The Two Kingdoms (Completed)

16.

It was some time around noon when Kanika walked into her room, Meera hadn't stepped out of her chamber, she wasn't confident to wander around in the new place by herself.

"Kanika ! Thank god you are here." Meera jumped down from her bed ungracefully and flung herself at her best friend.

"I never know I was going to be missed so much." Kanika giggled pulling her best friend away from here who was squeezing her with all her might.

"I'm sorry I woke up late or I would have come sooner." Kanika smiled at her.

"But I saw yo-." Meera was cut by Kanika's loud gasp.

"What happened to you ? What are these Meera." She said touching Meera's neck and collar bone, the skin lying on top of that area had turned purple and pink.
Meera felt her face heat up, her eyes stung with tears, she turned around and composed herself, she wasn't going to cry.

"Let it go Kanika." She said firmly.
Kanika knew better than to argue.

"Oh! I almost forgot your Ammi Be has asked for your presence down, she couldn't introduce you to the harem yesterday she intends on doing that now, before lunch."

"Okay I'll be there in a minute." Meera said and turned around to sit on her dressing chair, she too had noticed the bruises on her neck, she had asked Gul to fetch her some turmeric powder to conceal the marks .

She mixed some turmeric powder, some coloured clay and special soil with other oils and applied it on her neck, the marks had not vanished but they had lightened to a point that they were visible only when focused on.

She straightened her skirt and draped the dupatta across her torso.

"Mai sadqay mai waari , ye konsi hoor pari utha le aaye sultan jannat se Noor Bibi." She turned to see a tall man stand behind Mahnoor clad in a beautiful Anarkali.

Meera pulled her dupatta to cover her head, confused. Why was the man not dressed in men's clothing and what was he doing in the harem.

Noor saw her dilemma and answered the questions she was thinking about.
"You don't have to take the parda Meera, this is Jamila, I told you about the bodyguards remember, she is yours." It then clicked Jamila was an eunuch.

Jamila took long steps towards Meera towered her, Meera's heart hammered, she felt intimidated by Jamila's presence.

"Hmm. Look up." Jamila said and Meera followed.
"Now turn around." Meera looked at her confused but tuned around anyway in order to not offend Jamila.

"Now face me." Jamila commanded and Meera followed.
"Perfect, I approve." Jamila said with a small nod and scrutinising eyes.

"Now all you have to do is walk in hot coal, we have prepared the coal path down in the harem court, if you fail however, you don't want to know the consequence of that." Jamila said in a warning tone.

"Huh ?" Meera was taken aback by the request put forth by Jamila, if that was even a request.

"Jamila enough." Noor said laughing.
"Don't worry Meera, Jamila is just pulling your leg, she is quite the prankster in the Harem."

"And the best bodyguard." Jamila chimed in with a blinding smile.

"Of course that too." Noor laughed.

Jamila bent down and captured Meera in her arms in a bear hug. "Welcome to the family Malika."

"Leave her before Ammi Be comes to get all of us." Noor said with a smile. "Cmon Meera Ammi Be is calling you down." She walked out of her chamber followed by Meera, Jamila and then Kanika and the maids.

The beautiful courtyard of the harem was today filled with so many women, women of different age and ethnicities. When Meera entered a group of females were dancing and singing for the crowed. Ammi be sat on the raised platform where as other women say on the cushioned platform below.

The dancers stopped as soon as her presence was announced.
Malika-e-Hindustan Meera Haider Ali Khan, she hated it, her identity was linked with his name.

Everyone stood up as she passed by towards Ammi be following Noor's lead. She too got up on the raised platform and took a seat.

"Welcome mere baccho." Ammi be said kissing both her and Noor's forehead. She couldn't explain the feeling, no one had ever kissed her forehead except occasionally her father who now hated her, she had never felt the motherly love Inayat had shown her. She fought back the tears and smiled at Ammi Be.

She sat there watching everyone settle down once she had waiting for the dancers to resume who stood in the middle.

"Tell them Meera." Noor said

"Tell them what ?"

"To start, they won't resume without your permission." Ammi be informed her.

"Shuru karey aap." She said addressing the dancers and the music and dance commenced. (You may resume)

The dancing, singing, chattering continued, she could see people stealing glances at her and she tried not to squirmer under their heated glaze.

It was an hour later Ammi be cleared her throat and the chatter died down.
"I'm sure you all know your new queen here, this is Meera the princess of Bundelkhand and now your Queen. From today, I relieve myself from all the harem duties and everything will be taken care by it's rightful owner our Malika-e-Hindustan." Ammi be concluded.

A round of gasps and wave of discussion erupted among the ladies.
Ammi be raised her hand to silence them and continued.
"I sincerely hope you all will be willing to help our new queen, I have full faith in her and so should you, she is new to our customs but I'm sure with all your help and her ability as a quick learner soon Meera shall be in flow with the system, till then I wish for you'll to cooperate and help your queen. I hope I've made myself very clear." Ammi be concluded.

The lunch went well, a lot of women came forward and introduced themselves and befriended Meera, some weren't very happy and maintained their distance.

After a hearty lunch Meera was dragged by Noor to take a tour of the harem, the harem was beautiful.
They had a pool in the harem and various rooms for entertainment.

"This is my room. " She said pointing towards the first room in the West side of the harem. "That is Ammi Be's." It was the room right opposite to her.
"That one is Zulekha Baji's room." She said pointing to room at the end of the west corridor.

"Now I won't take you to the East side of the Harem and tire you more but that's the living quarters of the concubines and all other ladies in waiting like your friend Kanika, while the maids they stay down stairs."

"Concubines ?" Meera asked confused and in shock.

"Meera. He is a king, this is how it's always been." Noor tried to reason, making sure to not hurt Meera but little did she know that Meera did not care who the king slept with as long as he was away from her.

Noor then dragged her to her room and they chatted with her till sundown.
Living here wouldn't be so difficult Meera thought.

AN: hey I hope you are like the story line. I have finished writing till the 26th chapter. I am a medical student and with the the graph growing steeper in my city, soon they will probably call us on duty too so I thought if the chapters were pre written it would be easy to just upload it after every 3rd-4th day for you all. However while I was going through the story yesterday there are parts which need major mending, I hope I can work though the things which are bothering me and come up with a bearable plot line.