Nihil rode his horse as fast as he could towards Salandh. He wanted to inform the king about the atrocities that were being committed against Alakananda. Nihil was powerless in his own country and he couldn’t do anything to save her. He thought that it was better to inform Salandh before it was too late.

The night was dark, and he could hear the wolves howling. He rode faster. He was afraid of both the wolves and the Hadharans who may have followed him. He was not afraid for his life but for Nanda’s. He only spoke to Nanda before leaving Hadhara. He told her that he would get help. He wouldn’t have done that if she was not raped again. He realized that it was going to happen again and again and if he wouldn’t get her out of Hadhara, she would either die from Aaryaan’s hands or would commit suicide and he wanted none. Nihil couldn’t forget Nanda’s eyes. He remembered her happy smiles in Shinyun and her tears in Hadhara. Nanda didn’t deserve it. Nihil didn’t care about his life, or his position. All he cared about was her. He was her bodyguard and that’s what he should do.

*******

Nanda wasn’t living anymore. She was merely breathing. She was locked in her chamber and all sharps objects were removed from her reach. She had access to no one. She had no way of escaping. Aaryaan didn’t want her to die nor did he want her to live. He sent his men at times to her room and they continuously raped her. Nanda thought that Aaryaan would stop touching her afterwards, but he didn’t. Aaryaan maintained sexual relation with her as though nothing had happened.

Nanda had lost all hope and that is when Nihil said that he would try to get help. He promised to get her out of Hadhara. But Nanda wanted to stop him. The only escape she wanted was from her own self. She had no hope of anything else. But she didn’t ask him to stay. Maybe she should let Nihil try, maybe. It was better that he was away from Hadhara or else he would get in to trouble for trying to protect her.

Nanda laid on the bed. She thought of Aditya. It was her only peace, his memories. He was kind to her and had always loved her. She wished that she had run away with him that day, she wished that she was not a princess but a commoner who didn’t have to think about her people before herself. Nanda cried silently. She closed her eyes and visualized Aditya. She would never be able to be with him again even if she meets him, even if she escapes. She felt stained and ashamed. That love that she always craved for was out of her reach, forever.

******

Aditya was shocked when he saw her figure near the river. She was bend down and was taking water in her cupped hands. He couldn’t believe that Nanda had come to him. Aditya was sitting on a rock and he jumped down from it. Everyone else was eating supper but he couldn’t. Aditya had stopped eating anything at night after Nanda had left him. When she was in Salandh, Nanda used to feed him with her own hands without anyone’s knowledge. It was their secret. Without her, Aditya was not hungry, even when he was, he couldn’t eat at night. He had tried before, but the food won’t go down from his throat and he always vomited it out.

When Aditya found Nanda, he ran towards her and fell twice before reaching her. When he reached her, he stopped and let his eyes take in her beautiful self. He found Nanda’s hair shining in the moonlight and his heart skipped a beat. The wind was soft on her face and it moved her hair in rhythm. Nanda smiled looking at him and Aditya stood there astonished.

Aditya: How did you come here, Nanda?

Nanda stood up and walked towards Aditya slowly. She softly touched where his heart was, and Aditya kept on looking at her without blinking.

Nanda: I came down straight from here.

Aditya smiled.

Suddenly, Aditya heard a voice calling him. It was Gautam. Aditya looked to his side and when he looked back, Nanda was gone. Aditya looked around and his eyes welled up. He wiped the tears off and walked towards Gautam.

Aditya: Gautam, what are you doing in here?

Gautam didn’t say anything, but he went forward and took Aditya’s sword from his hand forcefully and Aditya was shocked. Then he saw Nihil coming his way.

Aditya: What is it? Tell me now.

Gautam: It’s bad Aditya and I want you to calm your mind and listen to Nihil carefully. We need to get Nanda out of Hadhara. I don’t care what will happen afterwards, but we are going to war if need be. Either we bring her out of there or we will die trying.

Aditya: Tell me what happened Gautam.

Aditya was trembling, watching both Gautam and Nihil trying hard to find words. He couldn’t handle the tension anymore. He felt as though his heart would burst out of his chest.

Nihil: King Naren has sent advisors to Shinyun asking for help. But war is inevitable, Aditya. Even if we can get her out of there before it, Aaryaan will wage war for her. He will destroy everything for her.

