Two days later
Ujjangarh palace
The Chinese drawing room
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There was a spring these days in her steps and a wide smile on her lips, every now and then she would stop whatever she was doing to take a deep sigh and then return happily to doing whatever she was doing. A dreamy far away look studded in her eyes.
No!! No!! No!! Something was not right. Something was definitely not right. This was not the serious Adira everyone around here knew. The no nonsense girl. Something was up with this girl!! She was behaving so oddly these days. She was looking so happy. If I knew better I would say the girl was in love. Not that, that was even a possibility!!! The mere thought!!!!! What am I thinking these days. Who will dare love a widow, especially a princess at that. Ahh.... I shouldn't have said that..... Anyhow this new predicament had to be handled first. Then I will see to this girl!!!
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Rani Charumitra was sitting in her private drawing room, a contemplative look on her face. Too restless to sit, she got up after a while and started walking around the room. Then she walked up to the window standing there looking out at the gardens. So deep was she in her thought that she almost didn't react when her brother Rana Gangadhar Singh Sisodia the Rana of Sialkot entered her salon. Opposite to his sister in appearance, he was overweight, with round features. He was attired in a long cream colour silk brocade Kurta pajama with a silk brocade vest, looking like a stuffed mannequin. He preferred wearing the traditional Indian attire to the english style of coat pant and shirt worn by the younger generation these days. Avoiding the turban, which he always wore when he stepped out of the palace, instead he was wearing the sleek Indian topi as it was called. A cap really.
He had just arrived a day before. Sialkot was a very tiny town. Their name not that high up in the royal ranks. But their family links kept them with the elite of the royalties. That had given him a self created sense of importance. Entering the salon he had a very determined look on his face. A huge man, he was huffing by the time he sat down. His body was bursting out of the couch. The Chinese couch was uncomfortably small, meant more for a small stature women than a large man. The Ranaji looked around hoping he could find a bigger piece of furniture to sit on. The whole damn room had small tiny chairs or whatever they were called.
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"Uffff..... I am too old to be galavanting around now. If not for this predicament I would have been enjoying the airs of Mount Abu." He morned.
"I too have been bedevilled by this issue, brother!! I am still not too sure how to handle this delicate matter. I have been in shock since you gave me this most distressing news.Here we were hoping KamalLata would be giving us some good news. But ..."
"I know dear sister. My kamalLata is looking very happy. She has not stopped praising the Kumar Ratankot. I believe they are in love."
Smiling she looked up at her brother."I do think so too. I believe the Kumar was very upset at having to leave Ujjangarh. Why he promised he would be back as soon as possible." She had a smug look on her face. KamalLata was like a daughter to her. Happy her young charge was be going to be married if every thing went as planned. She would be going into just the kind of family she had in visioned. It had taken her a lot of efforts and convincing, pulling favours and what not to get the family to agree to send their son to meet with Kamallata. But it seems it would be worth everything in the end.
"Well!!! Think of something, she's your step daughter for heaven sake. " her brother's ranting broke into her musings. "I will not have that girl as my daughter in law. My handsome son's, my only son's, my heir's wife!!!! She has bewitched him. No! I damn right won't." Huffing with indignation. He should never have let his son Rajkumar Chander Singh Sisodia come here to Ujjangarh. That's right!!! Then he never would have met that destitute widowed!! girl and fallen in love with her. A widow of all things. My poor ancestors will be weeping with horror in heaven. Oh!! Just the thought of it has me in fits. "My family name is at stake here." He said indignantly.
Offfff........ wish she could stop her brother 's wailing and prattling for a while, it was giving her a headache already. But he was right, that retched girl was not going to become a part of my family.
"I have an idea." She spoke smugly, finally a solution at hand. Why hadn't she thought of it before. Two birds with one arrow and all that thing. She definitely couldn't afford to loose her. This way she would be unreachable for Chander and yet unable to leave Ujjangarh even if she wanted to leave. Who would manage the estate for her, she would be her unpaid servant for life. And she would have no choice in the whole matter. Hmmm... this was highly appealing.
"What?!!!!!" He asked eagerly, desperate for some solution.
"Well!!!........"pausing for effect. Then continuing she said," We will get her married off to someone else, then she will be out of reach for Chander. He will have to leave her alone."
"I..... I don't know. Where will you get a man, a groom for her? Will she agree to marry him. I have sent Chander on a ruse to Mumbai, but he will be back in a month. Then what will we do. I cannot keep him away indefinitely."
"You don't worry about that my dear brother. I have just the right person in mind and Adira will be married by the end of all this episode whether she agrees or not does not matter."
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"Who? Who is this man? Why will he do as you say. She is a widow, may I remind you. No man will accept her and even if he does his family will not let him. Our beliefs run deep and you know that. Widows, young widows specifically are of no consequence in the society. They are inauspicious. They are a blot on society, hardly worth mentioning. No one will marry her and she will take my poor son away. ...." His earlier worry back. He sat there holding his forehead in worry.
"I am telling you, Bhaiya, brother dear. The more I think about it the better I am liking it. Listen now. We need to be careful. That means no one can know what we are planning. This is what we will do......."
