Nandini was pulling Manik through the halls when she saw Ranveer walking.

"Ranveer Bhaisa!" Nandini called out. She walked over to him. "Aapke saath baith ke baat karne ka toh mauka hi nahi mila humme..."

Hearing Nandini, Ranveer turned towards her voice. 

"Mewar ki choti rani humse baat karna chahti hai? Kyun?" He asked in a taunting voice.

"Aap...aise kyun bol rahe hai? Aap humare devar ke saath saath humare bhai bhi toh hai...." Nandini said.

"Pehli baat.....tumhare pati ko hum bhai mante nahi hai. Dusri baat.....tumhari parivaar ne jo humare maasima ke saath kiya, uske baad hum tumhe apni behen bhi nahi mante. Toh tum jitna  ho sake utna door raho humse." Ranveer said rudely. Manik was used to this behaviour from Ranveer so he didnt say anything but noticed Nandini felt bad and her eyes got teary.

"Rajkumar Ranveer!" Manik yelled. He walked upto his brother. "Nandini ko behen nahi mante, bhabhi nahi mante...thik hai. Par woh yahan ki Rani bhi hai...iss liye agar phirse humne tumhe Nandini se aise baat karte hue dekh liye toh bilkul acha nahi hoga tumhare liye."

"Maharaj...." Nandini protested but Manik didnt listen. He grabbed Nandini's hand and walked away, leaving Ranveer where he stood. Finally, they reached Manik's room and Nandini released her hand. "Aapko aaj ho kya gaya hai?"

"Kya?" Manik asked.

"Wahan bahar sainik ko dhamki de diya...yahan Ranveer Bhaisa ko! Dono baar, humare liye. Kyun? Aapko humari itni fikar kabse hone lagi?" Nandini asked.

Manik opened his mouth to reply but couldnt come up with anything....because even he didnt know why. All he knew was that he didnt like seeing Nandini cry and he most def didnt like anyone saying bad things about her. Of course thats not what he said to her though. "Woh....tum Mewar ki Choti Rani ho na....tumhari beizzati matlab Mewar ki beizzati. Iss liye."

"Bas?" Nandini asked, looking Manik in the eyes.

"H...Haan..." Manik replied, looking away. "Aur kya?"

"Hmm....aur kya...." Nandini nodded.  "Acha...abhi aap aaram kijiye."

"Mujhe nahi-"

"Shart!" Nandini reminded him & Manik gritted his teeth. She pointed to the bed & Manik reluctantly walked over to lay down. She smiled & then turned to leave when she felt a tug on her dupatta. "Maharaj! (gasp) Yeh...yeh kya kar rahe hai aap?"

"Nandini....piche dekho." Manik replied. Nandini turned and saw her dupatta had gotten stuck on the table while Manik was nowhere close to touching it. She turned red with embarrassment as Manik couldnt help but laugh. 

"Woh...humme laga...." Nandini couldnt complete her sentence.

"Haan haan....Hum samajh gaye, tumne kya socha!" Manik smirked. 

"Hum....humme shayad Ranima bula rahi hai!" Nandini came up with an excuse & ran out. She was walking down the hall when she heard something break. "Arre...yeh toh Rani Elian ke kamre se hai....woh thik toh hai na?"

Nandini started towards Eliana's room when she saw through the window that Eliana picked up another vase and threw it against her wall in anger. " Argh! Humne itna sab kuch kiya par baar baar woh Nandini jeet rahi hai! Woh saap...usse Nandini ko dasna tha par usne humare Manik ko das diya aur Rani Nandini....woh sabke samne mahan ban gayi, Manik ki jaan bacha ke!" 

Eliana thought she was venting alone in her room but didnt realize Nandini heard everything from the window. 

"Kya....matlab, Maharaj ki jaan Rani Eliana ki vajah se khatre mein they? Uski itni himmat...usne humme maarne ki koshish ki?" Nandini thought to herself angrily. "Nahi....isse sabak toh seekhana hi hoga....Rakshika style."

**********************************************

That night, everyone was asleep aside from the guards. Eliana was also sleeping in her bedroom when a figure climbed in through her balcony. This was none other than Nandini...in her Rakshika getup. She took out her sword and held it to Eliana's neck, making her wakeup.

