YEARN

CHAPTER 13

L A S Y A

"I'm adopting him."

Adopting Avyukt was the only feasible solution. No one would dare oppose the Queen. He needed a safe and happy home and Lasya could provide it for him. She would provide it for him. There was no alternate way. Every option had been shot down. Brutally.

Maithili cast a worried look at Rudransh who had been pacing incessantly. Normally, she would have voiced her opinion on the matter, but with him in the room, she stuck to remaining silent. He raked a hand through his hair, messing it up.

"Rudransh?"

He stopped instantly, gesturing for Maithili to exit the room. The handmaiden did so immediately. "We can't make rash decisions."

She opened her mouth to argue.

"Wait." he interrupted before she could. "Listen to me. Avyukt does not know what stability is. He has been living his entire life under some state of turmoil or the other, even at the orphanage. I understand that you want the best for him, but I think it's high time you ask him what he wants. The kid is smart. He can chart out the best course for himself."

Lasya wanted to oppose it, however, she couldn't. Rudransh was right. Avyukt might have been six, but he was incredibly smart. He should be the one to make the decision.

"We need to explain that even if we do end up adopting him, he will have consequences that will follow him his entire life." he reasoned, thinking rationally. He was the King after all. Situations like these brought out the best in him. "He needs to brace himself for that. It's not a small deal. He has to choose between two evils."

Why did he have to make so much sense? Didn't being the voice of reason get exhausting? "You're right."

Rudransh's face morphed into one of surprise. She rolled her eyes through the tears, aware of what was coming. "You're actually agreeing with me? It's not a solstice today, is it? Are you feeling okay?"

"I don't let my pride hinder my ability to weigh reason and emotion, unlike a few people here." she jabbed light-heartedly. Chuckling, he took a seat beside her. "Are you okay with it though?"

"Okay with what?" he asked, making her give him a look.

Rudransh smiled as he fell back on the bed, supporting his head with his right arm. "I haven't exactly experienced what it's like to be responsible for a kid, especially one of my own, but I think I can handle it. I did take care of Prithvi and Veda when they were young. I'm aware that it's not the same, but there's at least something I can compare it to."

Lasya nodded, stiffening when she felt the pad of his thumb wipe the tears from her eyes. She looked down at him, smiling lightly when his gaze remained fixated on the task at hand. "Rudransh."

He gently shushed her.

"Rudransh, listen to me."

"I always am." he assured. "But listen now. When Avyukt confessed that he lied because he didn't want to see you cry, I thought I understood him. He was a kid, so he didn't know how to handle the situation. It made sense at the time, but I know now that it wasn't the case."

Lasya unconsciously followed his breathing pattern, letting his inhale lead hers and letting her exhale mimic his.

"I've seen a lot of people cry in my life and the impact has always been the same. It makes me feel bad. With you, however, it feels like someone is trying to wrench my heart out of my body with their bare hands. It's agonizing to stay quiet through."

Her heart skipped a beat at his words.

"I know it's stupid because it's just a way for you to vent out your emotions, but it doesn't tame the anger in me any less." he disclosed, tracing the bottom row of her eyelashes with his finger. "The next time someone makes you cry, even if it's me, I'll make them suffer so bad that they become incapable of even thinking about repeating it."