Jahnvi had found a new routine in this foreign land, she would wake up and silently pray asking him to show her the path.

She would then slip into those cotton Anarkali's she had new found appreciation for in the hot weather and then have breakfast with all the ladies in the large hall.

Javed had arranged a room for her right opposite from Sirat's and now she often stared out of the window which looked into the inner courtyard of the palace instead of the streets of Hyderabad.

It was surprising how welcoming the harem was towards her, she had often imagined women burning in rage and jealousy inside these walls, but here she had been welcomed and soon in a matter of days was accepted as one of their own.

Jahnvi had come to know that the king of Hyderabad had two more wives apart from the Begum, all marriages were for building strong alliance except his marriage to Nusrat, his queen which was pure love but over time the love fizzled away turning Nusrat bitter.

After breakfast Jahnvi would often entertain herself sitting along the window and reading a book or found herself painting the view from her window, later in the day she would join her two new friends Muskaan and Rukhsar for dance. She would teach the little girls the art of dancing.

Back at home Jahnvi had been training in traditional Indian kathak since she was seven, her father had insisted as he wanted Jahnvi to posses the same skill set as her late mother, and truly nothing gave her more joy than to let her feeling vent at the beat of music.

One such day, after almost two months of her living under the Nawab's roof, she was in the middle of teaching the little girls a the sharp movements of kathak when there was a knock on the door of the room.

"Jahnvi didi." Her personal server, a girl just of fourteen summers called out to her.

"Yes Farah ?"

"Sehzadi Sirat has asked for your presence in her room."

"Alright. Please relay the message that I'll be with her shortly."

Sirat and Jahnvi had developed a friendship, she often found herself in Sirat's company, exploring different parts of the palace with her.

Sirat stood in front of her like a shield on multiple occasions when the Nusrat, Begum of Hyderabad had tried to belittle her or mock her.

Jahnvi quickly jogged to her room which was not far away from where she was and changed into a new set of clothes, rubbing the itar on herself to mask any stench of sweat she opened her hair which were now damp and let them air dry.

She walked out of her own room and stood in front of Sirat's. She knocked the door and pushed it open, not waiting for her permission.

"Hello !" Jahnvi called.

"Inside, come inside."

Jahnvi followed the sound to Sirat's store where her trunks were kept.

Sirat was peering inside one of her trunk while a few attendants were placing her clothes and jewellery in another.

"Sirat what storm hit in here." Jahnvi joked sitting on the diwan kept against the wall.

"A big one Jahnvi." Sirat replied throwing clothes towards the attendants who worked mechanically in folding and placing the garment into the trunk.

"What ?"

Sirat turned around and her blood shot eyes had Jahnvi on her feet, worried.

"Ammi is very sick, they say she may not make it." Sirat informed Jahnvi.
"I have to go before she .. before she leaves forever." Sirat broke down.

"Of course, of course." Jahnvi said moving towards Sirat, she placed her hand on her shoulder and squeezed.
"Stay strong Sirat." Jahnvi said and sirat nodded.

"It's just so sudden."

"If you want I can come with you." Jahnvi said. "If of course they permit me to leave."

"No, no you stay here, Nusrat baji will be coming and I don't want her to make it difficult for you, Javed bhai too is coming along and it's a long ride to Malaypuram. It will be the last time we see our mother." She said and broke into sobs, Jahnvi bunches sirat into her arms and hugged her tight, she wished she could understand Sirat's pain, she wished she had lost her mother just like Sirat but what she had gotten was by far worse.

Jahnvi decided to stay the night with Sirat, they were to leave immediately after early morning prayers.

The entire night Sirat had tossed and turned, not a wink of sleep had come to either of them, with the first blare of the Aazan, Sirat had gotten up to do her wazu and was on her knees in front of the almighty offering her fajr.

Jahnvi meanwhile got all of Sirat's belonging going, they had no time to waste. They had a long journey ahead of them and time was not in their favour.

After Sirat had finished her prayer the two walked towards the hall from where they could exit the harem, Nusrat stood their along with their brother Javed.

"I'll see you soon." Sirat said turning towards Jahnvi and smiled at her.

"Stay strong Sirat." Jahnvi whispered and sirat nodded.

Javed looked at her gave her a kind nod, and for once Nusrat did not sneer looking at her, they all looked pitiful.

Soon the siblings exited the palace and suddenly Jahnvi felt alone.

•••

Two days after the Mirza siblings had departed the news of their mother's death had reached the palace.

Jahnvi prayed that her soul rest in peace and wished all the power to the three of them to deal with their loss.

"Jahnvi baji you have been called by Begum Parineeti." One of the ladies who served the Nawab's youngest wife said as she entered Jahnvi's room as she painted on the white fabric stretched on the wood.

"Right now ?" Jahnvi asked as she placed the brush in between her fingers.

"Yes." The female attendee replied.

"Alright." She said washing her hand in the clean wash bowl and drying her hands, she followed the lady to a different section of the harem.

They entered a room at least three times bigger than hers, beautifully decorated with rich drapes and fabrics.

"Jahnvi." Parineeti said looking at her with a smile on her face. "I haven't seen you in almost a week. With Nusrat Baji gone please step out a little and enjoy the little freedom you have."

"I .. I've been just reading in my room."

"Yes I can see, you look pale, step out in the sun." She said taking Jahnvi's hand into hers. "Well I've called you here to take you along with me."

Jahnvi looked at Parineeti confused. Yes the other wives of the king had been surprisingly welcoming and warm towards her but she wasn't friends with them, she wasn't friends with anyone in this palace.

"Go.. go where Begum ?" She asked addressing the woman formally.

"It's the first day of Shravan, let's go to the temple and pray and then there is a fair we could go there as well." She said excited. "There a lot of them to give me company but nobody to pray with me."

Jahnvi had never been a religious person herself, she did believe in god but visiting temples and kneeling down in devotion wasn't a part of her daily routine.

"Sure." She said with a small forced smile.

Parineeti let of out a small shrill squeal and then sent her maid to get the carriages ready for the their departure into the city.

She would step out of this cage, even if it was to catch a breath of fresh air. She felt her heart sing. But Jahnvi's happiness wasn't something very long lasting, she should have foreseen the doom that was to befall on her.

•••

AN: you guys are wonderful. You keep me so motivated and feel so loved, I can't thank you enough. I love you all so much, I am so grateful.
Truly.
Lots of love
xoxo