INSEPARABLE II

XLVIII

"Shocked?" Chand stepped up to Noor. "Don't be. Let me tell you what's really going on. You...actually have absolutely nothing to do with Prem. You were just visiting Kurral when you lost your memory and all of them let you think you're his wife. But you know who his wife actually is? Me! He married me three years ago!" She exclaimed. Her eyes danced with excitement as she waited for Noor to digest her words and for her mind to panic.

Much to the surprise of every soul in the room, an unmoved Noor stared at her in silence.

Chand's expression faltered and her eyebrows furrowed. "Why aren't you saying anything?" She spat impatiently. "Didn't you hear me?" Anger was audible in her raised voice, "Prem is MY husband."

Noor continued to eye her in silence. "Understood," she simply stated after a moment, further perplexing their bewildered spectators.

"That's it?!" Chand yelled, throwing up her hands in angry frustration. "That's fucking it? Understood? That's what you have to say to me? I just told you he's my husband and you're sleeping in his fucking bed like a bloody whore and that's all you have to say to me?!" She shouted.

Brought to a state of shaking rage, "that's enough!" Prem roared, rising to his feet. His voice visibly startled Chand and she took an intimidated step backwards. Prem had just taken a step forward when Noor's hand grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

The stunned faces of everyone around them watched on with bated breaths.

Prem looked down to his side to find Noor's eyes slowly make their way to Nihal, who was standing off to the side.

"Announce my presence." She ordered in a calm voice.

"Uh.." Nihal's existing angry expression switched into an utterly confused one.

"I said...announce me, Nihal." Noor repeated one more time, addressing the head of her security by name to confirm what he heard was in fact what she said.

"Your Highness!" Nihal's voice broke as tears of pride and gratitude built up in his eyes and his head lowered in reverence. When he raised his head again, he cleared his throat and in a loud, clear voice, announced,

"All rise, you are in the presence of the protector of Doab, the heir of the Sandhu Family of Basher, the reigning Queen of Doab and its eight princely states, the warrior, Her Highness Queen Noor Kaur Sandhu!"

Nihal's chilling announcement pierced the deadly silence causing eyes to widen and postures to straighten at the realization that their Queen had regained her memory afterall. Within the split of the following moment, every soul in the area shuffled to find an upright position in the direction of the Queen and dropped their heads in bows. Placing a fisted hand over his heart, Prem lowered his head to indicate the sincerest form of respect before his Queen.

As everyone from the Chief and the ministers to guards and the servants stood with their heads bowed, Noor moved her eyes over to the single upright person, Chand. Performing a full depth bow, Nihal walked up to Chand, "I'll be forced to arrest you for high treason if you do not bow this instant." He warned her.

Unable to believe her rotten luck, Chand clenched her jaw and forced her head downwards before Noor.

"At rest." Noor quietly stated.

Heads rose once again.

"Please be seated." Noor told them.

Once the seats were filled again, Noor trailed her eyes back over to Chand, "you were saying..."

Chand fumed through gritted teeth before speaking, "this is not over!" She exclaimed. "You may have played your memory gone, memory back game with them but you can't fool me. Matter of fact, this convenient recovery of memory has me wondering if it was ever gone in the first place or if this was all just an elaborate play to enter Prem's chambers again? Either way, I will not sit quiet. I will take you to court!" She hissed.