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Author's P.O.V....

After Nishkarsha left, Arshvika quietly changed into a simple silk night robe. The heavy royal clothes and jewelry had become tiring after a long day.

Letting out a small sigh, she walked toward her bed, hoping to get a little rest before another busy morning.

Her chamber reflected the dignity of Rajgadh without being overly grand. The high ceiling was decorated with traditional carvings, while long ivory curtains gently moved with the evening breeze coming through the open balcony.

A large wooden bed stood in the center of the room, covered with soft cream colored sheets. Beside it rested a small table with a silver lamp and a single photo frame.

Arshvika's steps slowed as her eyes fell on the picture.

It was Queen Devika Rajvansh -her mother.

A gentle smile appeared on her lips as she picked up the frame. Even after all these years, looking at her mother's face brought both comfort and pain.

Queen Devika, the wife of the late King Raghav Rajvansh, had once been known as the Badi Rani of Rajgadh. But history remembered her by another name as well...the Rebel Queen.

She had never accepted the unfair traditions that treated women as if they had no voice of their own.

At a time when queens were expected to remain silent and simply obey, Devika stood against customs that had taken away a woman's right to choose her own life, even the right to marry the person she loved.

She fought those traditions until her very last breath. Many called her stubborn, selfish, while many others called her brave. Some respected her, some feared her, but no one could ignore her.

Looking at the photo, Arshvika gently ran her fingers over the frame.

"I hope I'm making you proud, Maa sa, " she whispered softly, her voice barely louder than the silence around her.

In the eyes of most people, Queen Devika was a stubborn and selfish woman. They believed she had abandoned her duties as a mother and cared more about herself than her own children.

That was the story Rajgadh chose to remember. It was easier to blame a woman than to question the traditions she stood against.

But Arshvika knew a different truth.

She had seen her mother from up close. As a child, she often found Devika sitting alone for hours, staring silently out of the palace windows. There were nights when she cried without making a sound, wiping away her tears before anyone could see them.

Some days she looked completely lifeless, as if every part of her had given up.

Back then, Arshvika never understood why her mother carried so much pain. She was too young to know what had broken her.

But when she finally learned the truth... when she discovered everything her father had done to Devika, her own heart shattered into pieces.

From that day on, she stopped seeing her mother as the selfish queen everyone talked about.

She saw a woman who had been hurt, silenced, and betrayed, yet still found the strength to fight for her rights until her very last breath. A woman who had lost almost everything but refused to lose herself.

Arshvika held the photo frame close to her chest and closed her eyes.

" Kaash main samay mein wapis jaa pati..." she whispered. "If only I had one more chance to tell you that I was proud of you... even when the whole world stood against you."

A single tear slipped down her cheek before disappearing into the silence of the room.

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After a few moments, she took a slow, steady breath and carefully placed the photo frame back on the bedside table.

She looked at it one last time before turning away. Just as she was about to lie down, a faint sound broke the silence of the room.

Her head snapped toward the source of the noise, her eyes instantly sharp and alert. The sound came again, this time from the open balcony.

Her body tensed, but there was no fear on her face. She quietly opened the drawer beside her bed and took out a small knife, hiding it behind her back.

She wasn't afraid.

For years, people had tried to kill her. Assassination attempts had become a part of her life.

Instead of breaking her, those attacks had made her stronger, more careful, and always ready for danger.

Without making a sound, she slowly walked toward the balcony. Her steps were light as her eyes searched every corner in the darkness. The night breeze brushed against her face, but she stayed focused, waiting for the slightest movement.

Then suddenly...A hand landed on her shoulder. Without wasting a second, she spun around and struck with the knife.

But before the blade could reach its target, the stranger caught her wrist with ease. In one swift move, he pinned her gently against the wall, stopping the attack completely.

"Who the he-" Her words died on her lips. Standing in front of her was Vansh.

His grip on her wrist was firm but careful, making sure she wasn't hurt. A small smile rested on his lips, while his warm eyes looked straight into hers, carrying the same calm she remembered.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Their eyes remained locked, and everything around them seemed to disappear. The cool night breeze, the distant sounds of the palace, even the silence itself faded away. It felt as if time had stopped just for the two of them.

She forgot to breathe. Three months.Three long months without a single call, a single message, or even a sign.

And now...He was standing right in front of her. After a long moment of silence, Vansh finally spoke.

"So..." he said with a small smile, his eyes falling on the knife still in her hand. "I disappeared for three months, and this is how you welcome me? I was at least expecting a 'welcome hug. '"

She, who had been lost in the moment, blinked a few times before quickly coming back to her senses.

She immediately pulled herself free from his hold and gave him a light push on the chest, creating some distance between them.

"You sneaked into the Crown Princess's chamber in the middle of the night," she said, keeping her voice calm. "Be thankful you're still standing in front of me. Otherwise, I would have slit your throat by now."

Vansh raised an eyebrow before letting out a quiet chuckle. "And I would have happily let it happen," he replied, taking a slow step toward her. "If the one holding the knife was my snow. "

The nickname made her freeze for a second.

Her fingers tightened slightly around the knife before she quickly looked away, pretending his words had no effect on her. She wasn't going to let him see that he had caught her off guard.

"Where were you?" she asked, changing the topic without wasting another second.

"There was something important I had to take care of," Vansh answered simply.

His reply was short, but he noticed the tiny change in her expression. Anyone else would have missed it, but not him. He knew her. Whenever she ran out of words or didn't want to show what she was feeling, she always changed the subject.

Normally, he would tease her until she lost her calm. But tonight, he simply watched her.

She narrowed her eyes. "Important enough to disappear for three months and not make a single call or send even one message?"

For a few seconds, he didn't answer.

Instead, a slow smile spread across his face as he stepped closer again. The distance between them disappeared until only a few inches remained. He bent down just enough for their eyes to meet at the same level.

"Tell me something first," he said softly, a playful smirk appearing on his lips. "Were you missing me, Snow?"

She looked at him for a second, her heart unknowingly skipped a beat but then straight into his eyes without blinking. "I was making sure my political partner hadn't died," she replied without changing her expression. "Finding another person willing to pretend as my fiance would be troublesome."

"Hm..." Vansh hummed, pretending to think. " Ye bada hi alag tareeka hai, ha bolne ka. "

"I said no such thing." she said and clenched her fist.

" Ha main maan leta hoon tumhari khusi ke liye, " he said.

She looked at him like... she was ready to murder him at the moment. " You still haven't answered me."

He looked at her then sign, " if I called you or even sent you a message, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from coming back to you, Arsh. And then I wouldn't have been able to finish what I had gone there to do. That's why I couldn't contact you."

His words settled between them, leaving behind a silence that neither of them tried to break.

She simply stood there, looking at him. For the first time in a long while, the wall she had carefully built around herself seemed to crack ever so slightly.

She didn't know whether to believe him or not, but for some reason his absence hurt her...even though she didn't know why.

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