10K Votes!!!

Rehana POV

The next three days were even more beautiful.

Jaan-e-jahan stayed with me most of the time. The only time he would go away was when I was drugged to sleep. And, amid that, I would keep my father's last memory close to me to feel protected, safe, and immensely loved.

Jaan-e-Jahan came into my life with luck. In a matter of days, I entered Hamid Sultanate, found a family, and even got my only possession, the coin, back.

"Bhabhijaan," Ruhani's voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I smiled, looking at her.

"How are you feeling now?" she asked, sitting beside me. I smiled and showed my healing hand.

"It was a lot better. It's not hurting. The new skin is coming up, and the mark might go away, too. Everyone said that," I said, and she nodded.

"Yes, it will go away," she said and gently leaned closer to hug me tightly.

"I really missed talking to you, but Bhaijaan said you need to rest," she said, and I nodded, remembering that I did not want to meet anyone. I was scared of my ugliness, but since Jaan-e-Jahan repeatedly said that I was not ugly but even more beautiful, like a moon with spots, I believed him and stopped worrying about it.

"Yes, I'm sorry about that," I said with a wide smile, and she just smiled back.

"By the way. It's the feast and celebration tomorrow. How are you feeling? Are you excited about it?" she asked, and I nodded.

"Very much. I want to meet everyone and see how it happens," I said, unable to control my excitement.

It was late evening. We had dinner in the dining chamber with all the guests. Everyone asked me about my health, and I did not know why, but when you are being asked again and again about your health, a part of you feels good and happy about the attention, but the other feels guilty about not taking care of yourself enough that people are asking.

There was also fun, laughter, and conversations. Since I knew most of them now, I felt included and loved conversing with them. I found Haider and Ghazal really cute together.

The way they kept looking at each other even while they were not talking made me feel something in my cheeks.

Although Jaan-e-Jahan was paying a lot of attention to me, I still felt hot in my cheeks looking at them.

"Alright, I should go. It's late now. Bhaijaan would be here any moment," Ruhani said, standing up from the couch. I nodded, standing up as well.

"Alright, good night," I wished, walking her to the chamber outside.

"Good night," she said before hugging me and walking away.

The nights were getting windier and chilly. As the cold breeze hit my cheeks and flew a few strands of my hair away, I could not help but feel shivery and went inside with a smile.

Shefali was still in the chamber, folding my clothes. I had already changed into the night pair. Since my hand was feeling better, I wore a full-length, cottony, comfortable suit with full sleeves.

I loved wearing it. It made me feel light and comfortable like I was wearing nothing.

"You should also go to sleep. It's late," I said, taking the dupatta from her hand and trying to fold it.

She smiled, nodding.

"Good night," she said, and I replied back with a smile.

"Good night,"

She also left the room, and I stared around, finding utter silence.

I did not know what was taking Jaan-e-Jahan for this long.

He should be here in the chamber by this time.

And I just kept waiting and waiting. Sitting on the bed, on the couch, walking around, looking at the stars and the moon through the window until I yawned three times in a line.

If I had eaten the medicine, I would be dead on the bed by now. But I wanted to meet him before falling asleep.

I wanted his arms. Also, where was he?

And, when it passed midnight, I could not help but leave the chamber. The soldiers looked at me.

"Where is Sultan?" I asked, and they both looked at each other before one of them chose to reply.

"Should I go and see?" he asked in a pleasing tone, and I nodded.

"Yes, tell me,"

I waited until he came back and looked embarrassed and nervous.

Squinting my brows, I asked. "What happened?"

"Mallika, Sultan is busy with the guests," he replied, and I grew even more confused.

"What do you mean?" I asked. What was he doing at this late with the guests?

"Um, they are... enjoying,"

"And?" I asked, sensing there was more to it.

"And it's only for men,"

"And, there are dancers as well with drinks and smoke?" I asked further, and he looked at the other soldier for a moment before nodding slowly.

"And, Sultan, is there as well?" I asked, and he nodded.

"With drink and smoke and dancers that are female?" I asked, trying to make sure. Because, as much as I knew and learned about him until now, he hated drinking and smoking, but I did not know about other women.

And, certainly, he had no other wives, but what if he had eyes for some other women? Like, I had always seen married husbands coming there to their part-time lovers.

