The Mughal Princess (Completed)

46.

Dev dropped Mandira in her chamber, tucking in bed.

"Maa, Bhaisa will be alright." He said pulling the duvet over Mandira's body. He bent down and lay a kiss on his mother's forehead. "I'll do everything in my hand to find the antidote I promise."

Mandira nodded, her tears sliding down her eyes, staining the pillow.

"Get some rest maa, I'll let you know if there is any improvement."

"Yes bete." She croaked.

Dev turned around towards where her ladies in waiting stood.

"One of you must stay with her all night. Don't leave her alone." He said and they nodded.

Dev looked at his mother one last time before walking out of her bedroom back to Aditya and Maheen's chamber.

Mandira sat up on her bed.

"All of you.. leave." She said in her thick voice. She pushed the lump down her throat. "You stay." She said pointing at the taller female in the veil.

The other women bowed and left.

As soon as the footsteps faded, Balram Shastri pushed the veil off.

"Mandira." He said panicked. "What happened ?" 

Mandira got down from the bed and walked towards the window, wiping her eyes.

"The assassin we had sent for Maheen has failed. He injured Aditya in the process."

"What !" Balram bellowed. "Oh my god ! How ! This can't be happening." He said clutching his head in his hand.

"If we look at it, he failed, but did he really ?" She said with a scoff. "If Aditya dies, Maheen is out of the picture anyway."

"Are you mad!" Balram screamed. "Are you in your senses, do you know what you've said." He said turning her around harshly seething in range.

"I know what I'm saying Bhai Ji." Mandira rolled her eyes. "If Aditya dies, Dev becomes the king and Maheen an insignificant nobody."

"MANDIRA !" Balram said raising his voice looking at her sister in disbelief.
"How could you ? How could you say something so horrible about your own blood, how can you wish death on him ?"

"He is my blood." Mandira said looking at Balram with an unknown rage. "But he is not my son."

"Stop it! Stop it this instant." Balram said shocked at his sister's crudeness.

"Why should I. Every time I look at him he reminds me of everything wrong that happened to me, he remind me of his father who was gave me nothing but tears and his eyes, his eyes remind me of that whore of a mother of his, that harlot who destroyed my life."

"Enough !" Balram seethed and slapped Mandira across her face. "Enough ! Who are you ? Do you know what you are saying, his mother, the lady you are talking ill about is our own baby sister."

"Sister ? Was she ? She ruined my life Bhai Ji, she slept with my husband, married him."

"It wasn't her fault Mandira, Gayatri was in love with Vidyut." Balram said. "And he loved her."

"Love, blame it on love. Did she not love me, her own sister."

"If you have to blame someone, blame  baba, he forced Vidyut to marry you if he wanted to have Gayatri in his life. He threatened Vidyut with war and said he would give Gayatri to the Afghan King to pay off his war loans."

"You think I don't blame him, our dearest father ? I celebrated the day he died. Feasted even." Mandira scoffed.

"Aur voh Gayatri ..." Mandira let out an evil laugh. "Usse marwaya kisne ? Maine. Apna badla khud he liya." (Who do you think killed Gayatri ? I did, I took my own revenge)