"What in the name of god do you think you are doing." Aditya said angrily as he walked into the room.
"Drinking water." Maheen said meekly.
"Are you serious Maheen ? Do you not understand the meaning of bed rest." He said walking towards her.
Maheen had hopped on one leg and cross the length of the room.
The room Maheen and Aditya had shifted to was as big as the one they had at home. It was beautiful.
The room had been kept locked by Dai Maa and by what Aditya said it always remained locked.
However when dai maa had opened it today for them it seemed like this chamber was regular cleaned and made for an unknown invisible occupant.
"Sorry!" Maheen said as Aditya slipped his hand around her waist and helped her back towards the bed.
The bed was similar to what they had at home, bigger than the one they had shared the night before. Something Maheen was glad about.
"You'll be in bed all day today. Anything at all let one of the servants know." Aditya said authoritatively.
"There aren't many people here, and I don't want Dai Maa to be here to serve me at my beck and call." Maheen said frowning.
"Alright then, I'll do whatever you ask me to, I'll be your uh.. lady in waiting today ?" Aditya said doubtfully not sure of what to call himself.
Maheen let out a loud laugh.
"Lady in waiting really ?" She chuckled. "You are the king."
"Stop laughing." Aditya said rolling his eyes helping Maheen sit on the bed with her legs propped on the pillow.
He walked towards the jar of water picked it up placing it on the bed side table next to Maheen.
"Maheen stop laughing." Aditya narrowed his eyes at her.
"I'm sorry ... it's.. it's too ..."
"Stop!" He said playfully punching her arm. "I don't know what to call myself !"
"My husband ? I mean you are suppose to my bidding and be at my beck and call anyway dearest." She said in an overly sweet voice fluttering her eyelashes at him.
"Eww, you look like a camel stop." He said a smile breaking on his lips.
Maheen fluttered her eyelashes harder making Aditya chuckle more.
"Enough Mahi." He said placing his hand on her head and pushing her down the bed.
Maheen slid on the mattress with a yelp of surprise.
"I don't want to sleep." She whined.
"I'm not giving you an option. If you don't sleep I know for a fact that I'll see you hopping around." He said pulling the duvet on top of her.
"But I'm not sleepy Aditya." Maheen complained.
"Try then." He stated.
"Why don't you sit here and entertain me till I decide to sleep." She said patting the free space next to her.
"I am not do-."
"You said you'd do my bidding today and not like you have anything better to do so spend time with me and enlighten yourself." Maheen said with a grin.
"Alright." Aditya shook his head and walked around the bed and hopped on.
"So ?"
"So ?"
"Tell me something interesting ! You have to entertain me it's not the other way around."
"You know I don't go around entertaining people right, I don't know what am I suppose to do."
"Tell me about yourself, about your childhood or your parents or siblings or -."
"I got it, got it." Aditya said.
"So like you already know that we are descendants of the Raghukul, Baba was a Raghuvanshi and Rani Maa the daughter of the king of Magadh.
Baba had actually won Rani Maa's hand in a treaty and therefore she absolutely hates marriages based on political alliances. We are three siblings I am the oldest and Mohini the youngest. Baba passed away when Mohini turned three, well .. he wasn't really ever there to be honest so we-."
"What do you mean ?"
"He..He was lost. He wasn't really much of a father to any of us, at times he would remember that he had a family and take Dev and I out around Ayodhya and teach us how to play chess or hold a sword, but that's all I remember."
"What about Rani Maa."
"It's difficult living your life with a man who isn't bothered by your existence, but she did all she could to raise us without much help."
"But this -."
"I was in my Gurukul (school) when I was informed that baba was no more. Dev was too young, Rani maa couldn't take care of everything alone so I had to take the throne, I wasn't ready, I was far from ready to be honest. I didn't want to be a king, I wanted to be free and enjoy life a little but...."
Maheen looked at Aditya who seem to relive the moment. She slipped her hand in Aditya's and gave it a squeeze.
"Baba was not always aloof like I said. Baba and I have some wonderful memories here, right in this Haveli. Like I told you before, we don't have to play the king or the queen here, he was so happy not playing the role, he was so happy here and ... never mind." Aditya stopped. "Maheen I ... I need to talk to you about something."
"What is it ?" Maheen asked looking at him.
"When we go back home, it's ... Maheen I didn't know about it till a few days ago, Balram Shashtri.. he managed to escape."
"What ? How ? He can't .. he was in the lock up wasn't he then how.." she said getting up, she sat facing Aditya looking at him confused.
"Maheen that's not all." Aditya said turning towards her. He took her hand in his and looked down at her tenderly.