What if he also had a part-time lover?

Or was I a part-time lover?

No.

"I want to go there," I stated, and they both looked at each other.

"You are not allowed,"

"Why?" I immediately asked. "I want to go there," I could not stop saying, and the soldier looked terrified.

"We are sorry, Mallika, but we are not allowed to move from here and accompany you anywhere unless you are chaperoned with the serving ladies," he explained. I sighed deeply, regretting letting Shefali go to sleep.

I did not know any other attendees or maids as closely as hers.

"Where is it happening?" I asked, and the soldier pointed towards the behind of him.

"There, in the celebration hall," he explained. I remembered the court and the dining hall but did not know about the celebration hall.

"Next to the courtroom?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"No, not the courtroom. But, near the dining hall," he said, and I inhaled sharply.

"Can one of you stay here and the other show me the way? You do not have to go there. It will be like you never left from here. So?" I asked, and they both looked at each other before shaking their heads.

"We are sorry, Mallika," they said, and I sighed deeply.

"Alright, I am ordering you. And you are bound to follow," I reminded him, and now one of them lowered his gaze before nodding.

"Okay, this way," he said, and I smirked.

Wow! It worked.

No one was roaming in the Sultanate at this late hour, and a part of me felt scared. We did not even have the fire torch. We could only see through the light spreading from the fire torches hung around.

And the moment we reached a discreet celebration hall hidden between the boundaries of thick trees and fencing of plants taller than me, my eyes squinted with confusion.

And, it was well-lit.

"There," the soldier said, and I nodded.

"Okay, you can leave," I stated, and he went away from there.

My burnt palm felt sweaty as I took my steps ahead. And, with each step I could hear the singing, the excitement and the happy screaming.

The soldiers outside the door crossed their spears to not let me in.

"I am the Mallika of this Sultanate. Move aside," I had to play out my Sultana card as I felt pissed off because of this happening twice in just a day.

"Women are not allowed here," one of them said, and I inhaled deeply.

"Sultan has called for me," I said, and they shook their heads again.

Urghhhh.

Rules. I hated rules.

"Alright," I breathed to myself.

"Ahh, Ah, It's hurting, ah, I need Jaan-e-Jahan." I immediately started crying in a loud voice, and they both immediately moved aside.

"Mallika, Mallika, are you okay?" one of them asked, and I immediately started shaking my head before taking my steps inside.

And they both just stared at me with shocked eyes.

Hmmpphhh. Fools.

But, as soon as I noticed the lighting of this hall, the way it was lighting light with the joy and candles, I could not help but take my steps further.

It was covered with curtains, and I silently pushed my fingers in the curtains' parting and pulled it apart slowly aside to peep in.

My eyes widened with the shock.

All men were there.

Jaan-e-Jaan, Sultan Rafiq, Haider, Rudra, Ranvijay, Abhinandan, Agastya, and a few more.

There were a few female dancers dancing with the male dancers.

Haider and Agastya were in a corner, taking drags of Hukkah, drinking, whispering in their ear, and laughing together.

How high were they?

I raked my eyes to find Sultan Rafiq running around dancing with dancers, shaking his waist. Suddenly, he pulled Jaan-e-Jahan in the middle and grabbed his waist with his hands.

What?

That was mine.

He shook his waist with his hands as the noise of the drums intensified.

"Rehman, my boy, dance, show me your talent," Abhinandan tapped on his shoulder, trying to match the dancing steps of those male dancers.

"Ho... how are you doing that?" he asked confusedly. And, the moment my sight fell on Ranvijay and Aahil imitating horse walks on the floor, racing each other, I could not believe my eyes.

What the hell was going on here?

And, Rudra?

Rudra was also sitting on the white mattress on the floor and swinging his head from right to left. Suddenly, he looked at everyone, stopped moving his head, and inhaled a deep breath.

What the hell was he doing?

He arched his neck to straighten it, and suddenly, Sultan Rafiq looked at him.

"Oh! You are sober again. Have this," he said, taking a glass to him. Rudra immediately plastered a smile on his face before moving his head again.

"I am drunk. I am enough drunk, Sultan," he said, and I shook my head with disbelief.

