Mercy

Summary: "Lo maaf kardi, Har gunah ko maaf kar di."

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Veer turns away from the sun, flinching slightly. The morning is cool and Amrit gathers the blankets tighter around her, her toes curl into the cold stone floor, but her eyes are on him.

"Are you alright?" She reaches out to lend a hand on his arm, concerned. He looks weary, perhaps the exhaustion of the night was catching up to him. In the morning light he looks pale.

"Just a headache," he shrugs dismissively.

"Sar daba doon?"

She asks it so casually as they make their way back inside, she asks it with such familiarity and concern that Veer draws into a blank.

Amrit places a cool palm on his forehead, then, as if troubled by her findings she touches his face with the other hand.

"Veer you are burning up!"

"I'm not," he denies, still pulls her closer and encircles his arms around her. "I'm usually warm."

"You are," Amrit says and then colours.

"But not your face! No, you were feverish last night too, why are you so ignorant about your own health? Aisa kaise kar sakthe hai aap? Na teek se khaate hai, na waqt pe sothe hai. Kudh ka koi parvah hi nahi! If you don't even know something is wrong with you how will you -"

Amrit rattles to a stop with a hiss of an exhale when Veer presses his mouth to the juncture of her jaw, just below her ear. His stubble pricks against her deliciously as he nips at her ear.

"Bass," his voice liquid warm pours in her ear, he nuzzles there just a bit, burrowing into her softness.

The tension that holds her frame taut melts under his hands running along her shoulders.

"Bass," he repeats. "Itni pareshaan hoti ho...dil bhar aata hai."

"Go back to bed," Amrit says saucily, detaching herself from his embrace and tugging at his wrist and leading him over to her own room.

"Yahaan nahi wahaan. I want to keep and eye on you."

Veer allows her to boss him, basking in all that rightfully crossed attention.

When Amrit's pillows are crushed beneath him, they scatter that familiar scent of Jasmin, sandalwood and her. Veer closes his eyes, inhaling contentedly. Amrit brushes her cool palm over his eyes.

"Sleep," her voice is soft. "I don't like seeing you like this."

"Hum teek hai biwi sahab," he repeats. When Amrit doesn't reply he opens his eyes and peers at her. "Arre," he reaches for her face, brushing a thumb  beneath her eye. "Yeh aansu kyun?"

"Why do you do this to yourself?" She mutters, her palm pressed to his forehead is so soothing that Veer battles against his urge to close his eyes once more. "Aap ne mujhe jawaab nahi diya, kudh pe aisa saza kyun?"

"Humein aur koi tareeqa nahi aata," he confesses in the end, his voice rather small. "When you stop thinking about it - you stop feeling it. Warna yeh dard humein paagal kar deta.

"I've committed so many sins over the time biwi sahab. People keep tally of it. Har ros har ek gunah ki yaad dilaya jaata hai. Agar saza nahi deta toh dam gutt jaata." He doesn't meet her eye as he tries to find proper words to describe his childhood or his family.

Veer doesn't want to scare her with horrifying honesty. While he knows he has practically dragged her into a pit of vipers after him, he has vowed to keep her safe too. These daily games of rajneeti will not taint her soul, he shall not allow it.

Amrit is overcome by what his words imply. Why couldn't any of them save him from this hell? Or just hold him close for once in his life? How much has he been punished before he learned to silently walk off and punish himself? Was that what a Dai Ma was supposed to do?

She leans down and rests her forehead against his burning one, hands cupping his face. Her hair cascades around them and blocks off the light. Her cheeks are wet and brush against his as she closes her eyes pressing away more tears.

"Lo maaf kardi," she utters, her words a benediction. "Har gunah ko maaf kar di."

He exhales as if a weight has shifted off of him, as if he had waited a lifetime to hear those words. Amrit nuzzles against him.

"You don't even know half the things I've done," he says bitterly yet. "Or half the things I want to do even now. My own thoughts scare me biwi sahab."

"Phir bata dijiye," she doesn't draw away even at his bitterness.

Instead her hands caress his face and Veer feels so overwhelmed that he wonders if his heart could contain it. If Amrit continues with this, he is seriously doomed.

"Har ek gunah qubool kar lijiye. Kudh ko riha kar dijiye, kudh ko maaf kar dijiye."

His hands comb through her hair and hold her to him. Amrit allows him to draw her in, allows their lips to slide over each other.

It is a lazy kiss, nothing more than a reassurance he seeks from her and she is only too willing to give.

Veer pulls her down beside him and she draws him into her arms, stroking his hair, her cool hands soothing on his brows. In the silence that follow he speaks, telling her things he had never spoken of before.

Of those early years of his life, of his oldest memories, of his jealousy towards Prem who always knew the right thing to do, right words to draw everyone in. Of how it bore on him to look from the sidelines as his baby brother got adored.

For the first time in his life he spoke about his father's last moments, of their best moments together. Of how the late king never made him feel he preferred any of his sons more than the other.

But others .... others...

