Acceptance Is Treachery

Chapter 28

Arnav stood at the door, wearing a bright vermillion uttariya and a silk dhoti that matched his attire.

If Nazia's glare could kill, her eyes would have reduced the King to ashes there and then.

Nazia noticed an article of clothing on Arnav that never belonged to him. It was the crown of Uttarakhand, something that only belonged to her husband and no one else.

"Sister-in-law, how are you?" Arnav asked as he moved nearer in to the room.

"Stay there, Arnav. Do not move even an inch forward." Nazia hissed.

"Why not, sister-in-law? I did no harm." Arnav mumbled.

"'No harm'? NO HARM?! Why did you start a war with me, when I did not claim back even a handful of Uttarakhand's pathetic soil?" Nazia yelled anger fuelling her.

"Pathetic soil? Sister-in-law, mind your words, please. The only reason why I'm giving you respect is because I still care about you. Waging a war, was not my idea. It was mother's." Arnav mumbled, refusing to make eye contact.

"Don't address me as 'sister-in-law'. You shall address me as Princess like the rest of them. From the moment, when your parents and you disowned Ram due to a false accusation, I no longer held ties with Uttarakhand." Nazia seethed.

"I don't understand why you are still siding him. He killed Sultan Azman, your father! Ram has never once cared about you sis-Princess. He embarrassed you in front of the entire city! Why do you still care about him? He doesn't deserve your care." Arnav said boldly, as he looked at Nazia

"You'd better give respect to him." Nazia stared at Arnav as she stood up.

"Queen, I smell-" Hadija began, but was merely ignored by Nazia.

"What do you know about Ramji? You know nothing. Yes, he did embarrass me in front of the entire city. Anyone who had not moved on from the loss of a loved one would have done that. Ramji cares about me immensely, Arnav. Don't you know how he looked after me, and how much he cared about my emotional and physical well-being?" Nazia rolled her eyes.

"QUEEN! I smell something BURNING!" Hadja yelled.

The scent of a burnt parchment filled the room and the entirety of the west wing of the palace.

The Royals, along with Hadija began to run through the corridors. The black smoke began enveloping the west wing, the trio's sight was hindered by the thick, pungent smoke.

The moment, they entered the room, which was the main source of the fire, Hadija ran to grab a pitcher of water from the adjacent room.

Nazia stood there in shock, staring at the item that was burning in the fireplace.

In the fireplace, a red and gold silk cloth was being eaten alive by the enormous orange flames. Smouldering fire licked the cloth like a hungry kitten with a saucer of milk, crackling, playful, gentle at first, fire flickered, flared, leapt, spat, shower of sparks like a fountain, plumes of black grey smoke, wound itself around the cloth like a great hungry serpent, devouring everything in its path.

Nazia, stared at Ram's red and gold uttariya that was slowly disintegrating amongst the orange flames.

Hadija, came with a pitcher of water and threw it into the fireplace.

After, the fire had slowly extinguished itself, Nazia walked closer to the fireplace. There, she kneeled down and held the uttariya in her hands.

The blackened uttariya to Nazia, seemed like a part of Ram had just left her.

It was this cloth, that made her fall for Ram. It symbolised the love she has for him. Now, after it had charred, it resembled the ever-dying love she had for him.

A tear dropped from Nazia's eye onto the uttariya.

"Why are you crying over his uttariya?" Arnav smirked.

"A husband and a wife will have multiple arguments and misunderstandings. However, you will never know the love that the two of them hold for each other." Nazia mumbled before she stood up.

"Arnav, leave my Palace immediately. I shall see you at war." Nazia muttered before she held the uttariya tightly in her palms as it flaked and crumbled. Creating a trail of black bits behind the Princess of Faizabad.