The Mystery Girl

Chapter 11: The Prime Suspect

Sheetal asked me,
"Hey, Could you just come with me, for a while?"
I didn't understand that the look she gave me was indicating excitement or the start of another horror interrogation.
I got scared.

I aimlessly followed her, my heart filled with scary questions about what she was going to do.

She took me to her bedroom, in front of a metal box.
'Is she going to lock me in that?
But, I won't fit there-...
Is she going to cut me in pieces and put me there?
But she's just an innocent villager, right?'

My chain of dumb thoughts broke when she opened it and said,
"Select... I feel they might fit."

The box had many dresses, which belonged to Sheetal.
Now I remembered all the random dumb thoughts that I was getting a while ago.
I never stop myself from judging people, do I?

I smashed my open fist on my forehead and whispered to myself,
"I'm such an idiot sometimes."

"Hmm? I think you didn't hear me before, I asked you to select some clothes from here, I think they will fit you."
She said, with wide innocent eyes.

It reminded me of my little prince, Atharva, and all the memories with him and my sister flashed in my mind.
I smiled and said,
"No, No, I'm fine..."

"I know how it feels with the same clothes for a long time. I don't like to keep guests uncomfortable at my home you know. Atithi devo bhava..."

I denied quite a few times but she insisted, so I started checking which one would fit me. She started showing her collection of lehengas and sarees and many other small dresses that don't fit her anymore but she still treasured them.
After all, they were given by her parents. She told me the stories of each dress she loved.

While we were selecting clothes...
"Ladies are ladies..."
Sahil said and smiled.

Nishant replied with a smile,
"Hmm. That's true. Oh yeah, (Looks towards our direction) the coronation ceremony will be held at the day after tomorrow."

"So early?"
I and Sheetal asked.

Then he replied,
"Yes. The Queen is going to crown the rightful king for this kingdom. We can't afford keeping the throne empty for a long time. Currently with the help of the wise men, the Queen is somehow managing the kingdom. But a heir needs to be selected. According to me, it's a difficult task to do so, as both the princes' seem good for being a king." We all agreed.

I thought,
'Sahil says that the Prince's are not matured, while Nishant says they are perfect. Let's see who's assumption is right...'

Sheetal again took me inside and started searching something good for me. After some time, she gave me a suitable dress with which I looked like a person of the kingdom. (Or else I was... Ahem-... Ahem-...)

The lehanga was pink in colour with floral designs on it. The neck and the sleeves were heavily embroided and so was the bottom of the lehenga. The blouse hugged me and the skirt stayed firm on my waist. She wrapped the dupatta around me.
I was just turning like a mannequin and paid heed which direction she told me to turn.

She then added another embroidery on my waist. I termed it as 'belt' because my knowledge in traditional dresses was as much as I knew about quantum physics.
She then put a necklace around my neck.

"Isn't this too much for wearing at home?" I asked.

"The neck of this blouse is a little deep. Are you fine keeping your neck empty like that?" She asked.

I was talking about the overall look but now that she spoke about the neck, I looked at my blouse to realise that it had a sweetheart neck design. I had to put something on my neck. I agreed with her.

When I looked at myself in the mirror, I felt to be the most beutiful girl on this earth. I looked like an angel descended from heaven. I untied my hair.

I was mesmerized on my own because I usually don't wear traditional dresses. The last time I had worn a saree was for a college traditional day and that day I tripped more than I could remember.
The lehenga was more comfortable and I could walk with it. I thanked Sheetal for this.

I asked,
"By the way, Nishant is your cousin, right?"

"Yes! Didn't I tell you?"

"He has a lot of knowledge, but..."

"Sheetal!" Nishant had called her. She went. When even I began to leave the room, Sahil stopped me.

He asked, staring at my waist,
"Are you going to do that Heeramandi trend by dressing up so much?"

The song of that trend began to play in my mind out of nowhere.
I somehow stopped thinking about it and looked back at him, to find that he was still staring at my bare waist.
I felt my cheeks grow warm. It quickly became a shade of red hue.

"Don't stare at my waist like that, you pervert!"

He now looked at my face as if he had lost hope on this earth. And then said,
"I was just looking at the embroidery design, stop putting such bad tags on me."
He sighed.

He then placed my mobile in my hand saying,
"Don't remove it without a reason. That time I luckily took it, or else..."

"Hmm. Wait! Even you got clothes?"
Even he had changed his clothes.

"Oh yes! Only because Nishant insisted. Also, it is useful as we can't be identified now-..."

I interrupted and faked a laugh "Yeah yeah! I know your excuses. It's not that bad, atleast. It's... good."

"Why did you interrupt me?"

"See. This is how you feel when someone interrupts you."

"Whatever..."

"Oh yeah! Are you an underrated writer?"

"Always out of the blues! Why this question?"

"You make amazing stories. Literally, that was so fast! I got lost from a tribal community! (I giggled) Wow! I love such skills."

"This is called foresight. I don't know if you-..."

"Huh?!"

"Okay, okay. Don't kill me..."

I then asked,
"Oh! How do I look? Don't try to stare at my waist again!"

He looked down and murmured, "I'm bad at this!"

And then said,
"F-... Funny?"

"Wha-?!"
I was just assuming myself to be an angel descended from heaven, a beautiful one. I had so many thoughts about myself!
I was about to leave in disappointment while he held my hand. I still didn't turn to him.

He said,
"You expected me to say 'beautiful', right? Say truthfully..."

"Ob-... N-... No... But... Maybe, Yes."

He smiled,
"Hmm... I don't need to say that. You... are... beautiful. (He then quickly said) Everyone is beautiful. By anyone saying bad you won't look bad. I purposely gave that reply so that you might understand. (He took a pause) Or else, you are beautiful..."
He left my hand.

I turned back to him, but he had already left. I felt that everything around me disappeared. I only saw him walking away. My hair played with the slow wind. My eyes shined like the morning sun. It all felt like an heroic ending of a movie, BUT!!

Suddenly, Nishant enters,
"Hey. Umm, I don't know if I should say or not, but, the reason why the court has ordered me to get you... is... (Checks if Sheetal is there or not.) Because... You are the prime suspect for the King's assassination..."

Sahil murmured, "Tch! Expected..."

•••••

Sahil's foresight is 🔛🔝

A very light and more of romance chapter with a tragic ending.

Nishant gave them confidential information.
Why?
You have the answer now.

Will Suzanne and Sahil survive?
God knows...

Next chapter releases on Friday, until then,
Stay tuned! 😊💖