The king's courtesan wife

C H A P T E R 1 3

"Guards! Catch her." Sandhya jumped as she heard the roaring voice of badi raj mata as she walked out of the stables.

She stopped in her tracks and stared at the group of people watching her with accusative eyes. She recognised that look. How could she not? Ever since she stepped in the real world, people have looked towards her this way.

Guards grabbed her arms on both side as badi raj mata with the others following her, made her way towards Sandhya. She stopped in front of Sandhya and slapped her hard across the face.

"You wretched woman! Even after marriage you did not mend your ways and went to another man. I had warned Abhimaan about you but he, blinded by love could not see your true self. But I, I know women like you very well. You can't have a family of your own, this is why you ruin the others household. At least, you could think of this poor girl first." The queen mother ranted, pulling Akshara by her side.

Sandhya glanced at Akshara and dreaded the accusing look on her face amidst the tears.

Sandhya's lips quivered and tears filled her eyes. The allegations did not hurt but seeing her friend blaming stare broke her heart. Why did she belive them?

"Let it be, dadi ma. Now bhai sa will realise who she really is. Guards, lock her in the dungeon, we will deal with her later." Bhavna said, her eyes shimmering with triumph.

Sandhya was dragged to the underground of the palace and after walking through a dark alley, she was thrown in a cellar as if she was a sack. Losing balance, she fell on her knees and her head smacked against the corner stone bench. She hissed feeling the deep cut and blood dripped down her face.

Sandhya wondered why wasn't she surprised by what happened. They held her culprit without even asking or listening to her side of story. Was it because she has been living on the edge since coming here and somewhat knew that one day something had to happen against her?

She sat on the floor, with her back against the cold stone wall. She drew her knees to her chest and wrapped one arm around herself and with the other hand, she pressed her dupatta against her fresh wound to stop the blood flow.

"Maan." Her husband's name left her lips like a silent prayer. The only hope she now allowed in her heart was of him to have faith in her.

Sandhya did not realise when she fell asleep as she woke up in the morning with the sound of footsteps resonating in the dungeon.

She rubbed her eyes, blinking away the fogginess.

She saw Bhavna at the other side of the cell with a smirk on her face. She told the guard to open the door.

"Maid, Go and take off all her jewelleries." Bhavna ordered to the girl behind her.

"Yes, Rani sa." The young girl stepped inside the cell, shaking with fear.

Sandhya was not wearing many jewelleries at that moment except for the om necklace Abhimaan gave her on their wedding day, her mangalsutra, a pair of gold studs, gold maang tika and the glass bangles Abhimaan sent and toerings. To be discreet, she did not wear her anklets.

Sandhya saw the hesitant girl and to ease her job, she started removing her earrings and maang tika. She was hesitant to remove her mangalsutra but still did.

"Everything." Bhavna roared and Sandhya glared at her. she removed her toerings followed by her glass bangles and hesitantly gave the girl the gifts given by Abhimaan. Unfortunately, this was noticed by Bhavna and with a wicked smile, Bhavna went inside the room.

Sandhya was skeptical about Bhavna and had a feeling that Bhavna will do something to try to annoy her.

And she did. Bhavna purposefully bumped the maid's shoulder with force, making the maid stumble and the jewelleries fell on the ground. The glass bangles broke into tiny little pieces along with Sandhya's heart. These bangles were very precious for her as they reminded her of her husband's love.

Bhavna came closer to where Sandhya sat and Sandhya got up on her feet, looking daringly in Bhavna's eyes.

Bhavna's eyes travelled to Sandhya's neck and Sandhya instinctively placed her hand on the om necklace that Abhimaan gave her as mangalsutra.

Bhavna grabbed the necklace and pulled the necklace from Sandhya's neck, bruising Sandhya's neck and breaking the necklace in the process.

"Bhavna!" Sandhya glared at the evil woman in front of her, with fire burning in her eyes.

"Don't you dare raise your voice in front of me. I am a queen and the princess of this Kingdom." Sandhya scoffed and walked away from Bhavna. Her strong perfume invaded her nostrils and was giving her a headache.

"Now you look as you should, befitting to your status." Bhavna mocked Sandhya.

"You are right, this fits my status. my beauty is such that I will look good in any form. A true woman does not need these materialistic things to look beautiful. but this, a woman like you would not understand, unfortunately. because, someone who is so ugly on the inside, no matter how much expensive jewellry and clothes you put on her, it cannot change her."

"Sandhya!" Bhavna marched towards her and lifted her hand to slap her but Sandhya caught her arm.

"Don't make this mistake Bhavna." She warned. "Today you still standing here after daring to do this because you are chasing Badi raj mata's tail. otherwise...you know better." 

Bhavna was taken aback by Sandhya's response and could not answer her. 

She angrily walked out of the dungeon with the maid following her. the guard closed the door with a loud thud and Sandhya dropped on her knees, gathering the broken pieces of the bangles and tied it into her dupatta.

Now she will only have to wait for the arrival of Abhimaan for someone to listen to her.

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