This is a double update, please read 69 chapter before reading this chapter.

This update is dedicated to everyone whose name starts with letter "H"
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There was a steel mess with holes separating Navya's basement room and the floor I walked. It's as if the clown is trying to pull down the kids. I gulped with that thought and concentrated to speak with Navya.

She is looking like a mess. Her hair is matted like birds nest, her eyes hollow and voice raspy. Her clothes were tattered as well which we can assume she never had a chance to change her clothes all these seven months.

"Are you okay?" I questioned her and tried to reach me with her tiptoes. The distance was high.

I tried to wriggle the door knob so that she could come out and breath some air but Navya stopped me.

"No. I am in the basement and as soon as you open the door you will fall into this pit. I am in a 20 feet room and that door is just a precaution to not let us escape. Don't open it." She said with her raspy voice.

I almost felt like crying seeing her in this situation. I know she hurt me but she is the one I grew up with and I felt emotional.

"What are you doing here, Nandini? Are you okay?" She questioned me.

I nodded my head.

"Yes. I wanted to see if you are doing good. Are they treating you well?"

She chuckled as a tear passed her cheeks. "Even a criminal gets a proper treatment in the dungeon of Malhotra Empire. But I am treated less than a outlander. That bitch and that son of a bitch are evil. I will not leave them."

"Who are they? Also, Navya, are you getting food?"

"Who else? Niyonika and her son, Harshad. They must be damned in hell. Food? I am getting tortured everyday here. Sometimes I eat the wall paint and sometimes the food which was stale. I... I even tried to kill myself unable to bear the torture." She cried.

I tried to console her but the iron mess was in between us. "You were hungry all these months and I couldn't even help you even when you asked me for some food. Sorry, Navya. Sorry."

"When did I ask you food?"

"You signalled towards your stomach when Harshad threw you out of the mansion." I replied recalling the scene.

"You thought I was hungry?" She shook her head. "No. I was pregnant. I was pregnant with Harshad's child."

I gasped.

"Pregnant? Like real baby inside your tummy? A baby which will make your tummy so huge and you could hold entire plate of food on it?"

"Yes. My baby." She sniffed rubbing her stomach.

"But you look so skinny. Why don't you look like Priya Aunty?" I questioned.

She broke down into huge sobs. "My baby. They killed my baby."

I frowned.

"How? Priya Aunty said baby comes after nine months then how did they kill your baby? A baby inside a tummy doesn't steal a map to get killed. Then how is it possible?" I paused as another thought hit me. "Did your internal organs eat the baby thinking it as a food and digested it."

Navya stared at me for a moment and slapped her forehead repeatedly.

"I regret. I regret every time I taught you wrong answers, Nandini. Now I am experiencing all my sins. Oh God! I don't even have someone who could understand my pain. You are not even understanding and it's all my fault." She cried more.

Why is she saying all this now?

"Navya. What are you speaking?"

She wiped her tears and looked at me with painful eyes. "Nandini, you know Priya Aunty had a baby after nine months right?"

I nodded.

"Even I would have a baby in sometime if Niyonika or her son did not kill my baby in my womb." I was about to question her but she cut me off. "They poisoned me so that the baby dies inside me without coming into this world."

"Does it mean Niyonika stopped you from getting your tummy huge like Priya Aunty?" I questioned and she nodded. "That means you won't be able to balance the plate on your stomach now. Lol."

She looked pale as soon as I finished my sentence. Navya once again hit her forehead and cried aloud.

"Why did I have to make you so dumb? I could atleast have a friend instead of getting into this dirty politics. I shouldn't have listened to my mother and turned you dumb. Why? Why? What can I do in this lifetime to have an innocent soul like you on my side?" She cried hitting herself.

This scene was quite disturbing. So, I tried to divert her breakdown.

"Navya, but why would Niyonika and Harshad kill your baby? It is Harshad's baby, then why would he want to say goodbye to it?"

"Because they want to clean the evidence. They could have even killed me, but dungeon death is something Boss will never agree. That's why they decided to kill my baby and torture me till I give up on my own."

"What evidence?"

"The evidence that Harshad is having a baby with me. If anyone knows it he wouldn't be able to marry you, The real Murthy Princess. To hide his mistake Niyonika killed my baby."

Am I indirectly responsible for Navya's baby death?

"Wait a second. Baby comes after marriage right? Does it mean Harshad married you already? Why did he marry you if he wants to kill it?"

Navya shook her head.

"Oh my Princess! Please leave all that aside and concentrate. Baby can happen even before marriage if you have sex. And Harshad thought I was the real Murthy Princess and had sex with me so that I would marry him right away and he could run away with the property. He wanted to impress his mother by giving her an offspring and I thought he really loved me." She cried holding the brooch on her dress. It was my family heirloom.

I gasped.

"You both had S.E.X. You both did all those things my grandmother spoke about?"

I made a disgusting face with the thought of Navya kissing the Bullock Cart on his lips.

Eww!

