Aradhya sat in their room as she eyes the books on the field from a distance. Though she kept looking at all her love in the same place, widespread across the wall, she had different thoughts in her head.
As Aradhya walked to her room after Vihaan left her at the door, she noticed a quick movement. Out of nowhere, Rajmata Bhadra stood in front of Aradhya. Both of them sighed in relief knowing it wasn't someone burglar.
"Oh, God! Aradhya. You should have alerted someone. I really thought it was the outcasts." Rajmata drew a breath.
"The who? Who are the outcasts?"Â Aradhya nimbly asked
Rajmata went stoic for a minute then guided Aradhya to her room. Almost as she trusted her with what she was saying.
"The outcasts... When Vihaan started to rule at nineteen. When he had just witnessed the death of his father...he was cold. He would get infuriated at every little thing." Rajmata uttered.
Aradhya curiously asked, "What does that have anything to do with the outcasts.?"
"As he was still young, Vihaan was not familiar with all the discontent of people. At the time, as we had to shift to a new kingdom or perhaps rise a new kingdom after Shiladhika, the people were starting to get more impatient."
"This kingdom is the most suffice kingdom I've ever seen and yet?"
"Remember Aradhya. This was raised from the ground. By Vihaan. He put his soul into this kingdom. But along the way, he has made mistakes. The outcasts...some people with relevant and overly important issues pressed their king for immediate help. And Vihaan being the hot-headed fool that he is, mistook their request for a revolt and cast them out. They were innocent. They were the best of the people we had. The best doctors, best farmers, best women I've had the pleasure of knowing. But after they were cast out, they stuck together."
"Why would they be here?"
"There was an incident once. One of them tried to attack Vihaan. But then was killed by his blade. People say they have seen them lurking around in the city. Sometimes in the capital."
She wanted to meet them. Aradhya was hellbent on meeting them. She didn't know how dangerous situations caught her attention but they did. She stood up and walked over to the books.
.  .  .  .
Vihaan walked furiously to his room. Where Aradhya would be. The doors were kept open and as Vihaan walked closer towards the room he could see Aradhya standing at his bookshelf, looking over the books while she fastened her nath in place.
She saw Vihaan and inwardly wondered why he looked so infuriated. She got back to minding her things when Vihaan's painful grip caught her arms and she winced at the pain. She caught him looking at her very differently. His gaze was not the one which she had caught in yesterday's beautiful night. It wasn't the one she saw when they were standing with no space between them in the compound. It was different. It was fury.
"Why did you do that?" Vihaan asked gritting his teeth. Aradhya's face scrunched up.
"Why did I do what?"
"Stop your facade, Aradhya. I know you are the one who made Nandini fall down the main stairs of the palace."
"What? When did that happen? Is she okay?" Aradhya asked trying her escape his grip, wanting to get to Nandini as soon as possible. But Vihaan held her with a grip ten times more painful than the last one.
"If you think this is funny, then know that it's not. I'm asking you this one time why did you do it?"
"Are you seriously putting this on me? I didn't even know when it all happened, was I not with you the entire night?"
"You don't have to be in here to attempt to kill someone. Are you seriously going to fall this low?"
"How can you even accuse me of such a thing? I never would want to hurt her."
"Maybe because you wanted to take your revenge on me one way or another. You could not kill me so you attempted to kill my family."
Aradhya had glistening eyes. She bit back her tears and stars into Vihaan's eyes with the same rage he had in his.
"Don't doubt me, Vihaan. If I wanted to I would have ended every single person in your family. But why would I?"
"Just accept that it was you, for god's sake!"
Aradhya out of frustration broke free of his restraining strength. She glared at Vihaan.
"Yes! Yes, it was me. Did you get the answer you wanted? I tripped Nandini down to get revenge for what you did to my brother. This is what you wanted right? Now, take me to the court and sentence me to death. That's what you've been doing, that is what you'll do. Tell me, Maharaj, what is my sentence?"
Vihaan stepped closer to Aradhya. Their faces were inches apart but Vihaan still towered over her.
"You will, you will get your sentence. Once I get evidence that it was indeed you, you will get your sentence."
