|the next day|
|Daarika pov|
Yuhaan left Daarika alone in the prison after the past night incident.
Daarika who was sleeping hugging her knees woke up due to some shaking moments.
She looked at her maid, Aruhi who had a scared expression
"C-choti begum........" Her voice cracked
"What happened?" Daarika asked
"Today, y-you will be punished by sultan for trying to assassinate the s-sultan" she said
"Punishment??*laugh* it isn't the new thing I am seeing" she said and burried her head again in her knees. Aruhi was confused with her behaviour.
"Choti begum...it isn't Hind to give small punishments. Here , even for a small crime the punishment will be to much!" She said
Daarika doesn't reply. She was thinking about the bracelet which was burnt by Yuhaan
"Devil....." She mumbled
Suddenly the prison door opened and some guards came inside.
Aruhi stood up as they came in. Daarika looked at them.
"We were ordered by the sultan to bring you to the court" one guard said.
Daarika stood up and they dragged her out of the prison. Aruhi followed them with a scared face.
"Allah, please give a light punishment for choti begum....she is a kind hearted soul" Aruhi prayed silently.
|In court|
Yuhaan was playing with his Son, Ryan who was controlled by his master.
The guards dragged Daarika and made her sit on her knees infront of him.
Yuhaan looked at her and smirked seeing her state.
Daarika clenched her cloth in anger and embrassed.
Her eyes had no more emotions since she had cried so much yesterday.
The guards stood on the corners of the court after leaving her.
"Future queen of hind is sitting on her knees infront of me" he laughed
Daarika felt that it was too much for him to insult her.
"Or should I say ly begum?" He said.
(My begum)
He stood up and came infront of her and kneeled down.
He cupped her face and made her look him. He had a smirk on his face seeing her weak eyes.
"I really love to see you in this state....." He said.
Ryan looked at Daarika and came forward making Daarika shut her eyes.
"Scared??? Scared of me or my son?" He asked.
"I am not scared of you or your so called son " she said clenching her jaws in frustration.
The eyes which saw him with fear was now seeing him with a boldness which he didn't like it.
He cupped her jaws harshly and said
"You should be scared of me and you will be" he said with the same clenching voice of him.
His eyes was filled with anger seeing her attitude.
Daarika smiled suddenly making Yuhaan frustrated
"What can you do rather than threatening or punishing me? Can you do anything else?" She looked into his eyes straightly and smirked this time.
Seeing her new face Yuhaan was fustrated. He straightened himself and announced
"Yesterday, begum Daarika tried to assassinate the future ruler of sultanate which is a severe crime of the country. As a punishment......" He looked at her.
"100 khods" he said and everyone in the room gasped.
"After getting 100 khods, she have to work as a maid for 3 days."he said
Aruhi came forward and kneeled down infront of him.
"Please sultan, that will be so much for her highness.....please reduce the punishment " she requested
Yuhaan looked at Daarika who was looking at him blankly.
"Be thankful that I have not ordered to kill her" he said and turned to go out but before that he turned and said
"Start the punishment ! " He said and the guards who were looking at her sympathetically dragged her to the punishment area.
All maids, conserts, including Tamanna was present in the punishment area.
Soon the punishment started.
Daarika sat on her knees ready to accept her punishment. Soon she felt a strong strike on her back.
She hissed in pain. She clenched her clothes in a fist and bit her lips not to scream.
She closed her eyes and started to think of the tragetic life of hers.
First she lost her mother, then her father who didn't even consider her as a daughter made her life a living hell. Then she met Krish and rudra who were so protective towards her. Then he entered the life like a storm. Her life turned completely upside down after his arrival.
The kingdom which she dreamt of ruling....................he made it tough by marrying her.
At the 50th strike blood started oozing from every part of her back.
Aruhi had tears seeing her. Some women were looking at her sympathetically. Tamanna was smirking seeing her situation. Yuhaan was also seeing her with a little sympathy but changed his facial expression to a cold one.
At the 80th strike Daarika coughed blood.
Yuhaan looked at her and spoke
"Look, i will be generous enough, i will take back the punishment.........….."
Everyone looked at him including Daarika.
"If you beg me" he said while looking at her.
Daarika lowered her head and Yuhaan was excepting her to beg but instead she raised her head and looked at him with a powerful gaze.
"NEVER!" She said and Yuhaan clenched his hands in her attitude
"Start the punishment" he said clenching his jaws.
"Sultan, if we continue the punishment choti begum will get severe health issues" one guard said.
"No issues, continue the punishment" he said not caring about her. Her hands clenched at his reply.
Then the guard started striking again. Daarika closed her eyes as another strike hit her.
"This world we are living has many cruel people daaru........not everyone are good.....not everyone are bad either but the person you trust should be of worth. In the world we are living, power matters a lot. Without power they won't even respect you. They won't even consider you as a human being...... promise me daaru, you would become one of the most powerful person in the future" her mother asked.
Little Daarika who was listening to her mother, looked at her with her blue doe eyes.
