Jemisha woke up the next morning, hoping against hope that it had all been a nightmare but the bruises and scars on her body were cruel reminders of the reality she wished to escape. She sat on her bed, trying to process the overwhelming emotions, and then rang the bell. A maid entered the room and greeted her, "Good morning, m'lady." Jemisha, lost in her thoughts, pondered the maid's words silently, questioning the so-called goodness of the morning.
Ignoring the maid's attempt at lightening the mood, she asked in a solemn tone, "Where is Amiya?" The maid responded, "Lady Amiya has been summoned to the royal palace."
"The royal palace this early in the morning?" she murmured to herself, her brow furrowed in confusion. Turning to the maid, she inquired, "What time is it?" The maid, gently wiping Jemisha's hands, softly replied, "It's 9:30, m'lady."
Jemisha's eyes widened with realization,
"9:30? It's father's tea time; I need to..." Her voice trailed off as emotions welled up inside her. With a heavy heart, she dismissed the maid, "Please leave; I'll call for you later."
The maid hesitated, "But m'lady, your breakfast..."
Jemisha's tone grew firm, "I said, leave! I'll call for you when I need you." As the maid exited the room, Jemisha sank back onto her bed, trying to gather her thoughts.
Later, as lunchtime approached, a knock on the door interrupted her solitude. Expecting her sister, Amiya, Jemisha invited the visitor in, only to find Dr. Shikha accompanied by the maids.
"Lady Jemisha, it's time for your treatment," Dr. Shikha announced, urging her to eat for the medication. Concerned about her sister, Jemisha asked, "Where is Amiya?"
Dr. Shikha's response was solemn,
"She has not returned yet, m'lady. I will inform her that you wish to see her. Please have some food, and we can discuss your condition."
Reluctantly, Jemisha had her meal and took the painkillers, then posed the question weighing heavily on her mind, "Dr. Shikha, how long will it take for me to walk again?"
The room fell silent as Dr. Shikha peered at Jemisha, adjusting her glasses with a concerned look. "M'lady, with proper care, we can avoid major issues. I'll do my best to ensure it won't be a bother once it's healed," Dr. Shikha assured Jemisha.
Jemisha looked the other way and asked again "How long will it take?" Dr. Shikha replied "atleast 2.5 months of rest m'lady. It is must!"
Jemisha, her eyes filled with worry, responded, "So, you're saying I'll be stuck in bed for 2.5 months... But you know I must go for the father's Jaal Tarpan."
Jaal Tarpan, a Hindu custom where ashes are given to water bodies after cremation, symbolizing the return to the earth
Despite Dr. Shikha's pleas about the critical treatment, Jemisha, with a steely gaze, requested, "Please go back. I need to talk to Amiya. Don't come to my room until she returns." With determination, she retreated under her blanket, signaling an end to the conversation.
Dr. Shikha, recognizing Jemisha's resolve, left the room, feeling unable to do more, leaving Jemisha to wrestle with her thoughts alone.
As the evening drew near, Amiya arrived back with her carriage, heading straight to the library accompanied by her loyal elite guard. "How dare they point fingers in a mess like this!" she exclaimed angrily, making her way to her desk. "Sir Veer, does any of this make sense? Accusations flying without any shred of proof!" she vented, frustration evident in her voice. "And now, the royal family wants me to step into the Duke's role immediately! It's barely been a day, and they are already pressuring for a replacement," she continued, a mix of frustration and anger, tears welling up.
Sir Veer, bowing respectfully, reassured her, "Lady Amiya, I've been by your side since you were a child. I've witnessed your growth into a capable individual. You will navigate through this challenge as you have before. I pledge to stand by you as your elite guard; you lead, and we will follow." His words resonated with honor and loyalty, embodying the essence of a knight.
Just as Amiya was about to respond, a knock interrupted their conversation. The butler entered and bowed, "M'lady, Lady Jemisha is requesting your presence." Amiya nodded, "Ah, yes, I will dine with her. Please make the arrangements accordingly. Also, ask Dr. Shikha to see me." "Yes, M'lady," the butler acknowledged before leaving.
Amiya stepped into Jemisha's room for dinner, considering Jemisha's need for rest. They opted to dine in the comfort of her quarters. Amiya settled down and asked Jemisha about her well-being. Jemisha, wincing slightly, mentioned the discomfort from her stitches but assured Amiya she was coping. Curiosily Jemisha probed, "Why were you summoned to the palace and got back justnow? What happened?" Amiya, with a soft demeanor, responded, "Don't stress about it, focus on getting better." Jemisha, persistent, pressed on, "Any word on Aunt Nadi? What's the latest?"
Amiya tried to steer the conversation away, asking, "You're supposed to be in bed for two whole months, right?"
Jemisha scoffed, responding, "Yeah, can you believe it? They think I'll be hobbling around if I don't take this treatment seriously."
Amiya urged, "But we should trust their expertise, Jemi. They know what's best in this situation."
Jemisha retorted with irritation, "You actually agree with them!?" Frustrated, she continued, "Do you think I should just lie in bed like they ordered!? What about Father's Jaal Tarpan?You don't expect me to miss it, do you!?" Amiya replied "I think we should follow their advice." Jemisha, still upset, exclaimed, "You must be joking! Who do you think you are to keep me from my own father's final rites!?
Amiya, trying to calm the situation, said, "I don't mean that, Jemisha." Jemisha unleashed her frustrations, "Where were you all day today?You You think you'll take Father's place now that he's gone!? You couldn't even wait one day for that." Amiya, reaching her limit, exclaimed, "Enough!" Jemisha persisted, pouring out her pent-up emotions, "You should be focused on finding Aunt Nadi, but you're busy with the royal palace. I didn't know you were so desperate for Father's position that you couldn't even wait a day to claim it." Amiya, overwhelmed, responded firmly, "You don't know anything. You're just lying in bed all day, thinking you know everything that's happening!? Father is gone, and you think I'm happy about it!? Firstly, he's gone because of You. What were you even doing there in the first place? Why did you leave the radius? You should have asked for help instead of trying to be a hero. Is it so hard to listen for once, if you had stayed put father.. he-he might still have been alive!" Amiya said, her voice laced with regret the moment the words left her lips
Jemisha sat there, her heart heavy with regret as Amiya's words pierced through her. The room was filled with a tense silence, broken only by Amiya, She looked at Jemisha with guilt and sorry eyes and stammered, "I-I didn't..."
Jemisha cut her off sharply, "Leave."
Amiya attempted to apologize, "Jemi, I didn't mean—"
"I said leave! Get out before I get up and walk out myself!" Jemisha's tone was final, leaving no room for further discussion. Amiya, with a heavy heart, turned and left, the weight of her words lingering in the air.
Alone in the room, Jemisha wrestled with a torrent of thoughts. The echoes of that haunting day replayed in her mind, each moment dissected a thousand times. She lay down, engulfed in a sea of regrets. "If only I had stayed put, if only I hadn't used my power and stayed within his radius, or if only I hadn't been so insistent on going with him," she whispered to the empty room, the weight of her decisions crushing her spirit.