“Please have a seat. I hope you feel better after resting. Is the chair comfortable?” Levi politely pulled out a chair for Priya, leaving her shocked by her sudden politeness.
Both Levi and Rish were giving her wary looks, as if ready to kick her out of the house. If Maya hadn’t intervened, they might have done just that.
Even though she knew it wasn’t their fault, they weren’t being rude; it was because of Priyank’s behaviour at the shop. She was the one who asked for stones, unaware that it was an exclusive store.
How could she have known? It was her first time going somewhere like that, especially coerced into wedding ring shopping, from which she had already run away.
When they revealed yesterday that, to save their jobs, they pretended it to be silver rings , Priya could only imagine the true cost of the ring.
Sudden politeness was still very shocking indeed.
“Please sit, why are you standing? You’re still injured, you should sit,” Rish’s words snapped her back from her thoughts.
“Is that alright?” Priya asked, confused by the warmth in their tones.
“Of course it is, you should sit, my dear,” Maya said as she started serving the dishes.
She knew it might be difficult for Priya to accept this. Levi and Rish were both being overly solicitous, yet they couldn’t speak too casually to someone of royal blood.
Even though they tried their best, Maya herself didn’t know what to do. She wanted to address Priya as “queen” but couldn’t bring herself to do it. It was just too awkward.
Priya wasn’t a normal person; she was a royal blood heir, deserving of respect.
Maya tried her best to act normal in the forest, knowing Priya was unaware of her status, but now it was becoming hard.
“We’re sorry for our behaviour. We understand now it wasn’t your fault, so we shouldn’t blame you,” Levi apologised.
“No, you don’t have to apologise.”
“We do. We were wrong, and we should apologise. There’s nothing wrong in admitting that we overreacted by blaming you,” Rish exclaimed.
Priya sat down, her feet already injured and unable to stand for too long.
“I cooked a good meal for you today, so feel free to eat. Don’t be shy, alright?” Maya said, taking her seat. Levi and Rish followed suit.
“Thanks, Maya,” Priya smiled.
“You should call me ‘Aunty,’ or if you’re uncomfortable with that, ‘Maya’ is fine too,” Maya said as she served food onto Priya’s plate.
“You look young. I never thought you would have such grown kids. That’s why I didn’t call you ‘Aunty.’ I think ‘Maya’ is something I’m comfortable with,” Priya replied, taking the spoon in her hand and starting to eat the rice and beans she had been served.
For someone who didn’t like beans, they tasted awesome for the first time in her life.
As Priya savoured the meal, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth and acceptance from Levi, Rish, and Maya.
Maya, noticing Priya’s smile, couldn’t help but feel relieved. She had been worried about how Priya would like the meal.
Levi and Rish exchanged glances, silently acknowledging their relief that Priya seemed to be accepting their apology and their efforts to make her feel comfortable.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Priya spoke up. “Thank you for the delicious meal.”
Levi smiled kindly. “I’m glad you liked it. My mom cooks the best.”
Rish nodded in agreement. “Exactly. She’s the best.”
Maya chimed in, “No, I’m not. I’m just fine.”
“Nah, I don’t like beans, but yours tasted delicious, Maya,” Priya complimented, as she drank the water, feeling full and content.
“Then I’ll gladly accept the compliment,” Maya laughed a little, happy with the praise.
“You should, because it fills me perfectly,” Priya nodded.
“So, if you don’t mind my asking, may I ask something?” Maya paused and then asked.
Priya was startled, but she knew this conversation would come sooner or later. She couldn’t just ignore it.
She had no place else to go, and she didn’t know where she would go if they told her to leave. Still, she couldn’t do anything; it was their house, and she was just a guest. Moreover, they had been kind enough to help her yesterday.
“Of course, go ahead,” Priya replied, trying to sound casual despite her nervousness.
Maya hesitated for a moment before speaking. “I couldn’t help but notice that you seem a bit lost. Is everything okay? Like, why did you run away from your marriage?”
Priya felt a lump form in her throat. How could she explain the mess that was her life right now? But she couldn’t keep everything bottled up anymore.
“It was a forced marriage,” Priya admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I ran away without taking anything with me, no money, no place to go.”
Levi and Rish exchanged concerned glances, silently urging Priya to continue.
“Continue dear,” Maya, all shocked, urged her vocally.
“I was kidnapped by him,” Priya confessed, her eyes welling up with tears. “Then he threatened my mother and forced me to marry him.”
Priya told everything in detail, from how she met him to how she was forced into marriage.
Maya, Levi and Rish listened intently, their expressions a mix of shock and sympathy.
“That’s disgusting,” Levi said, her voice filled with anger.
“We’re so sorry you had to go through that,” Rish added, his tone soft with compassion.
Maya tightened her grip on Priya’s shoulder, offering silent support.
Priya took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. “I had to get away. I couldn’t bear the thought of spending the rest of my life with him.”
“You did the right thing by leaving,” Maya said, her voice gentle. “You deserve to be safe and happy.”
Priya nodded, grateful for the understanding. “Thank you for letting me stay here. I don’t know what I would have done without your help.”
Priya didn’t divulge intimate details, but she still felt incredibly exposed sharing her story. However, she had no other choice.
Maya was beyond shocked when she heard everything. She never thought a man could be this terrible. Maybe humans are capable of such cruelty, or perhaps he’s just the worst example. Either way, it’s absolutely horrible.
“So what now?”