Kaya stood motionless as the weight of Sundar’s words washed over her like a crushing tide. Her chest tightened, her mind racing as memories flashed before her eyes. The harsh truth of their shared existence—the cruelty they had endured since their parents' death—hung heavy in the air between them.
She thought back to the years after the war, the loss of their fathers leaving them adrift in a sea of uncertainty. Both of them, alone in a palace that offered no true protection. The constant sneers, the cruel stares of men who saw them only as objects to be used, and the countless times they had to fight to preserve their dignity. In the shadows, they had learned to survive, to navigate a world that cared little for their well-being, all while shielding each other from the worst of it.
Kaya's fingers clenched into fists as her mind returned to those long, sleepless nights when she and Sundar had whispered quietly to each other, comforting one another, knowing that their bodies were the only thing of value to the men who ruled the palace. They had always sworn to protect each other, to stay strong together, no matter what came their way. But Sundar’s words were starting to break the fragile illusion they had built—the illusion that they were still in control of their lives.
Tears welled in Kaya’s eyes as she looked at Sundar, kneeling before her in desperate hope. “I never wanted this for us, Sundar. I never wanted to give in. We’ve fought so hard... We promised we would never let them break us.” Her voice cracked, the pain of their past echoing in every word. "But every day, I saw how they looked at us. Like we were nothing, but a piece of meant. No one protected us, no one cared. We’ve been alone all this time."
Her thoughts swirled. The temptation of safety—the promise that Ranasa could give them what they had craved: protection, dignity, freedom from the constant threat of being used by men who viewed them as no more than playthings. Could she accept that? Could she surrender to that security, knowing it meant giving up their last shred of autonomy?
She closed her eyes, a single tear slipping down her cheek. The thought of letting go of the little dignity they had left in exchange for the protection of one man was suffocating. But, as Sundar had said, what other choice did they have? The world outside would never look at them with respect. The men—always men—would always see them as prey, as long as they walked through this world untouched by power.
"You... you’re right," Kaya finally whispered, her voice barely audible, strained with emotion. “We’ve lived this way for so long, fighting to keep what little we have left. But what if...” She hesitated, the words feeling like a betrayal in her mouth. "What if being with him, being his, is the only way we can be safe? What if it’s the only way we can finally be free?"
Kaya’s breath hitched as the idea settled within her, like a weight dropping deep into her soul. She had never considered it, never thought she’d come to this moment, where survival and dignity seemed to be a choice between two impossible outcomes. But Sundar’s plea—her desperate desire to protect them both—was a truth Kaya couldn't ignore. They had been pushed to the edge for so long, and now, with no one else to turn to, perhaps there was only one way out of the storm.
Kaya’s voice broke as she spoke again, her emotions raw and exposed. “I never wanted to be his. But... I see what you mean, Sundar. I see how much you’re hurting. And I see... I see what we’ve become. Maybe... maybe this is the only way we can keep going. Maybe this is the only way we can stop being afraid every day.”
Her heart ached, torn between the life she had dreamed of—one where they were free to choose their path—and the harsh reality that no such life had ever been offered to them. The thought of becoming his, of giving up what was left of their power, sent a shudder through her body. Yet, there was a strange comfort in the idea of being protected, of no longer having to face the world alone.
Kaya slowly sank to her knees beside Sundar, her voice barely a whisper, as though saying the words aloud would make them real. “I don’t know if I’m ready to surrender everything... But if this is the only way we can have something better than what we have now... maybe it’s what we need.”
Tears filled her eyes as she looked at Sundar, the bond between them more fragile than ever. "I don’t know what the right choice is, Sundar. But we can’t keep living like this... We can’t keep hiding in the shadows."
In that moment, Kaya’s heart felt torn in two—the life they had fought so hard to protect, and the brutal reality of the world that demanded their submission. But one thing was clear: they couldn’t keep running. They couldn’t keep pretending they weren’t already broken by a system that had never cared for them.
“I’ll stay by you,” Kaya whispered through her tears. “But I need you to promise me that we’ll never forget who we are. No matter what happens... no matter what we choose, we can’t lose ourselves. Not completely.”
