"Vahini, what have you been occupied with since morning?" A curious Bhiu looked over Kashi's shoulder, seeing her sitting at her writing desk poring over some old documents and letters.

Radhabai and her contemporaries in the Bhat family were well-read women. She was particular about her daughters and daughters-in-law becoming literate in the classical texts, in treatises on law, administration as well as on accounting basics. Kashi, Bhiu, Rakhma and even little Anu were being trained to read and write Sanskrit and Marathi and were comfortable using Balbodh as well as the Modi script. While the former was used for verse the latter was used while writing prose.

"Vansa, we were just studying some official documents that Ambaji Pant had sent over. You know how Aai Saheb insists that we learn the ropes of administration and accounts. When we spoke to Pant a few days ago he explained the significance of sigillography, the study of seals attached to documents as a source of history. We found the subject fascinating." 

Kashi explained how she had unearthed a world of information by studying old documents and their seals carefully. The seals of the Marathas bore between two to seven lines of embossed text. Their shapes varied from round to oblong, hexagonal, octogonal, square, rectangular and even heart or paisley shaped. During the era of Chhatrapati Shivaji and his successors Sambahji and Rajaram even the women of the royal family used their own seals in their correspondence. After he was crowned the monarch of the Maratha Empire in 1707 Shahu continued the use of the royal seal of his mother Yesubai Saheb.

Bhiu gazed at the scroll that Kashi was busy studying. Her eyes fell over the impression of the seal that every member of the Bhat family was familiar with. It was the official seal of her late father, the erstwhile Peshwa Balaji Vishwanath. The word on the seal were set in five lines which were arranged in the centre of a circular frame. Beside the legends there was a miniature sun and a crescent moon depicted at the top. The words read:

"Shri Raja Shahu Narpati Harshanidhaan

Balaji Vishwanath Mukhya Pradhan"

(Shri Raja Shahu, King of Men, Treasure of Joy

Balaji Vishwanath, The Prime Minister)

Bhiu had inherited the sharp mind that of her clan. She was quick to spot the cleverly concealed parchment under the pile of documents above it. Seeing Kashi engrossed in her commentary Bhiu slid out the clandestine piece of paper. She was pleasantly surprised to see that the contents scripted in Kashi's handwriting read out the following text.

"Shri Raja Shahu Narpati Harshanidhaan

Bajirao Ballal Mukhya Pradhan"

(Shri Raja Shahu, King of Men, Treasure of Joy

Bajirao Ballal, The Prime Minister)

Kashi had conceived the impression of Rau's new seal by substituting his name in the former Peshwa's own. Bhiu smiled to notice that Kashi had written the Marathi letter "Na", the last syllable of the word Pradhan, in inverted font. This was not a mistake. The misprint was deliberate. In the symbolic language of a Peshwa seal the inverted letter suggested that the Peshwa was present at his official residence when the document was drafted and dispatched. When he was away from home another seal would be used, and this one would have the syllable appearing normal instead of inverted.

The official seal of the fledgling Peshwa was not yet ready for use in his office. Meanwhile the erstwhile Peshwa's seal was being used in its place. Kashi had designed the impression of the new seal as a replica of the existing one. Instead of Balaji Vishwanath's name the text read Bajirao Ballal. The word Ballal was the formal form of Bajirao's father's first name. By substituting the traditional Brahmin honorific of Pant with Rao the new Peshwa would be identified as a warrior whose valour was meant to shine on the battlefield unlike his predecessor whose career was mainly built on diplomacy.

"So, our sister-in-law would much rather see the Peshwa Sarkar home by her side! Little wonder then that the syllable "Na" is inverted in her impression of his seal!" Bhiu taunted her brother's wife.

"Vansa, we cannot begin to describe how thrilled we were to inscribe this line of the seal in our drawing! Bajirao Ballal Mukhya Pradhan! We are so proud that Swami has risen to the highest office in service of His Majesty, and at the tender age of nineteen at that! We could happily die now if we had death staring in our face!" Kashi's eyes shone with pride even as she tried to dodge Bhiu's comment.

