text: Once there was a king update Wednesday 11 May 2022
  Once there was a king 11 may 2022: Thakur questions his ladies who posted this name plate. Rani announces she did, to introduce him as Female Thakur. Shabnam was with Rani, and accuses Thakur of ruining Nusrat’s name and funeral. She spits over Thakur. Rani says Thakur’s wife and daughter should also realize who exactly he is. She apologizes his ladies that Thakur can’t respect any woman. Thakur warns Rani to pay huge cost for playing with his name.In the palace, Raja was worried for Rani and goes to check for her. Rani returns and cries hugging Raja. He was worried.
  Rani says it’s not about humans but about God; why is two people’s fate so different. Raja calls Rani really courageous, Rani holds Raja as her back through all this. Raja assures his side throughout their life.The next morning, governor scolds Rani for her tussle with Thakur. Now two people from one party are against each other. He warns Rani that her seat has a respect, and it can be difficult to retain. Rani says she remembers the responsibilities, she was appointed to serve public and not powerful people. She won’t bend in front of Thakur Baldev. Thakur comes to taunt governor for not being able to bend Rani, Raja comes to warn Thakur about Rani’s powerful back. If she gets a single scratch, Thakur will lose his hands. He comes to Rani’s office who thanks him.
  In the palace, Rani sits on the couch. She was worried and was of no mood to work. Raja suggests to go out somewhere, in a circus or a movie. Rani asks to stay alone, with him. Raja cheers. Meenu comes to inform Nawab Iqbal is here, he took an appointment for land inspection. Rani denies meeting him. Raja tells Meenu that Rani would come, he says Rani should go. Rani was angry at Iqbal, but Raja reminds its her work. She took an oath to serve the people here. Rani leaves. Raja instructs the guard to be with Rani Gayatri all the time, no matter where she is.In the way, Rani sat silently. Iqbal shows her the map of the place, and instructs her about the land. A car stops by where a man had gun in his hands.
  Rani signs the papers, Iqbal’s guard requests to go to his home which is nearby. Iqbal takes the keys. Rani says if Iqbal could see himself from her view, he must have hated himself as much as Rani does. Iqbal opens the door to Rani and drives for her. The guards stood alert. Thakur holds the gun saying Rani and Nawab have mocked him well already, now he would see how they are saved from this poisonous snake.It was late at night, and raining. The guards finds a refuge for themselves and were on their way when hit by Thakur’s car where he sat masked. Rani asks Iqbal if he knows about Amirkot’s way.
  Iqbal says the car behind is also going to Amirkot. Rani was worried for her guards, Iqbal says it’s raining heavily, and they must be coming soon. Thakur loads the gun, thinking he has a single chance to take away MLA’s life.Raja was trying to listen to radio. Ambika comes to him, worried for Rani. The radio announcer requests anyone to leave Amirkot, as the weather may be dangerous. Rani tells Iqbal to drive a bit fast, but Iqbal says it’s raining heavily. Thakur shots a bullet, Iqbal drifts the car turning it on another way. Thakur warns his man to follow Rani. Rani questions Iqbal why she brought the car on the wrong path. Their car was suddenly stuck at a closed end. Thakur looks around for Rani’s car.
  Iqbal tries to start the car. Rani was worried and accuses Nawab. Iqbal replies he didn’t do this deliberately. He was leaving the car, but Rani wasn’t fond of going out in such bad weather. Iqbal says they must go by themselves to find help.
  Raja heads to find Rani, but the radio news say the route between Amirkot and the adjoining city is broken.Iqbal leaves Rani alone. A man comes to knock at Rani’s car door.Iqbal leaves the car. The masked man had spotted Rani’s car. Rani thinks she should have called Raja. Iqbal knocks at the door of car, he asks her to come along with him as his morals doesn’t allow him leave her alone. She needs companionship and protection.
  Rani insists Nusrat was the one who needed him the most. He drags her out of the car forcefully, she screams out of fear of thunder, and wish Raja was here. Raja drives looking for Rani, the guards tell him the route is dangerous and no car passed through this way.Rani follows Iqbal through the forest, asking where they are going. Iqbal says may be there is a way to Amirkot. Thakur finds foot prints of Rani and Iqbal walking towards forest. Raja finds the guards, who narrate him the whole incidence of accident. Raja was worried, and sends them both to look for Rani in the forest.
  On a spot, Rani choses a way opposite to Iqbal. Iqbal insists men are better aware of ways, Rani wishes he was aware of life’s ways as well, at least Nusrat would have survived then. They part silently. Rani hears Raja calling her name, then thinks maybe it’s a doubt. Thakur arrives at the same point, toss and goes towards the way Rani went. Thakur caught Rani and points a gun towards her. Rani was shocked watching the masked man, then attacks him with the wooden log and run for life. Thakur pulls the trigger, but there was no bullet. Rani hits Iqbal while running, Iqbal pushes her behind him and wrestles with Thakur, beating him badly. A thorn pricks Rani’s foot. She watches Iqbal struggling to take off Thakur’s mask who flee pushing Iqbal away. Iqbal scolds Rani for getting away from him.