Aditya stood there without any words. He let them talk. He had no strength to ask questions anymore. He was numb because of his fear for Nanda.

*******

Nanda stood in front of the crowd on a stage raised for execution of criminals. She was charged with adultery by the royal court of Hadhara. The punishment for adultery in Hadhara was death. Nanda stood there shaking. It was not her, but her whole country that was being disrespected and falsely accused for something that she had never done. She was raped, she needed justice but now Aaryaan has twisted it as her fault. He made everyone believe that she lured his men, to sleep with her. Nanda couldn’t take it anymore. No one believed her words. No one in Hadhara trusted a Salandhian. She stood there crying. She felt alone.

Aaryaan: I know that my wife has committed a great sin which should be punished by death. But, when I brought her from Salandh, I had promised that I will keep her safe and as you know, I will never retrace from a promise. So, I can’t give her death.

The crowd started booing at Nanda and she kept her head down.

Aaryaan: Please hear me out, my people. Your queen is still your queen and my wife, and she will always be that. But for what she has done, she deserves punishment. She will receive it. She will walk the streets of Salese, naked. She will have her walk of shame. That’s her punishment.

Nanda trembled hearing his words and she thought that her heart stopped that moment. Nanda looked at Aaryaan in disbelief. Everyone was right, he is a monster and he will always remain one. Nanda spoke in a voice audible only to him. Her voice was shaking.

Nanda: Please kill me, Aaryaan. I can’t take this embarrassment. You are my husband. Please don’t do this to me.

Nanda cried.

Aaryaan: Your people should have thought that before killing mine.

Aaryaan walked away from the platform and two maids came forward and tried to tear Nanda’s dress. She tried her best to stop them, but they overpowered her and tore her clothes off. Nanda screamed and covered her body and the maids pulled her hands off it. The crowd booed and cursed and passed shrewd comments and the men eyed her as though they wanted to touch her. Nanda died that instant and what was left was her lifeless body. The one that walked the streets, the one that was thrown with eggs and vegetables, the one that heard all the shrewd comments. It was all her dead body.

*******

Jiyag: Shinyun can’t assist you in this matter. Going against Hadhara will cost us our peace or even our existence. We are sorry, Naren.

Naren was no longer a king but a broken man who wanted to safeguard his daughter. He had sent his advisors to Shinyun first, but he followed them the same day. He couldn’t sit at his palace and let his daughter suffer. But what Naren heard from Jiyag paralyzed his heart and mind. There were kings from four other nations present in Shinyun but all of them declined to help Naren. He walked out of the palace hall broken and weak and fell at the door and his heart stopped. Guilt killed the king of Salandh.

******

Nihil: Aditya, I want you to wear these clothes. The secret passage will open to a different chamber from where Nanda is. So, we need to walk the corridors and only Hadharan clothes would help us to do that.

Aditya didn’t speak a word. He just took the clothes from Nihil and started wearing them silently. What that he heard on his way to the palace broke him completely. The pain that Nanda had gone through made him feel weak and helpless. There was no news from Salandh or Shinyun. Aditya wanted time to move faster so that he could get his Nanda back as fast as possible. He wanted to hug her tight and breakdown with her and to see her safe and peacefully falling asleep and he was ready to do anything for that.

*****

Nanda: What do you want now?

Nanda was unable to speak. Her throat was hurt due to constant screaming and crying.

Aaryaan: I want you to put on that dress and your crown and come for the royal dinner.

Nanda: I don’t want to face those people. I can’t. Please don’t force me.

Aaryaan rushed to her side and held her shoulder.

Aaryaan: You have a problem when I hurt you and also when I treat you well. Nanda, I am not doing all these because I want to but because you deserve it.

Nanda: I don’t deserve any of this. I haven’t hurt anyone in my whole life and I have wanted only good for everyone.

Aaryaan: So, do you think that I will hurt you if I had a choice. I love you, Nanda.

Aaryaan became teary eyed.

Nanda: You don’t love me. I am a war that you want to win every day without fighting. You want to hurt people and you call it revenge but in truth, you just want to cause pain. That is what you are doing to me. You don’t love me.

Aaryaan only smiled.

