The Two Kingdoms (Completed)

25.

The trio rushed toward the west wing of the second floor where all the guests were settled.

They ran down the corridor tracking the chamber from where the cries were coming.

They stood in front of door and could here the cry for help clearly.

"Please not today please, I don't want to." A small voice begged from behind the doors. And the strings of please and sobs continued.

Meera pushed the door but the door was bolted from the inside. The cry grew and Meera couldn't take it anymore.

"Jamila will you be able to break the door ?" Meera asked.

"Say no more." Jamila said and raised her leg to kick the door. The door unhinged and fell on the floor with a thud, what stood in front of Meera froze her blood in her veins.

Avantika, the same 18-19 year old she had seen on her first night durning the Dawaat was pushed along the mattress, naked and a man almost four times her age was on top her abusing her body.

The man sprung out of bed and pulled the bed cover to cover himself, leaving the sobbing Avantika alone who tried to cover herself with the pillows, her eyes were swollen and red with tears running down her cheeks. Meera walked towards her and picked up the torn discarded saree from the floor and wrapped it around her. Avantika looked into Meera's eyes and a loud sob escaped her mouth, a loud cry that would put a wounded animal to shame.

Meera looked into her eyes and wiped her tears with her thumb, burring Avantika's head into her chest and allowed her to cry.

"Jamila, take this man out, I want him in the court tomorrow." Meera commanded.

"You can not misbehave with me, I am the guest of the king, I'm his minister and her husband moreover." The old man who was now decent protested pulling himself from Jamila's grip.

"Lower your voice, do not forget I am the Queen." Meera boomed.
"Jamila I want him out of my site, right now." Meera commanded and Jamila and Hania shook with fear, they never knew the calm docile Meera had such power in her.

Meera escorted the trembling Avantika to her room where she was given a fresh set of clothes to change and was put to bed.

Meera couldn't sleep a wink the entire night, the scene from before kept playing in her head.

As the morning sun rose from behind the mountains, Meera still tossed and turned unable to sleep, she looked to her left to see Avantika curled up in a ball sleeping peacefully like a baby.

She looked closer at the girl who was probably a couple of years younger to her, she was too thin and frail, her dark circles prominent against her pale skin and even though her past had not been merciful on her, it couldn't steal her beauty from her.

Her soft features could have captured anyone's attention then why did she marry a man four times her age who treated her like an animal.

Hania at this moment walked into Meera's room with a tray in hand.
"Salam Malika."

"You came early Hania, did you not sleep at all ?"

"I couldn't." She said placing the tray on the table in the connecting balcony where Meera likes to have her breakfast. "The scene from yesterday was so haunting, I couldn't bring myself to close my eyes." She said walking towards Meera.
"Wouldn't she be a year or two older than I am ? And she has been married to Bilal Ahmed sahab for the past three years, to think of all that she has been through in those three years, I can't even ." She said looking away.

Moment on the bed stopped Meera from replying, their attention shifted to the young lady who was stretching herself like a Hurayrah (cat) her eyes still closed, disconnected from the world.