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

Chapter 57

In Indraprasth:

Valandhara was sitting at a corner of her bed clutching a pillow tightly on her lap and shedding tears. Her loud sobs had died down though the wet trail didn't stop. Since the first time when she heard about Bheem's marriage, she had broken a thousand times in the silence of her chamber.

A loud bang sounded on the door of her private chamber. Valandhara remained quiet not answering. She had ordered the dasis not to disturb her at all. No one apart from family members would dare to ignore her order. And from the force of the banging she could well understand who it could be.

"Kashika? Open the door or I will break it!" Bheem said loudly from the other side of the door.

Valandhara wiped her tears and took some deep breaths to steady herself before going to the door and unlocking it. She turned without waiting around for it to open fully and reaching the bed lied down. Here, Bheem entered the chamber to find the heavy curtains blocking sunlight from entering the chamber making the space shadowy. But he clearly saw the dark figure of his Jaya on the bed lying sideways with her back to him.

"Why are you lying down at this hour? You didn't even come to receive me?" Bheem asked coming near her.

"I'm not feeling well." Valandhara replied shortly.

"What happened to you? Have you consulted the physician?" Bheem asked in concern.

"It's nothing serious. Just a little headache. I will be fine." She replied without even glancing at him.

"Oh! And here you made me worried." Bheem said understanding full well what was actually wrong with her. "See what I have brought for you from Avanti?"

Valandhara gulped down the lodge that formed at her throat before replying.
"I don't want to see anything. Leave me alone for sometime."

Bheem didn't say anything and left quietly. A few tears slipped from her eyes again. After a while she felt someone touching her foot and looked in that direction to find Bheem sitting there with her foot on his lap in the process of applying alta (red dye).

"What are you doing? Leave my foot!" Valandhara gasped and tried to take back her foot unsuccessfully.

"No! I have brought this from so far with so much difficulty. I will not let my hard work go to waste." Bheem replied with a frown encircling her ankle in a vice like grip though gently.

"Who told you to bring anything for me? Leave me!" Valandhara said sitting up and struggling to free herself.

"Now I went to Avanti. Such a substantial Kingdom. I had to bring something, right? Since Avanti Naresh didn't give me his daughter, so I thought to bring this only. Avanti is famous for their higher quality dyes you know." Bheem said nonchalantly and concentrated on applying the dye.

"What did you say?" Valandhara stilled her movements as his words reached her ears.

"Avanti is famous for producing higher qualitative dyes. You don't even know that?" Bheem repeated.

"No. Not that. Before that." Valandhara asked shaking her head in confusion.

"Avanti is a very substantial Kingdom." Bheem repeated again.

"After that." Valandhara was getting annoyed.

"They produce higher qualitative dyes?" Bheem repeated arching his brow.

"No. In between."

"What is in between? Seems your headache has increased. I will have to call the Vaiyd after all."