Diya(pov)

My days are spent in silence.... No one to talk to, no one to confide in, nothing to do. I spend my day in my room, walking in the balconies, watching daasis gossiping and having fun while doing their work. Sometimes I see Nawaaz Ji walking with his men, discussing something. He has not talked to me since the last time, when Rukhsaar interrupted us on my first day here.

I have also come across Rukhsaar, but she always either ignores me, or just gives me a disgusted look. I also thought of talking to Begum Ma Sa, But did not have the confidence to go up to her. Aghhh... why am I like this.. if only I had my paints and brushes and some canvas... or just some clay soil to pass my time.I think I should go to the gardens and see if I can pass my time there.

This feels good... fresh air.. smell of the soil, as the gardener waters the plants... this feels more like home, like I am finally feeling something. The smell of the flowers, the wet soil brings a smile to my face... after a very long time.

"So finally, you get out of your hiding place, little dove.. I thought you would stay in your room for your entire lifetime" I hear his voice from behind, his mocking tone. So he did observe my absence. Somehow that thought makes me a bit more happy. I turn and find him smirking at me as usual. But I cannot stop myself from smiling... it has been days since I saw him, his smirk, his kohled penetrating eyes. Not to miss his new nickname for me 'little dove'.... I can hear my heartbeat and that nickname ringing in my ears.

"umm I was getting bored so.." I shrugged and gestured towards the beautiful garden. "Does this take away your boredom?" he asks and I smile... "Yes! This is soo beautifully maintained and soo serene...." I close my eyes and breath in, as if inhaling the peace. I open my eyes and am met with his intense stare. I look away as his one stare is enough to increase my heartbeat. I look down as I feel my cheeks burning.

"So which one is your favourite here?" his deep voice makes me look up and he is looking at me with a certain curious look. I am unable to decipher his expressions. I am unable to understand the meaning behind this sudden talk.

But I am glad that atleast he is talking to me, and is trying to make conversation with me. I turn and look around... admiring every pretty flower, but my eyes get stuck on the white rose. He comes and stands beside me and follows my gaze. "The white rose? That is a weird choice" he questions my choice. "yes. It is soo beautiful to look at! So peaceful, it is like the calm between the chaos of colours of the world." I explain my reasons for the 'weird choice'.

He nods like he understands my reasons... but does not say anything. We both stand there... in the middle of the flower garden, surrounded by pretty flowers and earthy smell of soil, in silence. I try to break the silence. "Do you have any favourite?" I try to continue this conversation, I don't want him to go... I don't know when I will get to see him next, when will I get to talk to him like this again. He turns his head towards me, with a blank expression, deep in his own thoughts I guess. "I don't have any favourites Angel" he shrugs nonchalantly.

He was questioning my choices, when he doesn't even have one. I shake my head, "Nothing?" I ask again, thinking maybe he is indecisive. But he just stares ahead. "Have you ever walked through these gardens?" my mouth blabbers the stupidest question. He lives here, he basically owns this whole land, including the gardens. I am prepared for his laugh or a mocking reply... but there comes none.

He just stares at the gardens.... "No... never had the time" comes his answer as he turns to look at me.. waiting for my reaction. "Well, I am glad you made the time to visit here now.. better late than never is what they say right" my mouth speaks.... But my mind says 'I am glad, you shared this first time experience with me' which I cannot say out aloud.

I turn my head towards those flowers, but I can feel his eyes on me the whole time.... Until a soldier comes and disturbs our peaceful silence. He clears his throat "Don't just hide in your room, explore the palace and adjust with everyone. That will be better for your future, coz this is it for you" he orders me like the Nawaab I met.... Not like the Nawaaz I was just talking to. I sigh and nod. He turns and walks away with the soldiers.

Taking his order as a helpful advise, I finally gather myself I head towards Begum Ma Sa's room. As I enter... I see her sitting on her bed... and staring at something. As I walk closer, she looks up and smiles wide, making me reciprocate. I walk and stand near her and finally I have the view of the thing she was staring soo deeply at..... a pair of beautiful ghunghroos.

She notices me looking at them, and laughs awkwardly. I look away, as I feel like I may have intruded her privacy. She pulls my arms to make me sit with her. "it's ok you can look at them" like always she reads my mind. And on her permission, I look at the ghunghroos. "these are soo pretty, so beautifully designed!" I speak in pure excitement. They just fill my heart with joy for some reason. It is like I am seeing beauty in all things. I had a ghunghroo of my own... without the knowledge of my Pita Ji ofcourse...But I never looked at them like this... like a curious child. They were just an instrument for my dance.

