3 ~ Traveling to his Empire

Gulaab POV

"Begum..." He called.

I ignored him and turned on my heels to walk away from there, the faster I could.

Suddenly, I felt someone pulling my dupatta. I turned and my sight fell on the tanned hand holding the hem of the fabric. His fingers were long and he had slightly long baby hairs on his arms. His arms were toned and biceps strong. I could see muscles near his shoulder as he had untanned skin there. His chest was bare, pure manly and beasty. His masculine body was the best example of a perfect body.

While I was busy registering his features, he pulled my dupatta in a jerk and I lost my balance almost falling over him. He held my waist and pulled me closer.

I tried to protest his hold but it was strong. His smile was growing wide looking at me and I knew why was he happy. He understood my discomfort and doing it purposely to irritate me.

"Leave me"

I said looking into his eyes.

He didn't and continuously looked at me.

I pressed my hands against his chest and tried to force him away.

He pulled me closer and I showed him my big eyes filled with anger.

"I said leave me" I yelled again.

But he was too stubborn to listen.

"Begum

hai

aap

hamari... or kya

kehte

hai

aapki

jaban me... Shaadi... ye shaadi aapki

marzi

se hui hai. To itna

hak to banta

hai

naa

hamara"

"You are my wife... and what they say in your language... marriage... This marriage happened with due permission. Then, I have at least this much right"

These words escaped from his mouth giving the emphasis on the word 'Permission'.

I stopped moving, I understood that it was baseless fighting with him and the thing which was bothering me more was not his words but his hot naked body. My eyes were trying to cheat my brain and look at his skin often.

His lips were dark pink and beautiful, his eyes were dark and devilish. And for an instance, I had forgotten that he was my enemy.

While I was busy staring at his neck, his palm touched my cheek. I felt terrified instantly. I looked into his eyes and saw his eyes closing as he was leaning in. I stood frozen. I felt as if the breeze stopped and so do my nerves. His breath fanned my cheek and I lowered my gaze instantly. I couldn't believe how his presence was resisting me to move, push or bark over him.

"Thoda

lehje

se

pesh aaya kijiye... Itni be-adabi hume pasand nahi hai. Bachpan

se

ji-huzuri

hote hue dekhi

hai bass to agli baar badtameezi ki saza

barabar di jaegi... Begum

sahiba"

"Try to behave mannerly... I don't like this much disrespect. From childhood, I have seen obeys for me so you will be punished well for unmannerly behaviour from the next time... Begum Sahiba"

I opened my eyes and looked at him. My heartbeat raced not because of the warning but with his hot voice. I felt goosebumps below my ear where I felt his warm breath. My clothes soaked the wetness of his body and for some moment I was lost in him.

"Get it," He asked and I lowered my gaze unable to answer.

I blinked for a moment, trying to understand what was happening to me? I couldn't think anything else forcing him away with my full force.

He lost his balance a little and I repeated again.

"Stay away from me. I do marry you but that doesn't mean you will throw yourself on me." I said raising my index finger warning him and continued.

"It will be better for you to stay away from my brother and from me too."

He suddenly held my hand and looked at my wrist.

I try to pull my hand but he was declared brainless.

"I am more interested in knowing who tries to kill you." He said looking at my wrist. It had marks of my various suicidal attempts.

"And, No I am not going to stay away from your brother, your Empire, your family, and especially you," He said jerking my hand and continued.

"You are the reason that I am not the king of two continents yet. Otherwise, by now I would be ruling on Mahabaleshgarh." He said in a devilish tone and I could see how much rage was filled in his eyes but since he mentioned my home and I knew he was a clever snake, I backfired.

"In your dreams," I said rolling my eyes.

"Don't worry, You will witness my dream coming true very soon. Begum

Sahiba..." He finished and left me in the Hammam alone.

I felt terrified but I was angry more. He thought he could kill my brother and but he didn't know that I was in the middle if he wanted to reach my brother.

He left and I moved to freshen up myself. After getting ready I was asked to sit in the palanquin and little did they realize was that I was hungry. My stomach was hurting out of hunger and when suddenly he came nearby me I couldn't stop myself from saying.

"I am hungry, isn't there any policy of asking for food from a newlywed bride"

"You are hungry?" He repeated.

"Yes"

"Then ask any attendee. I am not responsible for feeding you" He said rudely and went from there.

My stomach created an embarrassing sound again and then suddenly my sight fell on Nagma.

"Nagma" I called softly walking to her.

"Begum... Yes, what happened?" She said bowing a little.

"Can you get me something to eat? I am hungry" I said in a requesting tone.

She nodded and replied.

"I will get it for you just now" She left me there and I sat in the palanquin because everyone was leaving.

We all started moving and in some time I felt someone parting the curtains of the palanquin aside.

