The Mughal Princess (Completed)

24.

Vote target - 270

"Don't forget Maheen you are the queen of this kingdom and I am the king." Aditya said.

"I will not interfere in your life, I will stay away, I will never force you to accept this marriage Maheen, I know you love my brother and I would never want to take his place in your heart, I -."

"You will never be him." Maheen spat bitterly.

"I'll never be him." Aditya repeated looking at her and giving a faint smile and small nod.
"Just play the roll of a Queen and daughter in law Maheen, that's all I ask, please."

"Live your life the way you want, I won't interfere at all, we'll share this space and still live our own lives I promise you that." Aditya said looking at her expectantly.

As Maheen remained silent, Aditya let out a sigh and turned around to leave.

"I'll ask someone to help you unpack and send food here." He said walking out of the bedroom.

"The day we went to the temple." Maheen said making him stop at the threshold. "All of us, that day I looked at you and I looked at Dev and then I prayed. I prayed to god to not let Dev be anything like you, because I would never be able to love someone like you, and look at my fate-." Maheen laughed bitterly. "Look what I got."

Aditya took in a deep breath and left the chamber without turned around or waiting for Maheen to continue further.

Maheen stood there for a few minutes waiting for Aditya to come back, to harm her physically but he didn't.

She forced her feet towards the bed and sat down by the right end. Her mind forcing her to think of things she knew she shouldn't.

She stared ahead, her mind eliciting her memories.
Maheen didn't know how long she had been dwelling, the rap on the door pulled her out from the whirlpool of the thoughts.

A young lady stood there in a bright pink lehenga, smiling widely.

"May I come in ?" She asked and walked in without waiting for an answer. "Are you Maheen ?" She asked smiling brightly towards Maheen.

Maheen straighten her posture and looked at her nodding faintly.

"Oh god ! I'm so so glad to see you." The woman gushed. Maheen noticed her exotic features. Her eyes were a beautiful almond shape with high cheek bones and a small forehead and pointy chin.

"I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself, I'm Mohini, Aditya Bhaiya's sister and now your sister in law." She said in a single breath.

"Hi." Maheen said forcing a small smile on her face.

"You are such a surprise. We didn't expect you- I mean we didn't expect bhai go get married and bring someone home, he was so opposed to the idea of marrying and after De..." she stopped and Maheen was glad she did, she didn't want to hear his name. "Well I'm so sorry, it must have been a very tiring journey, I'll let you rest and we have a lot of time to catch up." She said giving Maheen a warm smile. "Oh and Bhabhi you have your post wedding rituals from tomorrow so take good rest."

Maheen nodded her head and gave Mohini a small smile. After Mohini left Maheen slumped back on the bed and before she knew it she had drifted away to sleep.

•••

The sound of commotion made Maheen groan. She tried to block the sound of the voices but failed. She whined and little and opened her eyes, her vision blocked by the white curtain drawn around the canopy of the bed.

Maheen got up and sat on the bed, taking her time to register her surrounding.

The sound of her anklet bells and bangles made the commotion stop in an instant.

"Ekant." Maheen heard the familiar voice. She saw silhouettes walk outside the chamber through the curtains.

Maheen took in a deep breath and pushed the curtain aside setting down from the bed.

Aditya stood there in the middle of the room with his kurta in his hand his lower body wrapped in a white trouser.

"I hope you had a good sleep." He said looking at Maheen. A little something stirred inside him as he saw her looking so vulnerable as she stepped out of the curtained bed, his eyes had automatically travelled to her neck to where the nuptial chain rested and her red stained hair partition. She was his responsibility.

Maheen moved her eyes from the floor to see Aditya standing in front of her half naked. She turned her eyes back at the floor immediately and flushed red.
Maheen nodded at his question and surpassed him to make her way into the bathroom.

She quickly bolted the door of the bathroom and moved towards the platform with the water jars. She splashed water on her face and ran her wet fingers through her hair and then tied them up.

Taking in a deep breath she looked herself in the mirror. Her eyes widened at her own site, how could someone look so different in a matter of a week.

Where had the old herself disappeared?

She turned around avoiding her own reflection and walked towards the bathtub, someone had already made it ready.

She quickly stripped off her clothes and jumped into the warm water. She soaked herself in till her fingers had pruned.

She wanted to drown her thoughts which strayed to darker spaces, drown the anger she felt, drown the brief yet best memories she had created with Dev but here she was drowning in the sea of pain inflicted upon her by people she loved - Dev, Abeer, her parents, and in the pain she was giving herself as well.

Maheen let the facade crack and crumbled, letting her eyes go moist and tears sun down her cheek to fall into the tub or water she sat in.

She was drowning and she wanted to be rescued.

AN: I know the chapter is extremely short but I couldn't continue it further.

Here was a sneak peak of what is actually in Maheen's head, is she as strong as she pretends to be ?

If we hit 260 votes in 24 hours another chapter awaits for you all and it's bigger I promise.

Till then take care
Lots of love
xoxo