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 snakes are the price of its beauty."
The rest of time went by staring at the flowing water and occasionally throwing pebbles at the shimmer created by the moonlight. The stings of ants by now felt numb and the fire of the torch too died down.
"I think we should leave." Bhrata Shakuni mumbled, looking at the smoldering ashes.
"Yes." I replied softly and poked the cinders with a twig. The heat was still lurking in them as if they were yet not finished but had to cease burning as they were now almost perished in the flames. Dusting off the dirt from our clothes, we stood up to return to our tents. Unlike our arrival, this time no words were exchanged nor did any banter occurred. Twilight broke on the horizon and with the melodious chirp of the birds we entered the tents.
"Rajkumari!" Sugdha rushed by my side with lines of worries marking her face.
"Did something happen?" I questioned, not bothering to acknowledge the retreating back of my brother.
"No, it is just that the Brahma Muhurat has begun and you were still not here, this got me worried and.." Sugdha rambled trying to explain to me the situation but the only thing I understood from her whole rant was- I was late, very late if I am being honest.
"Quickly! Get me ready." I rushed to arrange my trinkets that were sprawled on the table from last night but stopped when my eyes fell on the medicine box, given to me by my mother. I ran my finger on the lid, the rough edges and engravings for some reason reminded me of last night.
"She was innocent but you are family." The voice rang yet again in my ears, the whispers of help accompanied it but the volume of the sentence was much higher than that of pleas. Gingerly, I opened the vial and smelled the strong medicinal wafting out of it.
"Pranipat Rajkumari." The maids entered the room with my clothes ready and jewellery arranged. Their heads were bowed but them refusing to meet my eyes, hinted that they knew about my escapade. "The arrangements are done." Jasvi spoke out.
I nodded in her direction after placing the vial of medicine down and followed her to the tent where in a wooden tub, warm water was poured and there was an indistinct smell of roses and jasmine present. I undressed, removing one clothing at a time and Sugdha gasped looking at my back. Perhaps the work of ants was more visible than the one I comprehended.
"Rajkumari, your back." She traced the sting marks with her fingers.
"It is nothing you can't hide. Isn't it?" I asked in a monotone which was laced with a faint tone of command underneath the polite demeanour.
"Of course. They won't be visible." She replied hurriedly and helped me with the bath.
True to her words, when I was completely dressed, the skin of my back was hardly visible and the earlier scars too were shrouded in a way that nothing looked out of blue.
