16. Genuine Conversation

The grand celebration lasted through the day and into the night, filling the royal palace and its surrounding grounds with an energy that seemed to ripple through every corner. People danced, sang, and feasted, their joy reflecting the pride they felt in their new king and queen. The palace courtyard was illuminated by thousands of lamps, their warm glow casting an ethereal light on the festivities.

Shivaay, dressed in his regal attire, moved among the guests with an air of authority, but tonight, there was something softer about him. His usual cold demeanor seemed to have melted away, replaced by a rare and genuine smile that graced his face. The transformation wasn’t lost on Niharika, who had been silently observing him throughout the day.

That smile... It was doing something to her, stirring emotions she wasn’t ready to confront. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from him as he spoke to the people, his voice carrying a charm she had never noticed before. The way his lips curved, the slight crinkle at the corner of his eyes—it made her heart skip a beat.

Niharika was surrounded by the women of the family, who were busy praising her grace and beauty, but her attention remained fixed on Shivaay. She noticed how effortlessly he carried himself, his interactions commanding respect and admiration. His smile was magnetic, almost contagious, and it lit up his face in a way she hadn’t seen before.

Unconsciously, she found herself smiling too. But the realization made her stop abruptly, her cheeks flushing with warmth. Why am I reacting like this? she wondered, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her dupatta. He was still the same man who had treated her coldly, hadn’t he? But seeing him like this, surrounded by his people, it was difficult to reconcile the ruthless Shivaay she had known with the man standing before her now.

As the night deepened, the celebrations grew more intimate. The immediate family and close dignitaries gathered in the palace's central hall for a final round of rituals and blessings. Niharika found herself sitting beside Shivaay once again, their thrones slightly elevated as a symbol of their new roles.

Every so often, her eyes drifted to him, only to find him smiling—at his family, at the people, even at the little children running around. It was like he had shed the weight of his usual stoicism, and for the first time, she glimpsed the man he could be beneath all the layers of power and control.

And then, as if sensing her gaze, he turned to her. Their eyes met, and for a fleeting moment, his smile softened, his expression unreadable but somehow... warm. Niharika’s breath hitched, her heart pounding in her chest as she quickly looked away, her face burning with embarrassment.

Shivaay’s smile didn’t fade. If anything, it deepened. He hadn’t missed the way she had been watching him, nor the way her cheeks had turned pink under his gaze. It amused him, but more than that, it intrigued him. There was something about her—a quiet strength, a disarming innocence—that was beginning to chip away at the walls he had so carefully built around himself.

As the celebrations wound down, the crowd began to disperse, leaving the palace quieter than it had been all day. Niharika stood by the balcony, staring at the night sky, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling within her. She still couldn’t understand the effect Shivaay’s smile had on her—or why she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Behind her, she heard the faint sound of footsteps. She didn’t need to turn around to know it was him. His presence was unmistakable, his aura commanding the space around him.

“You should rest,” his deep voice broke the silence, startling her. She turned to find him standing a few steps away, his expression unreadable once

That night marked the first time Niharika and Shivaay had a genuine conversation. After the celebrations, the air between them was different—lighter, almost as if the walls that had separated them for so long had cracked, even if only for a moment.

Niharika returned to their room, her mind still buzzing with the events of the day. It felt surreal to be crowned queen, to have everyone’s eyes on her, yet there was something more significant about the shift in Shivaay. His smile—genuine and unguarded—kept replaying in her mind. She had never seen him like that before. In those brief moments when he wasn’t the cold, distant king, he had seemed... almost like a different person.

As she walked into the room, she noticed Shivaay already preparing for bed. He was standing by the bed, his back to her, his movements deliberate and quiet, as if the weight of the day had also worn him down. His posture was still strong, but there was an exhaustion in his shoulders that she hadn’t seen before. The man who had once seemed invincible now appeared, for the first time, vulnerable.

She paused at the door for a moment, wondering what to do. Then, quietly, she made her way toward the couch. There was an unspoken understanding between them that they would both need their space tonight. No words were needed. Shivaay had already settled into the bed, and Niharika knew she should take the couch.

