Journey through the Grand Canyon (Drisana's Mahabharat #2)

Chapter 35

This is where it dropped to 67 again. Target 80 votes. I will unlock the next chapter as soon as it hits the mark. 😊

In Indraprasth:

Rasika was searching for an opportunity to mix the poison to the two Princes food. Gandharraj had instructed her to mix it in some sweet item. Because Vrikodar liked sweets most. And he had also forbade to mix it into the regular meals. As Bheem would become alert and stop eating if the poison worked on someone else before he ate sufficient amount. Her main target was killing Bheem, Gandharraj had said. He didn't care if Sahdev got saved. But Bheem had to be removed at any cost.

It hadn't been at all easy to enter the Palace for her. For entire three weeks, she had kept watch on the Palace in the guise of an old woman. Following the maids coming and going from the Palace, talking with them making excuses. And finally it all paid off when she came to know about that maid Shalini. Just one small drop of poison had been enough to make her severely ill. She didn't suspect anything as Rasika had previously befriended her and expressed her desire to work in the palace. So, Shalini agreed when she wanted to come and work in Shalini's place to use this chance to get a permanent job.

The entire royal kitchen of Indraprasth was permeated with the heavenly smell of Kheer. The smell even travelled outside the kitchen. Rasika and two other maids were outside, a little far from the kitchen area near the well. All the dirty dishes, large cauldrons, pitchers, ladles etc. got carried to the well from the back door of the kitchen all day long and their duty was to clean them. Rasika had peaked inside the kitchen a few times from far.

"Rajkumari Valandhara has made Kheer again!" Said one maid inhaling deeply.

"Even the smell is enough to make someone hungry." The other one commented.

"Yes! No wonder Rajkumar Bheem married her. Her handmade food is no less than amrit (honeydew). I still remember the tastes of her foods that was served in Deepavali. I remember it so vividly, like I just ate it." Said the first maid.

"But everyone has already had lunch long before. Why she made Kheer at this time? For dinner?" Rasika asked in between.

"No. Rajkumar Bheem feels hungry after his practice sessions. So, snacks are getting prepared for him. The Kheer is part of that only." The second maid replied.

"Oh! So, it's only for him?" Rasika asked again. "I mean no one else will eat with him? He will eat all of it alone?" She asked pretending to be surprised.

"Nothing like that. Rajkumari Valandhara sends everyone their fair share when they're around. But right now, no other Rajkumars are present. So, it'll get sent for only Rajkumar Bheem and Rajkumar Sahdev." The maid replied smiling at her. "And you won't be so surprised if you see Rajkumar Bheem eat. Finishing the whole cauldron is a matter of just a few moments for him." The maids started laughing saying so. Rasika joined them too finding a perfect opportunity to complete her task as after lunch there was barely anyone inside the kitchen.

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"What are you doing here?" A dasi asked frowning at Rasika who was moving the ladle on the cauldron of Kheer.

"I thought there's a smell of something burning. So, I was just checking the Kheer." Rasika replied innocently.

"Nothing is burning. I checked it just before going around to get the vegetables for dinner. And who are you by the way?" Asked the maid still frowning.

"I'm new here. Just joined a few days before. My duty is to clean the dishes near the well." Rasika said pointing in that way with a smile.

"Don't you know that it's forbidden to come inside the kitchen unnecessarily? And your duty is near the well. Then what are you doing inside?"