"Begum, This is for you"

Nagma handed me over a basket full of fruits and I muttered a thank you to her.

"There was everything non-vegetarian made today and the sultan asked me to serve you something vegetarian," She said smiling at me.

"Okay, Thank you so much!" I said and diverted my gaze to fruits.

I started eating and felt satisfied at some time. We all moving towards the destiny known to them but not to me. Suddenly, I felt my heart heavy. I didn't know what would I do to reach there. How would I spend my life? Till then, I would be alive and what I would suffer.

I was feeling so much alone, if I would be at my palace, I might be talking to Maa Saheb or doing something. I used to be a very pampered child. My parents loved me a lot until that incident.

I was missing my family and especially my Bhai Saheb.

The time passed in traveling, crossing the mountains, forest, and long way day and night. I started feeling uncomfortable as I had to sit in the palanquin and the destiny was still far away. The convoy seems enjoyable as they sing their songs sometimes and sometimes they play in the middle.

The king didn't meet me since then but we had a few encounters where he and I, both try to ignore each other. I was keeping an eye on him as he didn't seem like a person who accepts his defeat so easily.

Most of the time, he seems busy with his soldiers in the practice of sword fights or in eating competitions, and other he was racing along with few horses and then enjoy a bath in the rivers. Till now, I understood that he was the one least interested in me and my presence didn't bother him at all. I was like an unexisting piece of flesh alive on earth. That's it.

I felt fed up with only sitting and resting in the palanquin and then decided to walk with the only person I knew a little, Nagma. She had her own group of friends with her she discusses a lot of things in her language. Their language and way of talking were quite understandable to me except for the few words.

She had a great collection of story and I heard her laughing most of the time. But Sometimes, Even though walking with her and hearing their talks I felt like I was alone. We were completely different from the way of our dressing to the things we eat. They all were so much into the five-time prayers of God. While I try to focus on mine in the early morning.

It's been so many days and I started observing that the weather has changed, the smell of forests changed and so the environment changed around me. I was far, far away from my home and there I realized that there was no going back.

Finally, we were only a week away from the Empire of King Rafiq as I heard from Nagma. But, this didn't calm me down but increased my impatience and fear. I didn't know who would welcome me or they might not welcome me at all. I didn't know if I would be given a chamber-like I had in my palace or thrown in jail.

But, the thing I was sure about was, that I had to stay alive and keep an eye on the Sultan. So, that he couldn't plan anything against my Empire.

It was night, I was lying in my tent. Nagma was sitting with me folding my clothes while keep talking didn't know what. My fingers were trembling on the beads of my waist chain while I was remembering some of the best moments of my life with Bhai Saheb.

"Begum Sahiba..." Suddenly I heard Nagma calling me.

"Ji," I said looking in her direction.

"Do you know, Sultan really don't like a rose?" She said.

"Hn..." I said as I was aware of his hate towards Roses.

"Or kudrat ka karishma dekhiye

unki

begum ka naam hi Gulaab

hai... Hahaha"

"And look at the move of destiny, his wife's name means Rose. Hahaha" She laughed and I just smiled looking at her.

She was like someone who always finds any reason to smile. She didn't really care about anything. She was a self-loved person and I really liked her.

I looked at her as she might be feeling bored staying with me and started a conversation. I had to keep myself ready for anything and before that, I needed to know about my enemy.

"To or kya

kya

cheeje nahi pasand hai aapke sultan ko"

"So, what more things your sultan don't like," I asked.

"Sultan doesn't like anyone to disturb him in Hammam, He usually thinks and talks about his strategies in hammam alone. Sultan doesn't like women. I mean he isn't like other sultan's who run after women. He keeps himself away from women, all he loves is his work, war, and only one wife"

"One wife? How many he has?" I asked.

"He has only one 'Zeenat Begum' and others are the women he won in war. Sultan only talks to Zeenat Begum, they are really close to each other."

"Ohh," I muttered and I realized that the King was a kind of a committed person.

"Do you know choti begum, she was the one who was really excited to meet you when she heard that Sultan married a Hindu princess. She always wanted him to marry someone"

"Really?" I asked as I couldn't digest it. How come one wife could be excited to meet another one. Strange!

"Yeah..." She said holding her tongue and continued "And Begum, there is one from whom you really need to protect yourself"

"Who?" I asked as I become kind of curious now.

"Jannat Begum Jaan" She muttered showing me big eyes.

"Why? who is she? another wife?" I asked.

"Nooooooo, She isn't the sultan's wife but his stepmother. And, unfortunately, Sultan's father is no more." She said making a sad face and keeping the last cloth in the trunk.

"Ohh," I said, and then she said.

"Now you should sleep, I will blow the lamps now." I nodded looking at her as she moved and blew the lamps so that I could sleep.