Shahrazad was back in the forbidden room. This time too the door had opened on its own, but the interior of the room wasn't as ugly as before– someone had mopped the floor, dusted the walls and removed the cobwebs. Two things, still unaltered, were the spots of blood on the bedsheets, now clearly visible to Shahrazad and the satiny robe which was neatly kept on the bed.

"I know who you are."

Shahrazad heard a faint chuckle. It made him squirm.

"And who am I?"

Shahrazad went closer to the bed, staring at the crimson stains. He wondered if the blood belonged to her...

"The first bloom of spring, beautiful and sunny
Dare not go by her charm, a witch in the making
Stabbing the Shah's bed she slept with the Eyes and Ears
Dawn took her life, the beginning of a storm."

The woman took shape. The tresses of her long hair that reached the hips had a will of its own, moving like tendrils of death.

"Nafisa, the first wife, who was executed due to adultery."

Shahrazad braced himself for an upcoming attack. He had the slight inkling of having angered the poor spirit. He had his fan in possession, but he didn't know if it would work against a spirit who suffered such a gruesome death.

"And what do you conclude, hundredth consort?"

Shahrazad couldn't look into her blazing eyes. Yes, those blackest pupils burnt as she asked him the question. But it wasn't a fire directed at him; he only felt the warmth of it, while the woman herself turned to ashes internally.

"You were framed. They killed you, the conspirators. And also the loyal spy."

She smiled. She floated closer towards Shahrazad, gently feeling his cheeks against her cold palms.

"You know who did this to you and to all the maidens following."

"I do, Son of Mah, but I am bound to not speak on the affairs of my mortal life. I can only guide you."

Shahrazad wasn't ready to trust any of the men of the palace. His father had particularly warned him against a certain figure.

"Then, guide me, Nafisa."

"It feels so good to hear my name from your lips, my friend. Ah, please don't be upset when I call you a friend. I don't have many here."

"To befriend a human is a daunting task. The men of this palace are more sinister than spirits. You all are, quite benevolent, it seems."

"We are in pain."

Shahrazad grasped her bony fingers. It was so strange to feel someone from the other-world. Once, this body had a life too, constituted of flesh and blood and a beating heart. Now, she was stuck here, craving for liberation.

"I will help you all. I will find the culprit and give you salvation."

"So you promise to end this suffering? Time here runs so slow– a day on earth is equivalent to a hundred days in my world. I really feel so tired." She put her hands on her chest, caressing to ease the hurt.

"But, tell me something that would help in search of the murderer."

Nafisa hovered above him. With time she went further away, stopping when she was just above the bed. Her eyes, tearing up with black pearls, bored into the marks of blood.

"Blood is not thicker than water, Son of Mah."

Shahrazad gulped. His vision blurred as thoughts moved like a damaging whirlpool. He felt the pang too bad. It reached till his bones, made his blood chill as ice.

"And your beloved comes again."

Nafisa vanished like a puff of smoke. Shahrazad turned around with a jerk at the sound of the door opening. There, again, stood the thundering Shah.

"Finally I found you."

Shahrazad blushed. More like we found each other?

"You don't get my orders, do you?"

He pulled Shahrazad by the collar. Shahrazad laughed at him, a mirthless tune that roused the Shah even more.

"You think you have won the world by surviving. This palace is cursed, Shahrazad. You won't be able to live long if you be so reckless."

"Silence hasn't thrived either. The ones who lived in fear died too soon. The ones who ran away from the curse were engulfed by the same. And I won't repeat the same mistakes."

"You will not come here a third time."

Shahrazad took out his fan. Waving it in front of his face, he tried to convince the Shah. "I will. I will come here as many times I want, stay as long as I want, and no one will stop me."

Shahryar snatched the fan and threw it on the ground. Shahrazad was shocked to the core. "Keep your stupid fan out of my way."

Shahrazad got the fan and wiped it with his sleeves. Poor thing had got a scratch on the body. The fan's magical powers allowed him to prevail as the master of words and make people submit to him. It was quite amusing that it didn't work on Shahryar.

"Fine, we will do without the fan. Shahryar, I am not going to listen to you. I have a mind of my own. I believe that the palace isn't cursed. Instead, treason runs deep in here." Shahrazad lowered his voice. "There are conspirators, Shahryar. You need to trust me."

"Shahryar?"

"Why, that's your name."

"You called me by my name?"

"Oh! I am so sorry, Shah. I thought, like, the name belonged to someone else, and it deserves him, not you."

Shahryar clenched his fists. "You just boil me."

"Keep calm. Let me find the culprit."

"And what if you can't?"

"What if I can?"

Shahryar puffed up his chest. "I will give my throne to you."

Shahrazad kept his hand over Shahryar's heart, a mischievous smile glimmering in the dark. "I won't lose the opportunity to become the Shah."

You had once dreamt of me as one, didn't you?

Shahryar scoffed and pulled him out of the room.

"You can be a little softer," Shahrazad moaned. "I thought we were on better terms after that conversation."

Like a miracle, Shahryar relaxed his grip. His pace slowed down. They walked side-by-side, hand-in-hand.

"The palace is a grim place, Shahrazad. It's not that I don't want you alive. You are a good person, just too wild. Like some untamed horse."

Shahrazad would have just blurted 'tame me' but he swallowed the words.

"But Shahrazad, don't think I haven't tried. I have tried hard, but to no avail."

Shahrazad wound his arms around Shahryar's, leaning towards him. "You should not be hard on yourself. I am here, I will take care of you."

Shahryar curved his brows. A smile tickled his lips and he broke into a grin. "You are really something."

"Why?"

"You speak like you are my nanny."

"I am your husband. Husbands should be caring."

"And talk less, be more predictable–"

"Be romantic." Shahrazad winked. "I will be clingy and stick to you like a shadow. Now when you are married for more than a night, know that I am not leaving you. I will eat your brain, have a feast."

"Spare my heart."

"And if I don't?"

Only now Shahrazad realised that they had reached their chambers. Shahryar pushed him in and closed the door. Shahrazad's heart squealed in excitement. Was something going to happen?

"I am used to sleeping during the night and not spend the time doing other things. So, quit dreaming of that and giving me those drooling looks. Go to sleep."

Shahryar dived on his bed. "Well, don't take this as a hint, but I am able to sleep better after marrying you. You give me hope."

Shahryar rested his head on the pillows and dozed off.

****

Dunyazad couldn't sleep well all night. First she was worried for her brother, and then the truth about Khusboo destroyed her sleep. At the crack of dawn Dunyazad knocked on Firdaus' door. She didn't have to wait long either.

Firdaus had bags under his swollen eyes. "I shall come to duty soon. Please wait–"

"I know who she is."

A lightning bolt charged at Firdaus, disorienting him and rendering him incapable of any reply.

"Khusboo. She was a consort of the Shah. She died by drowning, pretty much how my brother Shahrazad would have had he not been clever."

Firdaus turned red. He was cross that his secret was out, but he couldn't be so ill-mannered and vent his anger on his master.

"You loved her, didn't you?"

Firdaus' eyes widened. His lips were stitched in melancholy.

"Why don't you find the murderer and bring them to the crowd?" she demanded.

"I am bound by oath to not reveal."

Firdaus still remembered the sight of her pale body and bulging eyes. There were marks on her throat, tattered skin bleeding to death. That day, she paid for his sins. As his brutal soul watched innumerable women die, he was forced to see her fleeting away too.

"But if your brother can find them, I will be forever grateful."