Mohini POV

He mishandled me twice. First in the library, then in the room. 

I know our marriage has happened by deceit, but it doesn't mean I am out to find his secrets for my father. 

I hate him, but I hate my father more. I was trying to find paper and pen to write down the recipe for his favourite dessert. 

I am a fool to think and care about him. I follow Swati to the kitchen, where Naina is waiting for me. 

'You got the pen and paper?', Naina asks. 

I nod, and we sit down. She tells me the ingredients and process to make it. She can't help me to make it because Bua-sa has forbidden her. 

An attendee comes inside and says, 

'Rajkumari, Raja-sa has asked for you.' 

Naina replies, 

'Tell him I am coming.' 

She looks at me and says with a warm smile, 

'Don't worry, Mohini. You will make an amazing dessert, and everyone will like it. And soon everyone will accept you.' 

She stands up and leaves. 

I start gathering ingredients with Swati, I set out to make ghevar and sugar syrup. I see its almost evening. I wonder about Yuvraj. So I asked Swati, 

'Do you know where Yuvraj is?' 

She replies, 

'Last time I heard that he hadn't left his library today at all.' 

I nod my head, thinking he is hiding from facing me after being proved wrong. 

I dip ghevar in sugar syrup and cover the dessert. When serving time comes, I will decorate it with rabri. 

I turn to Swati and ask in signs, 

'Is there any beautiful spot in the palace where I can soak up the nature and relax?' 

Swati replies, 

'Yes, Bai-sa, the garden in front of your room. Let me take you there.' 

She takes me to the garden, beautifully bordered by three coloured flower patterns with gorgeous and exotic flowers planted at various places methodically. 

It faces the sitting area outside of my room. Through this area, I can enter my room. 

There is a small pond with an area in between to sit and relax with colourful flowered plants at the corner of the pond in the middle of the garden. 

I walk through the pathway to the relaxing area of the pond. 

I sit down and lie on the soft futon spread and lean my head on the cushion stacked up against the middle mini pool of lotus plants. 

'Kehna padega ki makkaar log toh bikau aurton se bhi adhik besharam hote hai. Khuli hawa mein swaas toh aise lete hai jaise ki inse masoom koi ho hi nahi sakta.' 

'It has to be said that deceitful people are even more shameless than prostitutes. They breathe in the open air as if no one can be innocent more than them.' 

I look to see a beautiful girl coming close to us. She is not a princess; that is clear from her clothing. 

She is wearing a mid-knee skirt, a revealing blouse, and jewelry, and her hair is braided. 

She smiles at me mockingly and says, 

'Saari sharam aur lajja gholke pi jate hai na isiliye unhe koi antar nahi padta.' 

'They mix and swallow away all the shame and embarrassment, that's why it doesn't matter to them.' 

Swati gets angry and asks her angrily, 

'Who are you and how dare you talk like that to Bai-sa?' 

She doesn't look at Swati but keeps her eyes trained on me. 

There is something in her eyes that isn't settling with me. She is smiling, but it looks like she is angry. 

I sign which Swati translates, 

'Bai-sa wants to know who are you?' 

She replies while maintaining her snake smile, 

'My name is Chandani, Bai-sa. I live at the palace across from this, housing ladies of war and entertainment. I am the chief, regal, most beautiful, and dream of many men, woman.' 

Every girl in my life who wants to destroy me has to be connected with this name. I hate this name. 

She says this, looking every bit proud. I understand her situation, she needs to take pride in whatever situation God has given her. 

But she could tamp down the narcissism a little bit. 

Swati looks at her with furrowed brows and says in a perfectly serious voice, 

'So you mean that you are harem's special whore.' 

I choke on the air. Her smile slips, and her face darkens, but Swati moves to me to see whether I am okay or not. 

She is glaring daggers at Swati. I try to hide my smile by tilting my head to the side. 

'Why are you here?' Swati translates to her. 

'I am here to see the deceiver who made Yuvraj so stressed, ' she says mockingly. 

I just narrow my eyes at her. I know her situation does make her angry and rude, but this is simply pettiness and nothing else. 