Sundar nodded, her eyes filled with gratitude and pain. In that silence, the river beside them continued its endless flow, mirroring the turmoil that would forever remain between them.
●•■●•■•●■•●
The heavy silence of their chamber enveloped Sundar and Kaya as they sat side by side on the bed, their hearts weighed down by the decisions that had brought them back to Rajgardh. The air between them was thick with unspoken thoughts, a quietness that spoke louder than words ever could. The world outside, so full of noise and chaos, seemed miles away as they were left alone in their shared grief and confusion.
For a long time, neither of them moved, their minds lost in the labyrinth of their own reflections. The dreams they had once shared seemed so distant now, like the fading echoes of a life that could never be. Dreams of love, of a life together with hope and happiness, felt like a cruel fantasy now, shattered by the harsh reality they found themselves in.
Finally, Sundar broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper. "You know, Kaya," she began, her words laced with a bitter sweetness, "we both always dreamed of a fairytale love story, the kind every little girl dreams of. The love that leads to a wedding, to happily ever after..." She paused, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, the weight of her sorrow pressing down on her chest. "Despite knowing... despite knowing no one was there to protect us."
A sad chuckle escaped her lips, though it was tinged with regret. "We dared to dream, didn't we? But in the end, what was the result?" Her voice faltered, and she sighed deeply, as if the air around her was too thick to breathe.
Kaya looked at her sister, her own heart heavy with the same realization, and slowly, she joined Sundar in the silence. Her gaze dropped to the floor, her fingers clenched tightly into fists at her sides. "Now we’re here," Kaya said softly, her voice cracking slightly. "We’ve agreed to be concubines to the king... hoping that he will protect us, shield us from the cruelty we’ve faced. But deep down, we both know there’s no turning back from this choice." Her words were filled with sorrow, but they were also tinged with a quiet acceptance, a resignation to a life that had been forced upon them. "We can’t live like the other girls our age. We can’t dare to dream anymore... dreams of love, of a life of our own."
A tear slipped down Kaya’s cheek, tracing the path of countless others that had been shed in silence over the years. Sundar, her heart breaking at the sight of her sister’s pain, slowly reached out to her. She pulled Kaya into a tight embrace, her own tears spilling over as the dam inside her finally broke.
"Kaya," Sundar whispered, her voice raw with emotion. "Why did God take our parents from us? What did we do to deserve this? Why did He leave us to suffer alone, to grow up without love, without protection?" Her breath hitched, her words coming out in jagged sobs. "Why is it so hard to be an orphan? Why does it feel like we’re so alone in this world?"
Her heart felt like it was being torn into a thousand pieces, each question laced with a desperation she had never allowed herself to feel before. The weight of their shared suffering, the loneliness that had been their constant companion for so long, had become too much to bear.
Kaya didn’t speak. There were no words that could soothe the ache in her sister’s heart, no answers that could make sense of their pain. Instead, she simply held Sundar tighter, her own tears falling freely as they shared this unbearable grief together.
In that moment, the world outside seemed to cease to exist. There were no kings, no palace walls, no promises made. There was only the shared weight of loss, of dreams deferred, of lives that had been shaped by forces beyond their control. In each other’s arms, they found a fragile solace, a reminder that despite everything, they were still there for one another.
And so they stayed, holding each other in the quiet, the tears flowing freely, as if their hearts could finally speak the words that had been buried for so long. There was no answer to their questions, no reason for the suffering they had endured. But in that silence, they found the one thing they had left: each other.
●•■●•■•●■•●
At Night
Sundar POV
As I lay there in the stillness, the weight of the night pressing down on me, my thoughts drifted back to the morning—the kiss, the sensation of his lips on mine, and the words he had whispered to me afterward. His voice, deep and commanding, still echoed in my ears, sending shivers down my spine as I recalled every word he had spoken.
"You taste sweeter than I imagined," he had murmured, his lips brushing against mine with a possessive tenderness that sent a rush of warmth through my body. "So soft... so eager." I could feel the intensity of his gaze, even as my eyes had fluttered closed, caught up in the rawness of the moment. His words had been both a compliment and a command, a strange mixture of praise and ownership that made my heart race in ways I couldn't understand.
