Chapter 107: chapter 107

S A N M A Y I ---The sound of the doors opening was like the toll of a bell, heavy and ominous, signaling the beginning of the end. The court had gathered in solemn silence, each face drawn and tense with anticipation. It was a day I had long feared and yet knew would come. The day I would face the woman who had once been my sister in all but blood, the woman who had torn our family, our lives, and my heart apart.Nandini was brought in, shackled and disheveled, her once-proud posture now slumped, her eyes red-rimmed but defiant. There was no arrogance in her stride, no trace of the woman who had once so boldly plotted and schemed from the shadows. Today, she was no longer the powerful queen she had once been, but a broken figure, desperate to cling to the last remnants of her pride.I stood beside Ranajay, my heart heavy in my chest, my gaze fixed firmly on Nandini as she was made to kneel before the throne. My mind was filled with questions, questions that could never be answered. Why had she done this? Why had she let her jealousy and hatred guide her to such monstrous acts? And yet, deep down, I knew that the woman who stood before me was not the Nandini I had once known. She had become something darker, something more dangerous.The court was still, the air thick with the weight of expectation. Ranajay, his face grim, stepped forward to address the room. “Nandini,” he began, his voice cold, “you stand accused of treason, of the poisoning of the queen, and of conspiring against the kingdom and its people. What do you have to say for yourself?”Nandini lifted her chin, her eyes flashing with a mixture of defiance and sorrow. “I did what I had to do,” she said, her voice quivering slightly but still carrying the sharpness of conviction. “I did it to protect what was rightfully mine. To protect my legacy. You think I did this out of some twisted jealousy, but you’re wrong. I only wanted what I was owed.”I could hardly believe the words that were coming from her mouth. She spoke as though everything she had done was justified, as though the destruction of my happiness, my family, was a mere consequence of her own desire for power. And yet, there was something almost pitiable in her voice, something that made me realize just how far she had fallen.“You don’t understand,” she continued, her voice growing more desperate. “I was the firstborn. I was meant to be queen. But you—Sanmayi—you always took everything from me. From the very moment we were children, you were always the shining one, the one who commanded attention, who commanded love. And I… I was always in your shadow. I thought I could break free of that, but I couldn’t. And then, when Ranajay chose you, when he chose to marry you, I was left with nothing. Nothing but my bitterness, my rage. And I—”She stopped abruptly, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. For a moment, the defiance in her eyes flickered, replaced by a raw vulnerability. But it lasted only a moment before she steeled herself again.“I did what I had to do to survive,” she finished, her voice barely above a whisper. “I poisoned her. I took away what she held dear. And I would do it again if it meant securing my place, if it meant ensuring my legacy.”There was a long pause, and then the weight of her words settled into the room like a heavy fog. The court shifted uncomfortably, and I could see the judgment in their eyes. They had heard the truth now, the cold, unforgiving truth of her actions. There was no denying what she had done. There was no room for excuses.Ranajay, standing tall beside me, turned his gaze to Nandini, his face unreadable. After a moment, he spoke, his voice carrying the full weight of the king’s authority. “Nandini, you have betrayed your family, your kingdom, and the very people who once trusted you. You sought to destroy my wife, the mother of my child, for the sake of your own greed and envy. Your actions have caused irreparable harm. There is no place for you in this kingdom any longer.”Nandini’s eyes flashed with a final, bitter fury, but it was a fury that was fading quickly. The reality of her situation was beginning to set in, and there was no escape from it. She had no allies now, no support from the court, no way to claw her way back to power. All her schemes, all her lies, had crumbled around her, leaving her exposed and vulnerable.Ranajay raised his hand, and the guards moved forward, grabbing Nandini’s arms roughly and pulling her to her feet. Her face twisted with anger and humiliation as she struggled, but it was all in vain. The weight of her actions had finally caught up to her, and there was no way out.“Your punishment,” Ranajay declared, “will be lifelong imprisonment in the dungeons. You will spend the rest of your days in isolation, far from the court, far from the people you sought to destroy. Let this be a lesson to all who think they can betray their own blood for the sake of power.”The court was silent, the weight of the sentence hanging in the air. Nandini’s eyes narrowed with fury, but I saw something else in them too—fear, regret, and perhaps even a trace of sorrow for what she had become. But it was too late for that now. She had made her choice, and now she would face the consequences.As the guards dragged her away, I felt a strange emptiness settle in my chest. The woman who had once been my closest confidante, my cousin, my sister in everything but blood, was gone. The person who had been a part of my life for so long had become a stranger, a villain whose actions had torn apart everything I had once held dear.I should have felt triumphant, I should have felt justice had been served, but instead, I felt hollow. The world had shifted, and with it, so had my heart. I had wanted to punish her, to make her suffer as I had suffered, but I realized in that moment that it wasn’t revenge I sought. It was peace. And peace would only come when I let go of the bitterness, when I chose to move forward without the weight of hatred dragging me down.“Sanmayi…” Ranajay’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I turned to find him looking at me with concern. “Are you all right?”I met his gaze, my heart heavy but resolute. “I will be,” I said quietly. “It’s over now. She’s gone. And we can finally move forward.”Ranajay took my hand in his, his touch warm and comforting. “You’ve been through so much, my love. You’ve shown nothing but strength and grace, and I’m proud of you.”I gave him a small smile, the first in what felt like an eternity. “We will rebuild, Ranajay. Together. And this time, we will do it right.”As Nandini was led away, I watched her disappear into the shadows of the palace, and with her, the final remnants of the past. The future was waiting, uncertain but filled with the promise of hope.Reckoning had arrived, and with it, the dawn of a new chapter.