Swati tells her angrily, 

'Careful of your tone. Watch whom you are talking to. And secondly, this is Yuvraj's business, not yours.' 

She laughs condescendingly at her and says, 

'Oh, that's where you are wrong, little birdie.' 

She comes closer and says, 

'Jo bhi Yuvraaj se judaa hai wo humse bhi hai, aur hume accha nahi lagta jab hum Yuvraj ko pareshaan aur nakhush dekhte hai.' 

'Whatever is related to Yuvraj is also related to me, and I do not like it when I see Yuvraj so upset and unhappy.' 

Swati mimics her voice and says, 

'Oh, so you think he is unhappy? Oh we are so glad to know about your opinion.' 

She is angry but doesn't let her smile fall and turns to me with an evil glint, saying, 

'Oh yes, I know how unhappy he is. And it becomes very apparent when a husband leaves his wife to come to his mistress on their first night for a peaceful sleep and pleasurable release.' 

Her words dig deep. From her expression, it is clear she is enjoying it. 

I know that he didn't sleep there because his bedside was rumpled, but the other things? I can't say anything about it. 

But what can I say to her, that my husband isn't stressed or he isn't unhappy with our situation? 

But I won't give her the time of day by giving her the attention she is craving. I stand up and say in signs, 

'I have nothing to say to you because I have no desire to bash my head against a wall.' 

Swati translates it with delight to her. I cross her and move to leave, but her words stop me, 

'Kuch kehne ke liye nahi hai ya phir kehana ka saadhan nahi hai? Wo kya hai na, apna tark rakhne ke liye na pati-patni ka rishta hai aur na hi swar hai gale mein.' 

'Is there nothing to say, or is there no means to say it? The thing is, neither is there a husband-wife relationship nor is there a voice in the throat to present one's argument.' 

I turn to her. This is the best she could come up with? I have heard worse insults for my muteness, this insult is just pathetic. 

So I sign at her, 

'I have heard worse than this, so I have built a thick skin just like you have for your profession. And about my marriage, it is none of your concern. 

And also I don't care what Yuvraj does with you because at the end he have to come to me only.' 

Swati translates proudly. She comes closer and sniffs around me and says, 

'Par ye kesi boo hai? Hume toh jalan ki lag rahi hai? Aapke inn shabdon ke baad bhi hume aapse jalan ki hi boo aa rahi hai, Vairi ji.' 

'But what kind of smell is this? I think this is the smell of your jealousy. Even after these words of yours, I can still smell jealousy on you, Vairi ji.' 

She is calling me an enemy, which is not very creative. I am trying real hard to be mindful of her situation but I will give her a warning blow. 

I step closer and sign, 

'Me? And jealous? Of you? My Kerala Rasmalai, a queen doesn't envy a mere mistress. A queen commands respect and loyalty. A mistress covets what she can never have, and that's you.' 

Swati delivers my comeback, and we both leave. 

All the while thinking about the hurt that Yuvraj left me on our first night to go to her. 

I am angry at myself for being bothered by his actions. It's not like he will be loyal to a traitor. 

But I have self-respect, which I won't let be crushed by these women. I am a Queen, and I deserve respect so I will go and ask him for it. 

I tell Swati to unpack my things while I go to the library to give off pen and paper to him. 

She nods, and I walk to the library. I entered and went round the shelf to talk to him when I heard Ekaansh's voice, 

'Maybe she isn't Mohini?' 

I hid and listened to their conversation about Rao and Dada. I am confused as to what my father will gain from this marriage, Dada's disappearance, and Rao's crowning as prince.

But I can't tell this to Yuvraj right now, or they will kill Dada.

Suddenly, I am tugged hard and spin around to face a very angry looking Avantika. my leg colide with shelf and my anklet slip from my leg. 

'Why are you trying to listen to Agam's conversation?' 

The way she has seen me, I can't deny on her face that I am not spying, but I won't confess it. 

She tightens her hand around my arm and squeezes it hard, shaking me. I try to move away, which makes my anklet bells make a sound. 

