All of them sat in the dining area under the starry night.
Mangal, Mohini, Gehna, Maheen, Aditya and Dai maa.
The air was filled with laughter and light hearted conversation. Everyone was savouring this time away from home, their first and last night of the short trip they had taken away from all the eyes which looked up to them.
"Sit down all of you, I'll make some tea for everyone, it's getting cold." Dai maa suggested.
"I'd love some, thank you dai maa." Mangal chipped in.
"Me too." Mohini added.
"Dai maa, why don't you sit and I'll make the tea ?"
"You aren't entering the kitchen Maheen." Aditya said firmly. "Not after today, never after today."
"You're not serious." Maheen said looking at him with a frown.
"I am." He stated.
"It wasn't my fault, I didn't know -."
"Exactly, you didn't know that you were on fire, what if Gehna didn't reach you in time Maheen ?"
"It will never happen again."
"No."
"Aditya please."
"No Maheen. No."
"You can't do this to me."
"I can and I am doing it."
"Aditya I -."
"Oh God please !" Gehna interrupted the two getting up from her seat. "Stop this banter, let her make the tea or none of us are getting any tea, ever." She said looking at Aditya.
"And I'll be with her in the kitchen, looking out."
"Fine." Aditya let out a huff and Maheen squealed getting up from her seat pulling Gehna up from hers.
"Look after her, make sure she doesn't burn herself again, please." Aditya said looking at Gehna over Maheen's shoulder.
"Hey!" Maheen complained. "Have some faith in your wife too."
Maheen turned around and took Gehna's hand before pulling her towards the kitchen along with her.
Leaving Aditya with her voice in his head.
'Wife.'
•••
The gardener's wife had helped maheen kindle fire left Maheen and Gehna to take over the rest.
Maheen had quickly ground all the spices and put them in boiling water.
"What is going on in your head Mahi ?" Gehna asked looking at her best friend.
"How do you know -."
"I am your best friend, if I don't know who will. Now spill."
"I had a conversation with Dai maa in the afternoon. It's got me thinking."
"About ?"
"Aditya."
"And ?"
"He is my husband." She said looking at Gehna.
"Really ? I didn't know." Gehna said sarcastically.
"He is my husband Gehna and I don't love him, not yet. I didn't even think about it before today, I have come to care deeply for him as he has for me but I don't know if I'll ever love him." She said looking at the water which boiled furiously.
"What do you mean Mahi ?"
"He is Dev's brother. How do I ... can I even love someone after Dev."
"Hum, hum se pehle aane wale, dil torne wale, zakhm dene wale ko mohabatt kehte hai magar Mahi asli mohabatt iss zakhm pe marham lagane wala hota hai."
(We think the person who first walks into our life, the one who left us with these scars is the one for us, our one true love, but true love, it's that one person who helps you heal these scars and attempts to mend your broken heart.)
"What if I love him someday and he doesn't ? He knows too much, will he ever be able to look past it." Maheen said her eyes shining with unshed tears of frustration. Her mistakes would always haunt her, she knew they would.
"Why don't you do what is in your hand, be a good friend to him, a good wife and a good queen."
"I am scared."
"It's okay Maheen." Gehna said hugging her friend and giving her what she could at the moment.
She knew the days to come, with Dev living under the same roof as them were going to be difficult.
•••
Aditya and Maheen lay on the two sides of the bed, staring at the roof. The warm light of the candle made multiple shadows on the walls around them.
"So ? Did you like it ?" Aditya asked Maheen.
"I loved it. If I could I would stay here forever." Maheen said with a chuckle.
"Honestly, me too." Aditya replied.
"Are we going back tomorrow ?" Maheen asked turning towards him.
"We have to unfortunately." Aditya replied looking at her.
"Okay." She said closing her eyes.
"You know you can come back whenever you like right. This place is as much yours as it is mine." He said still looking at her.
"Can I really?" She said popping her eyes open.
"Yes really." Aditya laughed.
"I think we should sleep now, we need to begin the day early."
"Good night Adi." Maheen said with her eyes closed.
Aditya looked at her surprised at her use of the name for him.
"Good night Maheen." He wishes lying down with his hand on his forehead.
•••
Maheen had always loved her mother's peacocks back at home. And while her father and brother found the sound of peacocks annoying her mother and herself always enjoyed it.
As soon as the squawking of peacock reached her eyes a smile etched on Maheen's face. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking the haze away.
Aditya's face was the first thing she saw, close to her own. The bed they shared back in the main palace had been way bigger than the one they did here.
As consciousness slowly seeped in Maheen became more aware of her body, she felt the weight resting on the curve of her waist. She lifted her neck from the pillow to see Aditya's hand heavily lying on her.
Her own feet were tangled with his.
"Allah ! How do I get out of this ?" She muttered. She slowly used her hand to pry his fingers off of her waist, but Aditya's grip only got stronger.
After good fifteen minutes of futile struggling Maheen pinched Aditya's hand and he withdrew it in reflex.
Maheen quickly rolled out from under his grip in the short window she earned for herself.
Aditya grumbled in his sleep and turned around hugging the pillow Maheen has been using.
Maheen looked at him and shook her head letting out a soft chuckle. She pulled the duvet on top of Aditya and covered him completely before heading out.
