Kama: Liberation (Vol-I)

Chapter 22: Back to the Palace

A sister returning to a sister's womb.

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Just like when she first came to Ishgar, several women showered flowers on Ishvara as she entered the palace, hand-in-hand with her mysterious husband Aryamna.

"All the women have been rescued. Some were sold, some were without a family, suffering alone. They were brought to the palace where they could live a better life," Aryamna said.

Ishvara, however, was soon won over by dizzy sensations.

She wanted to revel in and understand this feeling– it was as if she were a child meeting her parents after a week long, returning home after an exhaustive journey. It was a sweet feeling, very familiar and welcoming. However regal the palace looked, it didn't overwhelm her.

Instead, she wanted to look into every corner, know everything about it.

Maybe I already know.

Soon, she saw the Rajan and Indumala. Today both of them were dressed magnificently– the Rajan wore a red headdress with sleek chains of gold coiled around it. He had put a cream uttariya over his left shoulder. A red spotless white dhoti was wrapped around his legs. A topaz pendant hung from his neck.

Then, she saw Indumala, smiling at her. She was dressed in a yellow top and a frilled skirt. A big white cloak occluded her back. She wasn't carrying a spear like during the marriage but a sword was attached to the belt over her waist.

The bodyguard beamed from ear to ear when she saw Ishvara. Her joy knew no bounds. Ishvara too found herself grinning. They walked towards each other, arms wide open to embrace.

"Now, I have someone to call Maa." Indumala hugged her, and she returned the warmth.

Indumala was inebriated by the sweet smell emanating from Ishvara. She thought hard but could not remember where she had smelled it. Quick flashes of a woman passed across her vision.

Do I know her?

"And I have a daughter," Ishvara said. She cupped Indumala's face. "I will call you Indu like your Baba does."

Now that she saw her up close and felt her touch, Indumala swore it seemed familiar. No, it wasn't like the love she received from the women of the guild. This was different, something older. Strangely enough, she could see her own eyes when she looked at Ishvara. They were exactly the same, as if copied to even an eyelash.

"Welcome, Ishvara." The Rajan came forward. "This is your home too."

"I am grateful to have been invited, Rajan."

"Call me Rudra. Consider me your brother." He smiled. Ishvara felt butterflies in her stomach. The Rajan's eyes shone with a love she often missed.

And then, it struck her. Brother.

Does he not look like the fair man from my nightmares?

"Rudra it is, then."

Ishvara went through a myriad of emotions in that small span of time. Maybe she was standing in front of people who all knew her and waited for her to remember them. It was a painful situation. It saddened Ishvara to know she wasn't the only one suffering. Maybe her husband and the Rajan were mourning the same loss.

"Come, I will guide you around the palace," Indumala said and took her hand. Rudra and Aryamna followed the two girls.

The wife of the Senapati studied the ornate walls– pearls from the mighty Samudra, emeralds and rubies studded on the pillars. Paintings of Gods and Goddesses, of the Samudramanthan adorned the palace. The guards stood with an erect spine, their armours shining akin to polished diamonds.