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Walking up to Rani Charumitra's salon from the service exit, Daimaa stopped to the door. The Ranisa had been making her run errands since morning today. She was in one of her mood.!!! Now she wanted to know the moment Adira completes the cleaning of the west wing. As if we all didn't have enough work, as it is. Huhhh... Daimaa I want to know this.... Daimaa you are to tell me the moment that... Daimaa.. Daimaa Daimaa... what all can Daimaa do at this age. And come to think of it , why this sudden obsession with Adira . She does misuse my child a lots but since yesterday she had taken it to a whole new level.
She lifted her hand to knock then, something stopped her. She could hear Ranisa talking to the Rana Sialkot. She had been dying to know why the Ranisa was actually here since he had been grumbling for all to hear that had not it been for this urgent matter that had brought him here he would have been enjoying the equestrian meet being held at Mount Abu for all the top royalties of the country. All the best horses would be on display. All the whose Who of the country will be there, not to mention that this was the time to make and renew contacts. A five day event, the Ranasa never ever missed it. So how come he had left it and come here. Hmmmmm.... worth inquiring about. And the Ranisa will not notice a few minutes here and there. Her inquisitive heart could never let a gossip pass her by. She had to hear it.
Slowly opening the door she peeked in. The Ranasa was sitting on a couch to the left while the Ranisa was sitting with her back to the door. A huge black planter was hiding the entrance so they did not really see the door being opened. Leaving the door open she sidled to the corner. Leaning on the door frame.
"........she's your stepdaughter for heaven sake............... she has bewitched him......"
Standing erect with sheer surprise she realised they were talking about Adira. Her ears open as never before, she was shocked to hear their conversation.
When the Ranisa told the Ranasa what she was planning for Adira her old feet almost gave way from the shock of it. That evil women. I will never let her get away with doing even a little harm to my baby child. Slowly closing the door she left as quietly as she had come. Moving as fast as her old legs would permit her she went out to seek Adira. All the while all that she could see was the images of Adira as a child. The first time that she had held Adira in her hands. The first Time she taken baby steps, when they would play in the palace gardens. Adira sitting on a mat studying and she feeding Adira. My child!! I had been so helpless when she had been married off the first time. But not again!!! The same story will not be repeated again, God help me!! for this time I have a warning and my Adira is grown up too. She is a smart, sensible, strong girl. We will fend off the Ranisa together. But I have to find her first. She must know everything. Adira was alone in her office, seeing her sitting behind the table working on some book, she entered in and quickly shut the door.
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Kumari Adira was sitting in her office tallying the account ledger. But somehow her mind was not on it. All she could see was a lopsided grin making her want to smile too or intense blue eyes saying they loved me, brown hair dancing in the wind inviting me to run my finger through them...... uhhggg.... Adira focus. You have a lot to do. You can't dilly dally like this.
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Turning back to the ledger just as she was near the total Daimaa entered a very troubled look on her face.
"Daimaa!!" She got up scared, for the last time she had seen that look it had brought the sad news of her mother's demise.
"What's wrong ,Daimaa? " worried for the feisty old women.
"Adira my child!!!! I don't know how to tell you...." for once at a loss for words.
Going to her old nurse she led her to one of the vacant chairs. Making her sit , she turned and walked to a corner of the room, where a small table was standing. Picking up a glass from there, she poured some water from the earthen pot. Handing it to the dear old lady
"Drink.... ", she commanded. "Take a deep breath and tell me from the beginning." Her calm stance relaxing Daimaa.
Taking a deep breath Daimaa looked up sad to be the bearer of such horrible news.
"Adira dear! Shut the door. No one can know of this." Once she was certain that their was noone lurking outside..... "Do you know Rajkumar Chander Singh Sisodia."
"Yes, Daimaa!! He was here a few months back. Don't you remember. Rani Charumitra's nephew." Uncertain where this was leading.
"How well do you know him." Hesitant to ask.
"I barely know him,Daimaa." Bewildered why Daimaa would want to know about a person she barely knew. "He used to loiter around the palace and I could hardly ignore him directly but that's it. Now will you please get to the real reason why you are so upset."
Pulling up another chair she sat down in front of Daimaa.
"Ranisa thinks that you have coerced the Kuvarsa into falling for you and you want to marry him. I overheard her talking to the Ranasa........."
Unhappily she disclosed all that she had been a witness to a while back.
Adira could hardly believe what she was hearing. No!! This can't be happening, not when she was truly happy for the first time in her life. Stunned into silence for the first time, she did not know what to do. She could see Daimaa saying something with tears in her eyes but her mind had stopped processing.
Daimaa having had a little longer to absorb the situation gently took Adira into her arms, rocking her, knowing she was in
need of comfort.
"What do we do now? We can't let the Ranisa get away with this." Trying to get Adira to focus.
"There is another problem besides this, that I need to tell you Daimaa." The moment had finally come. All needed to be let out. Daimaa was the only person who mattered and she would be the only one the whole truth would be told to.
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So saying she got up, taking Daimaa's hand she lead her out of the room.
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