Mistress Asthana

CHAPTER NINETEEN: WHAT HAS AHMAD DONE?

Fannah

Some people are just impossible in this world of ours, it hurts them so much to see the growth of some one other than them, they get so bitter, and filled with rage, I liked to think of it as a mental disorder, which was why I stood there, with my arms folded, and listened to that maid, spew out nonsense from her mouth that morning.

"You dirty girl from the slums, just because you live in this huge castle and wear luxury clothing won't make you a queen. People might see you as their queen, but I won't accept you. You're still a lowly begger at heart" she spewed. I kept my arms folded, as I watched her, with a bored expression.

Yamini wanted to tell her off, but I didn't let her, everyone should be allowed to express themselves freely, right? And this girl had to let her heart out, otherwise, she would have exploded, boom! Like a grenade bomb. So I watched her, without taking any of her nonsense to heart.

"You do not even..." The maid began, but she didn't get the chance to finish.

"Sultana! You better watch that toilet you call a mouth" Ahmad boomed, startling all of us. "How dare you speak to my wife like that, Sultana? How dare you" he said through gritted teeth.

Sultana dropped her head down immediately, and she was visibly shaking in fear. "If you ever talk to her like that again, I promise to punish you in a way that you won't like" his chest heaved up and down in anger, to be honest, I was slightly scared of him in that moment, I had never seen him so angry.

"I'm sorry, prince. Please forgive me" she pleaded, falling to her knees. I watched the both of them, without uttering a single word. I was just amused by the level of fear Sultana had for her prince.

"She's my wife, and your future queen, any disrespect to her, is an insult to me and the kingdom at large. Now, you better get out of my sight before I lose my cool" he warned. Sultana scurried away, like a rat, being chased by an angry cat. I didn't know, if he was genuinely bothered by the girl's words, or, it was just simple pretence, as usual.

Ahmad also left as soon as Sultana was out of sight, while I stood there, staring at his back as he walked. A strange smile crept to my face, I didn't know why I smiled, but I knew, that that smile, came from my heart.

Sultana! I didn't say it out loud, but I found it quite ironical that her name was Sultana (Queen) but she was only a maid, in the palace, I would have laughed at that, but that would be rude.

"Ma'am, Ma'am?" Yamini barged in, while I was trying to secure a bangle on my wrist.

"Fannah, there's no one here" I corrected. She nodded vigourously. I took a close look at her, and I could see that she was panting heavily, and she looked on edge.

"Fannah, you need to be at the palace right now, you really need to see what's going on" she breathed, awakening the curious cat in my head.

"What is happening, Yamini?Tell me" I ordered. Yamini wasn't ready to tell me what was happening, she shook her head vigourously without uttering a single word. She pulled a cloak from it's hanger and draped it over my shoulders.

She literally dragged me by the hand and I followed until we exited our gate. Yamini was like my friend now, so I couldn't stop her. She released my hand as soon as we got to the garden and walked beside me instead, with two guards joining us. I couldn't stop wondering what is was that was happening.

"I blame no one but that wife of his, she hasn't been able to give him a child since they got married. So why won't the prince do something like that?" I recognized the voice, it was none other than Sultana, gossiping again. Her statement got my attention, What was it, that the prince did?

"Hey, come on, it's just been five months and you guys are already saying nonsense about her not having a child? You're impossible Sultana, why do I feel like you have a problem with her?" A voice I couldn't recognize replied, they were seated behind the flowers, so they couldn't see us, we didn't see them as well, but we could hear them.

I wasn't interested in hearing more of their conversation, so I increased my pace and we left the the area. Yamini kept glancing at me, as if she was telling me to give Sultana a piece of my mind, I ignored the gossip, the only question I wanted to ask, was 'what has Ahmad done?'

I could feel the tension in the room, even before we stepped in. my heart rate increased, and I began to imagine the worse case scenarios. the guards stopped outside, so Yamini and I continued inside. All eyes turned to our direction as soon as we walked in.

"Mother, why is Fannah here, she's not supposed to know about this, it'll hurt her" Huda spoke, it was supposed to be a whisper, but my hearing sense was quite enhanced, so I heard her clearly.

"She should know, Huda, she's his wife. It'll hurt, but she should know about her husband's betrayal. but we have to tell her the truth, before she hears it from the world" The Queen statement, sternly.

My heart started drumming frantically in my chest, as I heard the Queen's statement. What in the world had Ahmad gone and done now? It wasn't like anything he chose to do would hurt me though. We were only pretending to be husband and wife to world, but the lord knew that nothing was going on in our hearts, so, it was totally useless to think that his actions would hurt me. But I couldn't help but wonder what it was that he had done.

"I really can't get over brother's betrayal, Aleena, I can't. I knew he didn't want the marriage, but I didn't know he would result to such an act. What would he gain by doing this?" Huda whispered to Aleena, but I heard them clearly. Huda's statement, once again awakened the unanswered question in me, What has Ahmad done?

Aside their frantic whispers, the whole room was quiet. The king was seated on his throne, he had a far away look in his eyes, it was clear that his body was present, but not his mind. He looked hurt, again I asked myself, what has Ahmad done?

"You know Huda, he has done a terrible thing, but I really don't blame him for what he's done. I would do the same thing if I was in his shoes" Aleena announced, earning a shocked expression from Huda.

I was beginning to loose my patience then, everyone was sending me piteous glances, but no one, not even Yamini was willing to tell me what it was, that Ahmad had done.

I sighted a man, sitting in a corner, looking extremely nervous and uncomfortable. He kept his head down, and was making abstract designs on the floor with his big toe.

"Young man, what is your name again?" The king directed his question to the nervous man. The man's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, as the man swallowed.

No one said anything to me, so I stood there, wondering what the nervous man had to do with whatever Ahmad had done. "Sa'ad, sir, Sa'ad" he answered.

"Sa'ad, are you very sure of what you're telling me? Did you see him leave, with your own eyes?" The king asked sternly.

Sa'ad nodded vigourously, before replying. "Yes sir, you know I won't lie to you. I saw the prince with my own two eyes. I knew you wouldn't believe me, so I took a video with my phone. Have a look" Sa'ad took out his phone from his pocket, played the said video and handed it to the king.

Apparently, Sa'ad was a whistle blower, a huge snitch who had no work to do. He had to be jobless and aimless, to go as far as making a video of Ahmad doing whatever he did, and bringing his silly little legs, all the way to the palace to tell the King about it. I was too curious to find out what Ahmad had done, that I didn't have the time to be irritated by such a character.

The king finished watching the soundless video on the phone, then he looked up, his eyes conveyed disappointment, and hurt. "You" he pointed at a guard, standing beside him "Get a projector and a projectile. Project this video, so that his mother, sisters and wife can see it with their own eyes. I don't have the courage to show it to them with my own hands. I can't bring myself to tell this innocent wife what her husband has done" he handed the phone the guard.

The guard quickly took the phone and went to work. Soon, the projector was set, and we were all waiting, to watch that video. I didn't dare say it out loud, but I couldn't help but notice that the Royal family of Toure, was full of drama and drama queens.

I took a seat on a sofa beside the King's throne and readied myself to see what the drama was all about. I was just curious, and I couldn't stop asking myself, What has Ahmad done!?