[ CHAPTER XLIV ]
Chaitrangi's condition wasn't good. She has been throwing up since the midnight and by morning all her energy drained. A physician came to check on her and told to get proper rest. Her body was exhausted and she shouldn't stress too much. The sunlight hitting the ground as the curtain blew. Chaitrangi was lying on bed looking all pale.
Amey walked in and frowned at her condition, "what happened to you?"
Hearing his voice Chaitrangi opened her eyes "your highness you have returned? I wasn't feeling well, this pregnancy is causing me trouble"
"If you don't want to go through it then why don't you just abort it?" The casual remark took her breath away.
She abruptly sat up on bed looking at him like she has seen some ghost, "your highness, this is our child. How—how can you say something like that? Don't you love your own child now?" She was terrified.
Amey snorted, "I didn't mean that. Weren't you complaining about it? Now you are accusing me for being heartless? It will be you going through the troubles, are you determined to endure it?"
Chaitrangi gritted her teeth. This child is her hope and future. Even if she has to face trouble to give birth she wouldn't give up. But hearing him say things like this without any hesitation it only angered her. Coupled with the pregnancy hormone her emotions mixed together and unable to control.
" Your highness, this is our first child. Don't say such thing like that" her words forced out. Her body was trembling slightly.
" You need rest. Don't go around looking like that or others will laugh. You better stay indoor and take care of yourself" Amey couldn't watch her anymore and left again. Leaving Chaitrangi behind to burn in anger.
" You said like this child is only my responsibility. You told me before that you will take care of me when our child will born. This is how you are keeping your promise? " Chaitrangi's jaw clenched. "How could someone change so fast. The man I knew was never this distant and ignorant. How come you turned out to be someone so different that I couldn't even recognise you anymore" she fell back on the bed and her maids hurried to support.
" Princess are you alright? "
" Go, invite my aunt here. I need to talk to her" Chaitrangi said through heavy breath.
The maid didn't dared to delay and immediately left. In the silence of the room she lay in bed alone without any companion and support. She felt helpless and ignored. Suddenly a thought started to emerge in her mind.
Did I really mistook him with someone else?
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" Did you talked with mother recently? I guess her behaviour is quite strange since yesterday. She looked at me differently like a criminal?" Nandini frowned at her own words.
Manik suddenly laughed out, " why are you saying like that? Criminal? Are you sure?"
" Why are you laughing? I am serious here?" Nandini glared at him. In the midst of her confusion his laugh only irritated her.
Seeing her expression Manik stopped laughing then pursed his lips, "she is already angry at me. She is not willing to listen anything" he sat down beside her, "why are you thinking like that? Did she do anything?"
"No, but I just think that she is calculating something. She is talking more about my past self and even comparing my present and past. Has she started to doubt me?" She asked him.
" How could I know?" Manik started to defend himself. Of course he wouldn't tell her about his conversation with Somakshya. "You know how atteched mother is with you in the past. And since she returned back you are more engaged with her. Logically, she might feel the familiarities. Faces could change but my dear wife have you forgotten that you haven't changed at all?"
His explanation made sense so Nandini nodded, "maybe I am just overthinking. I thought she is suspecting me. Even though I really want to tell her the truth but I am afraid of her reaction. Afterall whatever happening currently is not something that should happen by nature's law"
"I don't know if it's nature's law or not. What I know is, you are back, in my arms and in my life. That's the point most important for me. About others I can ignore everything else"
" Do you think everything is as easy as you depicted? Will mother share the same mindset as you? " Nandini shook her head, "you may take it lightly but she might not have the mutual feelings"
"You are always this doubtful" Manik pulled her closer and rubbed her arm, "it's not time for you to think or pressure yourself too much. What you need is to take good care of you and our child. This should be your main priority"
"Getting pregnant is not easy" she sighed, "this hardship has a long way to go...."
" Are you tired?" He asked when she leaned in his shoulder.
" I am always tired" her reply was soft and light.
" I never expected I would ever able to feel this happiness. This second chance has brought many new possibilities and bundle of joy" he said changing the topic.
" I wasn't expecting it too. But in the midst of the chaos are you happy with the news?" She asked.
" Very. I am going to be a father. Why wouldn't I be happy? This will be our first child. My sole heir and future of Haveri"
" Aren't you expecting too much your majesty? You must know daydreaming is only a facade on the surface"
"Who told you I am daydreaming? You are right infront of me carrying our child. Nothing is more real than this" he denied her accusations.
" What if the child turn out to be a girl? Would you still consider her as heir?"
" Does it makes any difference? They are still my child, born from you"
" Such a flattering" Nandini playfully rolled her eyes. Then her face turned serious, " have you thought over it? The court will be too messy once they knew the truth"
" Let me handle this matter okay? All you need to do is take care of yourself and the child" he smiled but she stared at him.
