Ruhani POV

His eyes scanned all the dishes platted on the table and I felt slightly nervous. But, instead of commenting anything over it, he started eating in silence.

Seeing me not joining him, he exclaimed.

"You are supposed to be hungry after a workout. Do not you?"

I tried to hide my smile and nodded lightly.

I saw him licking his fingers and his eyes speaking euphoria having the delicious food.

"You are so thoughtful Ruhani,"

He muttered and I also started eating.

We finished in some time but my mind was still a lot confused about whatever happened.

First, his full name was Aahil Aashiq Ibrahim Khan. Aashiq was the name given by his father for his loving nature. That I knew. But, Aahil. It was not a simple name but a name meaning The King, The Conqueror and I did not know anything about it. 

Second, What did Rabia mean when she said if your wife knows about you, completely? And, what did she actually mean when she said if he was really in love with me or plotting? It scared me.

Third, there were so many things going on in the Sultanate that I had no clue about. People were being slaughtered for no reason and I was certain there was something, something big and dangerous.

Suddenly.

"Thank you,"

I was caught off guard a little and looked at him.

"Thank you so much for the food, the letters, and your words. And, I promise I will try my best to not hurt myself and remember my father in happiness only,"

His voice was slow, patient, and calm now. 

I sighed and smiled.

Finally, he smiled a little and he finished.

"And, I am so impressed by your skills with swords,"

A wide smile appeared on my face and he asked.

"Rehman Bhaijaan taught you?"

I nodded and I wanted to add that my father also taught me a lot. The men in my home were so caring towards the women be it my Badi Ammi, my mother, me, or others. 

"Have you killed someone with your sword?"

He asked and I inhaled a deep breath shaking my head quickly in a 'No'

He smiled.

"What if one day you have to?"

He asked teasingly and I did not reply anything. Practicing sword fighting was one thing. It was fun and kept your body energetic but using your sword to kill someone was a really really different thing. I was someone who was scared of shedding blood. I could not stand blood. Even I escape my eyes watching my own menstrual blood when I bleed. Blood leaking off the body was something traumatic to me and in no case, I could watch it.

The last time I saw someone leaking blood off his body was when I was just four years old. And, it was his father lying right in front of me. Struggling for his breath. His body was covered in his own blood. His one hand was ripped off his body and it made me scream so loud. It was so threatening. I screamed with all my strength for help, scared as hell to my core and I remembered it was the last light when my voice was heard.

The scene before me traumatized me for years. My voice was lost. Physicians tried their best to return it to me but it never happened. The over-screaming and the scene before me that happened because of me, because of my mistake, my foolishness cost me my voice and cost him his father.

I froze as the visuals of that day blurred my mind and the reality was fading away. My eyes swelled up with tears and once again I could feel my body shivering I move my hands on my arms absentmindedly removing the blood. 

"Ruhani,"

Someone called around me.

But, no one was there. Only the forest, the bright sunny day. The roaring of tigers and the screams of his father. The tall tigers walked around his half-dead body and he was still trying to fight back.

"Ruhani, what happened?"

He shook and I came to reality seeing his eyes.

My throat had turned dry and I looked at my hands. There was no blood and I looked around. It was no forest, there were no tigers. It was him, the Sultan and this was our chamber.

"Are you okay?"

He asked again and I looked at him. The tears fall from my eyes and he immediately collected me in his arms.

"Calm down, what happened?"

He asked patting my back I inhaled a deep breath realizing I went into trauma again.

I closed my eyes remembering the embrace of my father, his protective arms, around me, and his words to make me feel better.

It took me a few good moments to come out of it and I finally opened my eyes releasing the hug.

"Are you okay?" 

He asked cupping my cheeks and tucking my hair behind the ears. Making me look into his eyes he asked.

"You are scared of blood?"

I nodded.

He sighed and kissed my forehead.

"It is okay. We all are scared of something,"

I closed my eyes and tried to calm down my racing heartbeats. I remembered my father's smile and his words to come out of the thoughts.

"Are you okay, Meharban?"

He asked touching our forehead together, pulling me back into reality, reminding me of his love, our moments, his touch, the warmness of breath and I nodded.

He held my hands and commented.

"Your palms are cold,"

Bringing them closer to his mouth, he captivated them with his own huge palms and kissed them.

"I will listen whenever you want to talk about that. With no judgments involved,"

I gulped and brought my hands back from his hand.

It was something I never wanted to talk to him about. I had no courage, no strength, and no words to put those incidents into words for anyone. Imagining it only makes me go back to that moment and even my father and family never tried to ask me about it.

