"You what-" Chanchala exclaimed at my words and took a few steps backwards. Not to say much, she was horrified, her eyes were widened and lips parted in astonishment, her spine was straightened in alert and she looked around to check whether the words fell on another ear or not.
"You should not joke like this Rajkumari," she tried to lighten the mood but the weight of my words was still there; pressing us on our spots.
"Who said I am winding you up?" I questioned, the gravity was there in my voice, "I would have shared my plans with you but I need to know about this man first."
Colour drained away from her face as she stared at the heavily mangled corpse lying in the corner. The prior scare was now changed to a new one, a shade different from the previous one. There was a pain in her eyes and subconsciously, her hands reached out for her dupatta that was tightly wound around her torso. Her lips wobbled but no words came out of them as if the tale was stuck somewhere in her throat.
"I- I had to kill him," her words stuttered, falling upon one another as she continued, "he is a distant cousin of the queen. Known for his womanizing tendencies, his eyes fall on me. He summoned me here to-"
Her words stopped and I didn't dare to probe her further. Her pain, though I am not familiar with it, I have a whisp of knowing how it would have made her feel. I hugged her to provide the warmth that her body needed but she retracted, her face masking her pain again.
Amidst all this, the question earlier of the king's death was subdued and we shared a moment of loss of Chanchala.
"Your secret is safe with me," I reassured her, my voice wavering a bit but still capable of comforting her. I stared at the dead body for a bit, then turned towards the unconscious man, my eyes calculative and a shade darker. I smiled at the scene and then proceeded to move back to the chambers.
My journey to the chamber was rather quick looking at the condition of the soles of my feet. While entering, I heard distant voices of footsteps, approaching my chambers making me halt at my spot. I signalled Chanchala to check who was approaching the chambers.
"It's Durgamati," Saying this she pushed me inside the chambers and hurriedly locked the doors. Balancing myself, I rushed to change my attire and wear a few jewels. Chanchala soon entered the chambers and helped me dress up faster. After looking presentable, I signalled her to call Durgamati inside while I hid the commoner's clothes in one of my trunks. As soon as I was finished, I heard the door open and I turned around, a smile gracing my lips.
"Pranipaat!" I bent down to get her blessings, while she glanced over my chamber, looking for anything she could use against me. When her eyes landed on my attire, a vicious smile laced her lips and I could see a strange glint appear in her eyes.
"Rajkumari seems to have been resting after her tedious trip. Perhaps that is the reason behind her crushed and dishevelled attire." Her voice was screechy as if wanting to make my ears bleed. It was like a whiplash on my ears, yet I maintained my placid expressions.
"True, but I must point out it can be the lack of my servants that I could not arrange my attire." My reply seemed to have entertained her, her eyes sparkling even more and a taunting tilt appearing on her lips.
"Medinikhand seems to have paths made of flower petals since Rajkumari could neither manage her attire nor could handle the bumps of the road." Her voice taunted me, igniting a fire inside me. My eyes turned a bit darker and my voice came out rather sharply.
"Medinikhand? Am I not the kulvadhu of Sakhya Pradesh? Isn't it now the responsibility of the crown of the Sakhya Pradesh to look after her Kulvadhu's needs?"
Amusement sparkled in her eyes and a chuckle passed through her lips. Her actions enraged the fire inside me, yet I maintained my royal smile.
"You are one interesting one," her voice was amused before she looked at me, her eyes turning a bit more playful. "Your brothers are arriving tomorrow morning and you have to be present there." Saying this, she left me there to ponder upon the thoughts that rushed behind my mind due to her presence- the life of the palace maids.
Left to tend to the needs of masters, they are nothing but pawns made by humans to reach out for their purpose. Not only do they have to stay with their masters in the light and when crossing trouble, they have nothing but themselves to get out of it; utterly helpless from the moment of their arrival in these towering walls of the palace.
Not only do they have to care for their reputation but the face of their master is also associated with them. Speechless, all they have is their actions by their side to get them out of their misery. They truly spend their lives as murk of the palace, considered beneath everyone. I pity them but there is hardly much I could do to save them. Except for for-
I called Chanchala inside the room, my solitary time needed to end to stop these musings flooding my plane of thoughts.
"Get me the information about every weak point of the assassin," I commanded her, my mind working on a perfect plan for our future. She looked at me quizzically but followed my commands nonetheless.
'I could at least save Shailaja and Chanchala.' With this thought, I stared at the vast expanse of Shakya Pradesh getting shrouded in the darkness that was about to befall them.
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Dupatta- A long cloth used to cover the upper body
Pranipaat- A way of greeting
Rajkumari- Princess
Kulvadhu- Daughter-in-law
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YOU ARE READING
Resurgence of Kohl
Historical Fiction"This..." His lips parted but no words followed and his grip on my scorched hand loosened. "...Is a reminder that I have to burn several times more to rise again." A smile articulated on my lips and I intervened my fingers to his. ❁┈┈┈❅ ⋞〈 ✿ 〉⋟ ❅┈┈┈...
