CHAPTER 12: Part 1 (CLAIMING THE HORIZON)
~ ISHIKA (POV) ~
I had applied for leave starting today to "help with wedding preparations," which technically meant I was free until we left for Khimsar tomorrow morning.
I thought I would spend the day packing. Instead, I was looking at a giraffe.
"He looks bored," Mrityunjay noted, standing beside me with his hands in his pockets. He was wearing casual clothes today-a black polo and jeans-but he still looked like he owned the zoo.
"He's majestic," I corrected, leaning against the railing. "Look at those eyelashes."
Date Number Three had been... surprisingly normal. He had picked me up at 10 AM and drove us to the Machia Biological Park. For two hours, we just walked.
He didn't say much, but he listened. He listened when I ranted about the monkeys stealing chips, and he smirked when I cooed over the deer.
After the heavy, heartbreaking confession on the Sky Deck last night, this lightness felt like a balm.
"Come," he said, checking his watch. "It's getting too hot. Let's go somewhere quieter."
>>>>>>>
I expected a restaurant. I did not expect a sprawling private farmhouse on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by high walls and dense trees.
The living room was cool and rustic, filled with wooden furniture and leather sofas. It smelled of earth and expensive cologne.
"Make yourself comfortable," Mrityunjay said, tossing his keys on a table. "I'll get us something cold to drink. The staff is off today."
"You? Serving drinks?" I teased, trying to lighten the mood.
He stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, looking back at me with that intense, heated gaze that always made my toes curl. "For you, Little Rabbit, I'd serve anything."
He disappeared into the kitchen.
I smiled, shaking my head. I walked around the room, admiring the decor.
There were paintings of old Rajput warriors, antique swords mounted on the wall... and a very large, slightly open door leading to the backyard.
I heard a heavy *thud* from that room.
Curious, I walked toward the open door. "Mrityunjay? You said the staff was off duty didn't, you?"
No answer, maybe my voice didn't reach the kitchen. Then there was a low, vibrating sound. Like a heavy engine purring.
I pushed the door open a few inches and peeked inside.
My heart stopped. My blood turned to ice.
Sitting in the middle of the sunroom, licking a paw the size of a dinner plate, was a tiger.
A full-grown, orange-and-black striped, man-eating tiger.
The beast froze mid-lick. It slowly turned its massive head. Its yellow eyes locked onto mine.
*Oh my god. Oh my god.*
The tiger stood up. It was huge. It let out a low chuffing sound and took a step toward me.
Panic, blind and primal, seized my brain. I slammed the door shut, fumbling with the latch, my hands shaking so hard I could barely lock it.
I spun around and bolted toward the kitchen.
"Mrityunjay!" I screamed, skidding on the rug.
He was just walking out with a tray of lemonade. "Ishika? What's-"
I didn't let him finish. I crashed into him, grabbing his arm and practically dragging him backward.
"Run!" I gasped, eyes wide with terror. "We have to leave! Now!"
"Ishika, calm down-"
"No, you don't understand!" I pulled at his shirt, desperate to get him to the exit. "There is a tiger in the other room! A real tiger! It's loose! It's going to kill us!"
Mrityunjay didn't move. He didn't look scared. He looked... confused. And then, slowly, a smirk began to tug at the corner of his lips.
"A tiger?" he repeated calmly, not dropping the tray.
"Why are you smiling?!" I shrieked, tears springing to my eyes. "It's huge! It looked at me! Mrityunjay, please, we have to go before it smells us!"
I stepped in front of him, spreading my arms as if my five-foot frame could shield him from a four-hundred-pound predator. "Stay behind me. We'll back out slowly. I saw this in a documentary once..."
Mrityunjay placed the tray down on a side table. He didn't run. Instead, he stepped forward, wrapped his arms around my waist, and lifted me effortlessly off the floor.
"Mrityunjay! Put me down! We need to run!" I kicked my legs, panicking.
"Little Rabbit," he chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound against my chest. "Relax."
"How can I relax?! There is a wild animal in your house!"
"He's not wild," Mrityunjay murmured, carrying me-still struggling-back toward the scary room. "And he's not going to eat you. He's probably just hungry for chicken."
"No! Don't go there! Are you crazy?" I turned and buried my face in his neck, terrified.
He stopped at the door, that I had, slammed shut. He unlocked it with one hand, holding me securely with the other.
