PEREGRINATE

CHAPTER 13

My appearance gave me the boost that I required to face the evening. Gatherings of the 21st century were never my thing, so I did not have high expectations from this one. Guests were already milling around the hall when we entered. Most were occupied in their own conversation, while some of them paid attention to the singers on the stage.

The entertainment would be followed by dinner. And then the night would end with a spectacular show of fireworks which we were allowed to admire only from afar. Something about the smoke and bright lights causing a disturbance.

As we flittered through the crowd, words of praise reached our ears. We had done our best to decorate the hall and the hard work had paid off. The chandelier was lit with candles and with the number of lanterns placed most corners of the hall were illuminated. It truly felt like Diwali.

I, along with others, gravitated towards the stage where a musical play of Shakuntala was taking place. Sure I had learned a few lines on the masterpiece over the years in school but watching it being enacted was truly enchanting. The truly skilled artists just drew the audience into the scene with masterful and heartfelt acting. This was my first time witnessing theatre and I could not have asked for better.

However, I was not able to watch the show till the end. Within half an hour into our entry, I suddenly felt zapped out of energy. The feeling of nausea, which was absent for several days, made a comeback. My feet were killing me. I was afraid if I did not take a seat soon I would topple over. After excusing myself I took a glass of watermelon juice and set off to look for an isolated corner.

I did not find a corner, though. I settled down against a column near the hallway leading to the kitchen. At the moment, it was empty enough that no one could notice a girl slumped on the floor. I chugged the drink down and rested my body against the column. I had finally started to enjoy myself when this dizzy spell attacked me from nowhere. I could rejoin them if only my head stopped spinning. The lights and hubbub of the crowd just made matters worse.

"Squeezing your eyes tightly does not make people disappear, Maitri. We tried that already, remember?" The unexpected words distracted me momentarily from my nausea.

I turned to the disruptor of my privacy. Of course, it had to be Inder just my luck. I got up to curtsy and excuse myself when he stopped me with a hand on my wrist. "Wait please do not leave. The prince sitting on the floor in a corner all alone would not look good. Stay. Give me company, please?" he said softly.

"I am sure you would prefer the company of one of your peers rather than your maids," I said drily.

"Really?" He drawled the single word out. "Is that what you are? Oh yes, now I remember. I could hardly recognize you without those torn and dirty clothes that we made you wear." He was exuberantly mocking with voice modulations and exaggerated expressions, attempting to appear hoity-toity. I had to let out a quiet giggle.

"No, truly. You look exquisite." He suddenly grew serious, devoid of any humor.

My throat felt too dry to reply to him. I could no longer hold his intense gaze and fiddled with my dupatta. I was yet to grow comfortable in his presence, no matter how many times my eyes sought him out. Being near him made me uncomfortably warm and with his eyes on me, it was a wonder I had not combusted yet.

"If you could do anything in the world now, what would you choose?" I was taken aback at this abrupt turn of conversation. I could have convinced myself that I had imagined the question if Inder was not staring expectantly at me for an answer.

If it was anyone else, I would have lied. It was a splendid celebration and I should have been overjoyed and wanted to stay here, and yet I wanted something different.