54
MRS Sarika inserted the key into the keyhole and yanked the door open. She entered into the living room and dropped her bag and phone on the center table, then heaved a sigh.
“Zaina”, she called walking into the kitchen. “Zaina…”, she shouted this time but there was no response.
She shrugged.
“My gee, I thought she must have been back home”, she said as she opened the refrigerator, selected out a bottle of water then closed it back.
Then she walked to the glass rack, took a glass tumbler and poured herself some water, she was damn thirsty.
“Goodness!”, she exclaimed. “Water is indeed life”, she said pouring herself more water into the cup.
At that instant, her phone rang out from the living room and she rushed the water in the glass cup.
“That must be Zaina”, she said and ran out the kitchen. She got to the center table and picked up the ringing phone then peeked into it, ‘Private Number’, it read.
“Huh!”, she exclaimed making mental calculations with her brain as to who could be calling with a private number.
She answered the call.
“Hello, this is Prince Zashil on the phone”, the person from the other end said.
Mrs Sarika almost jumped out her skin, the prince calling himself, what could have happened? Well, she shrugged it off with a smile.
“Your grace, how is the date going?”, she spoke into the phone, giggling.
“Zaina just passed out few minutes ago…”.
“What! My God!”, her left hand went to her head as she screamed out.
“Passed out? What happened?”, she asked.
“Calm down Mrs Sarika, it’s not that serious. She’s been revived already and well, infact she’s asleep right now”, he paused.
She heaved a sigh of relief, bringing down her left hand from her head and splaying it on her chest.
“Ahhhh”, she mouthed.
“I only called to inform as courtesy demands, that you as her mother, may know”, he continued with an authority filled voice.
She nodded like he could see her.
“That’s very good of you your grace, I’m really grateful”, she said.
“She will be absolutely fine”, he assured her.
“But your grace, is she still returning today?”, she asked.
She heard him sighed before replying.
“Well ma’am, that is left for her to decide, once she wakes, we will hear her decision”.
“Alright… alright. Thanks so much your grace, please do take good care of her for me, please”, she pleaded.
“I will”, he replied and the call ended.
Sarika flopped down on the couch nearby at the instant she went off the phone. What exactly could have made Zaina passed out? Like as far as she knew, she wasn’t sick or something. So what?
She sat on the couch thinking for a while, then she shrugged it off and got up, picking up her bag which laid on the table.
“Whatever it is, it isn’t serious like Prince Zashil just said, let me take him for his words”, she muttered and walked into the room.
Prince Zashil got off the phone and turned to Lady Aarti, who sat on the bed Zaina was laid, she was looking at him as expected.
Well, after Zaina had passed out, Zashil had shouted for help and the maids rushed in, then carried her to his room where a doctor was invited to come check on her.
It wasn’t serious as Zashil as said, according to the doctor, she passed out as a result of sudden build up stress in the body and brain, that all she needed was rest and a sound sleep.
He then injected her and soon, she was revived but immediately drifted into sleep. She’s been sleeping since then.
“Any progress?”, Lady Aarti asked.
“Yeah”, he nodded and looked out the window.
“At least she didn’t throw tantrums”, he said.
She nodded.
“I knew she won’t”, then she turned back to Zaina lying peacefully on the bed and began covering her up well with the duvet.
“How is she now?”, he asked.
“Getting better. But how am I supposed to know? As a doctor?”, she rolled her eyes.
Zashil sighed splaying his right hand on his forehead in stress. Then he walked up to the bed and placed his hand on her forehead, feeling her temple.
“So you going to call him?”, she asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.
He sighed.
“I have to, it was her last word before she passed out”, he explained.
She nodded.
“Do you sense something?”, she asked.
He looked at her.
“Like what my Lady?”.
“You said it’s her best friend right?”.
He nodded.
“And she asked you to call Raghav?”.
“Oh well yes”, he nodded again.
She tilted her head.
“I think there’s something going on between this Rina girl and Raghav. Zaina can’t just sense she is in danger and then ask you to call Raghav, she can only do that when there’s something going on”, she explained.
Zashil looked away as he assimilated what she had just said. Yeah, it could be true, it was actually making a sense. He turned back to her.
“I think you are right my Lady, something is actually going on”.
“This same girl is also working in the Bhagya palace as she said right?”, she asked again.
“Yeah… yes, she said that too”.
She smiled sadly and slowly shook her head.
“No doubts, someone in the palace must be putting her in danger right now, and something keeps telling me it’s Queen Arya”, she said with all boldness.
Zashil heaved.
“Please don’t get there my Lady, I’m not ready for that yet. Give me his possible contact so I can reach him, delay is dangerous”, he said.
She bit her lower lips watching him.
He gave out a dry laugh.
“Please”, he said.
She heaved and handed him her phone.
“Scroll up for his business contact, that’s the one I can give out”, she said.
He laughed.
“Aw come on Lady, we are family”.
“Maybe”, and she turned to look at Zaina on the bed.
*
*
?? New York City ??
Raghav Estates
Raghav has just left the bathroom the second time since he returned to the estate. Since he returned, he has been feeling heated up and hot, so he went into the bathroom to cool off.