Vihaan left the room after warning Aradhya to stay away from where Nandini was if not the consequences would be immaculate.
Aradhya sat there with a bleeding arm. The wound from the previous day had opened up again from the brute force of Vihaan's grip. Though that bleeding hurt, Aradhya was more heartbroken over the fact that Vihaan could accuse her of something so ill. She cursed herself for hoping things would calm down between them.
She hoped that she was understood but the accusation proved something very different.
.  .  .  .
Chitrabhanu tried to explain the situation to Vihaan. He wanted Vihaan to calm down.
"Vihaan, you might be doubting the wrong person. You don't know for sure that it was Aradhya do you?"
"I have my reasons, Acharya. The oil on the stairs was coconut oil. In the whole palace, Aradhya is the only one who uses that oil. Everyone else uses castor oil." Vihaan answered.
"That might be a possibility but you can't ignore the fact that coconut oil is not so invaluable that no one else can use it. And many people are involved in getting the oil to Aradhya. Many hands are involved. Think calmly. You just might be doubting the wrong person.
Vihaan thought. Deeply. Just somehow he only thought about Aradhya's innocent face just that night. He only thought about how close she was with Nandini and Sadhana. And even the fact that she could've hurt them whenever she wanted but she didn't. Vihaan almost let his suspicion die but his head told him to get to the bottom of the matter.
. .  .  .
Aradhya strode over to Nandini's room. As she approached she saw Sadhana resting a hand in her belly while her other hand respected on Nandini's head. Nandini seemed unconscious. Rihit stood there with his back against the wall.
As Aradhya reached the door, the two guards at the door, lowered their spears blocking her entry.
"Maharani, we are ordered to not let you in by Maharaj Vihaan." One of the guards spoke. Aradhya's heart all but dropped as she heard that.
"I just want to see her. I promise. I didn't do anything, " Aradhya looked at Sadhana, "Sadhana, tell them to let me in. I'll see what I can do to help."
Though Sadhana wanted to command those guards, she couldn't. Rihit too stood back not assessing the situation. He couldn't.
"Sorry, Aradhya. But we can not go against Vihaan when he had ordered us like a king." Rihit stated.
.  .  .  .
Vihaan slowly went behind the palace maid who had tried her best to wrap her face up trying to avoid suspicion. She walked out of the palace and with a fast pace walked to a sketchy house at the end of an alley. She looked around before entering but surely failed to notice Vihaan who had followed her all along the way.
"Did you get it?" A muffled male voice asked.
"Yes. They paid a hefty amount." The maid's tone sprang up.
Vihaan knew now that she was the one. She was the one who did all the planning of the attack. He hadn't heard a single word about it but knew she would throw herself into a trap pit. He stood with his sword drawn ready to barge in.
"We should be careful. The royal guards are looking for the person who tripped the king's sister."
"We should draw no attention to us. We must not let anyone know that we were the ones who did it."
The maid's blood ran cold as Vihaan coolly stepped into the house. He had his eyes fixed on the swords. He spoke without even looking at the maid or her spouse behind her.
"If you tell me why you did what you did...I'll lower your punishments. If not then be ready to face death soon."
The couple stood flabbergasted. They joined their hands before Vihaan as he maintained his cool while talking to them.
"Maharaj, forgive us. It was not our will to go against you. A couple of days ago a man who refused to reveal his name or identity blackmailed us to this. We were forced." The maid spoke, with no source of remorse or regret in her tone. And Vihaan felt it. She should not have to feel regret. She did what she was told to.
Vihaan sighed and raised a brow, "was he dressed in brown?" He asked a common suspicion in his words.
"No, Maharaj. He was in yellows and mild oranges."
.  .  .  .
Vihaan sat with overwhelming pride on his throne. The person responsible for the mishap was there. He presented the maid to the court.
Among his pride, he caught Aradhya's eyes among the people in the courtroom and his ego died away. He was more so filled with embarrassment. Their tiff from earlier went on ever so clearly in his head. He almost personally felt the dismay in Aradhya's brown eyes.
Chitrabhanu and Aradhya both confirmed that the blackmailer was from Shiladhika. The maid held out a golden ornament that was a part of her pay to the court.