But it wasn’t just his touch, his kiss—it was what he had said next that burned into my soul.
"Your body betrays you," he had whispered, his thumb grazing my swollen lips as if marking me, as if reminding me that I was his. "Your lips... Your fingers... Everything about you belongs to me now." And when he had said those words, I had felt the fire ignite inside me. I couldn’t stop it—couldn’t push it away. His power over me, his authority, his claim—it had consumed me.
My breath had hitched as I replayed the moment. The way his hands had cupped my face, how his thumb had traced my lips, the way his words had wrapped around me like a fiery rope, pulling me deeper into something I wasn’t ready to face, but couldn't escape.
I could still hear his voice in my mind, so low and dark: "Don’t stop, Sundar. You want this. You want me." Those words had burned into my skin, leaving a mark far deeper than any physical touch ever could. His voice had been like a force I couldn’t resist, coaxing, demanding, and somewhere deep inside, I had wanted to obey.
The warmth from the kiss lingered, but his words—they were like embers, smoldering, burning, igniting something inside me that I had never felt before. A hunger. A need. A surrender I didn’t fully understand but couldn’t deny. The thought of his touch, the feel of his body pressing against mine, the way he had taken control—it set a fire in me that I couldn’t douse, no matter how hard I tried.
I didn’t know how to feel about this—about him, about what was happening to me. I hated myself for giving in so easily, but in the same breath, I couldn’t deny the pull, the desire, the overwhelming sense that I belonged to him now in a way I couldn’t escape. The fire he had ignited inside me burned brighter with every passing moment, and the more I tried to fight it, the stronger it became.
His words replayed in my mind, each syllable a reminder of the power he held over me, and I knew, deep down, that there was no going back now. I had already crossed a line, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to return to the person I had been before.
●•■●•■•●■•●
Kaya’s POV
As I glanced at Sundar, I noticed the subtle smile playing on her lips, the faint blush coloring her cheeks. Her eyes were distant, lost in the memory of the kiss—the King’s kiss. It wasn’t hard to see what was happening inside her. The way her lips curved, the softness in her gaze—it was like she had been touched by something beyond herself. But what caught me off guard was the ache in my chest as I realized the reason for her sudden change. She was recalling it, the kiss that had shaken her, and she had been swept away by it.
A tight knot formed in my stomach as I watched her. I couldn’t help but feel a cold panic seep into my veins. *Is this how it happens?* I thought. *One kiss, and you forget everything, every bond, every promise we made to each other?*
I didn’t know why this felt so wrong, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that clung to me. A fear I hadn’t known existed. *How will I handle this?* I wondered, the weight of my thoughts sinking in deeper. *What will happen when I face it?*
I stared at Sundar, lost in her own thoughts, a soft smile still lingering on her lips, and the ache in my heart grew sharper. *I don’t want to lose us. I don’t want us to fade into what the King wants us to be. We are more than that...* But the truth lingered in the air like an unsaid promise.
“We are concubines of Rana Mrityunjaya’s now,” I whispered to myself, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.
"But before all this... we are Sundar and Kaya. We have to be."
I closed my eyes, but the image of her smile stayed with me, and the weight of it pressed on my chest. How long before we were both lost? How long before I became just another forgotten woman in his harem? The fear clawed at me. I wasn’t ready for that future, and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her, of losing myself in this tangled web of power and desire.
●•■●•■•●■•●
At Morning
The morning air felt heavy as Sundar and Kaya entered Mrityunjaya’s chamber, their hearts pounding in their chests. The door creaked open slowly, and with each step they took, the weight of their decision pressed down on them even more. Their steps faltered as their eyes fell upon him—Mrityunjaya, still asleep on his stomach, half-covered by a quilt that barely shielded his bare waist.
The sight of his strong, sculpted physique sent a ripple of unease through them. His broad back, the defined muscles beneath the smooth, dark skin—they couldn’t help but notice every detail, every curve, every line of his form. For the first time, they were seeing him in this way, and it stirred something within them—a mix of fear, fascination, and confusion.
