Manik after dinner directly walked to bed "you sleep today, see how pale you are"

"No Hukum I am fine" she said with broad smile

Manik eyes searched for the happiness in her eyes but couldn't. He could see the pain and tears in her eyes which are tried hard to be in check.

With in no time Nandini slept peacefully, Manik came out of room covering her with duvet, seeing him out of room Siya came forward "Yuvaraj do you need anything?"

"Yes!!! What happened to your bahurani?"

"Yuvaraj!!! She ordered me not say a word to anyone so I can't say, but I need punishment please punish me" she said wiping tears

Manik got more suspicious "Ok it's good thing to be loyal to your master, I won't let you break your loyalty, just say me anything that I can get a clue"

"Yuvaraj!!! Today morning all bahuranis came to visit our bahurani sa"

Manik fist clenched "Hema!!!!! What did she do?"

"Very bad, which I can't say"

Manik opened main door walked away,

Manik walked to ladies wings, it's for all five wives of him, seeing him entering ladies wing, all the dasis ran to their masters to inform about Manik's presence. With in no time whole place became noisy, Manik sat in front of Latha house in corridor.

All ladies came running to visit him "Pranam Hukum!!!"

Manik nodded

Manik just looked at everyone and then called a dasi "now you say me what happened at my place this morning with Nandini"

Everyone started to say "Hukum nothing happened"

Manik looked at them with cold eyes, "shut up no one will talk except her"

"She raised voice on me" Hema said in anger

"I said not a word" Hema tried to say more but his voice was terrific

Manik looked at dasi "speak now"

"Yuvaraj! ....."

"No need to be scared now say"

"Yuvaraj, morning all bahuranis went to meet choti bahurani, she was reading Ramayan, she came out listening the arrival of all, she offered drinks, they made jokes on her"

"Then"

"Choti bahurani asked to meet your children, Badi bahurani got anger she said a lady like you who don't have self respect or dignity who is not rani can't meet them. She asked Kshama, but Badi bahurani shouted on her saying she is from beggars family and I am fool like Hukum"

Manik fisted his knuckles went white

"Choti bahurani sa raised her voice saying you should not talk about Hukum like that he is our husband, but Badi ranisa got angry she slapped her"

Manik got up "what?"

"Yes Yuvaraj and ..."

"Still their is more?" Manik asked in surprise

Hema came forward "she raised her voice"

"Not.a. Single. Word" Manik said in dangerous tone

He turned towards dasi "continue"

"Badi ranisa said that ...."

"If you stop again I will hang you at middle of road say it totally" Manik shouted

"She said I fooled Hukum, you too are fooling him now, choti bahurani sa again said you can say about me whatever you want but you can't talk about Hukum like that he is our husband, Badi ranisa got anger she gave punishment"

"What punishment?"

"To stand under sun without Chappel till sunset with out water and food"

"She stood?"

"Yes Badi ranisa dasi was keeping an eye"

"She stood their till evening?" Manik asked Hema dasi

"Yes Yuvaraj"

"No one among these didn't say a word to Hema to stop?"

"No yuvaraj"

Manik took deep breath he looked at everyone "so you all think that I am a fool?"

"No no yuvaraj" all said in union

"Then why didn't you defend me like Nandini did, when this Hema is saying such things in front of dasis and you all?"

All looked at him with confused look "you want to protect yourself than my dignity and the one who stood up for it got punished hardly, you know why I don't bust you all nor touch you people? Just because of this, you never think above yourself, from day one you just want yourself, you never treated me as husband a Yuvaraj who can provide you all your wishes, so I am providing them not my care nor interest not intimacy you want, Hema is cunning you all know still you want her side so that you can be safe, be safe. I daily feel guilty that I am not doing my duty as husband to you people but daily I get disappointed same as now, any one, among you anyone did check how ami? Did I eat or sleep well? In all these years, you just want your wishes to be fulfilled, you want to meet me when you need something, how can I show love on you? How can I sleep with you people? Why am I even saying this all to you, when I know you don't care anything about this, leave it"

Manik walked to Hema "you made me fool twice, I accept it, now you are fool, you have made something for me which I was craving for all my life, for that gratitude. About today's issue we will talk tomorrow in front of everyone and this time you really made a worst mistake of your life. I will see to it personally" Manik smirked and left.

Manik is beyond hurt, he felt dejected, fooled and even deceived. When ever he got married and was asked to spend a night with them he always expected that this time he will get some one who he can cherish but every time he got disappointed until he met Nandini.

Yes, when he got married to Latha, he was expecting a one who can really feel for her, but Latha is as fool as Hema, on her very first night she demanded her to make queen after their first intimacy, Manik got angry and even felt as she slept with him only to become queen. He stopped going to her again. When ever he got idea of going to her same question pops his mind.

Next marriage with minavathi is not so good, her father traded her for his kingdom, Manik thought she will be one, but Manik was wrong, she demanded Manik to keep her kingdom safe, Manik asked her "you want me or that kingdom?" She said kingdom Manik gave back kingdom but he didn't touch her.

That was it for Manik next two marriages were also same as before they all have some or the other demands to fulfill than having him, Manik accepted his fate, he started to avoid them. But he always felt guilty that he is not giving them their right. Today's incident made him more firm in his decision to keep them away.

Manik came to Nandini he looked at her, took deep breath went to her legs and checked, they are deep pink he touched them softly. She hissed in sleep. He came out asked Siya to bring some butter, she brought. Manik took it and applied on Nandini's feet softly with a feather.

Manik looked at Nandini once again he lifted her care fully in his arms, she stirred a little and was about to wake up, "sleep it's only me" Manik said hugging her to him more. She snuggled more and slept

Manik took her to his chamber, made her sleep in his king size bed and he too slept with her hugging her more kissing her multiple times.