"I loved Prem, but I was angry at him too. That despite everything he could even compel me to love him. Woh joh chahe bass kehe de usse mil jaata aur Humein cheenna padta tha."

Amrit says nothing, her hand continues to stroke his head. Veer takes that hand and draws it to his mouth, kissing her knuckles.

"Jaana matt," he murmurs. "Yahi raho, humare paas."

She hums.

"Nahi jaa rahi. Aanken bandh kijiye." 

He complies and begins again.

"Prem fell into the river once. You haven't seen the river banks yet have you? We have a retreat there - Ranimehel- we should go sometime. We were playing there and he fell. I had fished him out by the time guards noticed. They fussed over him so much, God, he cried and blamed it on me and made such a scene -" he chuckles bitterly.

"He has a habit of shifting the blame doesn't he? They made him into a ball of blankets that I got grounded for laughing at him."

Amrit chuckles, Veer joins in, most probably reliving the memory.

But his smile fades away all too soon. He wonders if he should tell Amrit that he had came down with a fever then too, and being locked in his room for having caused that accident nobody had realized it.

He decides to put it off, that memory of shivering under his blankets as every muscle of his body ached, watching through burning, watering eyes waiting for the door to be opened.

Amrit is here now, those days are gone. They are gone.

Amrit watches him until he falls asleep. If he thinks she does not realize he has edited out his own suffering from his recollections Veer is an endearing fool. Overcome by the thought she leans in and kisses him on forehead.

"Stay," Veer mumbles sleepily.

"Abhi aayi," she promises and goes away to have a bath and change.

*

The door to Veer's room slams shut hard enough to make Amrit jump.

She had taken a leaf out of her husband's book and was working on her writing while sitting propped up in the pillows.

Veer is fast asleep by then, soothed by the cold compress Amrit had applied on his forehead and the painkillers she made him swallow.

The drowsy effect of the medicine makes sure that the sound does not wake him up, still his brows knot in sleep and he reaches out for her with an unconscious arm.

Amrit closes off the file and strokes his hair, smoothing off that frown. Veer snuggles against her, burrowing into her touch. He has such a craving for proximity that it is endearing.

That is how Rani Sahiba finds them, when she marches into Amrit's room uninvited, Veer's head on Amrit's lap and her fingers absentmindedly stroking his hair as she too has her eyes closed leaning back on her pillows.

For a moment Nalini is gripped by such fury that her heart aches. There her Prem is lying bruised and broken and suffering while these two are having time of their lives. She clenches  her fist and breathes in deeply.

"Bahu!"

Amrit jumps at her tone, startled, her fingers clench on Veer's hair. Veer does not stir for some reason.

"Aap se baat karni hai. Humare saath aayiye."

For a moment Amrit does not move and Nalini's fury begins to bubble up.

"Now!" Without waiting a moment more she turns and marches out.

Amrit sighs, detaches herself from Veer with all possible gentleness and moves away. Her heart is already heavy with anticipation by the time she faces Rani Sahiba.

Amrit is no stranger to this woman's bitterness. She has witnessed more than enough arguments between the mother and the son to learn about each's temper.

But right then, Rani Sahiba had such an acidic look in her eyes that Amrit takes a non voluntary step backwards.

"Humare saath chaliyen," the woman takes her wrist in a vice like grip and pulls her out, along the passage and down a flight of stairs. Before they even entered the room, Amrit knows where they are going.

She swallows forcefully, knowing that despite all the resentment bubbling inside her she isn't ready for the sight that awaited.
Rani sahiba pushes her inside rather roughly.

"Dekhiye," her words shake with anger.

Amrit is certain had the woman managed to forget the protocol for a moment she would have striked her.

Dai Ma is in there too, hunched over Randheer who is bruised, battered and unconscious. The old woman dutifully wipes his brow, her face looks like a storm cloud.

"Dekhiye aap ke pati ka karnama! Dekhiye jiss aadmi ko aap seene se laga rahi thi, uss ne humare bete ka kya haal kar diya! Dekhiye kaise saap ko aap -"

Amrit draws in a breath, tears pricking her eyes, her heart clenching.

"Woh saap ko bhi aap ne hi pala hai," the words burn her tongue as she utter them.

"Dulhan Rani!" Dai Ma protests raising to her feet and Rani Sahiba looks as if she has been struck.

Amrit doesn't care. No, if these women think they could dump all evil on Veer and wash their hands, ignore all the atrocities they themselves have committed, no protocol in the world would hold her tongue.

"Woh saap nahi hai. Aur vish toh aap sab ne mil kar ghola hai unke zindagi mein. Ab agar woh palat kar waar kar bhi le, unka koi galati nahi hai.

"Aur aap ka yeh joh beta hai, itna aagyakaari hai, itna manta hai aap ki baat ko ke yeh woh aadmi raha hi nahi joh yeh kabhi the."

"Woh jisse tum kabhi pyaar kartiti!"

Amrit exhales, her eyes are drawn back to Randheer.

