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Rehana POV

"What are you doing? Beta?" I heard Ammijaan walking in the kitchen, and I lifted my gaze up from the bowl I prepared for Jaan-e-Jahan with a smile.

"He did not like the Sheer Khurma. So, I made it again for him," I said, and she furrowed her brows.

"There is no need for it. It was delicious. Trust me," she tried to convince me, and I smiled, shaking my head.

"I know, but there must be something else he wanted in it. I added a few more dry fruits. I do not know what exactly he likes, so I prepared these five different bowls. They have different sweetness and different dry fruits in case he does not like one," I explained, and Ammijaan sighed, shaking her head.

"Alright, I will send him to your chamber," her words brought a smile to my face, and I asked Shefali to bring the tray to our chamber.

When I reached it, I found it utterly empty, just like my life had been in all these years.

"Where is he?" I asked the attendees to work on cleaning the mess that had even turned into a mess.

"He is with the guests, Mallika," she replied, and I sighed deeply, marching towards the bed and laying back.

Was this function for the guests or me?

He should be spending time with me.

Sighing deeply, I closed my eyes, feeling the growls erupting in my stomach due to the hunger.

I had not even eaten because of him.

Closing my eyes, I tried to calm my short temper and sat up.

"Can you please call for him?" I asked one of the attendees in a low voice.

They had nearly finished with the work. The bed was cleaned, the flowery chandelier was gone, and only a few petals of flowers were left here and there only.

Just like a little bit of hope left for me with him.

"Ji, Mallika," the attendee said with a bow before leaving, and I stared at the ceiling.

The roaming sweet aroma of the Sweet dish faded into the coldness, and I did not know when I fell into a short nap.

"Rehana," his voice caught my attention, and I opened my eyes snapped open.

The drool near my lip immediately invited my hand to rub it off before I sat up.

"Where were you?" I asked, rising up from the bed and holding his hand to make him walk towards the couch.

A soft chuckle followed by him.

The sweet dish was waiting for him.

"I was planning a surprise for Choti Ammijaan. She has come here after such a long time," he said, and I tried not to feel bad about it.

I had came here for the first time after seven years, and he was planning surprise for new Ammijaan.

Perfect!

The woman, his father's second wife, was getting more attention than Jaan-e-Jahan's only wife.

"Oh!" Though, I keep my insider thoughts to myself as dragged him to the couch and smiled at him.

I was here to win his heart, not break many.

"You did not like the sweet dish for the first time. So, I made five more variations," I exclaimed turning a little to the bowls kept on the table.

He furrowed his brows and shook his head.

"But wh... You did not need to," he said, and I clicked my tongue with frustration and pushed him back on the couch.

"Of course, I had to. You are my husband, and I have to make and keep you happy always," I said, the moments of our beautiful wedding playing back in my mind.

And, he chuckled.

"Oh, really?" He asked crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the couch's head rest.

"Yes," I smiled timidly.

"But, this seems cold," he said and I knit my brows while turning my gaze to the bowls and touched them.

Yes, they would taste awful.

"Wait, let me get them reheated," I said, lifting up the tray. He immediately grabbed my arm.

"Rehena, there is no need to," he said, and I shook my head.

"Shhhhhhiiiiiiiissssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," I immediately hushed him down and he gulped, looking away with slight irritation.

Well, if he was open to testing me, I was going to give him four times of it.

"Just wait here; I will be back," I said, and he nodded.

"Alright, Begum Sahiba," he said, and I smiled before taking the tray to the kitchen back.

Shefali asked me to give it to her but I did not feel like anyone touching his food amid the celebration. He was the Sultan. And, great care was needed to be taken for him. Anyone could easily poison him.

"Salam, Mallika," one of the cooks addressed me once I reached the royal kitchen.

"Can you please move aside?" I asked with a warm smile, and she knitted her brows.

"What happened? Tell me, I am here to serve you," she said, noticing the silver tray in my hand and I shook my head.