"I know.. these were specially made for me" she speaks with such pride, that makes me smile. "Did you Dance? I thought royals were not allowed to dance... in Rajputs anyway, and Dancing is said to be a profession done only by some people. My father did not allow me to dance.. saying it is not our job, it is not practised by decent family woman." I roll my eyes as I remember his words.

She laughs loudly.... And I am confused whether she laughed on my father's opinions or at my eye rolling. I smile awkwardly. "I assume, your father is someone you don't agree with much?" she teases me.. her statement makes me scoff "Him and I are poles apart" I state. She smiles widely looking at me, finally talking freely.

Suddenly her smile drops "Your Father is correct though... Dance is not made for girls from decent families, not amongst Rajputs, not amongst mongols as well." She sighs. "Really? I thought maybe... there might be different rules" I mumble to myself, which she hears and scoffs. "Woman in all religion have restrictions... restriction of having opinions, restriction of choice, restriction of basically having wishes or dreams in life" she shakes her head in disgust.

I look at this woman in front of me.... Begum Ma Sa as I call her.... Is so different than my Ma Sa. Her views on the male dominated society is similar to mine.. very contradicting to my Ma Sa's thoughts and beliefs. She continues "In our culture, Tawaaifs(courtesans) are trained dancers and singers. They dance in the courts of the Badshah's and royalties."

"That must be a life right.... Just dedicating your life to your art... no human relations or dependency." I think out aloud, on which she laughs, " you are the first person I met who thinks like that" she looks at me with a look that I can't decipher.... "Well anyways, these ghunghroos are beautiful, I wonder how beautiful their owner must be... to compete with their beauty." I say. There is a silence in the room... "their owner is sitting in front of you" she whispers......

"What?? These are yours!! I thought the rules are same for all woman except the Tawaaif's, the dancing girls?" I am confused

She looks down at the ghunghroos and then takes a deep breath.. It feels like she is preparing herself for something... "I was a Tawaaif.... I was Shaayra..... before I became Begum Shaheena" she smiles but with sadness this time. A melancholy surrounds the room. As if the room knows the untold story of Shaayra... I on the other hand am shocked beyond words!!

"ho—How? If you are not comfortable... you don't have to... i—I wont ask or speak about this again" I fumble.. unable to digest her words.

"Diya Beta.. Don't worry, I would not have shared this with you.. if I was not comfortable... if I didn't trust you." she looks me straight in the eyes. And I sit still... "I was a Tawaaif, a dancer in the court with a stage name Shaayra..... our group of dancers were often invited by the royals. The Badshah, was then a Shehzaada.....Shehzaade Ali..." she takes a pause.. a long pause which feels much needed for me as well, to process all this.

"Badshah Ali and I fell in love... a teenage romance... We kept it a secret for a long time... a long time, in the course of which he married his first wife... Begum-e- sultanate, Begum Nusrat. She is his first wife, mother of his first child, My dear Shehzaade Naseer." I am soo tempted to interrupt and ask her about these new names, apparently who are very important names. But I don't want to cut her off. So I stay silent and listen.

"So yes... I stayed silent.. as we promised we will keep this a secret, a forbidden secret love story. But as no secret can be hidden for too long... it also came into light. But In a very wrong way...... I got pregnant with my Nawaaz... and it was at the time of Badshah's crown ceremony that I got to know about my pregnancy.

I had to tell it to Badshah... ofcourse even if he abandoned me, I would have given birth to my child and taken care of him like a prince he truly is.... But luckily for me and unlucky for my child, The Badshah accepted me and Nawaaz in his family..... and I became Begum Shaheena."

I am silent... a lot of things running in my mind.. a lot of new information..... I still can't believe.. this story is true... but the one thing that runs in my mind is..... "Why unlucky for your child? Why did you say it like that?.... Badshah accepting him as his son... So it is lucky for him too right?" I ask, the one and only thing that my mind focused on.

"Beta... Nawaaz would not have been like this... like the cruel Man he has become to be, if the Badshah had not married me and accepted us in this royal family..... My child, lost his innocence, his childhood, his belief in the good.... After becoming Shehzaada Nawaaz-ud-din." She sighs in guilt and regret.

Oooohhhh Twists and Turns on every road of this story!! (evil laugh)

some important info- 'Tawaaifs' in ancient times were the dancers and singers, trained for the entertainment of higher officials, royalties, royal families. They were not prostitutes, and they did not entertain with their bodies, but with their art. (yeah I did my research babies! ;))

So I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter. Shower it with lots and lots of VOTES! and ofcourse, Don't forget to COMMENT your Opinions and views on this chapter.. Oh i just love love love reading all your comments!!!!