A/n : I just re read the last two chapters and I am so confused😷😭😭😭. How do you guys even put up with the nerdy crap I write and the thing is, it doesn't make any sense. I fucking broke the Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle to some space time thing, which I must admit sounded really cool when I theorized it but now..... Not so cool!!!

Any opinions as to how should I clean up that mess or should I make Mr. Schroedinger commit imaginary suicide, too? (That is if he were alive to see how I've possibly broken his theory!)😭😭😳😳

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Chapter 20

"You get it?" He asked as he himself was utterly confused and seeked some clarification. "I think so...." she paused for a moment before deciding to wing it.

"You see, Dr. Maverick said something about traveling as waves. Maybe I did travel in time and entered the oblivion. I don't even know for how long I stayed in that 'nowhere' but it must be long enough to make me travel so far away in an alternate universe! The longer I stayed, the farther I travelled in space. And since I travelled thousands of years back, my waves must be fast to cover up so much distance!" She grinned finally understanding the few lined hypothesis.

"I...," Aditya said who was still speechless. He felt dumb since it all sounded the same. "So you know how to get back?" A small dry voice asked her as he felt his energy draining. As much as he didn't want to admit, the idea of losing her made him go nuts. Not another person. Please don't take her away from me. He found himself mentally begging and praying the unseekable and the most powerful.

"I know how the concept works but no, I don't have any clue as to how to get back. I don't even have that locket anymore." She sounded dejected and it killed him from inside. Had he caged her? Did she miss her own world? What if she had a family there? A lover? He did not want to think that.

Maisha, on the other hand, was battling with her inner emotions. She missed her parents terribly and her job, of course but her heart belonged here. The man sitting beside her was one of the major factors that tugged her to stay. After feeling a lifetime of emptiness, she had finally found her solace. She laughed bitterly at the irony of love; the fullness it provides to one's soul along with the lurking threat of losing the loved one that takes away a good night's sleep.

"The...," Aditya didn't know how to break the awkward silence that had settled in when both of them were lost in the whirlwind of insecurities, not ready to face the reality staring and mocking them at their faces.

Maisha clasped his hand and entwined his fingers in a unfruitful attempt to ease his anxiety, which was quite unusual for his calm and composed aura. "It's quite late, we should go," he said distantly getting up and shirking off her hand. He cringed inwardly at the glimpse of hurt in her eyes before pacing out of the room, without her.

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The next few days were heartbreaking for Maisha. Aditya ignored her presence, made every attempt to push her away and now, she just couldn't take it anymore. Dev and Chitra came to know about the whole situation and frankly, Dev was on Maisha's side on this one. The circumstances in which they met weren't her fault so why is she the only one who pays for it!?

Apart from the cold war between the two, an astonishing fact that came into light was that it was Chitra herself who helped Dhruv Sindhiya to find out about the function of the clock without having any idea that he was with the enemy, or the fact that he was the lost prince of the Vatakas.

She knew that he was the right hand man of Dev and helping him out would only be beneficial for the kingdom and not to forget her brain getting haywired with curiousity and the itch in her fingers for experimentation upon seeing a new unusual object or a piece of machinery. She profusely apologized to Aditya who was adamant on getting her tried and imprisoned but stopped only after a vehement protest by both Dev and Maisha.

The four, now sat in a trepidatious silence as Chitra, who had successfully convinced Sindhiya to give in the locket in exchange for Meera's safety and reduced sentence, operated the locket inside Aditya's chambers.

"So, it will work in regions of strong magnetic fields and an energy source. It maybe be any energy source but has to be in abundance. A solar flare, maybe. But only of we could trap it's energy. It's just a toy here. No use," she said explaining the working provided the required factors are available.

"So, Sindhiya was playing with me when he said he'd get me home?" Maisha cocked an eyebrow rather annoyed as Chitra snickered a laugh before composing herself and nodding. "I told him I'd find a suitable spot for experimentation."

"Did you?" Aditya asked.

"Not yet, but I've crossed out many options," she informed.

"Then get to it. Fast. I need results by the end of fortnight of this month." He ordered getting up from the shaiya and out.

Maisha was in tears now. Dev went behind Aditya signalling Chitra who nodded and sat beside Maisha trying to console her.

"What is wrong with this dickhead?" She cursed as Chitra hugged her friend stroking her back.

"Why is he so fixed on getting rid of me!?" She broke down sobbing on Chitra's shoulder. "He's just pushing you to protect himself," Chitra said wiping off the smudged kohla.

"I hate these heavy clothes," Maisha said crying out even more as she sat there complaining about everything and expressing her desire to fillet Aditya like a fucking Halibut.

"Stop mourning over that bastard already." Chitra's patience finally gave up after three hours of listening her rants and wiping her tears.

