The king's first wife

War

" Pari!" he shouted her name and she immediately ran up behind him. Currently, he was surrounded by his own soldiers. Many people had already lost their lives. His cousins, uncles, a few aunts, and other soldiers. All of the women and children were currently held up in the main hall where most of the men were busy protecting them but, Pari had gotten her lehenga stuck in one of the swords and Sohit had to stay back to protect her. He wouldn't let her be taken away by those vultures at all. Or would he? 

" I will give her," he held her hand from his back and she looked at him with fear and disbelief. He would give her away? What was he saying? She was not someone he could just give away!! She was his wife. He had to be with her for his entire life no matter what!!!!!!

" What are you saying prince?" the chief of war asked him with a smirk and Sohit squinted his eyes. There were many injured inside. Sohit was running out of time and if he wanted all the innocent to be saved, he needed to give her up immediately. Although, he sure hoped that she understood what he meant by it when he slid a small dagger into her hands just a few moments ago. 

" If you let everyone go, and leave this palace. You can have my wife and sister," Sohit declared and took one glance back at her, " Ghunghat," he whispered an order and she nodded. She understood it now because he had really educated her on battle strategies. 
" And why would I do that?" the old man asked him and Sohit put his sword back in its place 
" Pari," he ordered and she just slowly walked away from him. She came and stood in front of Sohit 
" I'll go," she declared 

" WHAT?! NO!! PARI!! NO!! STOP!!!" her mother-in-law shouted from inside when they found all the soldiers walking out. 
" BHAI! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! THEY'RE TAKING BHABHI!!!!!" his brother shouted in anger and he just crossed his hands behind his back. He didn't care. He only walked away from there, without looking at her walking away with her back at him. Ghunghat. He had warned her. If she dared show any man there her ghunghat, there would be serious consequences. 

" Foolish prince," she heard the man who was in front of her laugh and her blood just started boiling. Her husband wasn't foolish. He was the greatest, smartest, strongest, and kindest man in the country and she was going to prove. No traitor could talk like that about him. 

It was when she was sitting on a random bed and the man came in with his stupidly, crooked face that she understood why Sohit ever forced her to learn all that. It was when she felt her blood boil with every step of that dirty man's that she decided to take all Sohit took seriously. It was when he climbed on the bed that she understood everything. She saw a new light in front of her eyes as she got her hand out and slid open that man's throat. That blood, that had stained her ghunghat just seemed filthy, not scary. That scream felt like music to her ears and when she held his hair out in her soft hands while dragging the body out of the place, she felt accomplished. 

With every step she took back towards the palace, she felt empowered. With every blood drop that got spilled on the ground, of that man, she felt like the ground was getting purified. She understood why Sohit or any man for that matter loved combat when she hit and killed many soldiers in her way. From the side, she could see that man's wife crying but, she was like in a trance. A woman who did everything her husband asked her to do was the correct woman. Right? She was that woman now. No other thing mattered more than the screams of that man touching her ears. With every jingle of her anklet, she could hear him scream and it only increased when she put roped him up to a horse and then, climbed over herself. 

" We will go back to the palace. Suhani comes with me in the doli," she looked at the remaining soldiers who were looking at her in fear. They couldn't see her face but they sure could feel the courage she had shown. If you traced her path, you could find more than 25 soldiers who were laying down on the floor, bleeding. Most were dead and all that, she did with her small khanjar. Even their master was dead, so they didn't have anyone else to direct them either. Hence, they just followed her. They got Suhani back into her doli, with full respect towards the shocked girl, and followed the crown princess back to her house. 

It was when the first ray of sunlight hit the ground that she reached back the palace gates and everyone just stared at her in disbelief. The man who had so happily taken her away was roped to a horse, which was right behind hers and he was bleeding from the throat. 

He was waiting for her, just like every other morning when she needed to come to his room to study. Only this time, he was waiting in the veranda, looking out for her. Everyone was. Plus, when one of the soldiers shouted, " PRINCESS CAME BACK!!" his hopes were increased to a thousand folds. 

He had expected her to be safe with all the training he had bestowed upon him but what he hadn't hoped was for her to come in front of him while dragging that bastard's hair. She still had the ghunghat over her head. His sister was safe and an enemy of the country was dead. He was smiling while the others were only shocked. Was she even capable of doing that? Were women even capable of fighting? But she just proved that they were and once, she threw the body in front of his feet, she ran up to him and hugged him tightly in front of everyone. She had obviously not noticed that earlier but now, she was scared and his arms were the right place for her bloody hands. The smile over his face told her that she did right but she didn't know if violence was the answer. But when he moved his hands and held her head close to his chest, she lost all confidence and broke out crying. That was her right place, not a battleground. He might've raised her to be a soldier but she was still an innocent girl inside...