Aaryaan: My heart knows the truth Nanda and I don’t wish to explain anything to you. Get dressed and come out before I drag you out of here.

Aaryaan walked out of the chamber closing the door behind him. Nanda was trapped again. It had been days since the incident and she was kept under constant watch afterwards and she couldn’t do what she wanted to do. But now she was alone and free. Nanda walked towards her bed and touched the red dress made of feathers and wool. It felt soft against her skin. She took off her clothes and wore the dress and put on her crown. She looked at the mirror. She appeared beautiful, for the mirror only saw her body but not her wounded heart. But she could see it, all those scars.

Nanda felt ashamed watching herself. She walked towards her table and took out something that looked like a perfume bottle and slowly opened its lid. The only reason Nanda stayed alive and suffered the torture was because she didn’t want to defame her nation but after the walk of shame, every nation has come to know about the characterless queen of Hadhara. Everyone believed Aaryaan’s story. Nanda wanted to know what Aditya felt. She wanted to know if he believed the story too. He won’t, Nanda whispered. He knows her. He will never believe that story. That was enough for her. Nanda wished to see Aditya one last time before she died. But she knew that she couldn’t. Nanda drank the poison in one go and threw the bottle away. Suddenly she heard his voice.

Aditya: Nanda.

Nanda turned around to see Aditya standing in front of her. She couldn’t believe it for that instance but then he was walking towards her. Nanda’s eyes welled up. She moved towards him and fell to his arms.

Nanda: Aditya. You came.

Aditya: How would I not? I would have come long before if I had known, Nanda. I am sorry. I am so sorry.

Nanda had trouble speaking. Her voice was merely audible.

Nanda: It’s not your fault, Aditya. None of this is and don’t you blame yourself after all of this is over.

Aditya: Why would I blame myself? We are leaving Nanda. We will get out of Hadhara. We will fight Aaryaan with whatever might we have. Even if I have to die, I won’t let you suffer again, your country won’t let you suffer again. We have decided to go for war.

Nanda smiled.

Nanda: There won’t be any need for that, Aditya.

Aditya looked at Nanda with suspicious eyes and he found blood coming out of her nose. Aditya wiped it off. He didn’t want to believe that she had hurt herself.

Aditya: Nanda, what have you done?

Nanda: Poison. Pintor of Salandh that I had brought with me. I have consumed it, Aditya. It will be over in a few minutes.

Aditya: Why? Nihil promised you to get you out right. Then why Nanda?

Aditya caressed Nanda’s face.

Nanda: I knew that he would but that will only cause the destruction of our nation. Anything other than my death will make Aaryaan wage war against our people. Only my death can break him.

Aditya: We would have fought him, Nanda. And we could have lived together.

Nanda: How Aditya? How would I live with all the shame? How would I forget all that has happened to me? How would you live with a women violated by many?

Aditya: I love you, Nanda and I don’t care about anything else. I just want you to live. That’s all I ever wanted. I wanted you to be safe and happy and now look at what you have done.

Aditya started crying hard. Nanda fell slowly clutching her stomach. Aditya sat down holding her in his lap.

Nanda: You should leave, Aditya. Before they come. It will be over soon. My body will burn away slowly in the poison and only my bones will remain. It won’t be a good sight to watch. So, leave.

Aditya cried harder. Blood started coming from Nanda’s mouth and ears. Nanda could feel her stomach burning away from inside.

Nanda: Its hurting Aditya. Make it stop. You always make me feel better right. Make the pain stop.

Aditya couldn’t say a word. He just looked at her while caressing her. His eyes were overflowing with tears.

Nanda: I wish I was a commoner in some other part of the world, away from all of these. I wish I had lived with you till old age and died with you peacefully. I am sorry Aditya. I love you and only you and remember that, always.

Nanda was breathing hard. Her lungs were burning away.

Nanda: Protect our country. Take care of my people. My soul will only belong to you. That’s the only thing that they couldn’t spoil. I love you Aditya.

Nanda breathed her last lying in Aditya’s lap and he looked at her in disbelief. He lost all senses and he couldn’t understand anything that was happening around him. He didn’t realize when Nihil and Gautam came and dragged him away from Nanda. All he could see was her lifeless body and blood all over. Everything else was a blur, like the happiness that he once thought he had.