I know your name?" Rudra asked, "if you are comfortable sharing," he added.
Sanchana hesitated to share her name with an unknown man.
"I think you do not want to tell me," Rudra deduced.
"San-Sanchana," she replied with a stutter.
"You have got a lovely name," Rudra said and passed a tiny smile to her. Sanchana started to cry upon seeing that smile, and it bewildered him.
"Sanchana, what happened?" He asked her. Panicked.
"Nothing," she managed to say and lowered her head. "My father, my grandmother, they die-died," she said and kept weeping. Rudra had already judged that when he saved her.
"Miss, you can live here. It's safe here," Rudra said and stood up from the chair. His hands slid into his pockets. "I will send a new dress for you," he assured her before leaving the room. He wanted to let her stay alone because Sanchana needed time to become stable.
The house servant, Ramu, was surprised to see Rudra in the mansion. He apologized for getting late and then looked at the bloodstains on Rudra's shirt.
"Kunwar-sa (Prince), did you get injured?" Ramu asked him.
"I am fine, Kaka-sa (uncle). Could you please hire a female servant and some clothes for a young woman?" Rudra requested him.
"Sure, but why?" Ramu asked amusingly.
"I will tell you later," Rudra said. Ramu nodded and quickly walked out of the big mansion.
The time passed, and Sanchana started to get comfortable around Rudra. But, Rudra never revealed his true identity of being a Prince. Because, for Sanchana, he wanted to be just 'Rudra'.
He hired a tutor for her when he learned about her dream of becoming a lawyer, and with time, the two grew feelings for each other. However, none of them ever confessed.
Rudra, who was in India for only a year, had to go back to his family in London. Moreover, he knew that Sanchana wanted to be a lawyer, and he did not want to become a hindrance to her dream. So, he never confessed his love.
On the other hand, Sanchana was scared of rejection. A man like Rudra would never marry her. Also, she did not want to ruin their friendship.
"Kunwar-sa shall confess his feelings to Didi-sa," Ramu advised while Rudra was sipping the tea in the garden.
"I cannot. I want to see her becoming the renowned lawyer of Jaipur City. Also, after a month, I will leave. I don't want to hurt a pretty woman like Sanchu," Rudra stated. While being affectionate, he used to pronounce her name as 'Sanchu.'
The law exam result was declared surprisingly on the day he had to leave for London. So, he wrote a letter and left it behind while Sanchana went to the University to check her result.
With sheer happiness, Sanchana reached back home to deliver the news that she had qualified for the prestigious law exam. But to her surprise, Rudra was not in the mansion. She went to his study and found a page on the desk. She picked it up and read it, and it broke her heart.
"I wish I could stay in the mansion for a long time. I know you will qualify for the exam and be a great lawyer like you always wanted to be. I hope to see you soon, Sanchu." Rudra, again, did not mention what he felt for her. Because he did not want her to miss his presence.
Ramu could not bear the thought of his master marrying a woman who he did not love, so he decided to tell Sanchana. He told her everything and broke the promise he had given to Rudra.
Hearing this, Sanchana decided to go to London to meet Rudra. The money that she had to spend on her tuition fees to enter the law University, she spent on buying a ticket for London.
She reached London and went to the given address to meet Rudra. When she entered the villa, a security guard stopped her.
"Brother, I want to meet Rudra. He knows me. If you tell him my name, he will surely recognize me," Sanchana said.
The security guard scoffed at her. "Many young women come and say that they know the Prince. Go away," he told Sanchana.
Saddened, she turned when a vintage car halted before her. Her eyes were glued to Rudra, who had stepped out of the car.
"Sanchu," he whispered when she ran to him and hugged him tightly.
"How could you move away without meeting me for the last time?" She asked. Tears appeared at the edges of her eyes.
Rudra placed his hands on her arms and pushed her away gently to look at her face. "How did you get money to come here?" He asked her.
"I bought the ticket with the money you have given me for the university admission. Do you think I will be able to become a lawyer without your support? Rudra, I would not have been alive if you had not saved me. I would not have become this stronger if you hadn't held me. I can be a lawyer if you are there with me. I want you by my side because you are my dream, too," Sanchana confessed her feelings.
Rudra could not hold himself back. How could he let her walk away from his life? "Forgive me, Sanchu. I know that I am late, but it's not too late. I fell for you the moment I saw you. I hid my feelings because I thought it would become a hindrance in your dream," He stated.
"It never was, Rudra," Sanchana said.
Rudra leaned down, their foreheads touched, and a smile was carved on their respective lips........