The Game of Fate

Chapter 7

•••••
Hayat

I have been awake all night, praying to Allah to do some miracle. To take me out of my misery but I don't think he is listening to me.

I hope that at least Rukhsat gets to get out of this situation somehow. I don't want her to suffer the same fate as me. I don't even know how Rajkumar Arjun is treating her. I am so scared for Choti. Ya Allah! Please protect my Choti. I can't see her getting harmed.

She is a little stubborn and when Maharaja Angad has been like this with me eventhough, I have mostly been cooperative then I don't know what Rajkumar Arjun is doing with Choti.

I decide to get up from the floor now. I have cried enough.

I washed my face and took a quick bath in the adjoining bath area that I was provided with.

I came out of my room, dressed in a simple white suit and decided that it was time that I meet Rukh.

I asked the First woman

As soon as I sat on her matress, she awoke with a little jerk which meant that she just woke up from having another nightmare.

•••••
Rukhsat

"Choti, it's just me, okay? What happened? Are you alright?"  This was Baji's voice. What is she doing in my room?

I sat up with a smile on my face.

"Yeah, I am sorry Baji. Thanks to you, my nightmare ended a little early. You are in my room early during the dawn. You haven't done this in a while. What's on your mind?"

I remember the last time Baji came to my room. It was when Shehzaade Salim's family had asked for Aapi's hand in marriage. She was very unsure about it but Abu thought that Salim was the right person for her so she finally ended up agreeing to the proposal.

"Choti, I think you should run away" my sister finally spoke bringing me out of my thoughts.

Wait, what? She wants me to run away and leave her with these monsters alone? I have finally started to come to terms with my current situation.

"Baji? What are you talking about. I cannot run away. This is a part of my fate now and one can never run away from fate.", I said.

Will it actually get better if I do runaway though?

"Choti, tell me honestly, is Rajkumar Arjun treating you right?", Baji was looking really worried.

Instead of answering her question, a question I was still asking myself, I decided to ask her about the marks I saw yesterday.

"Hayat Baji, this is something I should ask you. How dare Maharaja Angad raise a hand at you? How could he do that?"

Baji looked visibly confused.

"He did not hit me Choti. Why would you think so?", she said while furrowing her eyebrows.

"Then explain the blue marks on your neck Baji. You don't have to hide your pain from me."

"There is pain but not the kind you think it is. Rukh, these marks on my neck are hickeys. It is a thing that ummn couples do to stake their claim on the other".  Okay. This got really awkward.

I was both surprised and embarrassed by her answer.

"Choti, I don't want you to be treated the same way. They don't care about our boundaries. They don't respect our religion enough. He very well knew that it was a sin in our religion to touch a non mehram but he has been doing that despite everything. After the wedding, we would barely be able to do anything to improve the situation we are in. We would be trapped here for sure. If you run away right now, I might be able to handle the situation", aapi said.