They returned to Oxford and classes resumed to prepare them for their finals of their first year.
After attending the last class of the day where Professor once again emphasized the importance of these exams. "We do not tolerate failure of any kind and if any of you fail even one subject your educational journey will be over in this prestigious university."
Simon rolled his eyes at his exaggeration but Anthony noticed his wife's face filled with worry as she listened to these warnings.
"So gentlemen study hard so you all can pass and are worthy to step in to the next class of your educational journey."
Once the classes ended Kathani was quite as Dorset and Simon discuss about these warnings.
"They are scaring us for no reason. I know for certain that most of these students are here because of their father's generous donations."
"That is the point Bassett, people like you and Bridgerton may be spared due to your family involvement in university but students like Sharma and I who are part of lower pool need to struggle hard to make sure that we stayed in this university."
Anthony and Simon's eyes turned uneasy at this cruel fact but Kathani could not take it anymore as she walked hurriedly inside their room and settled on her desk to began revisions for upcoming exams even though she is more prepared than anyone and there is still few months left in exams.
Anthony kept watching his wife head buried between open books and when it was time for her to depart for village, Anthony frowned as she still did not moved.
Standing up from his bed he walked towards her and keeping in mind that Dorset was still in their room he tried to get her attention. "Sharma, are you not getting late for work?"
At this his wife's eyes finally snapped as she stared at him in surprise before checking the time. "I am late!" She yelps and sprang up on her feet before grabbing her coat and hat and rushing outside.
He could see his friends' worried eyes on his wife as he too ran after her. "Sharma! Sharma!"
Sure enough his wife stopped in a deserted corridor as he ran towards her. "Are you alright?" He inquires breathlessly.
"I am fine Bridgerton." His wife replied while her eyes searched weirdly around for upcoming students.
At this he looked around and even though he could not see anyone they can still hear students approaching this way.
Pulling his wife into the empty classroom, Anthony locked the door before he began in an assuring voice. "I know you are worried about what Professors said today."
"I am not worried about their warnings Anthony. I bet they had been giving these warnings ever since this university was built." She countered while trying to appear indifferent but he could see her eyes in distress.
"Kathani." Anthony sighed as he held her hand. "I know how much Queen's proposal means to you but promise me that you will not become obsessed with this. You are the most brilliant student of Oxford history already and there is no need to push yourself more."
Something he said made her eyes flared in anger as she took her hand away. "You are asking me to not study harder!? When you clearly know the stakes of my success in these exams!"
Anthony stammered in shock as he watched his wife stomped away. "Kathani!"
"I do not need your advice My Lord, especially when your results would not matter much because of your family's generous donations."
With that his wife left and Anthony was left wondering since when their family became his?
As the week turned into months, people close to her notice how hard she is studying day and night while not sparing a single second.
Forget about eating or sleeping properly the students could always see Sharma head buried in books.
One day Anthon visited his wife to surprise her with a bouquet of tulips but he could not find her anyplace in the shop. "Where is Kathani?" He inquires as
Genevieve grimaced while Mr Delacroix replied. "Lord Bridgerton, your wife is working on some clothes in upstairs room."
Anthony stared at the said room knowing perfectly well it is quite small and how much his wife prefers to work downstairs. "Since when did she start working upstairs?"
"Ever since you returned from London, I do not know what is wrong with her but after she destroyed three gowns in one week she claimed that she could work better alone as she cannot concentrate when shop is filled with customers."
Anthony was genuinely surprised by Mr Delacroix's words because as far as he knew his wife loves making clothes as much as she loves studying and customers never affected her work before.
He was about to walk upstairs when Genevieve stopped him and warned him in a low voice. "Please be careful, she has been acting strangely ever since you both returned and I think she is pushing herself hard to make Queen happy. Anthony I am worried for her and if she is doing this for my sake then please tell her she can leave the university and stop living this dual life."
Keeping that warning and request in mind he walked upstairs and opened the room only to be taken aback as he watched his wife working on gown but her entire focus was on the open book in front of the table.
"What are you doing sweetheart?"