"Tai Saheb, you are ready to die already? Does that mean you are not joining us on the visit to the Phirangai Devi temple?" Rakhma decided to team up with Bhiu in her mischief. Rakhma, who was yet to attain puberty and move in with the Bhats for good, had been recalled from her natal home in order to join the celebration of Rau being appointed the new Peshwa. She had overheard the conversation between Bhiu and Kashi as she entered the room with Anu.

"Rakhma, it is only a matter of a few years before your Garbhadhan Vidhi. After that we shall remind you of how Appa Bhaoji rules your mind!" Kashi laughed as Rakhma feigned innocence, as if she had not understood what her co-sister was suggesting.

"Why are all the grown-up girls always discussing their husbands? We are perfectly happy being here with Aai Saheb and our brothers." The seven year old Anu's life was stress-free and uncomplicated, considering she was the youngest in the family and was pampered by everyone.

Kashi cleared her desk before turning her attention to Bhiu, Rakhma and Anu. The two pairs of sisters and co-sisters made enthusiastic plans for their excursion from Saswad to Kurkumbh. Visiting shrines and pilgrim spots was less about fulfilling religious obligations and more about the adventure and excitement of the trip. It gave the women and the girls a valid excuse to spend time away from their cloistered existence at home.

"Who wants to have their hair massaged with my special herbal oil?" Godubai stood at the door watching the young girls chatting away.

"Kakubai Saheb, what a pleasure to have you join us here! We would be happy to try your special hair oil!" Kashi welcomed the widow of Balaji Vishwanath's brother into her chamber. Godubai presence in her room was unusual. Only an insider within the Peshwa home could guess the reason why the women were in such good humour. Radhabai was away in Pune for a couple of days attending some official business. In her absence the mice were at play. As much as they respected and missed her they were resourceful enough to take advantage of their temporary freedom.

They made an assembly line as Godubai massaged Kashi's tresses with her fragrant hair oil. Rakhma sat before Kashi having her head massaged and in turn returned the favour to Bhiu who sat before her. Bhiu lovingly teased the curly locks of her kid sister Anu. The scene looked like a social exercise in primate bonding, it was a common ritual among monkeys to groom each other's fur in their spare time. But unlike the simians the women could not be bothered about their position in the family hierarchy.

"Oh, a little bit of this and a little bit of that!" Godubai answered cryptically when asked about her recipe for her soothing hair oil. After the girls coaxed her she divulged that she had used a mixture of oils including coconut, castor, sesame, sweet almond and even a touch of mustard oil. The flavour of the oils was overpowered using aromatic and therapeutic herbs such as amla, hibiscus, neem, camphor and pennywort. 

After the girls finished indulging themselves with their hair spa it was time for Godubai to spring another surprise. She had spontaneously decided to treat them to a rather un-Peshwa like bowl of boiled snacks such as jackfruit seeds, corn on the cob and unshelled peanuts. Dressed in their most casual clothes the girls bombed each other with peanut pods and shells, ducking to dodge oncoming missiles. The kitchen was asked not to make dinner for them as they had eaten their fill and rounded off their meal with fresh fruit. 

The girls then decided to have a sleepover in Godubai's room after she tempted them with the offer of narration of Maratha history peppered with gossip about the extended family. This would be impossible if Radhabai was around. 

"Please tell us the story of Chhatrapati Shivaji's  imprisonment and daring escape from Agra!" Anu set the ball rolling for a long session of storytelling. Godubai was quite the raconteur, adding amusing anecdotes to spice up her narration. The girls knew it was going to be a long night and none of them had a problem sacrificing their beauty sleep in exchange for the unspooling of the fantastic tapestry of the adventures of the real heroes of the Maratha Empire. Kashi knew by instinct that her husband was about to add his own chapters to that powerful saga. She was excited about her role as the life partner of such an epoch maker. The era of Bajirao Ballal, Mukhya Pradhan was just beginning.