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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"What happened was necessary, what would happen is necessary too."
"Rajkumari'' I felt a nudge on my shoulder accompanied by a gentle shake. "Rajkumari, wake up." The soft whisper continued.
Though my body felt extremely tired, I fluttered my eyelashes open only to squint them when a direct ray of sunlight struck my eyes. The hard surface beneath me reckoned that I was still lying on the floor. My neck was angled in an odd position with my arms aching due to the weight of my body being concentrated on them. So was the condition of the muscles on my waist and sides. I tried to lift myself but got entangled with the dupatta that was wrapped around me.
Wordlessly Sugdha held my arm to help me upon seeing my unstable posture. Getting me seated on the nearest settee she lightly kneaded my shoulders to ease the pain.
"What hour is it currently?" I asked while languidly stretching my arms.
"The second Nadika after the sunrise is passed, currently it must be the beginning of Ahi muhurat. We tried waking you up but you were not deep in sleep." She answered while massaging my neck in circular movements. I groaned at the euphoric relaxation of my stiff body. The ache of my back was still comprehensible but the rest of my body was at ease due to the masterful touch of Sugdha.
"We are late." I let out another groan with my eyes closed and stretched my back. "Get the bath ready."
The maids scurried off with Sugdha continuing her massage and Jasvi arranging my clothes. The warmth in the chilled air was discernible marking the summer that was about to come. The parrots were now shifted inside the room and their gurgles and thrills were nothing but relaxing.
"They are exceptionally noisy today." Jasvi complained at the chattering of the birds.
"Yes they are, spring has a unique charm." Sugdha mused with a final knead at my shoulder. While these girls were having a mundane talk my mind was still stuck in last night and the unaltered chirpiness of Sugdha unsettled me on so many levels that I could help but be silent the whole time.
"The bath must be ready by now. Rajkumari could you please?" Sugdha lent her hand to be which I taciturnly took in order to stand up. My movements were still jerky due to sharp pain on the soles of my feet but at least they were suppressed because of the support Sugdha provided.
With stumbling steps, we crossed the corridors where faint whispers were still audible. Some women had a disgruntled look on their faces due to my awkward posture and my discourtesy towards routine. Their dissatisfaction was obvious but they couldn't word them out directly hence they directed their thoughts through whispers that travelled from one's lips to the ears of others, creating a chain, a web to get a hold on the mind of their victim. The tactic was not only subtle but also a brutal way to punish someone mentally.
Finally reaching the bath, I rushed inside were my maids were already ready with warmed up water and scents lingering in the ambience. Descending in the water, I took a quick bath and hurriedly put on my clothes trying to ignore scratches on my body. I tried my best but the faint marking and redness along with a few blisters on the skin were clearly visible, articulating a gruesome design apt for someone like me.
