The chapter moves at a fast pace, I hope you like it :)
Meera was found the next morning lying unconscious in the courtyard.
A few guards had notified Jamila and Inayat who at once had rushed to her and brought her back to her room.
The bruises on her body and her torn clothes had told them her story, or at least some of it.
Meera remained unconscious for the next three days, her body burning with fever.
While Meera was fighting her battle with death, the rest of the palace was busy with the preparations for the two weddings which had taken priority .
"Noor what do I do." Zulekha pacing the length of Noor's room.
"Zulekha relax will you ! I've got it covered." Noor said walking towards a big trunk kept by her bed.
"I already had them remove this when Hadi announced your wedding." She said smiling at Zulekha. She carefully bent down and opened the trunk pulling out a beautiful white lehnga with extensive work.
"Th..this is so beautiful." Zulekha stutter taking the fabric in her hands.
"How will I ever thank you Noori." She said wrapping her hands around her cousin frame.
"You don't have to thank me for this, are you craz-."
"Not for these." Zulekha said looking down at the clothes. "For giving me my love, I know it was you who spoke to Haider abo..about giving me a chance."
"It should have never been her, it should have always been you Zulekha aapi." Noor said with a small smile.
"Now go get ready for the Maayu." Noor said pushing Zulekha out of her room.
Zulekha laughed as she made a way a couple of rooms down from noor's.
Happiness knew no bound for Zulekha, she had almost given up on the idea of her happily ever after with Haider.
"You look happy."
Zulekha turns around in fright at the suddenness. Kanika laughed at her reaction.
"Sorry."
"You scared me."Zulekha said her hand on her chest, as she heaved heavily. "And of course i look happy, and it's all thanks to you." She said keeping the lehnga on her bed and walking towards Kanika.
"If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have survived to see this day Kanika. I owe you one." She said holding Kanika by the shoulder.
"Well I'm going to remember about you owing me, a favour of the future queen is more worth than my weight in gold." Kanika said making Zulekha laugh.
"Now get ready, I'd just come to wish you luck and happiness." Kanika said patting Zulekha on her shoulder.
"Thank you." Zulekha said with a genuine smile.
"Always welcome."
•••
A wedding function followed by the other and then the other, the day of the nikkah had come.
The palace was going to witness two weddings of the two most powerful men of the Mughal empire.
Abhishek had worn a beautiful beige sherwani, his heart swelled, today he would finally call her his.
Avantika too had taken just days to fall in love with the amazing man Abhishek was. Inspite of all the hurdles and turmoil in their life and the palace, they were going to be each other's today. Avantika smiled as she drew her bindi on forehead with red ink.
"Mashallah mashallah you look so beautiful." Ammi Be said entering entering Avantika's room.
"Ammi Be ?"
"I wanted come and congratulate you on your wedding personally. In a few hours you are going to start a new life I wish all the happiness for you." She said patting her head.
"Thank you Ammi Be."Avantika said sweetly.
"Also the priest who is going to wed you and Abhishek said that the auspicious time for the wedding is after an hour, so first Haider and Zulekha will be married and then we'll call you for your wedding." Ammi be informed her.
"Okay Ammi be."
•••
Avantika sat in her room, giving herself the final touches. How had her life come to this, she wasn't complaining, no she was the happiest person today, a few months down suffering at the hand of her first husband there were times she wanted to give up on life, she was glad she didn't.
Had Meera not heard her that day, not fought for her, not sheltered her she wouldn't have ever met Abhishek never had this life which most girls wished for themselves.
She thought about Meera, how could someone who had helped a stranger like her could have destroyed her marriage and the life of a man who loved her. As she slipped on her bangles thinking about Meera she heard loud screams coming from Kanika's room which was right next to hers.
Was Kanika okay, was the first thought which entered her mind.
She quickly picked up her heavy lehnga skirt and walked towards the source of the sound.
As she neared the room the intensity of screaming increased.
"... what then Kanika, you don't understand." The shrill voice shrieked, she instantly recognised the voice to be Zulekha's.
"Will you relax, what did he tell you ? Just calm down and tell me." Kanika said making Zulekha sit on her bed.
Zulekha had come screaming into her room in her bridal attire, making Kanika jump in fright.
"The guards we bribed to sneak Shivang are threatening me to expose us, they will tell Haider everything Kanika, he'll leave me, he'll go back to her, she'll..she'll have him again." Zulekha said hysterically and hid her face behind her palms.
"Don't worry about it Zulekha just get married today, I'll take care of the guards, I'll handle it don't worry." Kanika said handing Zulekha a glass of water.
"What about the letter, he would know by now that Meera wasn't the one to send it to him what if he shows it to someone."
"I've already taken care of that, I had written in the letter to burn it as soon as he read it for if it should fall in the wrong hands it would cause a lot of trouble, and knowing Rajkumar Shivang he would light himself on fire let alone a letter if Meera had asked him to." Kanika scoffed.
"I hope we don't-."
The door of Kanika's room swung open with a thud, their eyes immediately raked the person standing on the threshold. Clad in a red and gold lehnga, Avantika stood their in her five feet four inches glory, looking as fierce as she possibly could.
"Oh Avantika is it time for the nik-."
"Enough of your games." Avantika said interrupting Kanika. "You made me believe that Meera didi had sinned, I was mad to not trust her to bad mouth her all along, you made Haider Bhaijaan think she betrayed him when all she had ever done is love him, you are evil." She said looking at the two.
"She loved you Kanika didi, she loved you the most and you stabbed her in the back, you've hurt her." Avantika said wiping the tears of her eyes.
"Not anymore. I'm going to tell Abhishek and Haider bhaijaan everything, I'm not going to let you do this to Meera didi." She said taking a step behind to leave.
"Avantika listen to me ." Zulekha said walking towards her.
"No." Avantika roared. "I'm not going to let you get away with this, koi nikkah Nahi hoga yaha." She said turning around.
Kanika looked at a panicked Zulekha who had started crying. She couldn't let someone as worthless as this girl spoil her revenge.
Kanika picked up the heavy metal lamp on her table and walking towards the retreating figure of Avantika.
Zulekha too rushed behind Kanika.
"Avantika." Kanika called her name loudly standing behind her.
As Avantika turned around, Kanika brought down the heavy metal lamp and smashed it on her head.
Before Avantika could comprehend or shout she slumped on the floor, bleeding to blackness.
"What have you done ?" Zulekha whisper yelled clamping her mouth preventing her from screaming.
"I've done what was necessary." Kanika said. "Now go get married before they come looking for her and cancel your marriage because of her death." She said looking at Zulekha who looked petrified.
"Don't go looking like you did murder someone." Kanika said with a blank face. "Go." She said pushing Zulekha.
•••
"Zulekha Ejaz Ali binte Ejaz Ali apka nikkah Haide Ali Khan bin Zahoor Ali Khan 50,000 soney ki asharfi hak mehr mai tay kiya jata hai. Kya aapko ye nikkah qubool hai ?"
"Qubool hai."
"Haider Ali Khan bin Zahoor Ali Khan apna nikkah, Zulekha Ejaz Ali binte Ejaz Ali ke saath hak mehr 50000 soney ki asharfi mai tay kiya jata hai, kya aapko ye nikkah qubool hai ?"
"Qubool hai."
AN: 💔
Forgive me !!!
The dark days are coming to an end, maybe :p