The king's courtesan wife

C H A P T E R 1 9

The king summoned everyone to the meeting area of his chamber. He walked back and forth as his patience was hanging on a thin thread.

Moments later, all members of the royal household gathered inside the room.

"Start explaining, now!"

"Now!" His voice resonated through the walls of the room.

"Bhai sa, I'll tell you what happened." Bhavna started. "Your wife and your dearest chief in general were having an affair behind your back."

"Oh really? Oh well, please emphasise dearest sister." Abhimaan gritted his teeth and approached her. Bhavna gulped at how angry her brother was and took two steps back for every step he took.

"Uh-sh-I-I mean me and Badi Raj mata saw them together, in the stables, uh-that too in the darkness of the night. She got dressed up as a maid, so that no one catches them." Bhavna said without looking up at Abhimaan, knowing his fury.

"She consider him as her brother. He even did her kanyadaan at our wedding and you think I'll belive the bullshit you are trying to feed me?" Abhimaan shouted at her.

"Arey, Abhi my dear." Badi Raj mata interfered while putting a paan in her mouth and chewing on it.

"These adopted relationships have meaning to people like us, from where she comes from, those have no meaning."

"Please badi raj mata, it would be right if you do not speak on this matter. I know your opinion about my wife and that would be enough for me to put together what had happened. But as a king, I cannot just simply jump on conclusions based on assumptions." Badi raj mata was taken aback at Abhimaan's comment, as she thought Abhimaan would belive his sister.

She got furious over the effect Sandhya had on Abhimaan and left the room angrily.

"Guards, bring Rajat here." He ordered.

Moments later the guards came with a severely wounded and chained Rajat.

"Remove all of this." He ordered the guards.

"But, bhai-" Bhavna interfered but was stopped by Abhimaan.

"Rajat, Tell me what happened."

"I am sorry my king, I won't be able to look at you in the eyes as I tell you the truth as I failed you and the queen. As your Chief in command, it was my duty to protect her in your absence but failed to fulfill my duty. And please do not mistake me not being able to look into your eyes as being a liar as it is just repentance."

"One day the queen came to my chamber with a request. She wanted to send some letters to her maayka. At first, I was hesitant knowing the circumstances. But seeing her, who I consider as my sister in pure distress I agreed to take her letters to her mother. And the night I had to go, I instructed her to meet me at the stables in secrecy to give me the letters, so I could deliver them, without anyone knowing. When I came back, I was taken captive in the offence of adultery. This has been a conspiracy to trap the queen, Maharaj and nothing else."

Akshara listened with a heavy heart and teary eyes in a corner.

Abhimaan nodded and turned to his sister. "You heard that Bhavna? This is how you speak the truth. With full confidence and without stuttering."

"You are believing this outsider and not your own sister?" Bhavna cried.

"I am supporting the truth, Bhavna." Abhimaan roared.

Bhavna turned on her feet to leave the room but as she reached to the door, Abhimaan added. "I am sending a letter to your husband to inform him about your departure from here. And the arrangement for your departure will be done in an hour."

"Rajat, you are free now. Everyone may leave now."

Abhimaan shoulders dropped and he sighed heavily.

He walked inside the bedroom area of the chamber and asked the doctor, "How is she now, doctor?"

"It's difficult to say, Maharaj. We are feeding her the medicines but she is not responding to any of the treatment. If it continues like this, It will be very difficult to bring her back to health."

"It seems as if, she is not willing to get better. Sometimes it happens when mentally you do not want to get better, your body does not responds to treatments. Maybe, the queen has no will to be better." He added.

"Give us a moment doctor." Abhimaan asked and the doctor nodded in understanding leaving the room.

Abhimaan held Sandhya's cold hand in his and brought it to his lips.

"Sandhya, meri jaan, without you I am nothing. These weeks spent without you were like hell. I know because of me you have been hurt a lot but please Sandhya get better for me. If anything happens to you, I won't be able to live. I can't breathe in a world where you are not breathing. My heart won't beat without yours, please my love get better for me. Please."

Tears fell from his eyes, surprising himself. He does not remember the last time he cried, he did not even shed a single tear on his father's, who he was the closest to death.

But this time it was different, Sandhya was not another person in his life, she is a part of him, the reason to which he looks forward to wake up the next day, for whom he wants to be a better person. She is his other half.

And if she died, he would simply become a living corpse.