"I need to heat this. I will manage. Thank you," I said, and she stepped aside from the burning stove after taking a few moments to process whatever I said.

The fire was reaching reaching high even in the smallest stove. I gulped with slight hear, walking closer to it.

I noticed a vessel full of water boiling over it. Finding a cloth near it, I tried to roll it and folded it into a thick rope so that each end of it would reach the either side of the vessel.

"Let me help, Mallika," the attendee spoke in a soft voice, and I shook my head.

I verbally pushed her away.

"I know how to do it," I said, and the moment I tried to pick up the vessel off the stove, one end slipped off my hand, and the burning splashes of water hit my skin, making me cry with the pain.

"Ahh," the tears arrived in my eyes as the stings of burns sent a tense, deep, and coursing pain through my nerves.

"Mallika,"

"Begum,"

"Mallika!!"

The distinct voices caught my attention as I shut my eyes. The water fell around. A few of its splashes had hit my calves and chest as well.

"Ahh," I broke into even more crying and held my burnt hand with the other one.

"What happened?" Ammijaan's voice caught my attention, and she immediately kneeled before me.

"Rehana, beta? What are you doing here?" She asked and I shook my head, letting the tears fall off my eyes.

"I came to reheat...," I sobbed into cries, "the Sheer Khurma," the words merely made sense and she immediately held my shoulders and yelled at everyone.

"What the hell are you doing here? Why did you even let her come near the stove?" Her voice made me cry even more, and I shook my head.

"Ammijaan, it was me only. They did not do anything. The water just fell," I tried to explain and she inhaled a sharp breath.

And suddenly, I noticed Jaan-e-Jahan running towards me, moving the attendees aside.

"Rehana," he yelled at me, gazing at my burnt hand before looking up at me, and I cried even more.

"Are you out of your mind? What the hell were you doing?" He asked in a loud voice, and I broke into even more cries.

Why was he yelling at me?

"I did not do anything," I tried to explain and he closed his eyes for a moment, inhaled a deep breath and immediately lifted me up in his arms.

"Call the physician," he yelled at my attendees. I could not help but feel so stupid.

Finding the people staring at us, I hid my face in his chest. His steps were hurried and long. And, with each step closer to our chamber, I could feel my hand getting numb with the uncontrollable pain.

"Ahh," I cried shakily as soon as he entered the chamber.

Ammijaan followed us along with the attendees, and Shefali followed, too.

"Where the hell is the physician?" He yelled at the attendees while putting me on the bed. I tried to hold my wrist with the other hand.

"It's hurting a lot," I could not stop myself from saying, along with the rivers of tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Who told you to go near the stove?" He asked. Just by seeing his angry and concerned face, I broke into even more cries.

And the handful of bangles was making it hurt even more.

He might have noticed it as he looked at my face.

"Rehana," his voice had calmed down a little.

"Show me," he said, and I sobbed while bringing my shaky hand to his notice.

His gaze lowered down to my burnt hand, and the moment he gently placed his finger below my hand, I straightened my fingers.

My tears could not stop, noticing the deep redness of burns on my palm along with the Red ink and Henna.

His fingers gently touched my bangles and pushed them a little away to notice the harm on the wrist as well. However, it was minimal, thanks to the bangles.

But there were slight burns.

Lifting his gaze up for a moment to look at my crying, he gently brought his hand to mine and held the first two bangles. And, the moment he tried to pull them out a little.

"Annhh," a deep hiss escaped my lips, followed by the now silent tears.

He closed his eyes for a moment.

"You should have been careful," his voice came out weak, and he shifted closer to sit beside me.

"Look at me," he said, and I gulped shakily and looked at his face.

"Calm down, okay, it will be alright," he said with a low voice and I nodded, letting the fresh tears roll down my cheeks.

And suddenly, I felt him cupping his palm around my bangles.

I lowered my gaze, and before I could understand, he crushed the bangles on my wrist. The noise of them breaking sent a painful shiver into my body, making me tremble like a castle of sand in the storm.