  He requests her to move on, then notices her injured foot. Rani tells him to go. Iqbal wasn’t ready to leave her alone. Iqbal says Raja needs her support, what would he thought of him if he leaves. Rani says she thought Raja was here in the forest. Iqbal tells Rani it was Raja’s call, he gets a chance to drag the thorn off her foot. She screams, Iqbal says it was necessary to be done and asks to place her hand over his shoulder. Rani says his shoulders are really weak, they couldn’t attend Nusrat’s funeral and throw the soil over her grave. Iqbal was enraged and furiously tells her Nusrat was his life, and everything. Rani thinks no one can stop Iqbal making up false in front of the world.
  Iqbal spots a mud house in the forest and asks her to go there, may be they can find help. He insists on her to come along, they both need help this time. Rani gives her hand to Iqbal, he places it around his neck and helps her walk.The mud house was empty, Iqbal says they can stay here for a while. Rani walks inside, Iqbal follows. Raja finds Iqbal’s car and calls Rani around, worried. She finds her earring ring fallen and follows the way.Iqbal calls Rani stubborn who isn’t letting him clean her injury. Rani asks why he didn’t come to Nusrat’s funeral. Iqbal considers it a personal matter. Rani says it was connected to Nusrat, its not personal; she wants to know if Iqbal is telling the truth or Shabnam was right.
  Iqbal tells her he used to study in Lucknow with Nusrat in same college. She was a poet, they loved each other. He decided to marry, but their biggest enemy was Nusrat’s stepfather. He had to leave for abroad, but he promised to make up her father and marry her. When he returned, he came to know Nusrat had already been sold at Heera Mandi. Shabnam provided him a last chance to meet Nusrat. Nusrat wasn’t ready to come along, as she considered herself impure. He used to meet her daily, she only agreed to marry him one last time and as he went for arrangements she died. He found the letter, and shows it to Rani. He reads it, ’I know you can bear all the disgrace for her but she can’t; she only requests him not to attend her funeral.’ Rani was shocked to hear this.
  Raja watches Thakur standing behind a tree, and comes to grab his neck warning to kill him otherwise. A car passes by, Thakur flee. Raja cries worried about Rani.Rani shakes hand with Iqbal.Thakur was travelling with Sakina who watched Rani’s photo. She tells Thakur to come inside, as he has earned himself disgrace of being unsuccessful. Thakur comes to apologize, Nusrat furiously breaks a glass and points the knife at Thakur’s neck for failing her. She says she worked so much to kill that Rani and even died in front of world. When Bhai ji comes to know Rani is still alive, Thakur won’t survive as well. She throws a knife at Rani’s face, saying her Nusrat Apa is coming to kill her now.
  Rani comes to help Iqbal burn the stove. Nusrat comes with Sakina hurriedly, to kill Rani before Raja arrives. Rani tells Iqbal only women can light a stove and helps him with it. Nusrat and Sakina spot the hut, and come to knock at the door. Iqbal goes to check who it is, he cautiously opens the door. Rani nods at Iqbal who opens the door with a jerk. Raja attacks Iqbal, Rani hurries to hug Raja tightly. Nusrat says her fate isn’t with her today, Raja has reached Rani before they could. Rani assures Raja she is fine, then cries in pain of foot. Raja questions Iqbal but Rani tells Raja Iqbal saved her twice. Sakina suggests Nusrat to shoot the three of them here, but Nusrat says its Bhai Ji’s instructions to kill Rani anyway. They will attack Rani when the three leave.
  Raja tells Rani that the masked man was Thakur Baldev Singh. He thanks Iqbal for saving Rani’s life, and keeps a hand over his shoulder. Iqbal nods approvingly. Raja says it’s about dawn, and rain has stopped too; they should leave. In the way, Iqbal notices bleeding in Rani’s foot, he tells Raja to stay with Rani and goes to arrange for some medicine. Raja boasts about making Iqbal run away. Rani says he is being mischievous even here, and gets intimate with her. Nusrat points the gun towards Rani, but Raja had hugged her tight. Nusrat takes an aim and was about to pull the trigger, Iqbal comes to slap her hard. He recalls having spot Nusrat and Sakina when he left for medicine; then clutches his fist and kneels in front of Nusrat.
  He asks whom she wanted to kill, Raja or Rani. He then questions what she thought? Nusrat says Rani must be killed, didn’t he say this Bhai ji? Iqbal says he has changed his decision. Nusrat says she did so much, became a call girl, and his lover and then her fake death; now what? Iqbal says friendship is more painful than enmity, and now Rani considers him as a friend. It’s never enjoyable to shoot in chest but to stab in the back, they will get their punishments like never before. The enemies have again written the story, both Raja and Rani would be dead. Nusrat observes Iqbal.
  In the palace, Rani was worried how Thakur could fell so much. Raja watches Ambika and forbids her tell Ambika about anything. Ambika was concerned, Rani says it was raining heavily so they spent night in a hut.
  Nusrat questions Iqbal why he has changed his decision to kill Rani, what magic has Rani done. Iqbal says it’s enjoyable to play with people like toys.
  Rani assures Ambika she is save, and watches a new idol in the temple.
  Iqbal tells Nusrat he wants to revenge Rani, not kill her. First he went to see her at oath taking, then Javed and Sakina made her hate him. Then he played his most important card, Nusrat. Thakur had instructed Nusrat to hand herself in a way that her weight was centered on her back and not neck.
  In the funeral, Thakur stopped the funeral and took Nusrat away. They all buried a fake dead body. Later he got her attacked in the forest, then cried fake tears in front of her. She became friends with him, and it laid the foundation of their destruction.