HELLO MAHABHARATA

60. Werifesteria

werifesteria (v.) /old english: to wander longingly through the forest in search of mystery

"STRONG WOMEN DON'T PLAY THE VICTIM, DON'T MAKE THEMSELVES LOOK PITIFUL, AND DON'T POINT FINGERS. THEY STAND AND THEY DEAL." She remembered this quote from the book of Mandy Hale by heart and at this time the words were a crown on her stubborn and wild head.

"You're not the person to make one or any decision here" although she hissed these words but they were loud enough as a command to echo in the hearts of everyone assembled in the large hall of jurisdiction in the palace of Indraprastha. Where once she was the sole bearer of writing and keeping records of trials in the courts, she now had apprentices, precisely girls who were labelled as sharp tongued and not lady like by their families and neighbourhood. The time being, her red dry wine stained lips only passed commands and her delegates followed and she kept petting a peacock in her lap.

The merchant dropped his cunning eyes and stared at his shivering wife brutally who was clutching her newborn infant near her breast. The courtiers in the court hall mainly consisted of men who were already cursing and making judgements in thin air by passing their baseless and misogynistic pronouncements. "The merchant's wife is a wench" She heard a feeble scornful squeak coming from the mass assemblage near the pillars. Parthjaya listened to everything but did according to the will of the lord.

"Were'nt you aware of this when you were marrying her?" asked the woman gracing the royal seat of decision making, felinely moving her kohl lined lines over the accused and the plaintiff. The man developed a hazy demeanor soon, sweating profusely yet masking it all by arranging mudras in the jute pouch hanging around his waist. "I-I was aware but. . . my lady if I may ask, how does this grand question of yours has to do anything with my complaint?"

Soon after his plea, he was confused and bewildered at the unusual but charismatic laugh coming from the woman seated higher, stalling the decision as per him and other councillors.

"You are an awful and brainless coin, I must say" she laughed shifting her other leg on the resting one while crossing them and this remark created an infectious rain of laughter inside the prodigious hall of Indraprastha, but then they were made to shut in a pin dropping silence as she shouted on that merchant who nearly had his teeth broken with the frequency of her forbidden and deadly voice.

"HOW DARE YOU POISON THE BABY?" she threw a copper goblet which banged on the floor of ivory marble hitting the foot of the merchant.

The merchant's wife began to cry and there were whispers in the room. Parthjaya nodded towards Vrinda and the handmaid went down to assist the woman and her baby. The merchant stuttered and started wiping his forehead at the elevating chaos pushing him to the cage of being the actual guilty as every word escaping from her mouth revealed layers of the guileful merchant who arrived to their kingdom an year ago. "You bought the essence of dhatura plant and dosed your wife daily with it, didn't you? Now don't you dare lie to me" Parthjaya seethed placing her arm on the armrest of the regal seat carved in a lion's roar.

"I do not follow. What is happening other than the death stares you are giving to the poor merchant?" Karna interrupted rising from his seat and was supported by some of the men in the council, for on their part they were completely clueless of the case. "Poor merchant? Is he though?" she grinned scrunching her nose to the king of Anga who was a bit taken with her words yet again, and couldn't help but admire her more despite clearly knowing it she shall always place only one man on that throne of her heart.

"A merchant is not someone to be called poor" Dushasan joined in the conversation. "Do guide us of the issue. . . court administrator" he added sipping from a drink he was holding from half an hour, a mock lacing his voice like serpent's venom tongue. "Let her do it Dushasan" jolted Shakuni settling like a fish squirming in an aquarium. The few designated officials sat keen to listen to a judgment. Quills and parchments were attentive in the hands of two apprentices of the court administrator to note the acumen.