Silent Whispers

A soft knock on the door broke the silence. Without turning, Reyaansh spoke.

“Come in.”

The door creaked open and Kavya stepped inside, her white coat folded neatly over her arm, the stethoscope around her neck a reminder that tonight, she wasn’t just his younger sister—she was also a doctor. Her eyes flickered from Reyaansh to the still figure on the bed.

“I thought I should check on her,” she said quietly, walking closer.

Reyaansh’s gaze finally shifted to his sister. “Hmm.” His voice was low, unreadable, but his eyes softened almost imperceptibly as they fell back on the girl.

Kavya placed her bag on the side table and began her examination. She checked Aradhya’s pulse, her temperature, listening to the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. Reyaansh remained silent, his presence a looming shield of both power and silence.

After a few minutes, Kavya spoke, her tone steady but gentle. “Bhai sa… I don’t know why you brought her here, or why this sudden decision, but you’re my brother. I’ll support you, always. I just hope… your choice doesn’t harm the name of Rajvansh.”

The words hung in the air like a cautious prayer.

Reyaansh didn’t move for a moment, then gave the slightest nod. “Hmm.” It was agreement, acceptance, and command all at once.

Kavya smiled faintly, then prepared an injection. “She has fever,” she explained as she gave the shot carefully. “I’ve given her medicine. She should wake up by morning. Till then, let her rest.”

Reyaansh’s sharp eyes softened for a fraction of a second as he murmured, almost reverently, “Aradhya Reyaansh Singh Rajvansh.”

Kavya paused for a heartbeat at the weight of his words but didn’t comment. She only packed her things, glanced once more at him, and quietly left the room.

The door shut behind her, leaving Reyaansh and Aradhya alone once again.

For a long moment, he stood by the bed, watching her. Then, without another word, he turned toward the wardrobe, pulling out fresh clothes.

---

The Shower

Steam curled around him as warm water cascaded down his shoulders, washing away the blood and grime of the long night. But no amount of water could wash away the weight pressing against his chest.

Images flashed in his mind—her delicate face framed by the streak of sindoor he had placed with his own hand. The cold gleam of the mangalsutra against her skin. The world might call it madness, but for him, it was fate sealed.

And then—another vision, one not born tonight but from the depths of something older, something instinctive.

A girl laughing freely under the sun, children running around her as she played along, her anklets chiming like music. Her laughter had been light, untamed, something that tugged at the edges of his guarded heart.

The water hit his back harder, and with it came the memory of something sharper—a glimpse burned into his mind, though he had never spoken of it to anyone.

The pale curve of a waist, a moon-shaped birthmark resting against smooth skin. A secret. A symbol. Something that bound the threads of his destiny tighter than chains ever could.

His jaw tightened. He closed his eyes.

When Reyaansh finally turned off the shower and stepped out, he was no longer the king carrying the world’s burdens—he was just a man wrestling with the weight of emotions he couldn’t name.

.........

When he emerged, dressed in simple cotton kurta-pyjama, he looked less like the king and more like a man weighed by choices. He sat down on the floor beside the bed, his gaze fixed on Aradhya. For a brief moment, his eyes softened — admiration, almost reverence.

But duty always returned.

He picked up his phone and dialed a number.

The line clicked alive.

“About the Delhi case,” Reyaansh’s voice was calm, authoritative, “I need the details. All of them. The kind nobody else knows.”

A beat of silence, then the other voice — sharp, teasing, carrying the tone of someone who understood his language.

“Mm. Straight to the point, as always. Consider it done.”

“And,” Reyaansh added, eyes flickering back to the unconscious woman on his bed, “I want a full background on Aradhya. Every thread. Every shadow.”

The voice on the other end chuckled lightly, surprised but intrigued. “Your work is done, then. Fine. You’ll have it. Soon.”

The line went dead.

Reyaansh lowered the phone, his jaw tightening, but his gaze softened again as it fell on her. Silently, he watched Aradhya’s still face, the rise and fall of her breath.

The room was quiet, but the air was heavy — with questions, with secrets, with the weight of choices that bound them both.

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