The next instant, there was wild, loud shouts from the gypsies, and then a blur of motion as they attacked Abhimanyu. The leader of the gypsies stood at a distance watching his men attack a lone man.

  Abhimanyu caught the throat of the man who was the closest and twisted it hard before picking the man up and throwing him away at a distance. Two other men attacked him from the sides. Abhimanyu caught them both under his arms and swung them until their heads knocked together, and blood rushed out of their noses spilling on Abhimanyu. He shoved them to the ground. The other man tried to attack Abhimanyu from behind.

  “Abhimanyu! Behind you!” Devasena shouted in warning.

  Abhimanyu swung around and kicked the other man hard in his stomach until the other man fell. He kicked him again until the man curled into a fetal position.

  It had taken only a few seconds for Abhimanyu to handle the five men who had attacked him. He began dragging the prone bodies closer until they formed a heap.

  Devasena was watching him still when the door to the carriage was ripped open, and she was dragged outside. She felt a sharp tip of a knife placed at her throat.

  “Deva! Oh my God, Deva!” the women cried out in panic and fear.

  “Everyone remain still. Don’t come out,” Devasena instructed.

  The man holding her dragged her towards Abhimanyu. “Stop!” the man bellowed.

  Abhimanyu turned. The five men on the ground were groaning and were in no position to get up or attack.

  Abhimanyu kept his gaze focused on the man holding her. “Let her go.” His command was soft and lethal.

  “Why should I?” the man asked. “You will kill me and my men anyway. And it is obvious that this woman cares for you and must be dear to you. I can at least get some revenge before I die!”

  Devasena slowly slid her knife from its sheath at her waist while the man was speaking.

  And then, preparing for the worst, she shoved the gypsy leader’s hand away from her throat, and at the same time swung her knife hard and stabbed it in the man’s thigh.

  The man emitted a roar of pain. Devasena stepped away from him. The next instant, Abhimanyu kicked the man hard until he fell back. He then stood over the wounded man.

  There was a look of hopeless resignation in the gypsy leader’s green eyes.

  But Abhimanyu didn’t hurt the man further. “Take the deal,” he said in a quiet tone instead. “Give your children a chance to lead a better life than ending up dead while they rob people. Give them a chance to get educated and achieve whatever they set their minds to.”

  “Do you mean it?” the man asked with a broken voice.

  “Yes. Go to your families and come to the Singham Mansion.”

  The man’s eyebrows rose. “Who are you?” he asked.

  “I am Abhimanyu Singham.” Her husband met her eyes before turning back to the gypsy leader. “And this is my wife, Devasena Singham. We both will personally ensure that my promise is kept and your families are welcomed to be a part of my people.”

  The man looked overcome with gratitude. “Thank you,” he whispered with tears running down his eyes as he looked at them.

  The rest of the gypsy men were badly hurt but still alive. They managed to get up and thank Abhimanyu and Devasena on the order of their leader before they all rode away to their families.

  Devasena went back to the carriages to make sure that apart from being badly shaken, everyone was fine.

  “Deva! How could your husband spare the life of a thug who was about to kill you!” a woman asked in outrage.

  “Yes, Deva. Abhimanyu Singham is known to have brutally killed many of his enemies. He should have proven his love and dedication towards you by killing that man!”

  Devasena smiled. “That’s because Abhimanyu Singham is a true leader,” she said. “Yes, a leader is sometimes required to be brutal in order to maintain peace. But a true leader must also know how to first stop a war and inspire people to do better before resorting to violence. And that’s what he did. He knew those men were desperate and in need of help.”

  Devasena knew at that point she had completely and utterly fallen in love with her husband. Yes, she had always respected him and was in awe of the stories she had heard about him. She had thought that after she married him, she would slowly hand her heart over to him.

  But now, her heart and soul completely belonged to him.

  ***

  “Where is he?” Devasena asked her men. They told her he had gone down the slope towards a pond.

  By the time Devasena went down the slope and reached the pond, Abhimanyu had already finished his swim. He had removed his shirt and was washing off the injured men’s blood from it.

  “Is everyone doing okay?” he asked when he heard her footsteps on the dry leaves.

  “Yes,” she replied. “Apart from being shaken, they are all fine.”

  She stood behind him and smiled. “How did you know it was me?”

  He suddenly twisted and wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her. She gasped as her body hit his. She placed both her palms on his warm, bare chest for balance.

  “The smell of roses,” he replied huskily as his heated eyes captured hers from the close proximity. “Although it’s faint now, it’s still uniquely you.”

  “I see,” she said, unable to speak or even think while he continued to watch her with desire in his eyes.

  Her hands trembled on his hard, muscled chest. He could easily see and feel her nervousness, but instead of assuring or calming her, his eyes grew possessive and also predatory. “As soon as we are on the Singham lands, I’m claiming you as mine,” he stated.

  Her heart was about to burst out of her chest. But pushing aside her nervousness and letting her anticipation take over, she slowly smiled. “Is that a promise, Singham?” she asked.

  He let out a surprised laugh. “Yes, my love. A promise and also a warning.”