Kathani was jolted by her husband's voice and tried to hide her book as she forced herself to smile. "Anthony! What a pleasant surprise!"
She watched as her husband closed the door and walked towards her as he stared at her suspiciously. "What are you doing?" He asks as he tries to peered what she was hiding.
She laughed nervously as she picked the gown she was working on. "I am mending this gown Anthony."
Her husband stared at the gown as he asked. "Is this some kind of a new fashion? I always thought ladies sleeves were supposed to be below their shoulders but you sewed them on the neck."
Anthony watched in amusement as his wife gasped in horror and finally focused on her work. "No! No! No! I cannot believe I ruined another gown."
While she was crying over her work her husband finally sidestepped and grabbed something from the back. "So this is the reason you were bungling up these gowns?"
Kathani watched her book in her husband's hand as he stared at her gravely.
"Anthony, I." She tried to make excuses but he raised his hand to stop her.
"Kathani, I hope you can see your obsession is affecting your life and things you love. I know Queen proposal is important but your well-being is far more important to me and with upcoming exams and three more years of studies I fear the pressure will make you snapped and even Gen is worried for you, in fact she ask me to tell you that if you are doing this for her sake then she does not want to carry on with this farce. Nothing is more important than your well being and she wanted you to stop with this obsession."
"I am not obsessed!" She snapped irritably." I know it's not big deal for you but my success meant world to me."
"Then I hope this success will not tear you apart!" Anthony warns one last time.
But even when they left, Anthony knew his wife would not listen to his warning until she experienced the affect herself.
Only he did not know it would happen three days before exams as the professor caught her sleeping deeply from exhaustion in the middle of the class.
If anyone asked her how this happened she could not tell.
She thought she was doing well and yes she was sleeping less and eating whenever she could get a spare time but it was not seem like a big deal that her husband and friends are making it to be.
Apparently she was wrong because she felt quite dizzy since the morning but she thought it was nerves of approaching exams so she ignored this feeling and attended her classes.
It was during agricultural mathematics class when her eyes began to drop and since she knew what the teacher was saying she felt it was no harm to rest her eyes for a few seconds.
What she did not take account of was those seconds turned into minutes and before she knew it, she was succumbed into deep sleep and dreaming about Anthony doing numbers in one of their new orchards.
"So Sharma what is the bigger ratio between mangoes and plums?"
"What?!" She inquires while struggling to give the correct answer as Anthony stared at her disappointingly.
"How can you not know the answer?! I thought you were a genius but you are just a pathetic! Lame! Good for nothing woman thinking she could be better than us man! Thinking she could change destiny of other women!"
Kathani began to cry as her husband started laughing cruelly at her and then to her horror all fruits turned into heads of students and teachers dangling from the tree as they too mocked her.
"Sharma is a failure! Sharma is a failure!"
Shaking her head, she started backing away only to be collided with someone. "I wish it was you drowned that day in the sea!"
Kathani gasped and saw Karan and Genevieve staring at her with disappointed eyes.
"Karan! Gen! Please, I know the answer!"
"It does not matter what you know! You do not matter and we do not need a failure like you in our life!" Gen told her menacingly before she pushed her hard and Kathani felt herself falling in the sea and as she drowned and cried for help Anthony, Karan and Genevieve mocked at her.
"Failure! Failure! Failure!"
"Sharma wake up!"
Everyone watched as Sharma opened his eyes and stood up as he started screaming in a squeaky voice. "Mangoes ratio is larger than plums because they came in different varieties."
Anthony watched in shock as Bassett and others gaped at this scene.
Professor fumed as he pointed at the board. "We are going to revision about crops! Not fruits! Now if you are done dreaming about mangoes and plums can you wake up and concentrate on today's lessons unless you want to fail in your exams and get suspended from this university!"
At word fail a strange thing happened as Sharma burst into tears.
They all watched as Professor suddenly looked uncomfortable as they watched a young man break down like a little girl.
"Stop crying boy! You are embarrassing yourself and your classmates."
But then to everyone shock Sharma cries harder and then rushed outside the classroom leaving dumbfounded students and Professor behind as they all wondered what happened to their best and most brilliant student?