"Who is the moest(most) powerpul (powerful) person of the countery (country) mother?" Little Daarika asked in her baby voice.
Her mother hugged her and they both looked at the shining moon together.
"Queen......" She said
"Queen is the most powerful person in the country Daaru" she said
"But Vibha aunt told mew(me) that king is powerpul (powerful)" little Daarika said innocently.
"Yes dear, the king is powerful.....but the queen who was ruling the king is the most powerful person in the world" she said and little Daarika nodded.
Her mother hugged her and they both looked at the moon which looks so beautiful from their house window.
"100 khods completed!" The guard said
Everyone was looking at Daarika in pity. Her whole back was redish and blood oozed out from every single part of her back.
"Take her back to her chamber" Yuhaan said and Aruhi rushed to Daarika to hold her.
Daarika couldn't stand properly since her muscles streaches causing blood flow from it.
Before going from there Daarika looked at Yuhaan who was staring at her.
"You will regret this...." She mumbled as she had no strength and her voice was too low.
|In Daarika's chamber|
As the cold water touches her hot bleeding body, she felt like thousands of arrows pierced her.
The pain was unbearable. Daarika tied a cloth on her mouth to suppress her screams.
She sat inside the water and her eyes teared up as her skin started having a burning sensation.
Aruhi came inside and added some medications in the water.
"You are really strong choti begum" she said as she added some more medications.
Daarika looked at her.
"Aruhi......" Daarika called her. Aruhi looked at her and spoke
"Yes choti begum, do you need something" she asked.
"Do you have siblings?" She asked looking at her.
Aruhi looked at her and said
"Yes choti begum. I had one elder sister but ..............she died" aruhi said.
"Died? How?? Tell me your story. i am all ears to listen" Daarika said.
"My story?? You won't like it choti begum" Aruhi said
"Oh come on! Tell me" she said
Aruhi sat near her and started telling her story
"My mother was a woman of Hind and my father was a man of Sultanate. They both loved each other and got married. They had my sister, Mariyam and me as their symbol of love. Everything was fine until my sister met her love, prince Rihaan ........." She paused.
Daarika looked at her with a widen eyes
"Rihaan??? Sultan's brother?" Aruhi nodded
She continued
"Rihaan loved my sister so much and they planned to get married when the former king stopped them and imprisoned my sister. After that my parents were also imprisoned including me. We were in prison until Rihaan met Mariyam. He told her that he just used her and doesn't want to make her his wife. My sister was broken hearing it and on the next day she committed suscide. After that my parents felt so ashamed to live since the people around started gossiping shit about my sister so t-they c-commited s-suscide......" She said and tears started flowing from her eyes.
Seeing her, Daarika hugged her and comforted her.
"T-then *sniff* i was told to w-work here and i-i a-accepted it since I had no one now" she said and Daarika was patting her.
"Don't worry, i will be there for you" Daarika said breaking the hug and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Will you be my sister?" Daarika asked
Aruhi was looking at her shocked.
"M-me?" She asked.
"Yes, wait I will tell you my story" daarika said
"Well, as you know I am not a princess from the beginning. My mother and my father loved each other and my mother got pregnant with me. They were about to tell their love to my father's father when a lady, yamini came into our life like a storm. She told she was pregnant with his child and in the end my father was forced to marry her leaving me and my mother alone. After their marriage she manipulated him and made him hate my mother and me. After that................" Daarika told the rest of the story to her.
"So, would you like to be a sister to this illegitimate princess?" She asked.
Aruhi was too stunned to hear her.
"If you don't want to--" Daarika was cut by Aruhi by saying
"I would gladly and proud to be your sister choti begum" Aruhi said smiling in tears.
Daarika smiled at her
"B-but, why did you want to be your sister?" Aruhi asked and Daarika replied
"Today, when I am getting punished, many women were present and non wanted to beg him but you stood for me. None stood for me except my best friends. I realised how kind hearted you are. I always longed for a sister but I hadn't got one. That's why I want you to be my sister"
Aruhi nodded and helped her get changed.
"Aruhi, if I ask you something, you won't mind it right?' Daarika asked looking at her.
Aruhi looked at her and spoke
"Ask me anything choti begum" she said while adjusting daarika's cloths.
"If there is a situation where I will be moving out of Sultanate.......will you come with me?" She asked.
Aruhi who was smiling till now looked at her. Her smile fell off. Her hands stopped at her motion.
Daarika was waiting for her reply. Aruhi looked at her and said
"Gladly..........i will follow where ever you go. Either to the Hind or near your deathbed, I shall accompany you choti begum" she said and Daarika hugged her in happiness.
Finally Daarika got someone to be with her along side.
_________________________________________
Hi everyone,
Wishing you all a very happy new year! May this year be a deliteful and happy year for you all!💜💥
Your author loves your all!♥️🖤💜💙💚💛💝💖💘
I am sorry guys, I couldn't post on 1st January since I had some assignment works.
Your author is now a 10th board exam candidate🤫