Aditya had woken up with the first ray of the sun. He had decided to make his way towards the training pits today as he hadn't had the time the day before as he had engaged himself in a wonderful conversation with lady he had bumped into earlier.
She had been kind enough to show him around the area and give him a small tour of the palace too, he later had come to know that Meera wasn't just the aunt of his best friend's bride but she was The Queen, the most loved and just queen born on the soil, the most feared and respected Malika-e-Hindustan.
Aditya picked up his sword and walked out of his chamber wearing a light cotton shirt and pant bottoms. He made his way towards the training ground followed by his body guards who always accompanied him like his shadow.
"Stay." He said to them as he reached the training pit. He could hear the sound of metal hitting metal and loud voice echoing through the pit.
He made his way towards the elevated platform and looked below at the two figures fighting.
One of the figure was a familiar face while the other small one had his back towards him.
The young Mughal King brought his sword down towards his opponent but his move was swiftly blocked.
Maheen turned her wrist skilfully and pushed Abeer using her shoulder making him loose his foothold for a second and took the opportunity to deliver continuous blows at him which he managed to dodge.
"I. Am. Going. To. Win." She yelled with every delivered strike which was skilfully blocked by Abeer.
She kicked his wrist making him drop his sword, which she kicked away from his reach.
"I win."She said with a smirk.
"You haven't killed me yet." Abeer said raising his arm in the air in surrender.
"Killing an unarmed person ? It goes against the principles of the Rajput in me." Maheen said and turned around to leave.
A second later she was yanked back, her arm twisted behind her back, her hair which she had tied were now out of the bun she had secured and cascading down her back.
"You are dead." Abeer said and let his sister go.
She turned around to see him hold a small dagger in his hand.
"It took a little more precision to reach for just your hair tie than it would to reach for your neck." He said looking down at his feet at the pieces of cloth which was holding his sister hair in a bun which he had cut open.
"Always remember, be merciful but not stupid. A warrior is never unarmed." He said pulling out another dagger which was strapped to his right angle and threw it on the ground beside her hair tie. "And never, never let your emotions take over the rational and practical part of you." He said.
Aditya who had watched and heard the conversation and the duel between the two admired the new king's wit and lesson.
"Maa!" Maheen whined walking towards him. Aditya watched the princess walk towards him past his frame, he turned, his gaze following the young princess as she stomped towards the watching gallery.
Maheen marched toward her parents and walked into her fathers open arms.
"My love, you did well. I'm so proud of you." Haider Ali Khan said kissing the top of his daughters head.
"Bhai cheated baba." Maheen whined.
"I'll talk to him he won't do-."
"Hadi stop." Meera said narrowing her eyes and looking sharply at her husband. "Stop. I don't want my daughter to be weak, she needs to accept defeat however small or big it may be, and it's better she learns it here under her parents wings rather than when she is out in the open."
Aditya watched the older woman with respect. She was an exact replica of her own mother. Wise and poised.
"Mahi, meri jaan, I don't want you to be another Meera, I've raised you to be a strong brave woman and you acting childish like this hurts me. I want you to learn from today and from every defeat you are yet to see, I want you to learn from your mistake and become better." Meera said.
Maheen nodded and pulled Meera into the father daughter hug.
Aditya smiled looking at the small picture perfect family embracing each other.
"I feel I'm not a part of this party at times." The voice make him look towards his right. The Mughal king stood at an arms length from him, he was so lost looking at the former king and queen that he had missed sensing a presence next to him.
"But then watching them from here gives me so much joy that my heart sings with happiness."
"You have a wonderful family." Aditya said giving Abeer a genuine smile which he reciprocated.
"I do."
•••
"Mahi slow down." Mrunal said running behind Maheen with Gehna in tow.
"Come quickly Mrunal didi or we'll miss the aarti." She said and weaved her way through the crowd with her pooja thali (plate with condiments used for Hindu worshiping) raised above her head.
"Mahi." Mrunal groaned following Mrunal through the crowd.
Mrunal thanked the lucky stars that in order to blend with the crowd they had worn simpler cotton clothes and opted out of the heavy and fancy jewellery which had now made the task to chase her sister easier.
