Hidden behind those red blindfolds, were curious eyes that once saw the world, soaked it's hue and carried dreams like every other girl. Gandhari, mother of 101 kids, sister of Shakuni but most importantly, she was yet another bird shackled by rules...
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"The scratches are inevitable when one gets too close to the rose bush."
The smell of marigolds flooded the room along with a whiff of blue lotus which added a pleasant sweetness to the ambience already deluged in the aroma of ratranis planted in my garden. Servants were rushing in with baskets full of these beauties, too occupied in their work hence missing out the charm created by the concoction of these fragrances. Sequentially, they lined those baskets near the small temple built in my room for my regular prayer. Meanwhile, Sugdha checked onto every basket to scrutinize the quality delivered. Her eyebrows scrunched as soon as she reached the last basket and fiddled with the material. Murmuring something to the servant she sighed when the servant shook his head. Her brows drew closer as the man started explaining something.
"Is there a problem over there?" I asked pacing closer to the temple, my eyes trailing over the lines of baskets.
"No Rajkumari, nothing as such." She said in a high pitched tone indicating the lie laced in her words. She shooed away the servant which he dutifully complied and turned her attention to me.
"Absolutely nothing.." Her words were cut off by a sudden knock against the cupboard that caught all the eyes in the room where the ushered off servant was lying next to the broken vase, collecting the broken pieces with his bleeding hands. The blood pooled next to him staining not only the moon shaped design on his hand but the floor below. Soon chaos broke out and other servants started helping him. "Solve this mess," Sugdha commanded the aides and the ruckus soon subsided.
Noticing my gaze on the bloodied hand, Sugdha called out for another maid to guide the injured person out. "Pardon us for this unsightly performance," Sugdha murmured with her hands never leaving the basket.
"Sugdha." I called out her name again but this time my words held gravity in them and bent down next to her in order to trifle through a basket kept there. "Do I have to repeat?"
"Rajkumari.." She trailed. "One of the baskets has a rose delivered instead of a blue lotus. Only 107 lotuses are here." She said before letting another sigh escape her lips. I understood her indication and her fear to exit the room but the flower was important, or was it? my conscience questioned me.
"Have you rechecked?" I questioned biting onto my lower lips and sat next to her.
"Yes…" Her words trailed. "I could ask one of the maids to get it for you. Dviti was talking about getting food, maybe she could collect flowers too." She suggested the idea but the reluctance was clear from her notion.
"Dviti who?" I questioned, oddly for some reason I didn't look into Sugdha's eyes.
"She joined just yesterday." Sugdha replied.
"This flower is important." I sighed. My mind yet again questioned me, the query was hard to ignore and I, for a second, felt vulnerable.
