Queen Manikarnika

38

BAHLIKA KINGDOM
INDIA

ARNAV POV

"Your majesty, there's an important message for you." Commander Raghav came barging in after I granted him my permission to enter.

"What is it?" I glanced over at his hand and saw him holding a paper.

"Bad news."

"What?"

"Your mother was almost killed, she's fighting for her life."

"What? What happened?"

"Someone tried to murder her and we believe it's prince Vikram."

"How so?"

"Because of this message." He handed the paper to me.

It reads:
She needs to pay for her sins, death is the only punishment for her, pathetic kid.

"It has to be Vikram." My voice has gone deeper again.

"She's in the infirmary, the royal doctor is attending to her."

"Let's go."

*****

Mother looked very unkept, dehydrated and very pitiful in the state she's in. She must have suffered alot. I feel sorry for her, no matter what she has done, I still love her and don't want harm in her way but she is partly to blame for this. I thought as I remembered what she told me two months ago.

FLASH BACK

King Arnav and Queen Adhira stood right beside a chariot, the chariot that will soon take Queen Adhira away.
"What do you mean mother?"

"I was jealous that your father was giving all his attention to his second wife but never once did I ever do anything, I concealed my feelings though I was hurting inside." She started her story. "Few weeks after they married, I found out I was pregnant. I was filled with joy and prayed for my child to be a son so I'll be Queen mother but my joy was short lived as I found out that Pohti was pregnant as well." She paused and blinked, letting a tear out. "We delivered at the same time but the Lord was on my side so I gave birth first. My baby cried first and it was Ayush, my first son."
Hearing the revelation Queen Adhira gave surprised him, he had no idea he had an elder brother from his mother.

"Yes Arnav, Vikram isn't the eldest but your late brother Ayush." She answered immediately she saw Arnav's surprised expression. "He was killed by your wicked step mother! She claims that Vikram came first but refused to cry."

"How are you certain she killed him."

"Because we caught her strangling my son!" She placed her hand on her chest. "Me and your father saw her! She wants to be Queen mother! She killed your brother Arnav!" She yelled along with her sobs and distorted voice.

"That witch!" Arnav's expression changed, he was furious. "What did father do?"

"He didn't punish her, he said he can't be away from her so he sent Vikram to exile instead." She held Arnav's hands tightly. "They didn't give me and your brother justice Arnav!"

"Oh mother!" He pulled her into an embrace, for that moment, he forgot his anger.

"I hate them both!" She shouted whilst crying.

That statement made him remember something and fear slowly entered his heart.

"Mother, who killed father?" His voice was husky dreading the truth.

"Ar-Arn-Arnav?" She stuttered.

"Did you kill father?!" He shouted.

"No Arnav!"

"Don't lie to me!"
Queen Adhira refused to accept and shook her head but Arnav did not believe.
"Yes Arnav!" She shouted and hid her face in her palms.

He bent down, making their heads to be in the same height.
"Why? Because he loved Queen Pohti that much? Didn't he make me the crown prince?"

"But that's not enough Arnav! It was my child! My son that payed for her ambition. They didn't even care about your brother! Your father forgot about him immediately after Pohti brought Manikarnika."

"What?"

"I don't know we're she found her but she adopted her and he just accepted her immediately and forgot about Ayush. Not even your birth was of any importance to him."

"That's not true!"
Another person Arnav loved dearly is his father, King Darsh pranav jai has shown Arnav so much love that hearing that sounds absurd.

"Yes it is Arnav! He continue and continue to sin against me. They both secretly visited Vikram thinking I don't know but I do. After Pohti's death, he still didn't care for me, he remained mournful and spend his time with Manikarnika instead of you, then one day he had an attack. I went to visit him but did you know what he said? He said he can't die without feeling the presence of his son Vikram and was going to bring him back to the palace."

"What happened next?" He urged her to continue, he wants the truth though dreading it.

"The demon Arnav, he controlled me and my anger."

"What did you do?"

"We quarrelled."

"Then?"

"I strangled him." She fell to the floor and wept.

"And am guessing you also poisoned Pohti."

"Arnav?"

"I found the real medical reports of Queen Pohti hidden in your bed chamber, she didn't just died in her sleep."

"Arnav please forgive me." She grabbed the edge of Arnav's kurta.

"Just shut up mother! You killed father and Queen Pohti and tried to kill Vikram, it lead to infuriating him and now he wants revenge which made him murder OUR DEAR Aesha and Alisha but those weren't what made me despise you, no! you know what? It's because you dared to kill Manu! You deserve a worst punishment!" He shouted and stepped backwards making her to release her hold on his kurta.

"No Arnav, I didn't kill her. Those weren't the assassins I hired." She tried explaining but the idea of Queen Adhira being a murderer has made him doubtful or angry that she was partly the cause of Manikarnika's death.

"Liar!"

"Arnav please listen..."

END OF FLASH BACK