“Goodnight,” she said softly, glancing over at him, hoping her voice didn’t carry the weight of everything unsaid between them.

Shivaay, who had been silent up until that point, turned to face her. His eyes, usually so guarded, held a hint of softness. He didn’t say anything at first, as though processing her words. Finally, he nodded. “Goodnight.”

Niharika settled onto the couch, adjusting the cushions to make herself as comfortable as possible. The silence between them was different now—less oppressive, more peaceful. It was the first time in a long while that she wasn’t haunted by the tension in the room. The uneasy, cold distance between them seemed to have faded, even if only slightly.

As she lay there, staring up at the ceiling, her thoughts kept drifting back to the way Shivaay had smiled today, how he had softened in the presence of the people and, for that brief moment, with her. It was hard to reconcile the man she saw today with the one she had married. She had always thought of him as distant, unapproachable, but today he had shown her something different.

Meanwhile, Shivaay lay in the bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, replaying the same scene in his mind. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed, that the distance between him and Niharika had lessened, even if only by a fraction. Her voice had been softer today, her presence different. The brief conversation, the smile they had shared—he wasn’t used to such things, not with her.

His thoughts kept drifting to the brief moment when their eyes had met on the balcony, when she had spoken to him so openly. It had been a shift in their dynamic, and for reasons he couldn’t explain, it made him feel... lighter.

But despite the warmth of those thoughts, he couldn’t let himself think too much about it. There were responsibilities ahead, his duty as the king, and the role Niharika now played as his queen. They couldn’t afford distractions. Still, as he closed his eyes to sleep, the thought of her smile lingered.

That night, as the room remained quiet, both of them tried to drift into sleep, yet their minds stayed awake, tangled in the strange new feelings that had begun to unfurl between them.

In the middle of the night, Shivaay woke up with a sudden start. The room was dark, save for the soft light filtering in through the curtains. For a few moments, he remained still, adjusting to the silence and the unfamiliar calmness in the air.

His gaze slowly shifted to Niharika, who was still sleeping on the couch. He had expected to feel the usual distance—his usual cold indifference—but something felt different tonight. The night was quiet, almost serene, and as his eyes fell on her, something strange stirred within him.

He had never really looked at her like this before, not like he was now. Her face was peaceful, her features softened in sleep. The way her hair fell over her shoulder, the slight rise and fall of her chest as she breathed—everything about her seemed so... real. There was no façade, no guards, no calculated moves. Just Niharika. The woman he had married, the queen by his side, but someone who was so much more than the role she was expected to play.

The strange feeling grew as he continued to look at her. His heart beat a little faster, an unfamiliar warmth spreading through him. The woman who had once been nothing more than a duty, someone he could barely tolerate, was now someone he was... noticing. Truly noticing. His eyes traced her features, and for the first time, he didn’t see just the queen or the woman he had to control. He saw her—Niharika, the person she was beneath the surface.

It unsettled him. He had spent so much of his life focused on power, control, and the expectations placed upon him. But here, in the stillness of the night, he couldn’t ignore the fact that his thoughts were focused on her, and it wasn’t out of obligation. It was because he was drawn to her.

He quickly turned his gaze away, trying to shake off the strange feeling. His chest tightened as he took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. What was happening? Why was he thinking about her like this?

Shivaay clenched his jaw, frustrated with himself. He couldn't afford to let these thoughts take over. She was still the same woman he had married, someone who didn’t belong in his world. She wasn’t the woman he had expected to feel anything for, and he wasn’t supposed to feel anything for her.

But as he lay there in the quiet dark, his thoughts kept returning to her, and the strange feeling in his chest refused to go away.

As he turned over and tried to drift back to sleep, he couldn’t shake the image of her face, the way she looked so peaceful, so... right. He closed his eyes, trying to push the thoughts away, but the quiet buzz in his chest wouldn’t let him.

The night felt longer than it had before.