Lotus among the Roses

✨ Abeera's Hysteria ✨

Sometime ago....... 

As Abeera's hysterical outbreak reached its peak in the grand hall, Sujata had rushed to her side, helping her up and supporting her out of the hall.

"Abeera! You can't lose yourself now! Stay with me!" dragging the unstable Abeera towards the resting chambers, she urged, her voice filled with concern. 

Abeera's head lolled as Sujata and a couple of maids guided her through the corridors. Her body was heavy with the effects of the opium, and she was barely conscious. 

Sujata kept talking to her, trying to break through the delirium. "Abeera!  You need to wake up. This is not the place for this! "She said, while signaled her personal maid, Suman, to fetch the vaidya urgently.

"Go, now! We need him immediately!" she ordered, her voice strained with urgency, her voice tinged with a layer of uncanny familiarity with that person. 

As they finally reached the resting chamber, Sujata eased Abeera onto the bed. Frustration and desperation etched across her face, she slapped Abeera across the face, hoping to jolt her back to her senses. 

"Abeera, wake up!" she commanded, her voice trembling with the intensity of the situation

.Abeera's eyes flew open, but they were wild, unfocused. She thrashed against Sujata's grip, her movements becoming more erratic and violent. 

" You don't know who I am! I am the Gul Bahar! The most talented courtesan in the entire of of Rashtrakuta! I! I will get Devendra! He's mine! Only mine! I can get anyone if I want to! Ha! Hahahahaha!" Abeera's arrogant laugh resounded.

 Sujata's temples throbbed in pain and a vicious light passed through her eyes. She grabbed Abeera's face, forcing her to make eye contact. "Listen to me, Abeera! You may be in this position now.....but you cannot forget why and how you reached here! You get that? You need to remember why we're doing all this! Think about our past....... our pain...... "

Abeera's struggles lessened, a flicker of recognition in her eyes as Sujata's words began to penetrate the fog of her mind. Sujata's voice softened, filled with a mixture of sternness and desperation. "Remember when our family fell from grace? Remember the hardships we endured to climb back up? All the insults faces, and the sacrifices made during all these years securing this position of yours here......." Sujata continued as Abeera slowly seemed to calm down.

" And.... And think about what you did to Padmini! What sacrifices you made to be with Devendra!  You cannot let all that go to waste now! No? "

At the mention of Padmini, Abeera's eyes cleared slightly.

 She stopped struggling slowly, though her breathing remained heavy and uneven. "Padmini..." she mumbled, a mix of disdain and jealousy in her voice. " I destroyed her..... Why did she dare to take away what was mine..... That Bitch..... 

 "I always  deserved to be in her place. I was always superior to her....... " 

Sujata's eyes flashed, as she lowly hummed in acceptance in response to her mumblings while keeping her grip firm on Abeera, but her voice gentle. "Yes, Abeera..... We always deserved to reach this position....... And look! Look at where we are now. But now... Now you have to stay in control! You cannot afford to lose everything because of a moment of weakness! " She shook Abeera, her eyes turning red with anger and irritation.

Just then, the maid returned with the vaidya. He hurried to Abeera's side, assessing her condition, after bowing to Sujata. Sujata stepped back, giving him space to work, but her eyes never left Abeera's face.