He was not drunk. He was just acting. Anyone could tell.

"No, you do not look happy. Have this," Rafiq Sultan sat beside him with his arm around his shoulder as he passed him the glass.

Rudra closed his eyes for a moment before taking the glass, and suddenly, he started laughing loudly and stood up.

"I love your dance, Sultan. I want to see it, please," he requested, pulling Rafiq Sultan onto the dancing floor. The moment Sultan laughed, shaking his waist like those dancers in minimal clothes were doing, Rudra emptied his glass in the plant.

Really? Now, they were making the plant high?

Sultan felt suspicious, but Rudra immediately wiped his mouth with his arm and began dancing with him.

I sighed deeply in disbelief.

And brought my gaze back to Jaan-e-Jahan, who was trying to avoid Abhinandan. He was trying to pour that drink into his mouth.

Unbelievable.

Suddenly, Aahil burst into his leg.

"Oouuchhh!" Jaan-e-Jahan cried.

"Roarrrrrrrrrrr! I am a lion. I will eat you," Aahil screamed, and before I could understand anything, Ranvijay jumped on his shoulder like a monkey.

Jaan-e-Jahan balanced quickly and just laughed.

How drunk he was now?

"And, I am a... crocodile," he said, and I shook my head.

If their wives would see any of it. They would die, killing them or laughing.

And I did not know why I felt like they should be punished for enjoying without us.

Like why just men? Why couldn't we with them?

This could not happen.

And I immediately came out and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Go to Ruhani, Choti Ammijaan, Badi Ammijaan, Nandani, Ghazal, Trisha, Suman, and Aishwarya and asked them. I called them here," I ordered one of the soldiers, and he looked at the other.

"Go!" I intensified my words, and within a few moments, a soldier ran from there.

I waited a while until all the ladies came here in half of their sleepiness.

"Where is Hukum?" Aishwarya asked Nandani.

"I cannot find Rudra either, and Suman. Did you see Agastya?" Nandani told Aishwarya and asked Suman.

"I cannot find my husband either," Trisha added, and Ruhani shook her head, yawning.

"I knew something was about to happen,"

"They are here," I said, catching their attention. They all looked at me in confusion, and the hall behind me lit up with disbelief.

"Rafiq, too?" Choti Ammijaan asked, and I nodded.

"Ji, Ammijaan, Sultan too," I said, and she shook her head, pulling her bangles up.

"He is gone now," she said, and Ammijaan laughed.

"No, Rudra would never do that. I trust him," Nandani said, and I walked to her with a soft denial.

"All of them are inside seeing the half-naked girl dancing," I told them, and Suman immediately marched forward.

"If he is inside and there are girls dancing, he is going to get beaten," she said, and we all followed behind her.

And, there we found Choti Ammijaan peeping through the crack of the curtains.

We all picked up the curtains and began watching.

"Hahahahhaha," Rudra laughed louder holding the glass. Agastya and Haider were taking long drags, whispering to each other and laughing loud.

Ranvijay and Abhinandan were again sitting down again and drinking from their glasses. Their chests were heaving up and down.

They must be tired of becoming tigers and crocodiles.

And, suddenly, Sultan Rafiq lifted Jaan-e-Jahan's hand up.

"Alright, everyone. Now, it is time for the sixty-ninth last dance. Gather up," he declared with so much, and everyone immediately stood up from their places.

The sounds of drums and musical instruments weighted up and they pushed the dancers on the mattress and showed them their dance.

Jaan-e-Jahan palmed his face as Agastya hugged him and placed his head on his shoulder, moving him slowly.

I wanted to die now.

Why was everyone living what I should be leaving?

And he was just laughing. He was not even pushing him away.

Sultan Rafiq grabbed a dupatta from the dancer and tied it around Rudra all of sudden and starting pulling that duppatta to make him shake his waist.

They were laughing, jumping, enjoying and all of a sudden, Haider pulled his kurta out and starting moving it in hand.

I shook my head in disbelief.

And what the hell was Ranvijay doing? He straightened his arm forward, then upward, then sidewards, and suddenly widened his legs with utter seriousness before imitating sword fighting.

Abhinandan started animated fighting with him. But Aahil was jumping in the middle.

