Tanvi sat by the window of her room, staring at the moonlit streets below. Her heart was heavy, torn between the constant pressure from Prince Ajay and the lingering worry about Rahul's disappearance. It had been more than 4 months since she had last heard from him, and now, with every passing day, she felt the weight of being hunted by an obsessed prince growing unbearable.
Mira had left, just as she'd asked. Now, there was no one to turn to for advice or comfort. Tanvi had wealth, respect, and even a title, but none of it mattered. She was a prisoner in her own success, constantly looking over her shoulder, fearing that Prince Ajay would appear any moment with his unwavering demand for marriage.
Late one night, after another restless evening, Tanvi made a decision. She could no longer live like this—constantly running from the prince while feeling like a stranger in this world. She was done with being controlled. Quietly, she began packing her belongings, stuffing only the essentials into a small bag. Her hands trembled as she folded her clothes, realizing that this time, she had to disappear for good.
"I can't stay here any longer," she whispered to herself, the weight of her words sinking in. "I need to get out before he finds me... before I lose myself completely."
Tanvi took one last look around her room—the life she had built, the wealth, the success—and sighed. None of it felt real anymore. She was done pretending. She knew that running away wasn't just about escaping the prince—it was about finding herself again. Maybe even finding Rahul, wherever he was.
Before dawn, she slipped out of her mansion, her footsteps quiet against the cobblestone streets. The city slept in peace, unaware that the woman who had become a celebrated noble had just disappeared into the night. She moved through the alleyways like a shadow, heading toward the edge of the kingdom, where no one would think to look for her.
As the first rays of sunlight began to break over the horizon, Tanvi paused at the outskirts of the city and looked back at the kingdom she was leaving behind. There was no room for regret now. She had made her choice.
***
The next morning, chaos erupted in the royal court.
"Tanvi is gone?" The king's voice was a mix of disbelief and anger. "How can this happen? She was one of our most trusted nobles!"
Ministers whispered among themselves, unsure of what to say. The news of Tanvi's sudden disappearance had sent shockwaves through the court. How could a woman so respected, so influential, just vanish without a trace?
Prince Ajay sat at the head of the court, his expression unreadable, though his eyes betrayed a simmering rage. "Search every corner of the kingdom," he ordered, his voice cold and firm. "She can't have gone far."
A minister stepped forward cautiously. "Your Highness, we've already sent guards to her estate and questioned the servants. No one knows where she's gone. There were no signs of a struggle."
Ajay slammed his fist against the table, causing everyone to flinch. "She ran," he growled. "She's running from me." His voice lowered, filled with determination. "But she won't escape. I'll find her. No matter where she hides."
The court remained silent, no one daring to challenge him. They had all heard of Ajay's obsession with Tanvi, and though some whispered that his behavior was unbecoming of a prince, none would say it aloud.
Ajay stood abruptly, his royal robes swishing as he turned to leave. "Send word to every nearby kingdom. If anyone spots her, I want to know immediately. And if anyone helps her escape..." He let the threat hang in the air, his unspoken promise of punishment clear.
As Ajay stormed out of the court, his mind raced. How could she just disappear like that? After everything he had done to secure her, to make her his, she had simply walked away. But no. This wasn't over. He had waited too long for her—she would not slip through his fingers.
***
Far from the kingdom, Tanvi continued her journey, keeping a low profile. She avoided the main roads and stuck to paths only known by travelers and merchants. Every step felt heavier, but the thought of freedom kept her going.
"I'll find a place where I can live quietly, where no one knows me," she muttered to herself as she walked through a dense forest. "I'll start over."
But even as she said the words, a part of her couldn't help but wonder—what if Prince Ajay really did find her? What if he never stopped chasing her? And, in the back of her mind, the thought of Rahul lingered. Was he even still alive? Would she ever see him again?
As she made her way through a small village at the border, Tanvi pulled her hood lower over her face, blending into the crowd. She rented a room at a small inn, keeping to herself. For now, she was safe, but how long would it last?
Back in the capital, Prince Ajay stood on the balcony of his chambers, staring out at the kingdom he ruled. His mind was consumed with thoughts of Tanvi—her boldness, her refusal, her infuriating defiance.
The cold night air bit at Tanvi's skin as she trudged through the dense forest, her feet dragging through the thick undergrowth. She had been running for days now, desperate to escape the prince and the suffocating grip of his obsession. Her eyes scanned the horizon for any sign of shelter as exhaustion clawed at her limbs. Finally, in the dim light of the moon, she spotted an old, crumbling hut nestled against the base of a hill. It looked abandoned, barely standing, but to her, it was a sanctuary for the night.
With a deep breath of relief, she pushed open the rickety door, its hinges creaking in protest. The inside was dark, damp, and cold, but it provided a roof over her head. Tanvi collapsed onto the rough wooden floor, clutching her small pack of belongings. As she lay there, trying to find warmth, her mind raced with thoughts of Rahul. Where was he? Was he even alive? And would she ever find a way back home?