Maisha shuddered at the loud tone of her silent friend who is not at all effective in consoling, but she did stop babbling. "You spoke English?" She asked in a suspicious tone.

"Yes, I did." She sighed.

"But English isn't evolved yet! There's no way for you to even learn it from anywhere?" She sat straight shooting questions one after the other.

"Promise me, that you won't tell anyone." She said a bit scared of the consequences. "You know, I can't. No matter how much I hate him right now, I'm true to this place." Maisha admitted still hoping to get an answer.

"And if I keep my silence, you'd have to bring the matter to His Majesty?" Chitra inquired only to get a confirmatory nod in return.

"Well, I also time travelled. Just like you." The air had been knocked out of Maisha's lungs now. How could that be possible?

"But I came back." Chitra stated fiddling her dupatta with her hands seemingly nervous.

"I... Bu-..... How? When? Who?" Maisha could barely formulate any words as the reality was to unreal to sink in.

"When I was six, Acharya Ganraj lured me to get into some caravan and sent me away. I feel I lived a lifetime in the future and when I finally found a way back, I just came back the way I left, six years old. But I just remembered everything and everyone from there. My foster parents, the technology and oh, I miss the television," Chitra giggled at the faint memories of another life.

"Maybe I won't tell him after all," Maisha smiled getting up and extending out her hand to Chitra who gladly took it and they went out on their ways; Maisha to practice at the training pits and Chitra to her father's workshop. But before they parted, Chitra said to her in hushed tone, "We'll get your Aditya begging for forgiveness," winking.

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A few days later

Maisha charged another attack on Suryabhan Misra who was unknowingly fighting the Queen's internal wrath. "Those are very aggressive moves, Your Majesty," he was getting scared of her now. She was in a full on battle mode and her bloodshot eyes, reddened nose and tear stained cheeks shamelessly displayed the strained relationship between her and the King. While most of the East Wing enjoyed this scene the Suryabhan was terrified of getting his throat slit in a practice match.

"The Great Bengal General can't even handle a small woman? Your King has done a terrible job at recruiting his subjects." Here come the angry taunts.

Life being dear to him, Suryabhan bowed down to the Queen, placing his sword at her feet. "I admit my defeat Your Highness." He said crossing his left hand across his chest while kneeling as a sign of respect between a soldier and a senior. The idle East Wing spectators burst in hushed gossips and whispered comments slandering Maisha and her ferocity to dominate a respected general.

"She just wants to insult the crown and grab His Majesty's attention. Such a power hungry vixen," she heard one of them say.

"She must've bewitched him using wodoo," another snide comment shot up. With the entire Palace knowing about the strained relationship between the King and the Queen and Aditya's evident display of malignant behavior towards her, something of this sort was a free gift. Although it didn't bother her much, but the past two days had been a bit tough. The bimbos were getting on her nerves.

The entire Palace was somehow, divided in two groups, even though they didn't know what the fuss was about. Heck, even Maisha didn't know what it was all about but everyone seemed to have their loyalties prioritised to one party. The atmosphere became all the more tense when Aditya passed by to check on the training pits after a long day at court, at that very moment.

He waved the guards away as everyone in the crowd scampered off leaving him alone with Maisha. Suryabhan gave a last bow to Maisha before leaving. Maisha glared at him. She wanted to slap him right then and there. But he just seemed tired.... and cold. She didn't know he could be that cold. She had never seen that side of him. "Queen Mother has decided to throw a feast in two days, a reception party for you.... us. Subjects and Crowns from neighbouring kingdoms will be there too." He said dryly before turning on his heels and leaving only to be stopped by her voice.

"I am tired Aditya! Would you cut the crap and tell me what is bothering you?" Maisha threw away the sword. She was tired, frustrated and broken. Very broken. "You are," he smirked and for the first time she sincerely wanted to slap him. "So it was physical for you, wasn't it? The chase is over now so you lost interest," her words were more than a slap on his face. "Correct, my queen. I am done with you," he winked.

"I know what sick games you are playing." She cornered him to the balcony before continuing, "You are too scared. Too scared to feel anything, too scared to let go."

He laughed bitterly crossing his arms over his chest, "You think quite highly of yourself. Snap out of it," he snapped his fingers pushing her aside and leaving. "Is it true?" She called out one last time almost breaking down all over again.

"What?"

"You spent last night in one of your Mistresses' chambers?"

"Yes, my Queen," and with that he left her alone.

Somewhere deep down, she knew where all this was coming from. If he wanted to play dirty, she'd make him regret it.

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A/n : I know you guys hate me for this. We all know where this cold treatment is coming from but is there more to this? Maybe....... Maybe not

What if something else was bugging him as well?

Stay tuned to find out!

(Also forgive me for any grammatical errors)