Everyone was drunk.

And, suddenly Choti Ammijaan parted the curtains, and the moment I noticed all the ladied carrying the thin, wooden stick in their hands, I took a few steps back.

"What the hell is happening here?" Choti Ammijaan asked, stepping forward and the moment Sultan Rafiq looked at her, she screamed louder.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!"

He fell back.

And I laughed loudly.

Nandani shook her head, and Rudra immediately ran to her, shaking his head.

"I am sober. I swear, I am sober. I was just acting. I swear. I swear. I am sober. I am so sober," he said, and Nandani clenched her jaw before hitting the stick in his feet. He immediately jumped.

"Ouchhhh! Nandani. I am sober. I promise," he said, trying to act normal.

Nandani hit him again. "You said you needed to digest the food, so you are going to walk a little. I was putting both your babies to sleep while you are shaking your non-sense waist here while being drunk," she said. He immediately ran from her, and she went after him.

"Hukum, what are you doing?" Aishwarya asked Ranvijay, gently tapping the stick on his back.

Ranvijay turned around to find her.

"Oh, my baby!" he screamed with happiness and immediately hugged her.

I found it cute.

"Oh, my baby is here. Everyone, meet my wife, Aishwarya. She is beautiful, she is fantastic, she is the mother of my real babies, and she is a fabulous businesswoman," he said, looking around and telling, to which nobody was listening, and Aishwarya shook her head.

"You are way too drunk, Hukum. You should sleep now," she said, and Ranvijay smiled wide while nodding.

"Yes, my baby," and suddenly, she smiled as well before taking him with her.

"What are you drinking?" Trisha asked Abhinandan, who was so pissed off because Aishwarya stopped his fake war with Ranvijay.

He looked at her with the side eyes.

"What?" he asked, and she suddenly stepped closer to him and cupped his cheek to make him look at her.

"Our chamber. Now," she said, and he immediately softened his gaze and looked around before silently walking away from there.

Everyone had stopped. But Haider was still dancing.

And, the moment Ghazal stepped before him, he pulled her closer to him and began taking swirls with her. Her eyes widened with shock.

I found them cute again. She did not say anything to him. Once Haider was sensible enough to notice that they were in the middle of a family war, he stopped, and Ghazal silently held his hand before taking him away from there.

Sultan Rafiq was still crawling on the floor, trying to escape his wife.

Sultan Aahil hid behind the curtains, and Ruhani crossed her arms over her chest.

"Seriously, Aahil?" she asked, and he peeped through it.

"You know it was not my idea. I do not even like drinking. I only drink milk," he said, and I chuckled, hearing his cute voice.

Ruhani shook her head and immediately marched behind the curtains to hold his hand.

"You are dead," she said with anger and dragged him out of the chamber while Aahil was looking at Jaan-e-Jahan in search of help.

Jaan-e-Jahan shook his head slowly, denying it.

And I noticed Suman gently tapping the stick to his shoulder.

Agastya pulled back from Jaan-e-jahan's shoulder and looked at her. His eyes seemed red and teary.

"Half wife," he said to her and I noticed Jaan-e-Jahan lifting his gaze to me and his smile shrank.

As Agastya hugged Suman tightly and started saying something that did not make any sense to me, I looked at Jaan-e-Jahan walking to me.

"You are here, too?" he asked, and I did not, but everything that I wanted to say disappeared.

"Why? Am I not your wife?" I asked, and he smiled a little before taking my hand in his, looking at it, and asked.

"Oh, you want to scold me to for partying till late night," he asked, and I gulped but a part of me did want to fight.

I nodded.

He chuckled softly and bit on his lower lip before bringing his face closer to me, angling it sidewards, offering his cheek for the slap.

"I was missing you in the bed," I said, gently pushing his cheek away. I could never raise my hand on him, even if it was for fun.

"Oh,"

He said. I noticed Agastya kissing his wife's cheek and washing her non-existent tears.

"I will never leave you alone," he cried. I could see his tears.

"Let's go," Jaan-e-Jahan's voice caught my attention.

And Sultan Rafiq was still trying to escape Choti Ammijaan's stick.

Another Update!!!

Do not forget to vote, comment and share the book.

Love you all ❤️❤️❤️