That couldn’t stop it, he felt being heated up again and so went into the bathroom a second time to take a shower.
He noticed sweats dripping out his body as he changed into his clothes, even when under the air conditioned room, crap! This was strange and getting out of hand.
He decided to take a nap and see if it would diminish a bit. So he put on all the fans, including the standing fan close to his bedside, increased the speed of the air-conditions and opened his windows wide open just to let air in.
He was about lying on the bed when his business phone rang, disrupting his activities and getting him angry.
At first he ignored it till it rang to an end, it was at the second ring that he walked up to the dressing table where the phone laid.
He looked into it and as expected, it was an unknown number. That was the usual scenario, unknown numbers do call up his business phone, as it was only his business contact that most people could get through.
He answered the call and the person from the other end spoke up.
“Am I talking with Prince Raghav?”, the voice asked, it was a male’s.
“How can I help you?”, he asked and sat on the seat facing the dressing mirror.
“This is Prince Zashil of Kuru kingdom”, the ever confident voice spoke.
Huh? Kuru kingdom? Raghav sat up.
“Alright”, he said.
“I think your help is needed back home in the kingdom…”.
“Wait… what?”, he got up. “What the hell are you trying to talk about?”, he asked.
“Prince Raghav, you should be going home right now, you are needed”.
He was looking befuddled at first, not comprehending the whole thing, then it hit him.
Yes! This must be the reason of his uncomfortability and restlessness, something bad must have happened back at home.
To who then? Dad? Rina? Prisha? Or probably his mom? Gosh! It could be the kingdom as a whole. This was a bad omen.
Instantly, he tossed the phone back on the table without minding he was still on the phone with someone, then he rushed to his wardrobe.
He began selecting out some clothes and dressing up to leave. As he dressed he called in Zoya.
“Your grace”, he bowed as he entered the room.
“Something urgent, make arrangements for flight right now, we are going back”, he said.
Without uttering a word, asking silly questions or showing up a surprise face, Zoya bowed and left the room.
Terry walked in almost immediately Zoya left. He met Raghav in the state he was, preparing to leave.
“Going somewhere?”, he asked sitting on the bed.
“Yeah Terry, something urgent, going back home”, he shortly replied.
Terry sat up and his brows furrowed.
“Oh! Back to town? You still have some undone work you know”, he said.
“That can wait till I’m back”, he was now putting on his perfumes.
Terry gave a nod.
“You can call as well though”.
“Go set out the car to leave for the airport, I really need to be out of here within minutes”, he ordered.
He bowed and left the room.
*
*
?? Shimla Kingdom ??
|THE BHAGYA PALACE|
The royal convoy drove into the palace like mad, as if they were being pursued or something.
All the maids and guards outside on the compound all shook at the noise the screeching cars made. They all watched in fear most especially, the maids. Most of them stopped whatever work it is they were doing, just to watch the cars.
The car carrying the prince drove straight towards the entrance of the palace, while the other cars drove to the garage.Content rights belong to NôvelDrama.Org.
The guard at the front seat alighted even before the car could stop, and he opened the door for the prince, he alighted.
The guard bowed and Raghav looked round the palace, and at all the maids and guards parambulating about, then he rushed in.
“Welcome your grace… welcome your grace”, they all bowed, greeting as soon as they saw him.
The aura which greeted him as soon as he entered wasn’t a welcoming one, and he felt more danger.
He got to the stairs leading to the center of activities, that’s the living room, his room and that of his sister, the maid’s lodge and the kitchen, but he instead decided to get to his sister’s room first.
He didn’t knock before entering, he just barged in, and he saw her lying on the bed and crying, jeez, he felt more uncomfortable.
He stood at the door and looked around the room, seeing nothing changed he walked up to her.
Prisha was so engrossed in her whimpering that she didn’t know when someone opened her door and came into her room.
Raghav paused for a moment and watched her, whatever it is that is making her cry like this, must be something very serious.
He tapped her on the shoulder.
“Leave me alone… leave me alone. You have succeeded in bringing untold calamities upon us mom, sorry to say but you are evil”, she said without bothering to look up.
Jeez! Raghav was taken aback, what the hell is she talking about? Mom? Calamities? He was befuddled, like what the hell?
“What the hell are you ranting about Prisha?”, he finally asked.
She was startled and she flinched, then turned to the person whom she had mistaken for her mother, and to her utmost and biggest surprise, it was her brother, the prince.
Wow, she jumped up and locked him in a tight hug, she cried the more.
She wondered, what was he doing here? She was worried, sad and happy at the same time.
Worried because it wasn’t yet time for him to return home, sad because of what happened at the palace earlier in the day, and happy because he returned.
She unlocked from the hug.
“Welcome your grace”, she bowed.
He nodded.
“What’s the matter?”, he asked.
“You don’t look someone who returned from a business trip, you look someone who hastingly returned after getting some news about home”, she said.
He scoffed.
“Why are you crying?”, he asked.
She sighed sadly, then cleaned up her eyes.
“Hold on first, she called you right?”.
She called? He was so confused.
“Who the hell is she?”, he asked looking confused.
