The Mughal Princess (Completed)

45.

"Poison." Maheen whispered. Maheen rushed back to Aditya and pulled out her dupatta and tied it around his arm tightly, stopping the position from spreading across his body.

She then ran towards the inner courtyard, trying to find the guards and call for help. She hadn't noticed it before now that all the guards posted along the corridor to the pond were missing from their post.

"Guards ! Guards !" She screamed standing in the inner courtyard. Soon around 15 guards assembled, looking at her for any bodily harm.

"You two go get the doctor, tell him that the king has been poisoned, we don't have a lot of time." She said trying to remain as calm as she could. She could feel her patience and soul move out from her body, her hand and feet had turned cold, she wanted to collapse on the spot and cry but she held herself, she had to.

"Go get Mangal, Dev and Rani maa immediately. Tell them." She said wiping her tears as she instructed the other five.

"You all come with me, we have to carry the king to his chamber." She said  running back to where she had left Aditya by the pond.

She crouched by him holding his hand, seeing him so unresponsive let all the dam of tears loose.

"Adi wake up please, please." She cried holding his hand.

"Rani sa please, we have to take him out of here." The guard said trying to pick Aditya up with three others.

Maheen let go off Aditya and nodded. She turned to the other guards standing and asked them to take the dead body to the doctor for forensic examination.

Maheen rushed back along with Aditya and the guards back to her room. This is not how she has planned to see him after two long days.

Everything was suppose to be okay, this wasn't how things should have taken a turn.

They lay Aditya on the bed and Maheen quickly along with the help of the guards pulled Aditya's kurta off and took his shoes out, not disturbing the makeshift tourniquet Maheen had made with her dupatta.

Maheen climbed on the bed and sat next to Aditya, helplessly holding his hand asking him to wake up .

Mangal was the first person to barge in through the doors.

"Bhaisa ! Bhaisa what ... bhabhi what happened, what happened !" He asked disoriented.

"I don't know." Maheen cried into Aditya's hand which was inside her own. "Please..please get the doctor here quickly please." She cried.

The very next second the doctor entered and asked the guards to leave and clear the space. He pulled out a vial from his bag and popped it open.

"Lift his head." He said looking at Mangal.

Mangal at once rushed by the bed and lifted Aditya's head. The doctor pushed the content of the vial into Aditya mouth.

He then turned Aditya around and cleared the wound with cotton.

"The wound isn't deep, I'll have to remove the tissues around which are infected, but that can be done only after 24 hours, I'll have to keep the wound open to dry out and I can just apply disinfectant on it for now.

"Is he okay ? Is he out of danger !" Maheen asked looking at the doctor hopefully.

"Out of danger ? Rani sa sorry to say but we don't even know how big the danger is, I have to go look at the body and the dagger and see what poison it had. The man died in seconds Rani sa, the poison is a deadly one."

"Please please do something, Adi.. please please." Maheen said folding her hands, crying.

"I'm going to try my best my queen, please pray and have hope. It was smart of you to tie this around his arm to stop the poison from spreading, I've given him a medicine which will slow the process of poison though his body, I hope I figure out what the poison is before it reaches too far."

Maheen nodded, crying harder at the unhealthy thoughts running through her head.

"Please .. please save my .. save my husband please." She said.

"Maheen !" Dev said entering the room, followed by Mandira.

"What happened ?" Dev asked looking at Mangal.

"Aditya !" Mandira said rushing towards the bed. "Beta wake up." She said sitting next to him.
"What happened to him, who did this! Who did this !" She screamed.

"Maa please calm down." Dev said placing a hand on Mandira's shoulder.

"Please if you can .. can go and find the antidote for Aditya please." Maheen said looking at the doctor who bowed and left.

"Who .. who did this to him, who did this." Mandira said crying.

"What happened Maheen ? How did this happen, everything was alright an hour ago and I -."

"I don't know." Maheen cried. "I don't know .. Aditya walked in and this man .. he tried to stab me but Aditya took .. took the brunt." She sobbed.
"The dagger .. it was laced with poison." She sobbed.

"Who was the man?" Dev asked.

"I don't know."

"Has he been caught ?"

"I killed him.. I killed .. I killed the man." Maheen said sobbing harder.

"Bhabhi it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong he tried to harm you and Bhaisa and -."

"If something happens to Aditya I will kill you, you should have been here not him." Mandira seethed. "I will not let you live so easily if anything happens to Aditya I will kill you." She screamed.

"Maa stop please, Maheen would never harm Bhaisa, you know it too."

"If anything .. anything happens to Ad..Aditya.." Mandira sobbed. "I will burn you and the entire of Agra girl, if he .. if .." Mandira sobbed.

Maheen turned deaf to Mandira's bitter words, she knew her pain was the same as hers if not more, she only wished and prayed for Aditya to get better right now.

"Maa please stop." Dev said. "Instead of cursing Maheen, pray that the doctor finds the antidote soon, please."

"He will get better .. won't he Aditya he will .. he can't .. he'll get better." Mandira sobbed into her hands.

Mangal stood by the bed side, wiping his own tears. Dev tried to stay strong as he knew he had to look after his family in such testing times.

Mandira sobbed and blamed Maheen, calling her the black curse who had fallen into her family.

While Maheen held Aditya's hand looking at him, her eyes watered and nothing in the world mattered to her except her husband life at this moment.

"Maa enough please ! Can't you see she is in pain just as you and I are." Dev said shutting his mother.

"She is pretending .. she is happy .. she -."

"She loves your son, look at her. If you can't see her pain I can't help you." He said looking down as his mother.
"Mangal stay with Maheen, I'll be back in some time, I'll drop maa back to her chamber and be right back."

Mangal nodded.

"Maheen." Dev called but she remained unresponsive. "Maheen." Dev called louder.

Maheen looked at Dev with glassy eyes.

"I'll drop maa and be back here alright ?"

Maheen nodded, going back to her silent state, looking at Aditya expecting him to wake up.