I locked that memory somewhere in the deepest that I myself did not know how to reach.

"Begum,"

I blinked at Shaheen's voice calling me. I looked at Sultan and he nodded signaling me to go.

I stood up from the couch and walked with her. She with signals asked me to walk to the garden and I without questions followed.

We stepped down the entrance of the chamber's gallery and looked at the Royal Garden. 

"Begum, the old lady is not found anywhere. I tried my best but suspiciously everyone answered the same that they have not seen any such lady. And, all their faces were like horrified and they did not even want to talk to me,"

Mine furrowed even more and it just signaled me that I had to do things fast. But, before I had to stop Rabia from playing against me and certainly stop playing at all.

And seeing her dedication to the management made me believe that she did not care for literally anything. If she could leave her own brother's wedding to administer the Sultanate then it was not a simple thing. 

But, it was not Sultanate that was important to her. It was Sultan. She wanted Sultan and if I was not wrong she hollowed the management to the point that without her the Sultanate could not even work. Because the people were not ready to take any order from anyone but her. She not managed the management but also managed and humiliated people to the core that Sultan was alone, actually alone without her.

Protection from enemies and administration could sound similar but it was poles apart things. Sultan was busy all these years protecting the Sultanate and behind him, she managed it like a Sultana. People here now became adjusted to her, accustomed to her to the extent that raising their voices against her was impossible. Or she never let it happen.

Suddenly, I looked back at Shaheen and asked her.

'Who is the manager of the maids, servants, cooks, attendees, and workers? Who recruits them and who distributes their salaries? I am sure Rabia having Sultan over all the time over her head does not manage it all by herself. The responsibilities must be delegated,"

Shaheen carefully listened and looked at me.

"You are right, Begum. Even, though my appointment letter has Princess Rabia's stamp my interview was taken by Shahnaaz. She is the one who handles recruitments and even my earnings are given by her,"

Shahnaaz.

Now, this woman could lead me to so much information. Because, If I was not wrong she must be with the records of all the recruitments made, for whom they were made, and every detail of the persons hired. And, she would also have the details of persons who retired or were dead.

But, if she was in such a position then there was no doubt that she was someone close to Rabia. And, until and unless Rabia was here, I would not reach anywhere in the findings.

That means, she had to leave.

And, to make her leave I had to convince Sultan to go with her.

She was a clever and dangerous woman. If we would force her to leave, she would do something I might regret. We had to make her leave with happiness, with no doubts and I had to involve Sultan in it.

Because he was the only person who could take her away without making her doubt his intentions.

"Begum, what do you want me to do now?"

I looked at Shaheen as she asked me.

I thought for a moment and then replied with my actions.

'Nothing. I will do whatever needs to be done,'

She nodded and I made my way back to the chamber. I knew convincing him to go to her Sultanate was an impossible task. Also, I could not reveal the genuine purpose of it until I was not sure and I had enough evidence to support my quarrels.

I stepped into the chamber and saw him lying over the bed with the chess board in front.

He smiled looking at me and I returned the smile. I knew it was the chess board he used to play with his father.

"Game,"

He asked and I nodded walking to him.

I sat opposite him and he said.

"But there is a catch,"

I thinned my eyebrows and he finished.

"If you lose your pawn I will answer any question. And, if I lose I will answer any of your questions,"

Interesting.

"Agree?"

He asked.

And, I courageously nodded.

But, I showed him my hand to stop.

"What?"

He asked and I picked up the pen and paper off the bed. And wrote down.

'But, at last, If I win you will do as I say without questioning,'

I quickly handed him over the paper and he read. He lifted his eyebrows and asked.

"Bahut shararti hai aap, Meharban,"

"You are really naughty, Meharban,"

He commented and I lifted my eyebrow asking if he agree or not.

"Done and the rules are the same for you too. If I win at the end, you will also do as I say,"

I nodded and I knew all I had to do now was to win this game.

"You are first,"

He said and I carefully looked at the chess board and planned the game.

I made my pawn ahead of the knight move two steps forward.

He carefully noticed it and comment.

"You are making me love you, even more, Ruhani,"

I smiled and he repeated the same move on his side.

I quickly made my bishop move four steps straight to right.

And, he still repeated the steps.

I also moved my knight two and a half steps towards the right as I wanted to make him lose so badly.

He also brought out his knight into the play and chuckled looking at me.

I turned a little frustrated as he was copying my steps.

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