Their gazes lingered for a moment too long, and a shiver ran down both of their spines. *What have we gotten ourselves into?* they thought simultaneously. A cold sweat broke out on their foreheads as the reality of their new life began to sink in. There was no turning back now.
Sundar looked at Kaya with a quiet, worried glance, and then slowly approached him. The weight of their new reality weighed heavily on her as she knelt by his bedside, her voice trembling as she spoke, “Ranasa... Pranam. It's morning... It's time to get up.”
The words were a familiar routine, but today they carried a different meaning. Kaya nervously fidgeted with her fingers beside her, feeling the shift in the air. They had always said these words every morning, but now, it felt like the beginning of a new, uncertain chapter. They were no longer just his maids. They were his concubines.
A few moments passed in silence, until finally, Mrityunjaya stirred. His body shifted, and both girls quickly scurried to complete their duties, rushing to fill the large tub with water from the hamam. Their hands shook slightly as they prepared his bath, knowing full well the change in their roles. Once the tub was ready, they hurriedly laid out his clothes, his towels, and other necessities.
Minutes later, Mrityunjaya entered the hamam, his bare chest gleaming as water dripped from his wet hair. Both girls froze, their hearts racing. They had never seen him like this before—bare, vulnerable, and yet commanding. His body was a perfect mix of strength and power, and though he made no comment, his presence was overwhelming.
Without a word, he lowered himself into the water, completely indifferent to their presence. Sundar and Kaya bowed their heads respectfully before quietly leaving, as he always preferred to bathe alone. They resumed their duties, silently cleaning the room, the sound of their own breaths filling the quiet space.
Kaya murmured under her breath, breaking the silence, “Dusting and wiping the floor are easier jobs than becoming Ranasa’s concubines.” Her voice was heavy with the weight of the realization, and it resonated deeply with Sundar, though she remained silent.
The next half-hour passed in a tense quiet. Mrityunjaya emerged from the hamam, his hair still wet, wearing nothing but a long loincloth. He didn’t acknowledge them as he moved around, preparing for his day. Neither girl dared speak, too fearful to break the silence. He seemed to treat them the same way as before—cold, distant, unaffected. But now, the way he ignored them felt colder than ever.
They went through the motions, serving him breakfast without a word. His meal was simple, yet royal—paratha, dal, curd, fruit, and a variety of fresh vegetarian dishes typical for a 9th-century Indian royal breakfast. But it wasn’t the food that occupied their minds—it was the void between them, the unspoken distance that felt more pronounced than ever.
Sundar and Kaya exchanged glances, the tension growing with each passing moment. They were serving him, but it felt as though they were no longer in control of their own lives. His silence stung, and it was harder to bear than before.
Finally, Kaya couldn’t take it anymore. With a shaky breath, she spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper, “Ranasa...”
He paused, his back still turned as he prepared to leave the chamber.
Kaya and Sundar stepped in front of him, both girls clearly uneasy. Kaya’s voice quivered as she spoke, “Ranasa... I am sorry for my behavior yesterday.” Her head dropped, her words filled with remorse. “You are our King. I shouldn’t have disrespected you like that. I am sorry.”
Sundar stood beside her, shivering under his intense gaze. Kaya took a deep breath, steeling herself before continuing, “I am ready to be your concubine. And this time, I will never go back.”
Mrityunjaya’s eyes locked onto her, cold and unblinking, as he listened to her. Kaya took a step forward, her voice growing firmer but still nervous, “But Ranasa... We have one condition. If you agree to it, we will serve you for our entire lives, and if need be, we will sacrifice our lives for you.”
He said nothing, merely raising an eyebrow, signaling her to go on. Kaya swallowed hard, the words tasting heavy on her tongue. “We want your protection. Your shadow, forever. No matter what, until our last breath. No one should dare harm us or look at us with filthy eyes. We want you to protect our dignity and our respect forever, and we will serve you with everything we have.”
The silence hung between them, thick with tension.
Finally, he spoke, his voice cold as ice.
“KNEEL.”
●•■●•■•●■•●
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