Till Life Bring Us Together... {COMPLETED}

Chapter 4

A/N: Thanks to all those who read this. Seriously, thank you!!!!

***

Ruh thought that she might go mad if she stayed in her chambers for an another minute. This was ridiculous, she thought, she was the queen, he had no right to confide her in his chambers. Actually he did, her sensible part answered.

"It doesn't matter! It's absurd!"

That's when she heard a crash. The maid that brought her her food had dropped her tray and was looking at her wide eyed. Wait, did she yell out loud?

She smiled at the maid awkwardly and she bent down to clean up the mess and scurried away.

See, this was what it does to her to remain in confided spaces for long periods of time. That maid might probably think she was senile or insane.

She slumped down on the bed. Just then an idea struck her, she might just request The Emperor to let her out. She quickly went to her table and grabbed a paper.

She dipped the peacock feather into the ink pot and started writing. After a couple of minutes she re read it over again and called for a maid. She asked the maid to deliver the letter only to The Emperor.

After that she waited, maybe she could string pearls and pass time also making a pretty pearl necklace for herself. Just then the maid announced that Ada begum had come to visit her.

Her smile dropped to a frown. What was that vile woman doing here? She thought. She composed herself and that's when she came in.

The expression in the Empress' face was not that of admiration or anything. Her nose was scrunched as if the room smelled like a fish market and she kept scrutinising the room until her eyes landed on her, a fake smile broke out on her lips.

"Empress " She said joining her hands as a sign of respect.

"Ruh Begum." Ada Begum said with a sinister smile on her lips.

"It must be hard.." She started it.

"What must be?" Ruh asked out of curiosity. Where was this woman getting at? She thought.

"Living confided in this room. Like a criminal or an animal." Ada jabbed at her.

Ruh stayed silent. She didn't want this. This was the reason why she had come. To insult her and take pleasure from it.

Seeing her silence she continued, "Jellal despises keeping even birds in cages. If he has done this to you, then it's clear what your station is in the harem."

"And what is it, empress." She asked in a calm tone.

"Beneath even the feathered folks of the harem that is, Ruh Begum." She said in a sickly sweet voice.

Ruh wanted to snap the woman's neck off. That was it, wasn't it? She had come here to mock her. Well, she didn't blame her, she blamed The Emperor for doing this.

She kept her face neutral. She left but not before giving her a taunting smile. She knew it, she knew it affected her.

Just then the maid came back and handed her the letter, she actioned her to read.

"Denied."

Ruh wanted to cry. This was madness. Why he was doing this, she had no idea. For the first time in her life, she felt alone. There was no one here whom she could talk too, share problems with.

She sat up straight and swallowed back the tears. It was not in her character to sit and mope around. She was brave, at least braver than this.

She'd get out this room even if she didn't have his permission. Moreover the fact that he deemed it impermissible made it more exhilarating.

Ruh let out an air of relief. She was outside the palace and so far no one had recognised her in the maid's attire. She kept randomly walking and let her legs take her.

A smile broke out on her lips as she found herself standing in front of the pond. The very pond she had visited a week back.

Pushing out the branches out of her way she took some steps forward and that's when she saw him again.

She frowned, what was he doing here, again? He kept staring at the waters as if it showed him a secret that no one knew. He seemed calm and serene as if it was the only place he'd be.

She turned around to leave. But it seemed her anklets gave her away.

"Leaving without even a greeting?"

She turned to look at his mischievous eyes. Well, there was no use of walking away now, she thought. She walked over to where he was sitting and plopped down in an unlady like fashion.

She didn't care, she was not the queen here, she was just a commoner in his eyes.

"Well greetings Badr, we seem to meet again." She said it with fake sweetness.

And he pulled his head back and laughed. She frowned.

"Greetings to you too, Ila. So what makes you come here today again?"

Ruh took in his features. He was handsome and when he genuinely laughed the corners of his eyes crinkled up and he had a dimple on his left cheek which seemed to appear only when he laughed.

She felt evil deceiving him. Deceiving him about her identity. But wasn't he a guard? If he knew she was actually The Empress he would certainly tattle tale to The Emperor. And what if he did that? Her reputation would be ruined.

He may black mail her too. She looked at him again. His cheeks were tinted pink. He certainly did not look like a blackmailer.

"As much as I love being stared at by beautiful women, it is now making me uncomfortable." He whispered loud enough for only the two of them to hear.

She quickly looked away. He just called her beautiful. Well, that wasn't news to her. Her mother and others praised her beauty on daily basis back then. But the way he said it too her it made her feel beautiful.

"You didn't answer me yet. What makes you come here today?" He asked her.

"Husband problems."

When she said that he looked a little shocked and also thought she saw a hint of disappointment.

"He thinks I shouldn't step outside my room. It's confiding and suffocates me. He never talks to me. And he has so many wives all of whom who adore him and he respects them all except me. I don't know why he's such an imbecile to me?"

She let out a breath that she was holding. Her eyes widened and she just realised that she had confessed to a complete stranger. She plucked a blade of grass and twirled it.

"Oh. Who is he?" He asked after what seemed like an hour.

***

Jellal looked at her as she struggled with words.

"Uh... he's a merchant?" She completed with a nervous laugh.

He knew it was a lie. Before she could even utter those words he knew it would be a lie. But he nodded as if buying into the lie. He too was lying to her besides who'd share their secrets to a complete strange.

Still he didn't know why from the first time he saw her, she never felt like a stranger. She seemed familiar, so familiar that even sharing a silence with her was comfortable. He didn't know why?

Why was this beautiful stranger bringing out the feelings that he had long buried? He felt a pinch of sadness when she said she was married. Why would he feel that for a complete stranger?

There were a thousand thoughts erupting from his mind but silence was the only thing that left his mouth.

***

A/N: So vote and comment.

And Wattpad is doing this strange thing where it doesn't save my profile intro. I have no idea why?

Apart from that, Life's peachy. And a happy weekend!!!