The man she used to love. The man, to save whom she had chosen to deal away her life. But also the man who stood and watched as a plot to ruin her was being cooked up.

A little sinful part of her expands and grows until it numbs away her heart.

She feels nothing, not even the slightest bit of regret as she eyes that man now, noticing all his cuts and bruises. That indifference bleeds to her words when she speaks.

"Chote bhai ko sahi raaste pe laana bade bhai ka farz hai. Usse saza dena unka haq. Veer ne koi galati nahi ki."

Rani Sahiba watches her for a moment with acidic eyes, her mouth pursed and twisted.

"Veer has bought not only your body but your conscience too," she says then.

"Sauda Bura nahi hai. Par agar tumhe lagta hai ke yeh sab karne ke baad, you will get a throne to show for it, you are sadly mistaken. Baazar mein bhikne wali cheezon se ghar sajaya jaata hai, unke saath ghar basaya nahi jaata."

Amrit feels as if she'd been slapped. Her face pricks with the tear that trails down her cheek.

"Kyun? Bura laga? Dard hua? Meri Prem ko bhi bohut dard hua honga, jab unhe yeh pata chala ke unnhone kaisi ladki se dil lagaya.

"Arre bade shaan se tumhe Amritsar se lane wale the riha hone ke baad. Humse kudh Kaha tha ussne. Aur tum, tum yahaan kissi gheir mard ke saat rangraliya mana rahi thi!"

She fumed, spawning one venomous word after the other.

"What do you think? Veer phass gaya hai? Tumhari jaadu chal gaya hai? Tum jaanti hi kya ho uss ko? Do you know how many women were there in his life before you? Or do you think you are any special? Haan, kashish hai tum mein, kubsoorat jo ho. Par itni bhi nahi ke kabhi mann na bhar jaaye. The man you left Prem for won't blink twice before discarding you once he has had enough. It runs in their blood - it -"

"He is your son!" The words escape her in a shrill scream. "Aap ki khoon hai woh. Aap ki sanskar hai Un mein. Iss tarah unhe zaleel karke aap apni izzat uchaal rahi hai."

Rani sahiba shakes her head at her, the hostality she emits makes Amrit flinch. She turns away, retrieves a folder from her work table and snatches hold of Amrit's hand. Her nails dig painfully into Amrit's flesh as she makes her hold the folder.

"Read it," she says. "Daulathabadh ki daulath ko Insaan nahi maani jaati. Ek cheez maani jaati hai jisski sauda kiya jaaye. Read it and find out for yourself what being your husband's property entails. Bohut ghamandh hai na tumhe Veer se shaadi karne ki?" She snorts, sarcastically. "Jaaghir ho gai ho usska, jaan e man  nahi, woh jab chaahe -"

"Nahi," the word slips from her mouth as does the documents. Amrit feels her head beginning to reel. "Woh aisa nahi karenge-"

Those claw like hands grab into her shoulders, sink into the soft skin exposed by her saari blouse.

"Hosh mein aa, ladki!" The woman hisses, there is no pretence of composure in her anymore. She is volatile, hostile and horribly, terribly furious.

"Woh tuje barbaad kardenga. Teri sab kuch le lenga aur tuje kahi ka nahi chodenga. Hosh mein aa, kudh ko bacha, door chale jaa isse pehele ke tu poori tarah se phass jaaye."

Tears of pain spring to her eyes, Amrit feels herself suffocating.

This woman, this woman is mad. All these days Amrit had been thinking that maybe, maybe she had a reason for all her hostality - maybe she was a victim of a misunderstanding.

But no, there is a gleam of insanity in these beady eyes. Amrit gasps for air, starting to feel very afraid indeed.

"Chhod dijiye ma sahab," the voice is accompanied by a hand that grips Rani Sahiba's and removes her claws from Amrit's shoulders.

Amrit sways on her feet and Veer holds her with an arm around her waist drawing her closer to his side as he faces his mother.

"Aap se pehele bhi Kaha tha, inhe kuch hogaya toh hum kya karenge Humein kudh nahi pata. Humein majboor matt kijiye, I don't want to hurt you."

Then he looked at Amrit, caressed her cheek.

"This is Shrighar. This is your home. Nobody can command you here. Not even maharani Nalini Devi. Woh Mehmaan hai aap ke ghar ki, Milna ho toh woh kudh aajaye , mehmaan bhulayen aur aap chale jaao, aisa toh nahi hota na?"

"Veer...!"

He holds a hand.

"Hum apne patni se baat kar rahe hai. Aap se nahi."

*
This is the first part of a chapter that turned out too long. I split it into two, hence the sudden ending.
On Friday you will have the first of many Veer vs. RM face offs  to come.
And yes, the backstory will begin unfolding. There are hints here, try and see if you could spot some.
On another note, PS that is papa sahab or Vijendra , is not bad here. At least one bond of that phase needs to survive this brutal show. RM is another story altogether, I leave the judgement on her upon you.
This is my usual call for votes, comments - let me know you are there and I did not manage to bore you!😋
We shall meet again. Thanks for reading!