The land beneath Vihaan's feet started to slip away. Her name responded in his ears. He found himself having it hard to maintain his composure. He turned to Chavi who stood there with a confident look on her face.
Vihaan backed away from Chavi in disgust as he thought she was lying. Nandini and Rihit glanced at each other. Rihit's heart was beating louder knowing that both Aradhya and her child were alive. Little did he know.
Darsh's eyes lit up. He held a great deal of respect and love for Aradhya. He was raised in her light but the light which was held by Nandini.
"Stop telling an untruth." Vihaan bellowed which made Chavi flinch a bit. He wasn't able to accept the fact that Chavi -who he thought was his daughter- standing before him with hate in her eyes.
"Lie? Maharaj, I have better things to do than lie to you. More to talk about my mother. And the king." Chavi clapped back.
Vihaan's throat dried up. He felt his eyes starting to blur out and yet he stood.
"You cannot be my child!" Vihaan let out again. Agony getting to him. Chavi just scoffed at his audacity.
"Of course. I am not your daughter. And I am glad I am not the offspring of some king with delusional rules to be a king,"
Both Nandini's and Rihit's hearts all but broke to a hundred pieces as he heard about Chavi not being Vihaan's child. Vihaan returned to his disgusted self.
"And you, Maharaj, should be already beating yourself up. And more thanks to you, you cast Maharani Aradhya out. Without even knowing the fact that she was with child. And more thanks to you, Ma was attacked on the night you cast her to out. You," Chavi pointed to Vihaan accusingly, "you killed your own child that was growing up in her womb, Maharaj."
None of what Chavi was telling was Vihaan able to comprehend. More than accept than comprehend. Self-guilt and hate for himself pricked him more severely than anything had ever hurt him. Not even his father or mother dying. Not Sadhana dying. Nothing could fill in for the empty hate he was feeling at the moment.
"Why did Aradhya not tell me? Why would she keep it a secret?". Vihaan thought to himself.
"I can give you an account of how much you ruined her, Maharaj. How much you disable her. She didn't get a lick of sleep for the years she spent in your thoughts. She was unconscious for four months after she lost her child and was almost killed by the Dharini kingdom."
Every fact Chavi dropped was a needle that pricked the hearts of every single person. Their hearts were knitted with hurt and disbelief as Chavi openly attacked them all with the hard truths.
Darsh looked over Chavi as she spoke so effortlessly and wondered how much stored anger she had. He saw the tears that flowed freely out of her eyes even when her voice didn't hinder for a minute. He knew now why she hated Vihaan and for all he knew, she had the right to hate Vihaan to her heart's content.
"I thought you were at least a wise king but no. Your wife, the one you all called a traitor, a criminal and a concubine's daughter filled in the role of being a leader for all those you cast out without a sensible reason. And you are here, as pathetic as ever." Chavi went on.
Vihaan fell back to the ground, feeling helpless. He was left speechless. He didn't know what to believe. For all he knew, he didn't even know if Chavi was telling the truth, but the way his conscience blamed him told him everything.
"Tell me this is all a joke..." Vihaan trembled. His blood ran cold. He looked up at Chavi almost with eyes pleading with ber.
"No, I won't. You are the most, excuse me for my language, stupid and gullible king I've seen. You blamed my mother so easily. You never wondered about the hand that lead you to the crime scene every single time."
"What?..."
"Did you never suspect why it was always Maharani Tamasvini who lead you to the crime scene? Be it Maharani Sadhana's death or Rajmata's death. Why did you never think that the hand which led you to the corpse was the one who put it there?"
.  .  .  .
Tamasvini shooed the maid away with a letter to deliver to her mother. She had gotten to work as soon as she saw the drama stirring up in the courtroom. She knew she would soon have a sword hanging at her neck. She knew she would be in trouble so she had to send her mother a message soon.
"The final blow is done. As if the prey came to its hunter itself."
.  .  .  .
Aradhya couldn't see Chavi anywhere. She couldn't get any clues about her.
"This child. Cannot do anything I say." Aradhya threw a temper tantrum at not finding Chavi.
Gaurang, stood there by Aradhya who rubbed her temples in frustration. He looked around and spotted a few stall stores.
"I will go ask them. They must know since they were here all along."
"Yes, let's go." Aradhya walked forward only to have Gaurang pull her back. He facepalmed himself.
"17 years down the line and you still can't stop being dumb. You cannot go speak there, they all hate you."
Aradhya impatiently walked back and forth waiting for Gaurang to return with any information. Gaurang walked back to Aradhya with a face of joy. it didn't seem like it was evident hit a ray of satisfaction lot up his face.
"Chavi got into a fight with someone and was arrested. She is now in the court where Maharaj Vihaan is addressing her."
