VIDHIRANI~ His Warrior

CHAPTER | 21

~His Favourite Dish?~

• Vidhirani POV

My eyes fluttered open at the sound of a gentle, feminine voice calling my name. "Vidhi, wake up, dear." Where is Ranaji?

As the surrounding light gradually seeped into my eyes, I swiftly sat up and scanned the room for my dupatta. Spotting it in the corner of the bed, I snatched it and draped it over my head as I noticed Rajmata's presence in our chambers.

"Maa-saheb," I croaked, my voice still groggy from just waking up.

As the maids entered the room carrying various items, she instructed them to place everything on the side table.

I stepped off the bed and my eyes were immediately drawn to a stunning blue lehenga and an array of gleaming gold ornaments neatly arranged on the table.

Rajmata came closer to me, "Vidhi, freshen up and get ready wearing this lehenga. I got it specially made for you. Today is your pehli rasoi."

Pehli rasoi?

My face twisted into a frown. This is no time for celebration. Sumedhkhand has been attacked, for heaven's sake! How can I possibly celebrate while my kingdom is in grave danger? There's no time for rituals.

"Vidhi," Rajmata cupped my cheek.

"I know what you're thinking. I know this is not the right time to do these rituals. But we have to do these. Your Maa-sa said that it would be a bad omen for your married life if we did not do it. And she also said that these political matters shouldn't affect her daughter's married life. Which I think is correct, too."

Maa-sa had taught me about all these rituals and their importance. It's crucial that we perform them without delay, or it could have serious consequences. It's not just about me; Ranaji's well-being is also at stake, and I'll do everything to protect him from harm.

I nodded in agreement, "As you say, Maa-saheb," she smiled at me one last time before leaving, with the maids following closely behind.

Vaidehi entered the chamber with a glass in hand.

"Vidhi, drink this," she said, passing me the glass. As I brought it closer, a pungent odor of rotten vegetables wafted into my nostrils.

"What is this? It smells so strange."

"Rajmata mentioned it's a unique medicine crafted from various herbs. She insisted that I ensure you drink it."

But why didn't she tell me directly? She was just here

"Leave it there, I'll have it later," I said softly as she assisted me in getting ready.

After donning the beautiful lehenga choli, I carefully adorned myself with each piece of jewelry. The necklaces covered my neck completely, leaving not an inch of skin exposed.

As I got up, I made my way to the kitchen, pondering what I could whip up for Ranaji. Upon entering, I noticed the maids were already hard at work preparing something delicious. Just then, Rajmata entered the kitchen, and the maids immediately acknowledged our presence and respectfully bowed.

"Why are they already cooking, Maa-sa?"

I asked, puzzled by the sudden change of plans. Just moments ago, she had instructed me to start cooking, and now the maids were already in the kitchen, taking over the task.

"Vidhi, I forgot to tell you that not everything needs to be cooked by your hands. You only need to prepare some sweet dish."

A sweet dish, huh? I can definitely handle that. But what does Ranaji enjoy eating?

"Maa-sa, c-can you tell me what sweet does Ranaji like?"

"Of course, I will. He likes gajar ka halwa a lot. And always asks for me to make it for him. But now you are here. You will make it for him, right?"

"Ji, Maa-saheb," I replied with a smile as Rajmata left the kitchen.

I'm so grateful to have learned all of Maa-sa's recipes. Now I have the chance to prepare his favorite dish for him.

While the other maids tackled the rest of the dishes, I got started on preparing the dish.

"Bhabhi-ma,"

I recognized the voice immediately. The only person who ever called me "bhabhi-ma" was Hemlata. I spun around to see her standing there with a mischievous grin on her face.

"I smell something really sweet and tasty, Bhabhi-ma," She said, walking closer.

Her eyes lit up as she exclaimed, 'Oh, gajar ka halwa?' and eagerly reached out to dip her finger into the bowl. However, I quickly grabbed her wrist, preventing her from doing so.

"No Lata, you cannot have it. It is for Ranaji. First he will have it. "

"For Bhaisa, huh? From what I smell, I'm sure it tastes even better. Bhabhi-ma, please make him eat it fast because I cannot wait to try it." She stubbornly stomped her feet.

"Yes yes, Lata, the food is prepared, and the halwa too, just wait till your Bhaisa have it."

She eagerly nodded and went from there. I, too, went to the dining hall while the maids brought the food and arranged the plates.

Ranaji and other family members were already in their respective seats. Maa-sa and Bapusa were also present.

Rajmata called and asked me to sit beside him.

As I approached and took a seat, his presence flooded my mind with memories of last night. The sensation of his touch still lingered on my lips.

The maids brought out the food and to my surprise, we were given our own individual plates.

A frown creased my forehead as the realization hit me - the idea of not sharing a plate with him suddenly made me feel unexpectedly melancholic. It was then that I understood how accustomed I had become to our shared meals.

I stole a quick glance at Ranaji to gauge his reaction. He appeared to be chatting casually with Rajmata as if everything was fine. His nonchalant demeanor irked me, and I couldn't understand why I was getting so riled up.

I disregarded his attitude and didn't wait for him to begin eating. I quickly tore off a piece of the chapati and took a bite. Despite making gajar ka halwa for him, he seemed completely indifferent.

Suddenly, he leaned closer to me, and whispered,

"Bohot bhook lagi hai aapko?"

"You seem really hungry." I don't have an appetite at the moment. I'm feeling more frustrated than hungry.

"Aap hamare liye ruki bhi nahi,"

"You didn't even wait for me," I said, turning to look into his eyes. But my breath caught in my throat at how close we were.

I gently nudged him aside and quickly scanned the room to make sure no one had caught us in that moment. Luckily, everyone was too engrossed in their meals to notice.

Thanks for reading 🎀

(1128 words)

~Viviane <3