Madd
(Intoxicant)

The Emperor thought that you were the perfect bride for Rajkumar Arnav.

Tarini replayed her conversation with Sayantani in her mind and blushed. She was perfect for Arnav? Made for him sort?

Wait wait, Tarini! This is not the time to think of all this. Focus! Sayantani didi said that father in law was a very righteous and virtuous person and not a heavy drinker. So he possibly couldn't have died of drink overdose. I guess I need to have a look at his glass.

She hurriedly went to find the royal cutlery, after asking directions from a few maids. She had to have a look at the Emperor's royal wine glass before it was washed and handed to the new emperor during the coronation to raise a toast. She saw the maid was just about to clean off a designed glass.

"Stop!"

"Your highness, what happened?"

"Is that the glass in which the Emperor used to drink wine?"

"No, your highness, this is the queen's..."

"Oh! So, where is the Emperor's glass? Have you washed it yet?"

"No, your highness! The emperor's glass ought not to be washed before the coronation. It shall be washed with milk and crystal salts during the coronation."

"Oh, alright! So give the Emperor's glass to me. My mother in law has asked me to fetch it."

"Here it is, princess." The servant handed a beautiful silver glass to Tarini.

"Thank you!" Tarini said as she took the beautiful silver glass and she quickly ran towards her room, leaving the maid astonished. She had till date not experienced any princess expressing their gratitude.

"Looks like this world is undergoing a change!" The maid smiled and diverted her attention back to her work.

Tarini hid the glass with the end of her saree as she entered her room and checked if her husband was not in the room. She quickly sat on bed and searched inside the glass for any clue.

Unfortunately, she couldn't find any clue. In frustration, she threw the glass towards the balcony and made an angry face. A stray cat came and licked the glass. Tarini went to chase him away but stilled at her place in shock. The cat was lying dead on the floor within a minute after yelping for a minute.

Tarini covered her mouth with her hand and moved backwards in shock. This meant that the glass had poison coated in it which would go away after it would be rinsed with the crystal salts. No one would ever come to know about what Mayuri did.

Tarini went towards the stack of books she had brought with herself and searched for the list of poisons with their effects that a knowledgeable mendicant had handed her. She was pretty sure that the poison used here was a scorpion's venom and she was right, she confirmed with the list. The blue tailed scorpion's venom is so potent in its toxicity, it can kill a full grown man within minutes. Just like how Aryaman seemed to have died- his personal guards had said that he was healthy and hearty just half an hour before his death. The amount of excruciating pain her father in law might have bore during those final minutes made Tarini shudder- the pain of the venom along with the pain of betrayal.

"Rajkumari, what are you doing?"

Tarini tried to control her emotions and looked at Arnav.

"Nothing!"

"This glass ...this cat ...what is all this?" Arnav looked at the dead cat.

"I had brought this glass to have a look at it. It is so beautiful, isn't it? This cat is a stray, he was sleeping here so I came to shoo her away and in that process, this glass fell from my hands..."

"Oh! Well leave the cat here, my attendants shall clean up the room. You get ready for the coronation. Give me the glass, I will give it to the minister." Arnav came forward to take the glass from her.

"Wait... Aren't you feeling bad? I mean this was supposed to be your coronation and now..." She tried to divert his attention from the glass.

"That is none of your business!" he grit his teeth.

"Excuse me, what? This is my business, you are my husband! Your welfare is my business!"

He came and held her.

"Give me the glass!" he commanded, looking into her eyes.

Nainowale ne . o ho oh

She felt both flustered and intimidated by him. The way he was holding her, the way he was speaking to her made her feel something which she had never experienced before - a very unlikely attraction.

She thought about telling him about Mayuri's deeds. She handed the glass to him with trembling hands. He cast a look at the glass and smirkingly whispered to her.

"You seem to have a lot of interest in wine and silver, huh?"

Nainowale ne chheda mann ka pyaala

Chhalkayi madhushala

Mera chain nain rain

Apne saath legaya

"No! I mean yes ...For silver, yes but for wine, no."

"Why no for wine?"

"I ...I ... have never drunk wine. I mean, I was offered many times but I was scared. My fiance used to try to touch me after getting intoxicated." She spoke sadly and turned her face away.

"You mean ex- fiance, don't you? I hope you haven't forgotten that we are a married couple in midst of this friendship!" He smiled and raised her chin with the knuckles of his hand.

"Are you sure that you have never drunk wine?"

"Not even once!"

"Then how do you have such eyes?"

She turned towards the mirror and looked at her eyes. Has my kajal smudged?

"What do you think is wrong with my eyes?"

"They are intoxicating and way more enchanting than they look, just like wine."

He looked straight into her eyes after turning her towards himself. She stumbled a bit but he pulled her into his arms.

Pag pag dolun re

dag mag si main chalti hun

jag mag lau si jalti

tere naino ki kaisi madeira

She looked into his eyes and blushed at the compliment. It was the first time she had experienced a compliment. She had always been objectified, never complimented. Cold air blew in the room making Tarini cling on Arnav for the sake of dear life.

Thar thar kaapun re

Tere teer se chipti

Chandan main naag si lipti

"Thank god I know how to swim, my prince." She spoke looking straight into the eyes.

"Why?" Arnav looked at her questioningly.

"Because I feel that I could drown in your eyes." She blushed furiously while flirting with him.

"You wouldn't, dear. You would never drown. I would be there to save you always..." He said making Tarini blush even more, successfully distracting her.

Main behosh tu nasha

Aisi moh ki dasha

Mera chain nain rain

Apne saath le gaya...

"Why, Yuvraj? Why would you waste your precious time on saving me?" She asked him.

She wondered about this person in front of her who showed so many mood fluctuations. He was angry at her, then intimidating then flirty and now somewhat protective? Does he have some sort of chemical imbalance in his body?

Before Arnav could answer the question his darling asked, a servant came and informed them that the coronation was about to start. Arnav cast a look at her and left with the glass and his crown outside the room leaving behind a confused Tarini.

"Curiosity might have not killed that cat, but it shall surely kill me. How I hate being left unanswered!" Tarini frowned as he left the room.

Outside the room, he met Akash and Aman.

"Is everything ready, Aman?"

"Yes, Arnav."

"Everything has to be perfect, I have managed to distracted her somehow...'" Arnav looked towards his room.

****************

Tarinii was sitting in front of the mirror, wearing her jewels, thinking about her husband and what happened some minutes ago. Her mind then drifted back to the fact that today to the Python in the family, Rajkumar Shyam.
She used to always get confused between the Sanskrit terms Agraj meaning elder brother and Ajgar meaning python. Here, there was no space for confusion. Arnav's Agraj was truly an Ajgar who had vicious plans to eat up the whole kingdom's happiness.
That python was going to be crowned as the emperor!

She couldn't let the empire be reigned by a person as evil as Shyaam -that would be like cancer to the empire!

She had to save the kingdom from doom for her husband - her Arnav.

Wait! What? My Arnav? Where did that come from? Why was I flirting with him minutes ago? Have I started developing feelings for him?

Feelings or no feelings, I shall not leave any attempt to save the kingdom which rightfully belongs to the person who has been the first to offer me friendship, respect, belongingness, love...

She sighed, took her veil over her head and headed towards the main hall.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ARNAV IS HIDING?

Somehow please tell me that you are reading and enjoying the story I hope I am not boring you.