" Trying to take everything on yourself? Why are you like this?" She sighed, " I am just pregnant, not sick. You aren't thinking of casting me out are you?"
" Of course not. Such things is out of question. I just don't want you to worry yourself too much. The matter of court is troublesome. You shouldn't let yourself pressured by it. Your health is more important"
Later in the evening Jeia came with a maid. Nandini lying on the couch with her eyes closed.
"Mistress, this maid is here saying Queen Dowager has sent a dessert for you to taste"
Nandini opened her eyes to see the maid from the Queen Dowager's side. She has seen her many times. Nodding her head she asked the maid to put the dessert on the table. The maid bowed and left the room after delivering the dessert.
"Mistress do you want to eat it now?" Jeia asked.
"Let's see what kind of dessert was sent"
Jeia opened the lid of the box and found the pieces of red cakes. Nandini peeked inside the box.
" Cherry almond cake?" She frowned. Why Somakshya sent her this dessert? She don't like almond at all. Almond makes her irritate and she don't favour the taste.
" You didn't like it Mistress?" Jeia frowned at Nandini's twisted expression.
" Almonds are not in favourite list" she shook her head, "close the lid, I don't like the smell of the cake either" her mood changed, totally dissatisfied with the sight of the dessert.
As she leaned back Sihul walked in for her daily check up. He bowed to her then placed his medical box on the table then frowned slightly at the dessert box.
"What's in there?"
"It was a dessert sent for mistress" Jeia replied.
"Dessert?" Sihul opened the lip and looked at the cake pieces, "this...." he turned to Nandini, "if you don't mind, can I take this box with me mistress?"
"Is there any problem?" Nandini asked feeling doubtful all of a sudden.
"Could only tell after a thorough examination. I am still not certain but I could feel there's something wrong" Sihul replied.
"Fine, do as you see it fits" Nandini nodded. Sihul did the regular checking before he left taking the dessert box.
Jeia turned to Nandini, "mistress this dessert was—"
"Don't misunderstood, even if there's a problem, the sender is different. Let's wait for the result first"
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"What did you say? Poison?" Manik frowned.
Sihul nodded, "yes, not some ordinary ones but the most deadly one. I got suspicious when I went to check on Mistress today. It's fortunate she didn't ate the dessert or it would have been life-threatening matter for her and the child. Those who decided to use such poison is really cruel"
Manik's jaw tightened as her fist clenched tightly. "How dare they use such dirty tricks right under my nose? Are they tired of leaving?" His smacked the table with his fist causing a loud sound shaking the things on the table itself.
Sihul gulped down seeing the reaction. But he continued to explain, "after examination, I found the poison is cobra poison, tasteless, odorless. If I wasn't practicing on poison lately I wouldn't have able to identify it. Till now there's no known antidote of this poison and such poison would only react inside the consumers body. Even if the person die, no examination could locate the cause"
The corner of Manik's lips tugged up, " scheming so deadly—some people just started to devalue their own life. It looks like I was too easy on the security matter lately" he said through gritted teeth. "Ishank who sent the desert?"
"Master, the dessert was sent from Queen Dowager's place" Ishank replied.
" Mother?" Manik frowned instantly, " how come?" No, she couldn't pull such stunt after the revelation. Besides even if it wasn't disclosed, no matter how dissatisfied Somakshya is she wouldn't do such despicable things.
The matter of poisoning didn't stay hidden for long. When Somakshya heard it she almost had a heart attack. Poisoned?
" What are you saying? Nandini was about to being poisoned?" Somakshya asked as of she still couldn't believe the news.
Manik nodded, " the snacks you had the maid delivered was actually poisoned"
Hearing that Somakshya frowned, " what snacks are you talking about? I didn't sent anything to Nandini"
" You didn't?" Manik asked.
" No, I was in the meditating room to calm myself down. In the meantime who went on delivering snacks to Nandini?"
" The maid who sent the dessert belong to your service"
Somakshya turned to Biuja, "who sent a dessert to Nandini without any permission? Who dared to pull such disgusting tricks?"
"Your highness I am not aware of this either. No order was passed for such thing since the morning" Biuja herself was startled.
Hearing that Manik's angered doubled. So the culprit behind this was hiding Somakshya's name to scapegoat. Suddenly a smile appeared on his face.
Good. Really good. Such a high level scheme. He really want to see who actually dared to plot against his wife.
" Bring the maid in the interrogation room" he said and left. Ishank followed behind him.
" Your highness" Biuja's trembling voice echoed after sometime.
" Biuja, identity the maid and send some money to her family as compensation" Somakshya ordered. She knew the truth. The one who were dragged in the interrogation room will never return back.
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