The Mughal Princess (Completed)

47.

It was two days before their wedding that Vidyut received the invite for Dawaat. The brides family would celebrate the union of the to be couple.

Vidyut was made to sit on a throne, the one by his side kept empty for Gayatri.
He would finally see her today.

As soon as the the doors opened and Gayatri walked into the room, Vidyut was on his feet, trying to breath.

His eyes were on her, not once did she look up to him, she would always meet his eyes, always.

He watched her walk and stand among the crowd, he watched as a woman, a few years over Gayatri's walked towards him and sat beside his, he watched Gayatri look at him with tear filled eyes. He knew there had been a mistake.

•••

"I cannot marry your elder daughter, I am in love with your younger one." Vidyut tried to reason with the king.

"You will have to. The marriage has been publicly announced, there is no going back."

"You need to understand, I cannot marry Mandira, not when I'm in love with Gayatri. She is my other half, my soulmate."

"You can marry Gayatri, only if you agree to marry Mandira as well."

Vidyut looked at the Magadhi king like he had sprouted another head.

"The choice is yours, if you don't agree to marry Mandira. The war will happen. And I'll be repaying the war loans by sending Gayatri to the Afghani King."

Vidyut looked at the Magadhi king with disgust. He knew all their fate were sealed.

•••

Vidyut married Gayatri a day before he had to marry Mandira. Gayatri would always be is first wife, his only wife.

He was agreeing to marry Mandira under the political treaty and she would remain in Ayodhya as a part of the deal only.

To the world however, Mandira would be the only wife of Vidyut and Gayatri would be just Mandira's sister.

Life had been cruel to them all.

It had taken away Vidyut's pride, he had defied the rules of Ram. He had bowed down in front of a greedy king and a monster for love.

Gayatri had lost her honour. She was going to get married to the man she loved, but she would have to share him with another woman, her own sister. She wouldn't never be seen as his wife, nobody would know the sanctity of their relationship.

Mandira's life was ruined by her own father and his pride. She was being pushed into a loveless marriage, where her husband wouldn't accept her to be his wife, she would be a barter chip and an unwanted trophy wife for Vidyut.

•••

Present day Awadh.

The night was painfully long.

Maheen sat by Aditya's side, not a hint of sleep in her eyes. She held his hand and placed her head on his chest.
Patiently waiting for him to wake up. Hoping for him to wake up.

"Maheen you should sleep." Dev said getting up from the chair placed by the bed for him and Mangal who too had spent the night looking over their brother.

"No I'm okay." She replied.

"Maheen you nee-."

"Please! I said I'm okay." Maheen snapped. "If you are concerned go help them find a cure, I can't see him like this anymore." Maheen said letting out a sob.

"He'll be okay. I'll go and check in with the doctor." Dev said and got up from his chair.

The knock on the door made them turn their heads. The doctor stood on door with his bag.

"Did you find a cure ?"

"I haven't my queen." He said disappointed. He walked in and pulled a vial out of his bag and emptied it in Aditya's mouth. "This will help slow down -."

"Slow down what ? He is dying can't you see." Maheen screamed as tears ran down her face. "Find a cure, save my husband."

"I'm trying my queen -."

"Not hard enough. I need him to be okay, he has to be okay." She broke holding on to Aditya who was burning in fever.

"I'm trying my level best to find the antidote. In the meanwhile place wet rags on his head, that will help keep his temperature down." The doctor said and left the chamber to go back to finding the antidote.

•••

The doctor walked back to his working room where the body of the assassin was placed on a slab of ice, his books strewn around as he had spent the entire night testing the poison and reading about different venoms.

He let out a sigh as he entered the room again, exhausted but he knew he had no time in hand to take a break, someone's life was dependent on him, and that someone was the king.

"Close the door."

The voice made the doctor jump, he had not realised he had company.
He looked in the direction of the voice to see a lady clad in a saree.

"Close it. This concerns the king."

The doctor walked hesitantly towards the door and closed it.

Balram Shastri lifted the veil off making the doctor gasp.
Everyone living inside the palace grounds knew that he was a traitor after a new prime minister had been appointed.

"What are you... you how are you here ?" The doctor stuttered.

"Aditya, how is he ?"

"How do you know ?"

"Tell me what I'm asking about doctor." Balram Shastri hissed.

"Critical. I may not be able to save him, the spread is rapid. I've tried to slow it down but not for long, I have a day or two if we are lucky."

"No. No." Balram Shastri replied running his fingers through his hair.
"Save my kid."

"I am trying Shastri Ji."

"The dagger is laced with the venom of an African viper."

"What ? How do you know ."

"That is not the point here." He said pulling a pouch tucked into the saree he wore. "This is the antidote. Give this to him. Save him."

"How do I believe you ? What if this kills him instead of -."

Balram Shastri walked towards the table and picked up the poison laced dagger cutting himself with it.

"The poison is in my body too. Give me a few drops of these." He said, he could feel the poison running through his veins.

The doctor immediately administered him the antidote.

Balram Shastri would live, it was indeed the antidote.

"Thank you." The doctor said.

"Don't ... don't let anyone know you've found the antidote. Someone wants to take his life...warn Maheen too. Nobody must know...nobody please. He is in danger." Balram said falling unconscious.

The doctor quickly checked his vitals, and once sure that he was okay he picked the vial and rushed back to the king and queen.

AN: let me know how you feel.
Next will be your Tuesday update.
Too exhausted to write another chapter.
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