Huh? She was taken aback? If she didn’t call, then who the hell did?
“Well Prince Zashil was the one who called”, he replied.
“Oh!”, she mouthed. How the hell did he knew what must have happened all the way from Kuru?
“What happened in my absence Prisha? And who you referring to as ‘she’?”, he demanded.
Jeez!
“Um I meant Rina”, she said.
His eyes widened.
“Rina? What happened?”.
She looked away, avoiding his gaze.
“She’s been fired”, she dropped the bombshell.
“What!”, he exclaimed, shouting at the top of his voice. She shook in fear.
“By who? When?”, he reeled out questions.
“Take it easy big brother, take it easy and calm down”.
“How can you ask me to calm down in such situation?”, he asked rhetorically.
“Who fired her?”, he asked picking up his words one after the other.
She exhaled.
“My prince, it’s a long… long story. I… I seriously can’t say anything”, she shook her head.
“Where is she? And where is dad?”, he asked.
“She’s gone back to her home, dad is in his room, felt a bout of headache after he returned from a royal function earlier today”, she explained.
Raghav fisted his arms and punched into the air in anger.
“Crap! I ask again, what happened in the palace today Prisha?”, he was looking into her eyes this time.
Prisha felt uneasy, was she the one to tell him what their cousins had done or their mom? Gosh! Could she?
“What have they done this time around?”, he was still looking at her.
Shit! She had forgotten he was a mind reader, she decided to tell him everything.
“They were here this morning, I left for my extra murals, mom and dad had already left earlier before me for a royal function”, she began.
Raghav stared intently at her as she spoke.
“Davida had come in here to taunt me as usual before I left. I came back hours later only to see the palace in a turmoil, the Guru was around even”.
His eyes widened in shock.
“What! The Guru?”, he questioned in whisper.
Everyone knows that whenever the Guru shows up, something bad was lurking around.
She nodded.
“Yes. He immediately called for a meeting at the throne room and said some things about mom covering up evil, and our cousins coming into the palace through the door, and leaving through the window like thieves. He said so many things warning against treachery, most especially mom”.
“Goodness! They must have done something, I warned mom against letting them in at first”, he said.
“A great taboo. I later learned Amaya broke into the throne room and laid his filthy unworthy hands on the golden sceptre, and wore the royal crown”.
“Jeez! Was that some sort of play or what? Where were the guards?”.
“Davida had earlier spiked their drinks and they fell into a deep sleep”.
“Holy moly! These kids really had a great time, this is all mom’s fault. How about Rina?”.
“Well I think mom had warned them before hand never to say anything about what happened, because when the Guru began asking questions about it, nobody said anything, they all kept mute. And even when he had threatened that a great calamity would befall a very important member of the royal family, nobody still talked.
“It was Rina who later put up her hand to say something, but it was already late. Now I don’t know who this is going to befall”, she teared up again and began crying.
God! This was too much for Raghav to hear, too much for him to handle. He began pacing about, walking to and fro.
What kind of a mother would let some tragedy come upon her family? Why was she covering the evil her sister’s children committed?
He turned to Prisha.
“Finish up”, he said.
“I really don’t know what they had come here to do, but I think it was Rina who rendered it futile and useless. She was the one who caught him in the throne room and began shouting for help.
“Mom fired her because she spoke out”, she concluded, and flopped down on the bed, still crying.
Immediately, he left the room, heading for the living room. As expected, he saw his mother there, sitted on her favourite spot, on the largest couch.
Two maids stood behind her as usual. He fumed and hurriedly walked in.
“Mother I need an explanation. What exactly is going on?”, he asked as he went further, startling everyone.
When did he return? Besides, he wasn’t supposed to be back now?
Arya regarded him and then looked away, ignoring him.
“I’m talking to you mother, how dare you?”.
“You don’t dare challenge the actions of your mother son, it’s for your own good”, she said.
“Whose good? I told you, those useless cousins of ours aren’t worth it, but you wouldn’t listen to me, you wouldn’t”.
“Shut it!”, she shouted. “One more word…”.
“What you gonna do mother?”, he interrupted.
“Look mother I’ve not come here to exchange words with you, those devils are going under the knife, that’s my stance, when I get them, I’ll tear them apart”, he demonstrated with his hands.
She shook her head.
“You will do no such thing son”.
“Okay, wait till you see their dead bodies. Mother how could you? I warned against letting them in, but you flaunted and went ahead, now see. I only wish that whatever calamity it’s, it should befall you alone”.
“What!”, she got up.
“You heard me right. Since you turn out to be this cruel, you alone would suffer it, hmmmm”, he growled.
“I don’t blame you son. As far as I’m concerned, I’m the queen, and I give out rules, I order around and all must be obeyed”.
“You are turning a cruel queen mother, it isn’t gonna lead you anywhere”.
She laughed.
“You can say that again, it seems the soft side I was giving you guys was taken for granted, I decided to bring out the new me”, and she laughed again then sat down.
Raghav stood fuming as he watched her laugh and take her seat.
“The battle line is been drawn mother, and I’ll start it with those so called cousins”, then he turned and left.
“I will be waiting for you”, she said in a whisper, then smirked.