"Saber!" he called out. "Come."
I peeked out from the crook of his neck, expecting death.
The tiger trotted up to us. But instead of roaring, it let out a soft whine and rubbed its massive head against Mrityunjay's leg, nearly knocking him over.
It purred like a giant, vibrating car engine.
"Ishika," Mrityunjay whispered, his lips brushing my temple. "Meet Saber. My pet."
I blinked. I looked at the tiger, who was currently looking at me with big, curious eyes, blinking slowly.
I looked at Mrityunjay, who was grinning like a boy showing off his favorite toy.
"Pet?" I squeaked.
"He's harmless," Mrityunjay said, reaching down to scratch the tiger behind the ears. Saber closed his eyes in bliss. "Well, harmless to you. Because you're mine."
He set me down gently, but kept an arm around me. "You were trying to protect me?"
I felt my face heat up, realizing how ridiculous I must have looked trying to shield the King from his own cat. "I... I thought it was going to eat you."
"You are terrified of lizards," he murmured, stepping closer until his chest brushed mine. "But you stood in front of a tiger for me?"
"I didn't think," I whispered, my heart still hammering against my ribs. I glanced nervously at Saber, who was sitting patiently, tail flicking. "I just... I thought he was going to hurt you."
Mrityunjay's expression softened, the amusement fading into something far more intense-a look of raw, unmasked worship. He reached out, cupping my cheek.
"No one has ever tried to protect me before," he admitted, his voice rough. "Usually, people run away from the monsters, Ishika. They don't stand between the monster and me."
"Well," I managed a shaky laugh, leaning into his warmth. "I guess I'm not very smart."
"No," he agreed softly, leaning his forehead against mine. "You are reckless. And brave. And mine."
A low, rumbling sound vibrated through the floor.
I jumped, clutching Mrityunjay's shirt.
"Relax," Mrityunjay chuckled, the sound vibrating against my chest. "He's jealous. He wants to meet you properly."
He took my hand, his large fingers enveloping mine, and began to guide it slowly toward the tiger.
"I can't," I whimpered, my courage evaporating as the massive head came closer. "Mrityunjay, I can't look."
"Then don't look," he whispered, his other arm wrapping tighter around my waist, anchoring me. "Just trust me."
I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face in the crook of his neck, hiding from the world. I breathed in his scent-cologne and safety-and let my arm go limp in his grasp, surrendering completely to him.
"I won't let anything hurt you," he promised, his lips brushing my temple.
I felt him guide my hand forward. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would bruise my ribs.
Then, my fingers brushed against something warm and coarse.
I flinched, burying my nose deeper into his collar, trembling.
But the tiger didn't bite. Instead, I felt the massive head push up against my palm, like a giant house cat asking for scratches. A deep, rhythmic vibration traveled up my arm. He was... purring.
"Open your eyes, Little Rabbit," Mrityunjay murmured against my hair. "Look."
I slowly peeled my face away from his neck, keeping one hand clutching his shoulder for dear life.
I looked down.
Saber had his eyes closed, his ears flattened in bliss as my hand rested on his head. He looked... soft.
"He likes you," Mrityunjay whispered, his chin resting on top of my head as he held me from behind. "He's usually the one scaring people away. But he knows."
"Knows what?" I whispered in awe, tentatively scratching behind the tiger's ear. Saber let out a happy groan that shook his whole body.
"That you are part of the pride now," Mrityunjay said, his voice dropping to a possessive growl. "You belong with us."
I stood there, wrapped in the arms of the most dangerous man in Jodhpur, petting a man-eating tiger, and the fear finally melted away.
Saber nudged my leg with his wet nose, almost knocking me over.
Mrityunjay tightened his hold, laughing softly-a genuine, carefree sound that I wanted to bottle up and keep forever.
"I think he wants the lemonade," I said, giggling as the tiger sniffed the air toward the tray.
"He can have it," Mrityunjay said, turning me around in his arms so I was facing him. He ignored the tiger, ignored the world, and focused solely on me. "I have everything I need right here."
He leaned down, and this time, I didn't hesitate. I rose on my tiptoes and met him halfway.
The kiss was slow, sweet, and filled with a promise that terrified me as much as it thrilled me. In that sunlit room, with a tiger watching us, I forgot about the feud. I forgot about the secrets.
I just wanted to stay in this farmhouse forever.
To Be Continued...