Meera's sudden disappearance from the palace had left a lot of questions marks in the mind of the residence.
Ammi Be had been inconsolable, she had demanded the guards and maids for every detail of the day since Meera had disappeared.
Inayat had turned her room upside down for any clue which would lead her to Meera. Haider all this while had stayed quite.
It was a month after Meera's departure, they all were assembled in Ammi Be's chamber.
Zulekha sat by the foot of the bed and Noor sat on the chair, Tahir and Haider stood in the corner with their arms folded.
"It's been a month, how can you be so inefficient, how couldn't you track my daughter ? Tahir where is she ?" Ammi be said in a distressed voice.
"Ammi Be please relax, you shouldn't stress -."
"How do i not stress, she is missing since the past month, how would she be, where could she have gone."
"Eloped with her lover maybe." Noor mumbled.
"That's enough Mahnoor."
Haider snapped.
"Really ?" Noor gave him a sharp look and got up from the chair. "Well keep looking for her and talking about her, I'm not interested." She said placing her hand on her baby bump and walking out of the room.
Noor walked past Haider and Tahir and stepped into the corridor. She mumbled to herself, cursing the characterless woman she once called her friend.
"Sunno ruko." She called out to a maid who was rushing with a tray of freshly ground medicine towards the west wing.
"Where are you going and what is this ?" She asked.
"Shehzadi sahiba this is Avantika Bibi's medicine, going to give it in her room."she said looking down at her feet.
"Okay give this to me and go get a glass of pomegranate juice for me." She said taking the tray from her and walking towards Avantika's room.
Noor entered the west wing where all the other women of the harem stayed, she asked someone passing by which was Avantika's room and entered.
"Assalam Walekum Shehzadi Noor." A young girl greeted her.
"Do you look after Avantika ?" Noor inquired and sat on the stool kept by the chair.
"I do Princess." The young girl said enthusiastically.
"Why haven't you given her, her medicines until now then ?" Noor said narrowing her eyes at her.
"Meera Baji always gave Avantika Bibi her medicine and after that Abhishek bhaijaan did." She said playing with her fingers anxiously.
"Alright now help me lift her head up I'll give it to her." Noor said getting up slowly from the stool and standing up.
As the little girl helped Noor raise Avantika's head, Noor slowly poured the medicine into her mouth.
Noor kept the bowl on the bed side and sat on the stool again while the maid slowly laid Avantika back.
As soon as Avantika's head hit the pillow,they hear Avantika choke on the medicine, followed by a bout of coughing.
"Lift her up." Noor said panicking. They pulled Avantika in an upright position and patted her back.
Avantika eyes shot open while she kept coughing, they patted her back as she choked on the medicine.
"Go call the Hakim." Noor said to the girl who rushed out.
After a couple more bouts of coughing, struggling for breath, Avantika puked out the medicine and let out a cry.
"Oh my god ! Avantika." Noor said cupping her face. "Are you alright ? Oh Allah you are up." She said with tears in her eyes.
"Me..Meera d.didi." Avantika croaked.
"Shh, relax." Noor said holding the glass of water for Avantika to sip from.
Avantika gulped the water greedily.
"Noor baaji." She said letting out a cry.
"What happened Avantika who did this to you ?"
"Noor baaji, we made a mistake." Avantika said crying. "Meera didi is innocent, she..she was set up." Avantika held Noor's hand in hers.
"Kanika didi and Zulekha aapa did it, they set her up, I.. I found out that day, I wanted to tell everyone, she hit me, I .. I -."
"Shh okay it's okay baby relax." Noor hushed her. "Are you sure ?"
"I am. I heard them, and they wanted to kill me but-." Avantika said breaking into a frenzy of sobs.
"Don't worry I'll-."
"So now two people know about us."
Noor turned around to see Kanika standing on her threshold.
"Kinda nostalgic isn't it Avantika, finding the big secret standing on the threshold eavesdropping. I should have made sure you stopped breathing, now you'll have to die along with your princess."
"Stop it." Noor hissed, standing up carefully, her hand on her belly.
"You are a vile person, how could you do this to Meera ? She cared for you she trusted you -."
"She also did care for you Mahnoor, and she is suffering because she cared for you a little too much, and you didn't trust her." Kanika laughed evilly.
"What do you mean ?"
"Did your husband not tell you ? Did he not tell you about the woman he loved, about the woman he wanted to marry leaving you behind, the woman who was going to give him his first child."
"What..what are you-."
"What I'm saying is Mahnoor, I am the woman your husband loved, he wanted to leave you after I told him I was pregnant with his child, but Meera heard us professing our love, she..she took him away from me and gave him to you." Kanika said her eyes red as she tried to hold back her tears.
"And he listened to her, he left me and he left our baby, for you and then my baby left me, I was all alone." She said as a lone tear run down her cheek.
"Stop lying !" Noor screamed slumping on the floor . "Tahir has only loved me, he..he loves me. Meera, ya Allah what have I done." Noor cried.
"She tried saving your married life but you destroyed her own Mahnoor." Kanika laughed evilly.
"No..no, don't say that." Noor whispered.
"You did. You caused your brother all this pain, you made Meera's life a living hell, you, it was always you Mahnoor, it was always you." Kanika said coming close to Noor.
"St..top." She cried.
"I hope you are happy now destroying all our lives Mahnoor."
"Please st-." Mahnoor let out a cry holding her stomach.
"No no no please Allah no." She cried trying to get up.
"Noor baaji what's happening ?" Avantika said trying to get up.
"Noor baaji ?"
Noor held on to her stomach as immense pain shot through her lower abdomen.
"Noor baaji ! baaji."
Avantika had screamed as she saw Noor writhing in pain on the floor, the maids passing by had heard her scream and came rushing.
Kanika stood there over Noor watching her suffer, she had a look of peace and satisfaction on her face. Maybe this was Tahir's karma for taking away her child from her. He abandoned her even when he knew she was pregnant maybe her god or his were punishing him and she was happy.
Heavy footsteps came rushing down the corridor, Tahir entered the room with the look of horror as he saw Kanika next to Noor who was on the floor, rolling in pain.
The maid who had been looking after Avantika had got the Hakim by then who informed them about Noor going into early labor.
Kanika looked at noor and laughed humourlessly.
"Looks like you are going to lose another child Tahir." She said walking towards him.
"I'll kill you." He said lunging towards her and slamming her against the wall, holding her by her neck, she smiled at him as he choked.
"You can't kill some..someone whose already dead." She struggled to let the words out,raising her right hand to cup his cheek.
"I'll always lo..love you." She said and passed out.
AN: so Kanika was pregnant with Tahir's child hmm.
Meera didn't know this, had she maybe she wouldn't have made Tahir marry Noor but supported Kanika.
Kanika never bothered to tell her, she instantly jumped on her seeking vengeance and Tahir that bastard, he left her and his unborn child out of some moral obligation he felt towards Haider (like he had told Meera) what an absolute dick honestly.
Men 😤
Karma karma karma
I have decided to finish this book today, yes finally !
So I'll be uploading the last chapter once this one cross over 200 votes, votes on the earlier were majorly disappointing.
Also go check out my new book Meher, add it to your libraries, this book ends today but our journey continues ♥️