𝑰𝒍𝒍 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 ✎

[31]

Vaidehi's pov

He has arrived. I learn that when I am helping my mother in law in planning arrangements for the upcoming puja for Grahshanti. Neither of us waits a beat when my mother in law's handmaiden brings the news to us and immediately make our way to the entrance.

But when a palanquin also stops in front of the palace grounds, everyone is surprised and rampant whispers start.
Aditi is by my side, whispering the same thing.

"Who is in there?" She asks voicing my own question. I shake my head indicating I have no idea. By judging the expression on my mother and father in law's faces too, it appears none of them knows either.

So when a women, with her veil down to to her chin, hiding her face, clad in a silk white saree which just by the looks of it confirms that it is a clothing that can only belong to a royal. But her hands are bare of any heavy jewellery that a royal woman generally wears, it just has a single gold bangle each and a mangalsutra around her neck.

In my assessment of the woman I missed Raghav and his father reach us and bow down to take his mother's blessings. He then looks at me and acknowledges me with a smile. His fingers twitch as if he wants to hold me and I share his feelings but both of us know it has to wait.

Raghav's father gestures at the strange woman who folds her hands in a namaste and stands next to my husband.

"This is the princess bride of Talya. Rajkumari Maneka." He explains. All of us hold the same expressions of questions, what is she doing here?

"It is a long story. We will update you inside, but the important thing is that, Samay had given him a duty to protect his wife and that is what he has tried to do." Is my father in law's explanation explanation
Which doesn't make sense to me but it apparently does make sense to Aditi who claws on my upper arm so hard it hurts.

I yelp and look at her, "What happened?"

She doesn't answer and continues to stare at the veiled woman. Anyway without any further explanation, both of them are welcomed inside, along with the assistant army general who had accompanied Raghav on the war.

I watch my mother in law direct one of the maids to help Rajkumari Maneka to one of the guest quarters while Raghav ushers me, his father and mother to his father's study. When we get there, he immediately gets into his explanation.

"Samay told me to protect her from their Kingdom's Sati practice. And there was no other way. The ministers majority would not let her stay in her marital Kingdom and her father did not once offer to take her back home, this was the only place to bring her and the only way to honour my friends wish."

"Oh Samay...."Mother in law says dropping onto a stool. Her eyes get glassy and Raghav's father aides her, offering her a glass of water and a pat on her back.

"You did the right thing, son." His father agrees, "Mewar is welcoming her wholeheartedly for as long as she may stay. Be it years, or lifetime."

Raghav nods. I then catch his attention by touching his hand.
When he looks at me I gesture him to meet me upstairs. He confirms that he understands and then I excuse myself from the impromptu family gathering.
As I ascend the stairs to my quarters there is only one thought on my mind.

"Did he marry her?" Aditi questions as soon as the doors  to my quarters are opened. She is sitting on sofa folding some sheets.

"What?" I deadpan. My bestfriend's imagination can go crazy at time ls clearly.

"Yeah...I mean why else would he just bring her here?"

I shake my head. "He brought her here because he wanted to protect her from the Sati practice of Talya. Apparently the ministers in Talya wouldn't let her stay after going against their practice and her father didn't once offer to take her back home. This was his only choice to honour his friends dying wish."