  But Devasena was not scared. Far from it. She was still nervous since it would be her first time. But she was filled with so much anticipation that she couldn’t wait for them to reach the Singham lands.

  CHAPTER 8

  It took another half a day to reach the Singham lands. Abhimanyu directed the Senani group to a small village where he was received by the village head.

  “The group will rest here tonight,” Abhimanyu told the village head. “And tomorrow morning, I want some of the village men to join the group in the rest of their journey to the Singham Mansion.”

  He looked at the Senani group. “Devasena and I will continue the journey on our horses. We will be at the Singham Mansion when you all arrive.” When some of the women looked anxious, he assured them. “Don’t worry. We are on the Singham lands now. You will all remain safe. And unlike the route Devasena and I will take, most of your journey will be through the Singham villages.”

  Turning down the offer for dinner and packing a small meal for later, Abhimanyu and Devasena continued on their way.

  An hour later, the sun began to set. Abhimanyu stopped by the Singham Lake that ran across the three major provinces.

  “We’ll spend the night here,” he said.

  Devasena looked tired. There were a few twigs and leaves stuck in her hair during their long ride. He gently removed some of them.

  “Freshen up in the lake while I set up our bedding and arrange for our dinner,” he instructed.

  She nodded.

  He turned the other way to give her privacy.

  When he heard the splash in the water and the sounds as she swam deeper in the lake, he turned around. He took a quick dip on the shallow end before changing into a fresh pair of clothes.

  He then started a small fire and took out the packed food and laid it on a blanket. And on the opposite side, he spread a thicker blanket which would serve as their bed for the night.

  Despite the soft grass underneath, he knew it would still remain hard for the woman who was accustomed to luxury since the day she was born.

  Unlike her, over the years during his travels and also because of his mission, he was accustomed to camping outside and sleeping on the hard ground at times.

  His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the splash of water indicating Devasena had returned from the swim. When he turned around to check, he froze.

  His bride was slowly walking towards him with water dripping from her body. The thin material she had worn for the swim became completely transparent. With the setting sun behind her, she looked like a goddess.

  Devasena’s beauty, wit, and charm had been driving him crazy since the moment he had met her. When he had told her that he would claim her as soon as they reached the Singham lands, he had every intention to follow through.

  But he knew that a better man would wait and not take an innocent wife on the hard ground like an uncivilized primitive. He desperately hoped that his well-known iron control would stop him from claiming her that night.

  If only his bride decided not to test his limits of control.

  She had come closer and knelt right in front of him. The fire burning next to the blanket made her seem even more alluring and beautiful.

  “So, Singham,” she said with a sensuous smile. “We are on the Singham lands. Are you going to keep your promise?”

  As soon as she said that, his eyes flashed and all doubts vanished. His mind was completely consumed by the woman in front of him. He pulled her closer until their bodies were flush against each other.

  “Nothing can stop me from making you mine, my love,” he vowed.

  The fire burned bright, but the passion between them burned even hotter. And it continued much longer even after the fire died.

  CHAPTER 9

  Devasena woke up to a breathtaking sight. The lake looked beautiful with the clear blue of the sky reflecting from its surface. The surrounding tall trees and vivid colors of the flower beds added to the beauty.

  She tried to get up, but the strong muscular arm of her husband held her possessively even in his sleep.

  Slowly, without disturbing him, she slid out from his embrace and stood up. As soon as she saw his handsome face and powerful bare body, her cheeks became hot.

  She recalled the previous night. Even during intimacy, Abhimanyu Singham was demanding, determined, and relentless. Her entire body was sore, and she was bruised in some places, but a soft smile covered her face, and contentment filled her mind.

  She needed a cold bath to remove the soreness before they continued their journey to the Singham Mansion. She wore her long petticoat for the swim. Then picking up her knife, she began to walk along the shoreline. She did not want to disturb her husband with the sounds of her bath.

  As she walked, her mind was lost in thoughts of the previous night.

  When she had come from her bath the previous evening, she had seen the warring emotions on Abhimanyu’s face as he tried to control himself.

  She knew he didn’t want to consummate their marriage that night out of consideration for her. But she had been eager and filled with anticipation since the moment they had met. So pulling in every basic instinct, she had turned into a seductress, purely based on her knowledge from the various books she had read.

  Her curious nature had made her secretly sneak in various erotic texts from the Senani library to know what constituted lovemaking. After she had read those books, she had felt proud and knowledgeable.

  But last night, after one touch from her husband, all the bookish knowledge vanished from her brain, and she ended up following her mother’s advice of simply allowing one’s husband do whatever they wanted.

  Devasena’s cheeks burned even hotter as she recalled the things that Abhimanyu had done to her last night. She realized that reading about those things was much different than experiencing them in reality. But for the next time they made love, she was determined to please her husband with her bookish knowledge. She eagerly hoped their next time would be quite soon.

  Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard something.

  She looked around. She didn’t know how far she had walked, but she could no longer see Abhimanyu or the spot where they had stayed the night.