I don't want Yuvraj to find me like this. He misunderstood in the morning. 

If in misunderstanding he can be this angry then I don't want to find out what he will do when his suspicions are confirmed. 

She asks in anger,

'You are really carrying out your father's work, aren't you?' 

'What are you both doing here? And Avantika leave her hand, now', Yuvraj announces his presence. 

I turn scared and tell him half truth and half lie, I couldn't meet his eye or he will know I am lying. 

I run from there red with embarrasment, Yuvraj shouldn't get on his knee for anyone not even for his wife, only for his kingdom's people. 

I calm myself down and moves to my chamber when Naina stops me, 

'Is the dessert ready?' 

I nod my head. She beams and asks, 

'You wouldn't mind if I have a look at your dessert before serving.' 

I shake my head and we move to the kitchen, Swati joins us in the middle. 

We enter the kitchen when we smell something burning. I rush to see my sugar syrup solid rock and burnt with my ghevar in it and on fire. 

Naina gasps but quickly puts out fire then pour cold water on the pot. 

All my ghevar are destroyed. Tears prick my eyes seeing all my hardwork burned. 

Naina turns to me and says, 

'After sugar syrup is made you don't have to boil it again after dipping ghevar in it. I told you that.' 

I shake my head signalling I didn't do it. Swati also swears for me. 

Now what I will serve. Bua-sa already hates me and this just push me in her hate list more. 

I am fiddling with my necklace with panic. An idea hits me. 

I look to Naina and sign with Swati translating, 

'Give me some time. I will make Srikhand, it is very popular dish of my kingdom and it won't take much time.' 

But she is looking at my neck, she comes closer, tilts my head and inspect my neck closely saying, 

'What is this? Who hurt you?' 

She rubs the place where Yuvraj sucked in the morning. I flush red and try to move my head but she calls Swati to inspect which makes me more red. 

Swati looks at it and flushes red with embarrassment. 

She looks at me and says, 

'You should tell her, Bai-sa. I have to unpack few of your things still.' 

But when she tries to flee, I stop her and sign, 

'I can't speak, and it is my order to tell her.' 

She pouts but tells Naina, 

'Yuvraj had done that-' 

Before she could finish, Naina started moving and saying, 

'How dare he hurt you? You wait, Mohini, I will go tell Raja-sa what he has done to you.' 

I panic, thinking about how I will explain this to Bapusaa. I signal Swati to stop her. We are outside of the kitchen, and Swati tells her in her ears. 

She flushes deep red with embarrassment. 

She says, 

'Ahh....Mohini...Umm...Mohini...., hume kshama kijiye, hum bina soche samjhe karne lage.' 

'Ahhh...Mohini...Umm...Mohini... please forgive me, I started going like this without thinking.' 

We all are so deep red and immersed in the conversation that we all jump when we hear the deep voice, 

'What are you all doing here, looking guilty?' 

Naina gasps, spins around, sees Viraj, and snaps, 

'Can you please not sneak up on a person without giving any warning?' 

He frowns and says with exaggerated hand motions, 

'I walked up to you with heavy, loud footsteps of which you complain so much and you didn't hear me?' 

He squints his eyes at her, saying, 

'Why are you all flushed? What are you telling them both? Which book are you reading this time?' 

She flushes but snaps at him, 

'None of your business.' 

He says with a serious tone, 

'Tell me or I will tell Raja-sa what type of books you read.' 

She replies with squinty, angry eyes, 

'No.' 

Then drags me to the corner when Viraj says, 

'Fine, don't tell me, I will just look at your 'Right now Reading' pile.' 

He leaves, and I can see panic in her eyes. She looks at me with embarrassment and says, 

'I am sorry, Mohini. I shouldn't have assumed. Its just my mind didn't go there since you know......, your and Agam's relationship........' 

I hold her hand and reassure her. 

She says,

'You don't need my help in preparing it, right?' 

The moment I nod my head, she rushes off in the same direction where Viraj has gone. 

Swati cleared out the burned dessert, and we set out to make Srikhand, which was prepared by dinnertime. 