That was enough for Aradhya to stand shook. She grew a pit in her stomach. Her face grew red with nerves. She glanced at the palace of Ashokdhar once. And her gaze didn't leave the sight for a moment. She took off running towards the court.
She hoped that Chavi hadn't talked back to the king. She hoped for her cover not to be blown but she knew that no matter how much she hoped, Chavi wouldn't have been able to hold her tongue in front of the person she hated all her life.
.  .  .  .
Vihaan sat on the ground still defeated. Everything made sense to him now. He put the pieces of the puzzle together. It had been Tamasvini all along. Though he had all the puzzle pieces laid out before him he didn't know how to put them together without a guide.
"Why, Maharaj? Won't you speak now? Tell me I am a liar. But before that accept the fact that you are a sick husband."
"Chavi!" A voice twice as powerful as Chavi's voice echoed through the courtroom. Aradhya stood panting at the door while one hand on her chest caught her breath. Chavi, though being filled with regret, had a huge weight lifted off her heart.
Vihaan stood up taking in the sight of the woman who had his heart. She was plaid in simple saffron clothing rather than rich silks. No ornaments or even her wedding ring on her finger. She stood there with anxiety evident in her eyes.
As Vihaan's eyes scanned further, his eyes landed on the four-inch-long scar on her stomach. A memory of his misdeeds. His heart stopped for a second when he spotted the scar. Self-loathing filled every breath he took. It burned even the simplest of pride he held within.
Aradhya walked up with strides powerfully and stopped before Chavi. She looked at Chavi for a moment before blowing a slap at her face.
Rihit, Nandini and Darsh all stepped down from their spots and headed straight towards Aradhya.
Aradhya didn't heed anything that happened around her. At that moment, it was just her and her daughter.
"I told you not to come here, right? Understand why I say that Chavi. They are not worth your explanation," she cast a look at Vihaan, "nor are they worthy of me. You will be looked down on for defending me."
Chavi didn't fight back. She was content now that she had said everything she had to and she knew, just by the looks of it, that Aradhya knew. She just stood there while catching Darsh staring at her from behind Aradhya.
Aradhya clasped her hand and tried to walk away...when Vihaan held her wrist from the other side.
"Is...is it t-true?" His voice shook like none other. It hurt Aradhya to see him like that but she had to choose herself over the love of her life.
"I don't think it is necessary for you to know." Aradhya let put coldly.
"Aradhya..."
"No, Maharaj. I have nothing to say to you nor do I have anything to prove to you. We came here to pay the taxes and we are leaving now. Please do not make an effort to find us."
Aradhya withdrew her hand from Vihaan. She cast a look at Rihit who was on the verge of breaking down. Nandini held both Darsh's and Rihit's hands in hers while she held back her tears.
"Please...Aradhya..." Vihaan begged for Aradhya to stay and listen to him. Though Aradhya would do anything to stay with him, she had to go away. Vihaan had built walls between them which weakened their relationship. The walls of mistrust and disbelief. Walls of the facade.
"You didn't listen to me when I begged you to believe me that it wasn't me who killed Rajmata. I hope you will listen to me this one time and let us all go."
Aradhya turned around and walked out of the courtroom not waiting for anyone with her steps urging her to move faster.
Everyone in the room stood in stillness with no words leaving their mouths and not a single one ready to forget what went down in the room.
Vihaan looked at Aradhya walking away not even shooting a peek at him and he knew, he failed in life. For the first time. He failed in every aspect. He didn't become a good king, a good husband or even a good human for all that mattered.
.  .  .  .
Tamasvini planned her escape from Ashokdhar. She pulled all her belongings in when the door burst open. Vihaan stood there with furious eyes, hate and disgust and even hints of sorrow. He walked unsteadily to Tamasvini who had frozen where she was.
He walked over and just in an instant his hand flashed over Tamasvini's face. She hadn't expected anything less too.
"You snake. You wretched...witch." He spoke. His voice was unfailingly coarse.
"Should never have thought you changed. Should never have married you. You took everything away from me. Ma, Sadhana and even...my Aradhya. You do not deserve anything. Not even the place you are standing on." Rage shot through his words like arrows out of a catapult.
A couple of soldiers walked in and strung manacles on Tamasvini as her face grew into a sly grin. She simply rolled her eyes and they dragged her away. She stopped before exiting.
"Your end is nearer than you think, Vihaan. Be ready."
.  .  .  .
"At last. After all these years. My sword is a bit too ready to be drenched in Vihaan's blood. That puny little king." Maharaj Amar spoke.
He looked at Aagneya and Abhik standing there with determined faces. One ready to get revenge for his son's demise, and one ready to get his sister back.
"Though I really need to thank Aradhya and Chavi for the final blow, I have no choice but to kill them." Amar sighed sarcastically.
Chaya too had been an ultimate player of their game and she stood with her chin up as if her work was something ti be proud of.
"Get the barracks ready. We are at war."
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