She stepped out in the corridor and took in a deep breath. It was good to step out of her room for once and not be surrounded by bodyguards.
She hated it.
Maheen peered down from the gantry to the inner courtyard where it overlooked towards the patch of green and fountain. She could see the peacocks dance. It had freshly rained and the smell of wet mud already had her enchanted. She quickened her steps towards the open stairs leading down to the courtyard.
"Sita Ram Bhabhi sa." She saw Mangal at the end of the stairs below.
"Ram Ram Mangal Bhaiya, looks like you too had an early morning."
"Yes I was making sure everything is prepared for our departure." He informed her.
"Oh, are we leaving soon ? How long do we .."
The next words turned into a scream from Maheen's throat as she lost her footing on the wet stairs and rolled down the stairs.
Mangal yelled and called out her name as she landed on the floor.
"Bhabhi.. Bhabhi. Are you alright ?" He said rushing towards her.
"Dai Maa, Gehna!" Mangal called loudly.
"I'm okay Mangal Bhaisa you don't ... haye Ram !" She hissed in pain as she tried to move her left foot.
"Gehna, Dai maa !" He called again. "Bhabhi don't move your leg, I'll go call for.."
"What happened! Why are you screaming ?" Gehna asked coming from around the corner along with Dai maa.
"Mahi !" Gehna called out alarmed as she saw Maheen on the floor in pain with Mangal sitting next to her.
"What happened?"
"She lost her footing and fell down." Mangal informed.
"Make her sit on the chair." Dai maa said as she pulled the chair and kept it in front of them.
Mangal and Gehna slipped their hands around Maheen and helped her up and into the chair.
"Maheen you are impossible." Gehna huffed. She bent down and lifted Maheen's skirt a little to look at her foot which was angrily swollen.
"It's nothing I'm sure -."
"You have probably twisted it bad and injured a muscle or two." Gehna said. "Yesterday the fire and today this Mahi what's happening with you ? I'm wor-."
"Don't tell Aditya."
"Don't tell Aditya what ?" The voice made Maheen gulp.
"Great." She muttered under her breath as she looked up.
Aditya stood at the gantry looked down from the arched wooden carving.
"Noth-."
"Bhabhi fell down the stairs."
"And has twisted her foot."
"Traitors, both of you." Maheen huffed looking at Gehna and Mangal.
"Are you okay ?" Aditya asked panicked as he ran down the stairs.
"Slow down the stairs are still wet." Maheen said alarmed looking at Aditya come down the stairs so carelessly.
"Of course you'd know that now." Aditya said standing in front of her looking at her with disappointment.
He bent down and lifted her skirt to see her leg which had swollen up considerably.
"It looks perfect sprained." He said touching her foot.
"Don't." Maheen hissed. "It hurts." She croaked.
"Of course it will Maheen, you've twisted it bad." Aditya replied looking at her.
He let out a sigh looking at her eyes brimming with tears and her painfully contoured face.
"It okay, you'll be fine alright." He said as he looked at her giving her a small smile.
Maheen nodded as the tears slipped from her eyes. The adrenaline had worn out and the pain had kicked in.
"Maheen, you'll be okay, we'll get the doctor to give you medicines and you'll be fine alright ?!" Aditya said wiping the tears from her cheeks and Maheen nodded.
•••
Maheen was shifted to the only bedroom on the ground floor which Dai maa had opened for them.
The doctor had been called from the nearly village and Maheen had been put on bed rest for the next 24 hours and been given ointments for numbing the pain.
All of them now including Mohini sat around her bed as they looked at her with concern.
"Why didn't you wake me up ?" Mohini complained, lacing her hand with Maheen's.
"Why are you a doctor ?" Mangal asked and Mohini looked at him sharply.
"Had your reflexes been fast, you would have saved her from falling. Don't snap at Mohini." Gehna said looking at Mangal
"Everyone. Shut Up." Aditya said looking around with narrowed eyes. "Can't you see she is in pain, and your banters are not helping. It would be better if the three of you left today and Mangal send back a carriage for Maheen tomorrow, she can't ride a horse. The both of us shall return tomorrow."
•••
As Aditya had said, the three of them were ready within the next hour to leave.
As Mangal mounted his horse, Aditya helped Mohini inside of her palanquin. Giving her instructions and asking her to not fall into any trouble in the next 24 hours.
He wasn't happy sending her away, alone as nobody was in the palace to look after her. Not him, not Rani maa and neither Dev.
Once Mohini had shooed him away he went forward to help Gehna who had already hoisted herself and got into the palanquin.
"Please look after Mohini today."
"I will. Take care of Maheen please."
"I will." Aditya replied giving Gehna a smile.
"Aditya you need to let her know, Dev is coming back tomorrow, she needs to know."
Aditya looked at her and nodded giving her a tight lipped smile.
He watched as the small band left back for the palace.
AN: I know Surprise !!
Everyone needs validation and your votes and comments make me work harder towards this story, trust me I want to give you as many updates as I can.
Leave your feedback and love.
Also yes some of you are onto the plot :p
Dev is coming back
How should we welcome him ?
Till then stay safe
Lots of love
xoxo
Also let's cross 350 for the next