VIDHIRANI~ His Warrior

CHAPTER | 13

~Sumedhkhand under attack~

•Vidhirani POV

As the men carried the palanquin, I picked up the book given by Lata. The title, "Shakunya," captured my attention.

I immersed myself in the story, turning page after page as I became more captivated by the unfolding narrative. The hours slipped by unnoticed as I lost myself in the world of the book, transported away from the reality of the journey.

The palanquin came to a gentle stop, causing me to shift nervously. Curiosity getting the better of me, I adjusted the curtain and peered outside.

The sun had begun its descent below the horizon, bathing the sky in deepening shades of twilight.

I noticed Senapati Ashwath dismounting from his horse, his figure approaching my palanquin, and my heart skipped a beat, wondering the reason for his approach.

He approached the palanquin.

"Senapati, have we reached Sumedhkhand already?"

I asked, a puzzled frown on my face.

My question lingered in the air, laden with uncertainty. The sudden stop had left me wondering if perhaps we had reached Sumedhkhand sooner than anticipated.

He spoke, his voice clear and composed when he addressed me.

"Ranisa," he said, "We have not yet reached Sumedhkhand."

My curiosity was piqued by his response.

"We haven't?" I inquired, a note of surprise in my voice. "Then why are we making an unexpected stop?"

"We have a problem, Ranisa," he said.

"What problem? Is everything alright?" I inquired.

"Ranisa, the bridge we were supposed to cross to get to Sumedkhand, looks like it's broken. We might have to take another path." He replied.

The news that the bridge to Sumedhkhand was broken filled me with disappointment.

"Then take that path, what is the issue? " I further asked.

"It would take much longer, Ranisa"

"How much longer?"

"Six to seven more days,"

"Do we have enough food for seven more days?"

"Ji Ranisa, we have brought plenty of food with us. "

"Then there should be no problem Senapati. Continue with the travel. "

"Ji Ranisa, " he replied.

I dismissed him with a determined nod, closing the curtain of the palanquin again.

I picked up the book once again, resuming my reading where I had left off. However, after some time, I closed the book with a weary sigh, setting it aside.

I settled back into the comfortable confines of the cushioned seat, my mind adrift in a sea of thoughts. My thoughts drifted from one topic to another, but the predominant theme was Ranaji.

The uncertainty surrounding our journey and the broken bridge loomed heavily in my thoughts, instilling a sense of negativity.

There was a nagging feeling that perhaps the damaged bridge was a sign of a bad omen. It made me feel uneasy.

I joined my hands praying to Goddess Durga Mata for the rest of the journey to go on smoothly.

Time seemed to crawl by, each hour felt like an eternity. As the days dragged on, my routine seemed to consist of only three things: Eating, sleeping and pondering about various things.