"In his attempt to escape, he has wounded your father."
"No." She whispered trying to retract her hand from his but he held onto her.
"Maheen, he was serious and your family didn't want to trouble you, but he is fine now, he is stable."
"Not my father." Maheen let out a sob.
Aditya pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her body. Maheen buried her face in his kurta as she cries in fear. She could have lost her father, she was so unaware, she was kept in the dark.
"Why didn't you tell me before, what if something happened to baba Adi ? What would I do then ? Why didn't you-."
"Nobody wanted you to worry or be troubled."
"My father isn't trouble for me. I had the right to know."
"I know and I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner. I promise to keep no more secrets from you." He said pulling her away from him.
Aditya cupped her cheek and wiped the tears running down her face.
"I want to go home. I want to see my baba." Maheen whispered.
"I'll take you myself, let's go to Agra after Holi alright. Ten more days and I'll take you." He said speaking to her so softly, afraid to break her any further.
"Maheen there is something else I have to tell you."
"What more ?" She said looking at him pale in fear.
"Mahi we -."
"Aditya Maheen." The knock on the door cut Aditya. "Beta can you open the door I have got you two lunch."
Aditya let out a sigh and got out of bed to open the door. He would have to inform Maheen about Dev later.
•••
By evening Maheen's foot had become a lot better. She has slept in after lunch and had woken up to find the room empty.
Maheen sat on the bed idle for a long time before she decided to get down from the bed and explore the room if not the Haveli again.
The chamber was beautiful, it was made of marble and mosaic glass walls. A few paintings hung on the wall and Maheen recognised some of them to be the landscape visible from different parts of the Haveli.
Maheen walked towards the other end of the room, the door at the back end near the bathroom which was connected to the chamber.
Luckily there was no lock on the door. Maheen opened the room and stepped in.
The room was dark. Maheen picked the lamp kept near the table outside and walked in to explore.
This section of the room was as clean as the bedroom had been. Various trunks and boxes lay stacked.
Maheen opened the first trunk to find it filled with silver utensils and water skins.
She moved to the next to find it full of painting supplies. Bottles of natural vegetable paint and brushes were carefully wrapped and kept along with white thick sheets and charcoal to draw.
She believed that whoever had occupied the room before had painted the paintings put up on the walls.
Maheen picked up the glass bottle with the vegetable dye and saw that the paints had long dried.
She carefully closed the trunk and moved to her next chest. She opened the chest to find it full of sarees, beautiful silk sarees. They were neatly ironed and kept inside.
Maheen picked the first one and ran her hand through the saree, it was so soft and beautiful, it smelled of sandalwood.
Maheen placed it back and went to the next chest to find it full of kurtas of different colours, again they were nearly ironed and stored.
Maheen did not understand, whose clothes were these, who stayed here ?
Maheen placed the kurta back inside the trunk and was about to close it when her eyes landed on the smaller box placed at the bottom.
She bent down and pulled the box out. The box in itself was beautiful, it was laced with stones and embroidered with silk and gold.
Maheen ran her fingers along the box before her fingers reached the lock and unclasped it.
"What is this ?" She whispered to herself as she pulled out a pair of thick bangles from within.
She looked at the exquisite pair in awe.
Never had she seen such craftsman ship. The jewellery was beautiful.
"Here you are."
Maheen jumped at the sound and turned around to see Dai Maa standing outside the room looking at her.
"I.. I was bored.. I'm sorry I shouldn't have come in I was -."
"Nonsense." Dai maa said walking inside the room. She took the bangles from Maheen's hand and placed them in closing the box.
"This house belongs to you now, and everything that belongs to this house is yours." She said forwarding the box towards Maheen.
"No Dai maa I can't accept this."
"Accept this ? This is rightfully yours. You are the rightful owner." Dai maa said taking her hand and placing the box in her hand. "In fact, these sarees, they would look good on you too. You should take them with you to Awadh."
"I don't think that's -."
"Maheen. Take them."
"Whose are they anyway, these clothes and these art supplies they-."
"They belong to Aditya's parents.
"Maheen ! Maheen !" Aditya voice reached their ears.
"Oh no." Maheen squeezed her eyes shut . "He's going to scold me again."
"I'm here." She called out.
As the footsteps approached closed Maheen hid herself behind Dai Maa's small frame to protect herself from her over protective husband.
AN: just came home from the hospital, got tested again but I'm sure this once it's going to come positive.
Stay safe everyone, omicron is spreading like Greek wild fire.
Let me know how you are liking the story so far.
Let's see how many votes we can get on this chapter.
Lots of love
Xoxo