The Two Kingdoms (Completed)

18.

Meera had fallen into a routine now. She would wake up every morning and take a walk in the Shahibagh (Royal garden) with Noor. They would then spend their mornings and afternoons making preparations for the nikkah. And when night fell she would enjoy dinner with the family, and every night Haider would walk her to her door. Talking to her, inquiring about the wedding preparations and minute things

It was just another week until the marriage during the process of preparation, Meera had learned a lot about the Islamic way of marriage, it wasn't exactly like her Hindu way but the functions preceding the wedding ceremony were the same.

Meera and Noor were sitting in the main courtyard, discussing the guest list when a stout man approached them.

"These are the fabric samples you asked for Sehzadi Mahnoor." A stout man said giving her a book with fabric swatches.

"Shukriya Gulam deen." She said and took the book. "I'll send someone to collect the fabric from your shop in the afternoon."

The man nodded his head, paid his respect and left.

"Noor you haven't finished your dress ? It's barely a week for your wedding and you are helping me and ammi with other arrangements as well, how will you manage ?" Meera asked worried that her dress might not be ready till after her wedding with this speed.

"Don't worry, I had designed and stitched my dress when I turned 21 the day it was decided I had to marry Tahir, I had started working on it." She giggle.

"Are you sure the dress is going to fit after so many years ?" Meera asked laughing at her over zealous attitude.

"Of course it will, I have made the adjustments already."

"Then why the new swatches ?"

"For you." She gave Meera a wide smile.

"For me ? Why ? I have so many clothes and now is not the time to waste your energy on playing dress up with me." Meera complained.

"Oh shush ! You are working so hard to make my nikah special this is the least I can do for you." Mahnoor smiled.

"Sorry for disturbing you your highness but your friend Kanika, she is burning with fever." A maid said approaching them.

"Have you called for the Hakim." Noor asked concerned.

"Yes princess."

"Okay you can leave now." Meera said getting up from her chair. "Noor do you mind if I go and check on her, she has been sick ever since we have come."

"Oh no not at all, in fact I should come with you." Noor said

"You should stay and talk to the Gardner about the flowers, it needs to be done today." Meera reminded her.

"Okay, just take care and don't worry I'll manage everything here." Noor gave her a reassuring smile and Meera rushes to see her best friend.

She reached the east wing of the harem, Gul and Hania were already waiting for her near the stairs.

"How is she ?" Meera asked frantically.

"Burning up, her temperature won't go down." Hania said following Meera who was pacing quickly towards her best friends room.

"Why did you leave her alone ?" Meera complained.

"She isn't alone my queen, chief Tahir is with her." Gul replied.

Meera pushes open the door of Kanika's room, on the large bed lay her small figure, Meera wanted to cry looking at her friend.

Chieftain Tahir was in the corner of the room filling the glass of water from the surahi (jug).

"Meera." He greeted her with a nod to which replied with a small smile.

"Kanika? Oh my god ! Kanika." Meera cried looking at her friend who had lost significant weight in a matter of seven days, her skin had paled, she looked ghostly.

"I'm so sorry." Meera held her hand and cried. "I've been such a terrible friend, I'm so sorry." Meera had pulled her friend into a hug, and that's when it happened.
A loud sob escaped from Kanika's lips. She held Meera and cried, she cried till her tears went dry, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Please, please don't cry Kanika." Meera said wiping her tears with her palms.
"I'll talk to Haider today, I'll write to baba sa to Samar Bhaisa, they will let you come home Kanika you don't have to suffer here."

"You can't, you cannot help me now Meera, it's too late." She said.
"We shouldn't have ever stepped into the battle ground, look at us, we belong to nowhere, to no one ." Kanika said, a lone tear slipped from her eyes.

The Mughal chief stood there listening to the two Rajputana women.
"Meera I will leave you two to it, I had come to meet Ammi be, but the chaos pulled me in, I shall take your leave now." He said and left the two women alone.

The two friends embraced each other for what seemed like hours, soon Kanika fell asleep.

Meera had appointed Gul to take care of Kanika, Meera stayed with Kanika till late afternoon, she personally tended to her till her temperature had lowered.

Meera herself was extremely tired and had skipped lunch, she decided to go to her chamber and rest as she too couldn't risk falling sick.

Meera played Kanika's words in her head, in a matter of days Meera had somehow adjusted to her new life, her friend however wasn't able to cope up, and she shouldn't have been here, this was Meera's punishment and her's alone to bare.

She entered her chamber and flung herself on her bed,closed her eyes and tried to remember what her life was just twenty days back, when she wasn't bound to some Muslim king.

"Ahem.. Meera ?"

The voice made a jolt of electricity run through her body, what was he doing here.

In a flash she was on her feet and saw him standing in the conjoining balcony.

"I.. I didn't see you." She said

"I figured." He chucked. It was a foreign feeling, standing there watching him talk casually, hearing him laugh.
She already had a picture of him as the ruthless pagan king, she saw him as a dark mystery in beautiful drape.

His green coloured eyes took in every bit of her. Haider knew she still wasn't comfortable around him, even though he tried hard every day to make her see himself in a different light but she made sure to maintain a distance, although she would every now and then give him glimpse of hope when she spoke to him freely without inhibitions, but those moments were occasional.

"I'm sorry I took the liberty to enter your room when you weren't there." He said smiling at her walking in her direction.

"Tahir said you were with Kanika, said she wasn't well, then I figured you would have skipped lunch and I was busy during lunch hour as well so I thought we could have our meal together." He said slowly looking at her keenly to read her eyes.
"Let's eat."