  With her heart thudding, she tightened the grip on her knife. She sensed a presence.

  Then within seconds, she saw them. Dozens and dozens of men quietly came out of the trees. Their faces were painted white and black, and they wore feathered headdresses. They were holding sharp, pointed spears.

  She froze as fear took over her completely. There were too many of them. Even if she shouted for help, Abhimanyu would not be able to defeat so many armed men. She would only be endangering him.

  So she did the only thing she could do.

  ***

  Abhimanyu woke up to the sun shining on his face. He reached out a hand and frowned.

  His bride was no longer sleeping next to him.

  Standing up, he began to stretch while feeling quite invigorated. He frowned again, realizing that after last night, his wife might not be feeling similarly. He hoped that in his mad, uncontrollable feeling of claiming her, he didn’t end up hurting her badly.

  He looked at the lake, but Devasena was nowhere in sight.

  He looked towards the surrounding trees and couldn’t see her there either. Quickly pulling on his trousers on account of his wife’s modesty, he went in search for her.

  “Devasena!” he called out. Where could she possibly be? There were no wild animals or any other threat since they were on the Singham lands.

  Twenty minutes later, before he could begin to worry, he came across a sight that stunned him and would forever be in his memory until the day he died.

  ***

  Abhimanyu saw that about forty tribesmen were standing in a circle. And in the middle of it was Devasena. She was wearing the same attire as what she had worn the previous night. But her long hair that reached her hips covered most of her body. She was holding her jewelled knife in a fierce, threatening manner.

  She was utterly captivating. And she didn’t realize that the tribesmen were watching her with amazement and awe.

  Her eyes briefly fell towards him. But still, she didn’t call out for his help or make any indication of his presence. He realized that his wife was trying to protect him. Pride along with a touch of exasperation filled him.

  One of the tribesmen saw him, and one by one they began to kneel on the ground as a show of respect. He nodded at them and greeted the tribal leader by bowing to him. He then went and stood next to Devasena before beginning to speak to the tribesmen in their language.

  He told them he had gotten married and that the woman was his wife. And when the tribal leader told him that he was a lucky man to have married a beautiful, fierce warrior queen, he smiled and agreed.

  They all looked at Devasena and bowed in front of her while pledging their allegiance. Although she couldn’t understand their language, Devasena slowly nodded and bowed back at them.

  Soon the tribesmen left quietly by slipping between the trees.

  “They are Singham allies,” Devasena remarked after they were gone.

  “Yes. They want to become a part of the Singham Province.”

  “I thought they were going to attack.”

  Instead of soothing her fears, his eyes blazed, and he pulled her close to kiss her fiercely. And when he pulled away, she had a soft, dazed look in her eyes.

  “I would never willingly put you in danger,” he said. “And if there is a danger, you always save yourself first. Never try to save me at the cost of your life.”

  She blinked through her daze, and then slowly a smile appeared on her face. “Singham,” she said saucily. “I think we are going to have our first argument as a married couple. Because there is no way I’m ever following that order of yours.”

  Instead of being displeased, an involuntary laugh burst from him. He shook his head and then kissed her again. This time it was a sweet, gentle kiss. “Come, my love. Let’s go home.”

  CHAPTER 10

  By the time they reached the Singham Mansion, preparations were already made to receive them. Hundreds of people had gathered to see Abhimanyu Singham’s wife.

  Although she felt bone-tired, Devasena smiled and greeted everyone.

  She climbed what appeared to be a hundred steps before standing in front of the mansion entrance. There, an older man greeted her in a sarcastic tone. “Devasena Senani,” he said “I thought the Senanis were known for their showy, luxurious life. I didn’t expect them to be so cheap by marrying their only daughter in such a low-key wedding.”

  Devasena knew a lot of Singham relatives lived in the mansion. Based on the similar features, she knew the older man must be Abhimanyu’s uncle who was known to be a troublemaker and often instigated people against Abhimanyu’s purpose of unifying them.

  “Uncle,” Abhimanyu said in a low, warning tone.

  But Devasena didn’t need her husband’s help in dealing with unruly relatives. “The Senanis can easily afford an expensive wedding,” she announced. “But they chose to align with the Singhams’ motive. So, they sent along gifts and assets that are worth a hundred times what any expensive wedding could ever cost.” She raised her chin. “And my name is not Devasena Senani. I am Devasena Singham.”

  Cheers erupted at her announcement, and everyone wore pleasing smiles.

  Abhimanyu Singham also wore a proud smile, and he kissed his wife’s hand tenderly before turning her towards the people. “Devasena Singham!” he announced

  Louder cheers erupted as the mistress to the Singham Mansion entered her home.

  Epilogue

  Five years later…

  “You should eat something right now,” a deep, rumbling voice commanded.

  “Not yet,” Devasena said. She was lying on top of her husband with her ear against his chest. Strong, calloused fingers continued to softly massage her bare back.

  They were at the Singham Lakehouse which Abhimanyu had built with his own hands. It was a small single-room cottage built right over the spot where they had spent their first night together on the Singham lands.

 

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