"Maharani Aradhya, could you tell us who it belongs to?" Vihaan asked. Aradhya chose not to respond to him and walked over to investigate the jewellery.
Aradhya sighed, "It is indeed a jewel of the royal family of Shiladhika. Most precisely, Maharani Chaya."
"But why would she ask someone to attack u--" Vihaan was cut off by Aradhya's strong angered voice.
"Maybe because you killed her son, Maharaj. Was that too hard to figure out?" Aradhya spoke. She handed the ornament back to the maid and walked out of the conference leaving everyone and mainly Vihaan shook.
.  .  .  .
"You better go right now and apologize to her." Nandini almost screamed at Vihaan as he sat there by her bed.
"Why should I. Everyone makes mistakes okay. I have, too. It's not a big deal." Vihaan ignored.
"You have made a mistake then why in the name of god would you not want to apologise to her?"
"Forget it, Nandini. I don't want to do anything with her right now."
"Do you not feel, like, disgusted at all?"
Vihaan did. He went stoic. He reminisced all the careless things he had said to her. He felt ashamed for what he had said. For how he had treated her. Then he remembered his hand having blood stains from the wound he opened on her arm.
"I know you Vihaan. I know what you're thinking about. One apology won't kill you." Nandini shooed Vihaan to Aradhya's room.
.  .  .  .
Vihaan timidly entered the room. Aradhya had already gotten ready for the night. She had not a single ornament on her. Her hair was undone. And she sat on the window sill reading a book from Vihaan's shelf. The cool breeze always brought her stray hair in between her sight and her book.
Aradhya noticed Vihaan standing at the door and yet ignored him. She looked back at her book. Vihaan made his way over to her and fiddled with words.
"What is it?" Aradhya asked, annoyed.
"Nothing. I'm just here. It's my room too. I can come and go whenever I want." Vihaan blurted out.
"Right. Please stay in your room. I'll be staying with Nandini today. I have to keep checking up on her." Aradhya got down from the sill and placed the book down. She pulled the end of her clothing over her shoulder.
Aradhya walked past Vihaan but found his grip on her arm again. She winced slightly as his grip troubled her wound and found that Vihaan's grip instantly became gentle. She looked at him. His eyes, unwavering from her face.
"You need to stop doing that. I still have an open wound."
"Look I need to talk to you about something..."
"You want to apologise," Aradhya said as Vihaan met her gaze again, "but your ego is so big it won't let you."
"No, I --"
"It's fine, you are a king. Why would you apologise to someone like me? Someone you married out of pity? It's fine. You don't have to." Aradhya freed her arm from him and turned around.
"I'm sorry," Vihaan uttered catching Aradhya off guard. She had not expected him to give in soon. Aradhya turned back around.
"I really am sorry, Aradhya. I shouldn't have accused you without knowing. Without having any proof. I apologise for everything I said to you that is false."
Aradhya contemplated for a minute. She didn't know whether to forgive him or not. But even if she wanted him to live with the guilt forever, she felt bad for him. Somehow seeing someone coming out of their shell to actually apologize to her was serious. Aradhya let out a sigh.
"Fine. I accept your apology." Aradhya said and crossed her arms.
"So...we are...fair now right? You've forgiven me for everything?"
Aradhya scoffed. Had he apologised for everything? Then why should she forgive for everything?
"Do not forget, Vihaan. You killed my brother. I don't think I'll be able to forgive you for that."
Aradhya strode l, eager to leave the room. She couldn't stand the nerve of the man.
"Aradhya..." Vihaan called out. His tone filled with more defeat than anger. He walked and stood before Aradhya just a couple of feet apart.
"The truth is that your brother is dead. The truth is that I killed him. It is also true that you hate me for that. Indeed, we don't have an ideal relationship," Vihaan took another step closer to Aradhya, "but it is also true that we are married. I am indeed your husband and you are my wife. No matter how much you fight that fact, we have to live our lives together."
"And it will always be that I will protect you." Vihaan finished.
"Of course, you will. Because you have to." Aradhya stared up into his gleaming cedar eyes and saw something strange in them. Something different.
"Not because I have to. I'll protect you because I want to."
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