They had lost Dev and Prithvi some time back and now she didn't want to loose her sister as well so she nudged people in her way to get to her adrenaline high sister.
Maheen had pushed and made her way to the front where the main pandit stood in a white dhoti and red cloth draped across his torso.
"My offerings." Maheen said pushing forward the thali towards the pandit.
The priest took Maheen's offering and blessed her and Mrunal.
The two sisters closed their eyes and with folded hands prayed to the creator and destroyer, the almighty, bowing their head in submission they join the chant of 'Har Har Mahadev.'
Soon after their small pooja they walked towards the bank of the river adjoining the temple where Gehna waited for the two.
Spotting Gehna sitting by an older woman talking animatedly with her Maheen looked at Mrunal with confusion who shrug her shoulder.
The two sisters walked towards Gehna and the older lady.
"Gehna !" Mrunal called out to her.
"Mahi ! Mrunal didi, oh I'm glad you are back." Gehna said. "Look at the crowd at the temple today, I would have suffocated, I'm glad I stayed back." She said, Gehna had claustrophobia and had decided to wait for them by the river bank.
"Look who I met." She said introducing the older woman to the two royal ladies.
"This is Savitri Maa, she is a fortune teller. She reads the lines of your palms and tells you what the future beholds for you."
"I mean no disrespect maaji but I don't believe in-."
"Here Maa look at my hand tell me what is in store for me." Mrunal cut Maheen's rant before she could offend the older lady.
"Love. Love and happiness is all I see. Your life is a bed of roses lady, riches and comfort, a loving man and children running in your backyard. You have your fate written in golden ink." She told Mrunal. "Getting married aren't you ?"
Mrunal's face was red, she nodded her head and smiled at the older woman.
"I pray to god for your happy life." She said giving her a toothless smile.
"Thank you Maa, look at my sister's hand too please." Mrunal said and trust Maheen's hand forward making Maheen fall before the older woman on the ground.
"Sorry." Mrunal whispered but stopped as the older woman took Maheen's hand in hers and spoke.
"You are getting married as well." She said making Maheen grumble.
"Not to the man you think you are, but your home is his as well. Choose wisely my dear girl, for what appears to be salvation is a lifetime of punishment, give the unexpected a chance and it will be everything you ever wanted." She said.
Maheen retracted her arm quickly and got up patting the dust off her skirt.
"Thank you for muddling my head with a bunch of riddles, here take this coin for your nonsense." Maheen said pulling out a gold coin and placed it in the hand of the old hag.
The old woman grabbed Maheen's wrist in her hold, quite a strong grip for her frame of bone and flesh.
She looked at Maheen and gave her the kindest smile.
"When you find yourself in the fork road, when your heart and brain duel each other, look at this coin and remember the words of this old woman, let the light in your heart guide you." She said and put the coin back in Maheen's hand.
Maheen looked at the coin in her hand and at the woman again before stomping off.
Mrunal and Gehna apologised for Maheen behaviour and run after her.
Maheen walked out of the temple perimeter, irritated at the old woman's attitude and her words.
"Mahi wait." Gehna yelled after her best friend.
"Mahi stop right now." Mrunal said making Maheen stop.
"It was absolutely horrible of you to behave the way you did with someone, let alone a woman years older to you."
"I don't care. Did you not hear what she said, that old hag. I'm sure baba and bhai are plotting behind my back to marry me to Ibrahim."
"They are not. I spoke to Abeer, he promised they won't force you to marry him or anyone without your consent."
"Then why did she sa-."
"Where have you been." The voice made the three woman jump.
"Prithvi bhai looks like you scared them." Dev said with a chuckle.
"Good. They should be scared, you three scared the living daylight out of us, why would you wander off without informing."
"Prithvi Ji I'm sorry, we didn't mean to scare you, the crowd was overwhelming and we-."
"It's okay Mrunal." He said lovingly. "Just be a little more aware that there are people who worry for you."
Mrunal nodded and Prithvi gave her a heart stopping smile.
"Ahem." Dev cleared his throat. "Bhaisa if you are don't romancing I think we should return to the palace now."
Prithvi shot a deadly look at Dev before ushering them towards the carriages to head back to the Mughal palace.
AN: And I'm back.
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