The fatigue finally overpowered her anxiety, and she drifted into a fitful sleep, the howling winds outside echoing the turmoil in her heart.
---
Morning came, cold and gray. The sunlight barely pierced through the thick canopy of trees surrounding the hut. Tanvi woke, stiff and sore, but determined to keep moving. She could not afford to stay in one place for long. The prince's influence extended far beyond the kingdom's borders, and she had seen enough to know that Ajay would stop at nothing to find her.
As she prepared to leave the hut, something caught her eye—pinned to a nearby tree was a poster, its edges flapping gently in the breeze. Her heart sank when she saw her own face staring back at her, the bold lettering beneath it reading, "WANTED: TANVI."
"They're searching for me everywhere," she whispered to herself, her pulse quickening. She tore down the poster, but as she made her way further down the road, more of them appeared. Everywhere she looked, her face was plastered on walls, trees, and message boards.
By noon, she was hiding in the shadows, her hood pulled low to obscure her features. Tanvi watched from behind a stack of barrels as a group of guards from a neighboring kingdom marched through the village, stopping passersby and questioning them.
"This is bad... really bad," she muttered under her breath.
She managed to hide herself throughout the day, sneaking through alleys and behind buildings. Hunger gnawed at her stomach, but it was too dangerous to enter the bustling market. As dusk fell, she slipped into a small food stall on the edge of town, hoping to grab something to eat without drawing attention.
Tanvi's hand was just about to reach for a loaf of bread when she felt a rough grip on her shoulder. Startled, she spun around only to be met by the leering faces of a group of bandits.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" one of them sneered, his filthy fingers tightening around her arm. "Looks like we caught ourselves the prize everyone's looking for."
Tanvi's heart raced as she struggled to free herself. "Let me go!" she snapped, trying to keep her voice steady.
The leader of the group, a scarred man with a menacing grin, stepped forward. "You're worth a lot of gold, you know that?" he said, waving one of her wanted posters in her face. "The prince has everyone out looking for you. Lucky for us, you walked right into our hands."
She glared at him, her mind racing for a way out. "Do you really think you'll get the reward if you bring me in?" Tanvi asked, her voice sharp. "The prince doesn't want anyone else involved. You'll be thrown into the dungeons just like me, or worse."
The bandits exchanged uneasy glances. For a moment, she thought her bluff might work, but the leader's grin only widened. "Nice try, sweetheart. But we're not handing you over to the prince. We have our own plans for you."
Before Tanvi could react, one of the bandits tied her hands behind her back, and they began leading her away from the village and into the dense forest. Her mind raced with fear and anger. She had come too far to be caught now. She needed to think of something, fast.
As they marched deeper into the woods, the sky darkened and the sound of owls hooting echoed through the trees. Tanvi knew she was running out of time.
"So, what's your plan?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm. "Sell me off to some slaver or hold me for ransom?"
The leader chuckled darkly. "Something like that. But don't worry. You'll find out soon enough."
Tanvi clenched her fists, her mind working furiously. She needed to find a way to escape before they reached wherever they were taking her. If she could just delay them long enough or get them to lower their guard, maybe she could make a break for it.
As they approached a clearing in the forest, Tanvi noticed that the bandits were starting to relax, their attention drifting as they discussed their plans. This was her chance.
Without warning, she twisted her body sharply, breaking free from the grip of the bandit beside her. The element of surprise was on her side as she kicked him hard in the knee, sending him crashing to the ground. In the confusion, she darted toward the edge of the clearing, her bound hands making it difficult, but adrenaline fueling her movements.
"Get her!" the leader roared, but Tanvi was already sprinting into the dense forest, the branches tearing at her clothes as she ran.
The sound of footsteps and angry shouts followed close behind her, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. But in the end they were out numbered and she was captured.
As Tanvi's consciousness slipped away, the world around her faded into a swirling mist of sounds and sensations. The last thing she remembered was the overwhelming force of the bandits as they seized her, their rough hands pulling her into the shadows of the old hut. The chilling night air had been pierced by their harsh laughter, a sound that echoed ominously in her ears before everything went dark.
When she finally came to, she was lying on a hard surface, the rough texture of the ground digging uncomfortably into her back. The scent of damp earth and mold filled her nostrils, and she instinctively turned her head to find herself in a dimly lit room. The light filtering in from a cracked window revealed stone walls, crumbling and damp, hinting at the age of the place. Disoriented, she blinked, trying to gather her thoughts.
As she sat up slowly, a wave of dizziness washed over her. She pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling the pulse of her heartbeat echoing in her temples. "Where am I?" she whispered to herself, the sound of her voice foreign in the stillness.