A slow hiss escaped my lips with fear.

"That's it," he immediately said in a low and comforting voice, letting the broken pieces fall into my lap, leaving my wrist with only a few metallic bangles.

He broke my bangles just like that. And it did not hurt.

"Sultan," suddenly, the voice of a lady caught our attention. She was panting, and the moment I lifted my gaze up at her, she hurriedly stepped closer to me and leaned forward to notice my hand.

"Mallika got her hand burnt with hot water. Apply the medicine and give her something to ease the pain," he ordered, slowly moving aside to let the physician take the charge from here.

I sat still noticing her ordering the attendees to bring some herbs and a few oils. She took a few moments to prepare a paste and the moment she applied it over my hand, I felt the chilly calmness running into my nerves.

Though the slightly thick texture made me hiss in pain, the comfort it gave to let me close my eyes and shut my tears down.

She applied it a little over my wrist as well.

"How long will it take for her to heal?" Ammijaan asked, sitting beside me and caressing my head. Her face looked terribly worried.

"The burn will heal soon, but it will leave the marks. And, the marks might take months to disappear with the oils," the words of the physician felt like a heavy mountain on my chest.

Months to disappear.

More tears rolled down my cheeks, and I sobbed silently.

"That's okay, Bete, it happens, it will heal," Ammijaan caressed my hand and suddenly Jaan-e-Jahan's voice caught our attention.

"You all can leave now. Look after the preparation. I will see from here," his expressions were flat and the moment he took the bowl from the physician's hand, my heart skipped a beat.

He would scold me.

I broke into even more cries.

"But, Rehman, let the physi—"

"I will see it, Ammijaan. You should also leave," he said, and I noticed the attendees leaving.

Ammijaan stared at me with a concerned and emotional face. I cried even more when she kissed my forehead.

"That's okay. It will heal," she said, and I nodded before she walked away there.

Everyone left us alone, and suddenly, the soldiers standing outside closed the door.

The silent tears rolled down from my eyes, and Jaan-e-Jahan walked away from there and came back with a sheathed knife in his hand. It looked royal and ancestral. Something he used to keep with him always.

Before sitting right in front of me, he brought a burning lamp to the bed's side table, drew the bed's translucent curtains closed, and placed the knife between us.

My heart began to sink all of a sudden.

What was he trying to do?

His presence was frightening me now.

And, suddenly, he held the edges of his overcoat and pulled it down his shoulders before taking it off and placing it over the corner of the bed.

"What... are you doing?" I asked in the middle of the sobbing, and he lowered his gaze. Clenching his jaw, he shifted closer, letting his one leg hang down the bed and the other crossed.

Our feet almost touched when he began to roll his sleeves up to his elbows.

"What were you doing?" he asked in a slightly angry yet comforting tone.

"I was reheating the Sheer Khurma," I tried to say, and he shook his head slowly.

"Bilkul be-akal hai aap. Mazak nahi samajhti hai? Achi bana tha Sheer Khurma, aapko chidhane ke liye mazak kar rahe the hum,"

"You are absolutely senseless. Don't you understand a joke? The Sheer Khurma was delicious; I was just joking to tease you," he said, holding my palm gently, and I sobbed, letting more tears roll down my cheeks.

How could he make such a joke?

"Hume thodi pata tha aap mazak kar rahe hai"

"I did not know that you were joking," I tried to say in the middle of the cries, and he looked up at me.

"Even if I were not joking, there was no need to go back to the Kitchen and cook or reheat again. What are you here for? To become my cook?" he asked scoldingly, and I lowered my gaze.

The crying hiccups followed, and he lowered his gaze too.

Bringing his fingers closer, he took a little bit of the paste and gently applied it over my wrist. There were tiny marks of the burns. As if the droplets of hot water had fell there.

And, suddenly, he lifted the knife, and the moment he pulled it out of the sheath, my heart came into my mouth.

"Are you going to cut the burnt skin out of my hand?"

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