THE PRINCE WHO LOVED ME ??

The weight of the day seemed to press down on her chest, and she could feel her heart racing in her throat. She had been waiting for the moment, for the moment when Rudransh would open his eyes again. After the chaos, the bloodshed, and the uncertainty, this was the sliver of hope she had been clinging to.

The nurse who had been attending to Rudransh approached her as she stood outside his room. Her face was gentle but worn from the long shifts.

Nurse : Excuse me ! 

the nurse said softly, her voice is laced with a sense of relief. 

Nurse : He's awake. He's conscious now. Yuvaraja is awake.

Yamini's breath caught in her throat. Her hands, which had been trembling ever since she got the news, tightened around the hem of her saree as she nodded, barely able to process the words. 

Yamini : He's awake ? Can I... can I see him ?

Her voice cracked just slightly.

The nurse smiled and nodded. 

Nurse : He's stable. It's still early, but... I think he'll want to see you. He is asking for you ma'am.

Yamini didn't wait another second. Her feet moved on their own, leading her into the room. The soft beeping of the machines and the gentle rustle of sheets were the only sounds, but to her, the room felt overwhelmingly still, as if the world had stopped turning, holding its breath.

Rudransh was lying in the bed, his body is still marked by the signs of his ordeal. His face was pale, drawn, but his eyes, those eyes, were open. She saw the familiar warmth and depth there, though they were shadowed with fatigue. The moment he saw her, his lips parted in a small, pained smile, and he tried to lift a hand, his movements slow but deliberate.

Rudransh : Bangaaram...

His voice was hoarse, barely a whisper, but it sent a jolt through her heart. His words were like a lifeline thrown in a storm, pulling her closer. The endearment he used to call her, the one that had always meant so much, now carried a weight of love, longing, and apology.

Tears sprang to her eyes instantly, blurring her vision. She felt herself break open, the dam she had been holding together for so long finally is giving way. The tension, the fear, the overwhelming relief, it all hit her at once.

Before she could stop herself, she was at his side, leaning over the bed, her hands reaching for him as if to anchor herself to him. Her chest heaved with emotion as she clung to him, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing her forehead against his.

Yamini : Rudransh...

Her voice cracked, unable to hold back the sobs any longer. 

Yamini : I thought... I thought I'd lost you... I... I don't know what I would've done... I couldn't....

Her words dissolved into raw sobs as she buried her face against his shoulder, clinging to him as though her life is depended on it. The tears fell in torrents, staining his hospital gown, but she couldn't stop. She had been so scared, so unsure of what would happen, and now, with him here, alive, with his arms around her, he was here.

Rudransh's hand, trembling from the weakness of his body, came up to gently cradle the back of her head. His fingers tangled in her hair, pulling her closer as if he could absorb her tears into his skin, as if he could take away her pain just by holding her.

Rudransh : I'm here, Yamini.

He whispered, his voice is thick with emotion. 

Rudransh : I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I swear it.

She held him tighter, pressing her lips against his skin in a kiss full of all the words she couldn't say. In that moment, with her face pressed against his chest, hearing the steady beat of his heart, everything else faded. The pain, the fear, the brokenness, it all disappeared. It was just them. "Alive. Together."

And for the first time after hours , Yamini let herself breathe, letting the tears flow freely, knowing that somehow, someway, they would make it through this.

Rudransh's hand is resting on her back, his hand slowly moved to cup her face, gently pulling her away from his chest. His touch was tender, the action slow and deliberate, as if he was trying to reassure her, to anchor her in this moment. Yamini looked up, meeting his eyes with a vulnerability that mirrored his own.

Rudransh's thumb gently brushed the tear-streaked path down her cheek, his heart is aching at how fragile she looked. She had been through so much. 

Rudransh : You should've been mad at me, Yamini. After everything that's happened. All the mess I dragged you into... the danger... the attacks. I never wanted any of this for you. But i was helpless. I fell in love with you and you came here not listening to me.

Yamini's breath hitched at the sincerity in his voice, at the guilt that weighed on him. But she wasn't angry, how could she be ? This was the man she loved, the one who had always tried to shield everyone, even at the cost of his own pain.

Yamini : Don't say that ! 

She whispered fiercely, pulling back just enough to look into his eyes. 

Yamini : I'm not mad at you, Rudransh. I'm mad at the circumstances for what it's done to you. I'm mad at everything that keeps pulling us apart. But never at you.

Her voice trembled as she continued, her hands now gently resting on his chest. 

Yamini : I've never been this scared in my life. When I saw you lying here, injured... I didn't know what I'd do if I lost you. You mean so much to me, more than you could ever understand. 

Rudransh's eyes softened with a deep, aching tenderness. 

Rudransh : I know, Yamini. And I'm sorry. I've never been good at showing you how much you mean to me, but you're my reason. You always have been.

 He paused, his eyes are searching hers, as if trying to hold onto this moment, to ground himself in the strength of her presence. 

Rudransh : I don't want to lose you. Not now. Not ever.

Yamini's chest tightened, and a fresh wave of emotion hit her. She leaned in again, pressing her lips to his forehead in a kiss that was tender, full of all the words she couldn't find. She wanted to say everything, about how much she loved him, how much he had changed her life, how nothing had ever felt more right than being with him, but words seemed so small in this moment, so inadequate.

When she pulled back, her lips hovered near his ear, her voice a soft, vulnerable whisper. 

Yamini : I love you, Rudransh. I love you more than I've ever loved anything in this world. And I'm not going anywhere. I'll fight with you, I'll stay with you, no matter what.

Rudransh closed his eyes at her words, allowing himself to feel the full weight of her love, her promise. The love he had once doubted, the love he had almost walked away from, was now the thing that held him together, that kept him from falling apart. She was his anchor, his reason to keep breathing, to keep fighting.

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

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