Now I understood what happened here. So, Navya fell in love with Harshad and took my place to marry him. Harshad thought she was real princess and faked his love. They both had S.E.X. as Navya was so much in love with Harshad and that Bullock Cart wanted to lock her with him using the child. He did it for money and she did it for love. As soon as I told the truth about my identity, he didn't want a baby with a maid so he killed the baby with his mother's help.

I sat with a thud as it's too much information.  I can't believe the Bullock Cart could think so much. I thought I escaped a toxic marriage even before knowing the depth. And I am glad I escaped.

Manik is right, not everything is about promises, sometimes we have to think rationally according to the situation.

I looked at her pity situation and felt sorry for her. She has been used by everyone, her love who promised stars for her, her Niyonika who stuck to her like second skin, and even her blood mother. She was just a pawn.

I wish I could hug her and comfort her.

"Let's not think all this, Navya. First come outside." I said trying to move the iron mesh.

"It won't open easily, Nandini. There is a latch on the door from inside which is atleast 12 feet above the ground. I don't even have a bed to stand up."

I looked around for anything long to pull her up so that she could remove the latch. But this area was dimly lit and it made difficult to spot the objects around.

"Nandini, don't look for anything. Just narrate everything to the Boss. He will help us. We have to bring Harshad's truth out." She said without having any knowledge about what's happening outside.

I stood up and took a few steps, my feet touched something long a cylindrical and I picked it up. It was a water pipe which lead to the tanker far away from here. This is would help us.

I dragged the pipe along with me and shoved it inside the hole of the iron mesh.

"Harshad took the Boss position as soon as Manik got stabbed by the Rathore's men." I said pushing the pipe further down.

She no longer seemed interested in the pipe or escape. "What? No. I don't want to live anymore. He can never be a Boss. Harshad is a greedy man. He would sell his mother if situation arises for his comfort." She paused and came further to look at me. "Why did you risk your life by coming here? Where is the Boss? If Harshad finds out you will be in danger."

I rolled my eyes at everyone getting afraid of that Bullock Cart. He is a buffoon. How should I say that this man is lying on the bed with diapers right now?

"Manik is unconscious and he is in the headquarters. You don't worry about Harshad, it's midnight and he will be sleeping till 11 in the morning." I moved the pipe to get her attention. "Now, hold this pipe and come out."

"Nandini, listen to me. I am not worth it. The crickets noise is slowly dying which means it's closer to 3 o'clock in the early hours. Just go before the sun shines." She was adamant.

"Stop wasting time, girl. Hold it. Now." I said a bit louder and that did the magic as she held on to it.

Navya tried her best to climb the pipe but her weak body didn't coperate with her and she fell down like a puddle.

"I can't Nandini, leave me here. Without Boss there is no hope left." She said helplessly.

I sat holding my knees together and rested my head on them while I spoke with her. "Everyone misses Manik in their life. He made a difference in everyone's life, he is a precious man. Navya, you know something, Manik didn't kill my family. He shot only your mother who was trying to kill me."

Navya sighed.

"I have been telling you the same from the beginning. The Boss has no reason to kill your family. I would have cared a bit for my mother but I now I give a damn about her. If she was alive I would kill her with my own hands." She said with anger.

As a few seconds passed she spoke again. "Rathore Empire killed your family."

"What?" This got my interest.

"Rathore has only motive, to destroy Malhotra Empire. He attacked with my mother's help as soon as she heard that you will be getting married to Harshad. She wanted me to take your place and live a happily ever after as soon as the Murthy territory is destroyed. I am sorry, Nandini." She said not looking at my face.

I took a deep breath remembering Navya's mother. She was my godmother, I treated her with equal respect as my mother. I couldn't form a thought of her trying to harm me and my family behind that kind face.

"You were a pawn in their game. We both are manipulated, you by your mother and I by you." I said without a hint of an anger. "That's okay, I am not angry on you. Let's first escape from here and we can catch up later."

I walked further and further to look for something which could help us out of this situation. I finally reached the tanker extremely far away from Navya's room. Those dungeon walls are now appearing tiny from the place I stood.

The tanker still has the pipe connected to it. The same pipe I threw inside Navya's room. One end is on my side and the other end is on Navya's side. Which only means a solution!

We all remember the story of a thirsty crow. The crow would throw stones inside a pot of shallow water and the internal organs of the pot pushes the water up. Now we shall apply the same theory on Navya.

I opened the big tap attached to the tanker and pipe by twisting it till the end. The gurgling sound filled the pipes and the inflated pipe is now filled with gush of water.

Experiment number 2: To make Navya reach the door latch by filling the water inside her room.

Apparatus: Water tanker, Water Pipe,
Nandini the Dragon, Navya the pawn.

Subject: 24 year old, Navya, the baby lost-er.

Method: Filling Navya's room with water so that she could float to the surface of the room and come out.

Results: Pending in a few hours.

...

How is the update?

Navya spoke a lot of details which Nandini needs to hear.

Should we forgive Navya? What shall we do with her?

What do think of experiment number 2?

Do you have any ideas for next update?