The attendees helped me in plating the dessert to bring it out after dinner. 

I leave the kitchen and enter the dining hall to serve Yuvraaj food, but Bapusaa stops me and says, 

'You don't have to do that. Sit beside Agam, Mohini. In here, after your Saas came the changes were made, now every member of our family sits together and eat.' 

I nod, shocked. Back in Malwa my father will eat only then the women can have food. 

I sit beside Yuvraj, who is looking at me, not with disdain, with likeness and a small smile. 

I turn my eyes away, thinking about his actions earlier and how he defended me. 

We are served food when Naina says with excited voice to me, 

'Aap dono ko ek dusre ko ek ek niwala khilana chahiye.' 

'Both of you should feed each other one bite at a time.' 

I shake my head, and Bua-sa scolds her, 

'Don't act childishly, Naina. This doesn't look good to do in front of elders. And Agam doesn't take her as his wife, don't forget.' 

My face is burning with shame and humiliation. I look down and turn my head to take the bite when I see a made bite in front of me held by Yuvraaj. 

I am shocked, and I see that Bua-sa is also shocked, Avantika has her brows furrowed, Naina smiling widely, Viraj, Ekaansh and Bapusaa trying to hide their smiles. 

When I don't move forward to take the bite and just look at him stupidly, Yuvraaj smirks at me and says, 

'Mohini, iss niwale ko khana hai, hume nahi.' 

'Mohini, this morsel has to be eaten, not me.' 

I burn with embarrassment and quickly eat the bite from his hand. I know this is his way of letting everyone know he accepts me as his wife. 

But he shouldn't have made that comment loudly. Gurra. 

His smile widens, and he says mockingly, 

'Hum toh bas aapki duvidha hal kar raha tha ki abhi kya khana hai, baad mein akele mein jo khana hai aapko aap chun lijiyega.' 

'I was just clearing your confusion about what to eat right now. Afterwards, you can choose.' 

Ekaansh and Viraj choke on their laugh while I am deeply red and mortified. 

I keep my eyes down and finish up the food. 

Desserts are brought, seeing which Bua-sa says, 

'I thought you were making our traditional dessert.' 

Naina jumps in and says, 

'Maasa, you only said that I can't help her and she doesn't know desserts of our kingdom. I am sure you will like this very much. Mohini has made it with so much love.' 

Bua-sa and Avantika like the dessert but try not to show it. Yuvraaj says, 

'I like it very much, Mohini. Thank you for introducing us to your people's tradition with this dessert.' 

I like it very much when he appreciates me, my stomach twists in a pleasurable way at his compliments. 

Everyone compliments me, then Bapusaa calls attendees with two plates and calls me to him saying, 

'This is your reward for such a delicious dessert', I accept it and direct Swati to take it to my room. 

I bow down and take the blessings of Bapusaa. 

Bua-sa calls me, 

'Ae ladki, come here.' 

I walk to her. She takes my hand and slips out their family bangles and slips the heavy one bangle on each saying with monotone voice,  

'These bangles are of Bhabhi-saa; she isn't here to give you on your kitchen ritual so I am giving you.' 

She gives me a tight smile. I look at Yuvraj to find his eyes on bangles and his face hard and expressionless. I sit beside him, but he doesn't look at me and coldness is rolling off him. 

I don't know what I did. 

Bapusaa brings attention to him and says, 

'You both are going to our Kuldevta mandir tomorrow, early morning to take blessing for your marriage.' 

Bua-sa nods her head and says, 

'I will prepare for everyone's leave and-' 

Bapusaa stops her and says, 

'They both will go with soldiers and attendees and no one else.' 

Everyone looks shocked but keeps quiet, everyone retires to their room. Yuvraj comes closer and says with a hard tone,  

'You go; I will come after finishing some work.' 

I nod my head and move to my chamber, thinking, Is he going to Chandani to relieve his stress? What will they do together? 

But why am I bothered? Because I am his Queen, and he shouldn't make mockery of our marriage in front of others. 

But it doesn't explain why my heart and stomach is twisting at the thought of them together. 

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