Lust Or Love?

Chapter 22

She heard only the sound of pitter patter of the rain, sitting in the room. Sleep nowhere near her, snuggling close to the only shawl she now possess, she sat, her back resting on the wall.

She could here the faint snoring sounds as she looked over her shoulder at her Urmila maa. After so many years she called someone maa. It was a strange feeling, to call someone maa, a person who will never let you down, who will put you behind her when she sees a problem. Such a small word but still it gives utter satisfaction to say it. As if there is someone waiting for you, to help you, to save you.

She closed her eyes as the pitter patter of rain outside increased with a loud thunder in the sky. Relishing the left over corpse of a memories.

~~~

"Your highness you are summoned to the royal court, Now! " a maid suddenly appeared out of blue as she delivered the message, bowed down and left. Leaving the three of them in a strange atmosphere again.

It was a month now! Yes a month after, the little girl missed her old mother, who smiled, who told her stories, who played with her. But now after almost a month, she lay there on the bed whole day, crying. She would only leave her bed chamber when Ila her old maid would fore her to eat something.

It's almost one month after that dreadful day, when the king died. Leaving behind his people, his throne, his crown and his wives.

"I don't want to go there Ila!" The little girl watched her mother as she refused to go to the royal court, where now sat a new king. With the same crown, on the same throne.

Symbolizing the power of fate!

"It's Royal order my queen! The king has himself summoned you, you can't deny! " Ila gave a last forceful smile and pulled up the queen, by her shoulders after putting the veil in place, she led her way to the royal court.

Where now King Aryan sat on the throne of his brother.

***

The sound of tabla along with the jingling of ghungrus drafted through the corridors, where the two of them ascended towards the court room.

"For heaven's sake....king Vidyadhar was his blood related brother, no less! " they heard the conversation between two third degree maids who were now lighting the candles and lamps in the corners.

"Indeed! " nodded the other. "But see......not even a month, it had been after the king passed away and here he is, in between dancers, wine and women. Lord! He didn't even care what others-"

All their movement ceased as they saw the queen standing a few feet away from looking at their direction. Queen Rohini was forced to hault in her tracks as she heard their conversation.

The melody once again reached them through the doors of the court room as all four of them came out of their initial shock.

"We....we are really really. .....so. ..sorry....we didn't-" one of them stutter bowing down in front of the queen.

"Bas! It's enough! " Ila odered. "Leave now! " and they scurried off immediately.

"My queen you should not pay heed to their words, they are mere maids. " urged Ila as the queen still stood there frozen stifling a cry!

***

Pulling the veil of her milky white saree more down she entered into the room as soon as the butler announced her.

Her eyes tearing down into tears again, as she made an unsuccessful effort in wiping away the tears through the back of her hand, looking at her brother-in-law Aryan sitting on the throne. She was so much in grief that she didn't realized, there was no one else in the court room. She didn't didn't realized that the music had came to a stop now and the musicians along with the dancers have already left until a hand rested on her shoulder.

She immediately took two steps back as she saw the new king, standing too close to her, so close that she could feel his breathing on his shoulder.

"What were you doing? " she asked as her eyes grew wide in fright.

"Tsk....tsk. " a cocky evil smirk stitched on Aryan's face. "Don't fret....please don't fret and feel comfortable around me. " he stated with the same smirk on his face.

"Tis such a shame....that you are widowed at this young age, my lady. " he said looking at her, his eyes drifting from her face to her neck and then to her bosom.

As a shiver ran down throughout her body, with the perverted looks. But she said nothing and waited for this to get over as soon as possible.

"Considering the fact that you are indeed beautiful....more than what I have heard from others....I grant you another chance. " he said while taking a long stride towards her and pulled her chin up using his middle finger to made her look into his eyes.

"You. ..You are....crossing your limits, don't dare to touch me. " She threw his hands away as she two steps back from him. But it did nothing to the man in front of her, he still stood there, his smirk now mostly a grin.

"Ila." The queen turned around immediately to look for her maid and fled from there, but there was no one else.

His grin grew wide as he took a step towards her. "You are insane! "She hissed.

"Yes, yes I am....just for you. " he took one more long step towards her and their faces were just a few inches apart, as Rohini's face got filled with disgust, taking two more steps back only to hit her back with the wall.

"Look at you....your disheveled hair, black circles around your eyes and red puffy orbs and this-" He pointed towards her plain white saree. "I am giving you a chance, a second chance to get everything back. "

This time she was between his arms, clasped in the cage between the wall and him.

"Believe it or not Rohini, I always liked you, but then there was my so called brother-" this time his eyes spoke of fire the evil smile gone a long ago.

"He was the one to get the best, always, he got the throne, he got you! "

"The mighty king Vidyadhar Rao....died with just a few drops of poison in his wine. " he took a few steps back from her.

Rohini pulled both her hands tightly around her ears as a evil laughter echoed through the walls.

"Can you believe? " he asked looking at her again. "A few drops of poison in his vine and he died a torturous death like a fish out of his water. "

"You....you killed him? " she was now breathing heavily looking at him, anger and disgust running through each of her veins.

"Oh! Clever of you, now let's get to the point." He said taking a long stride and once again caging her.

"You are forgetting your limits, Aryan Rao. " she said, fear quite evident on her face.

"There are no limits for a king my lady. " as he inched his face more closer.

"Specially the one who had killed his own brother! " she spat at him, as he inched more closer to her face almost touching.

"Thank for reminding!" His eyes fixed on her lips as he moved more closer.

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