"Kaun ho tum?" Eliana demanded to know. Being a queen, she wasnt scared but instead had full attitude. Nandini didnt reply and just pressed the sword a bit more so that a drop of blood came out....but not too deep. "Ahh-"

"Shhhh...." Nandini disguised her voice, making it deeper than it actually is. "Awaz kiya toh yehi pe gala kaat ke rakh dungi.."

"K...K...K...Kya....Ch..ch....chahte ...h..ho..t...tu..tum?" Eliana looked terrified, now that she realized how serious things were. 

"Sunna hai tumne Rani Nandini ko maarne ki saazish ki." Nandini replied. Eliana was shocked.

"Tumhe kaise....kaun ho tum?" She asked.

"Humara naam Rakshika hai. Hum achon ke saath ache aur burron ke saath BOHOT burre hai." Nandini said. 

"L...Lekin...hum...hum burre nahi hai." Eliana tried convincing her. "Hum toh bohot ache hai!"

"Acha?" Nandini asked, raising one eyebrow. "Tumne Rani Nandini ko maarne ki koshish ki....tumhari vajah se Maharaj ke jaan pe baan aayi.....yeh ache logon ki harkate hain??"

"Nahi...woh...hum toh..."

"CHUP!" Nandini said angrily. "Tumhe jo karna tha...kar liya. Ab saaza bhukto."

"Kya???" Eliana whimpered.

Next Morning

"Ranisa...." One of Eliana's maids, Jhilmil walked in stood there in shock. "Haye bhagwan! Rani Eliana!!! Koi hai!! Koi hai!!"

Hearing her, the guards ran in and along with Manik, Priya & Nandini. Everyone gasped in shock.

 "Mmmnn! Mnm!" There in front of them was Eliana, her mouth was tied with a dirty rag and her hands were tied behind her back. She herself was hanging from the chandelier.....upside down. Her feet was tied to the chandelier and her hair was of course a mess from hanging upside down so long.

"Eliana!" Manik ran to her and with the help of guards, got her down. Eliana sat on her bed sobbing, her makeup which was always perfect ...even in her sleep, was smudged all over her face. "Yeh...yeh sab kya hai? Kisne kiya?"

"Woh...woh...usne khud ko...Rakshika bulaya..." Eliana cried. "Paata nahi kaha se andar aa gayi.....usne humme latka ke....latka ke...."

"Latka ke kya?" Priya asked. "Kya kiya usne?"

Nandini smirked to herself remembering what she did.

Flashback

Eliana was tied upside down, hanging from the chandelier and Rakshika tied a dirty rag around her mouth to muffle her voice. Then Nandini took out a whip and started whipping her.

"MMNN!! MNNNMM!!" Eliana cried out with every hit. After a bit, Nandini decided to stop and just left her hanging there. She climbed out the balcony and left.

Flashback Ends

"Kya? Tumhare kamre ke bahar sainik kya kar rahe they?" Manik asked. 

"Maharaj..." One guard spoke up. "Woh dono toh soh rahe hai."

"Soh rahe hai?" Manik & Priya went to the doorway and found the two guards slumped against the wall in one side, snoring.

"Yeh toh bohot hi ajeeb hai Manik." Priya said. "Kaun hai yeh Rakshika....kabhi Mewar ki shahi tijori ko bachi hai toh kabhi Mewar ki Rani ke aise hamla? Kya chahti hai yeh Rakshika?"

"Wahi toh samajh nahi aa raha hai....aur yeh itni asani se gayab kaise ho jaati hai?" Manik asked. 

"Ek aur baat.....agar jaise Rani Eliana ne kaha, woh balcony se bahar gayi toh uska matlab woh wahi se andaar bhi aayi hogi....hai na?"

"Haan..."

"Phir kamre ke bahar sainik ko kisne sulaya?" Priya asked. 

"Arre haan...yeh toh humne socha hi nahi." Manik realised she was right. "Iska toh yeh matlab hai.....koi hai jo iss Rakshika ki madat kar rahe hai. Shayad koi mahal mein hi...."

While Manik & Priya were discussing this, Nandini stood to the side with an innocent expression while Eliana was still sobbing like a baby.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thoughts?

How was Eliana's punishment?

Will Manik find out about Rakshika?