The Pehwa family women had just finished offering the early morning prayers in the shrine and now broke their fast by partaking some fruit and moistened rice flakes sweetened with jaggery. They still had a lot of time before the next rituals began. The girls sat in the temple courtyard stringing flower chains under Godubai's supervision. As the copper toned sky turned light their talks veered to the predictable. Unlike other folks the Bhat family were steeped in history and politics due to their men's chosen profession.

"It is true that our land may never see a ruler as exemplary as our beloved Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj but for those of us who were born after Raje's death there can be no bigger hero than Shambhaji Raje, our very own Dark Prince! We were just children when his rivals ensured that rumours about him flew thick and fast highlighting his debauchery, his excessive drinking and his womanising. But we knew he was solid gold, with his sheen dulled by a patina of neglect." Godubai had hero-worshipped Sambhaji as a young girl. Her version of the ruler's history was quite different to the prejudiced one put forth by his rivals.

"His mother, the gentle Saibai Saheb gave birth to him at the age of twenty four, giving her husband an heir after presenting him with three daughters. She never recovered after his birth and met an untimely death at the tender age of twenty six, leaving her two year old son to be reared by his grandmother Jijau Saheb. Meanwhile the inevitable happened. His father remarried within a year of Saibai's passing. The stepmother Soyarabai made herself indispensable to the much older Chhatrapati and gave him children- a daughter and a son Rajaram who was born thirteen years after Shambhu Raje."

"Needless to say the ambitious Soyarabai made sure that Shambhu Raje remained in the backdrop while her own son Rajaram became the apple of his father's eye. Deprived of his father's affection Shambhu Raje became increasingly rebellious. When his grandmother died he was a lad of 14 or 15. Having lost his final pillar of support he was further alienated from his father by Soyarabai whose political intrigue was motivated by her desire to sideline him and ensure that her own son became the Crown Prince. She slowly turned Shivaji Maharaj's trusted courtiers and allies against Shambhu Raje who in turn became increasingly ired by the betrayal and defected to the Mughals much to the chagrin of his father. Shivaji Maharaj was forced to put Shambhu Raje under surveillance in the Panhala fort for a couple of years before his own death." Godubai paused to catch her breath.

"Wait Kakubai Saheb, let us recall the rest of the story. After Shivaji Maharaj died of illness at the age of 53 it led to Soyarabai conniving with the courtiers in order to deprive Shambhu Raje of his birthright and to crown her own 10 year old Rajaram as the new king. When the 22 year old Shambhu Raje got wind of this news he broke out of his imprisonment, rallied his followers and stormed the capital Raigad successfully to reclaim his right. Soyarabai and Rajaram were detained and Shambhu Raje became the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire. The plotters continued their attempts to oust Shambhu Raje. As a result the incensed young king decided to silence all opposition by putting the perpetrators to death for treason, the highest crime in any monarchy." Bhiu added proudly. The history of the Marathas was an often repeated lesson in the Bhat household.

"Does that make him a good ruler or a bad one?" A curious Anu asked innocently.

"Would you like to answer that question, Kashi? You are the Peshwin of the Maratha Empire now!" Godubai rebounded the question to Kashi.

Kashi, who was lost in admiring the beauty of the lush green carpet that the Sahyadri had draped following the early weeks of the monsoon, was jolted out of her trance. She had heard enough stories that maligned the image of the prodigal son. And yet her mind warned her not to judge someone without getting to the bottom of the issue.

"We think that survival is key to staying in power. It must have been a rather difficult choice for Shambhu Raje to make, but considering the gravity of the circumstances had he not reacted aggressively he would have probably lost both his life and the right to rule. Had they been spared his enemies would have proven dangerous. So yes, as brutal as it looks it was the sanest option for him given the political climate of a divided court. It is too bad he managed to rule for less than a decade, being eventually captured and tortured to death by a vengeful Aurangzeb in retaliation for his siege of Burhanpur and support for Aurangzeb's rebellious son Muhammad Akbar. Ironically for the Mughal Emperor the death of Sambhaji proved to be a fallacy because it firmly entrenched his  image as a martyr in the Marathi collective mind and unified the warring Maratha factions leading them to rally under their new ruler Rajaram, not to forget that this happened with the blessings of Shambhu Raje's widow Yesubai! All enmity ended with Raje's martyrdom!" Kashi replied.

"Wah Peshwinbai, you are quite a sound political analyst in the making! It is said that all is fair in war, as long as the ends justify the means. And Shambhu Raje remained fearless and undaunted in the face of certain death. He never betrayed his land while he bravely endured an agonising retribution rather than surrender his kingdom. The sands of the Bhima riverbank near Koregaon were stained with the blood of the noble prince, who for all the trouble he caused in his youth redeemed his soul by paying the ultimate price for his love of the homeland and his people." Godubai elaborated.

"But Kakubai Saheb, it was so unfair that nearly two hundred members of the royal family, including Shivaji Maharaj's dowager queen Sakwarbai, Shambhu Raje's wife Yesubai and his concubines and all of Shambhu Raje's children were taken captive under Aurangzeb's orders! The vile Mughals even took a daughter born to Shambu Raje and Yesubai Saheb as a bride for a Muslim noble, forcibly converting her to their faith. We heard that the young princess cowered in fear like a lamb being dragged away for slaughter. Poor Yesubai, her husband was killed brutally, her young daughter was torn away from her never to return, her freedom taken from her and her children for decades! This was her reward for having bravely stayed back to defend the fort while letting her young brother-in-law Rajaram escape safely to Gingee! After Rajaram's death his wives were so busy trying to grab power for their own sons, why would they bother to think about poor Yesubai languishing in the Mughal camp?" Bhiu bristled indignantly.

"What is the lesson you girls take from this chapter in our history? Sometimes women have to pay a heavy price to ensure the wellbeing of their own. Also a family that rallies for a cause unselfishly will succeed against adversity. If Rau has to focus on building and expanding the Maratha empire Chimna ought to serve him loyally as his mutalik. The rest of us need to support Rau too. If anyone tries to put personal ambition before the cause of the nation the enemy is sure to take advantage of the internal strife. So girls, since you form the very core of the Peshwa clan you must remember that the role you play is vital for nurturing the common dream. Now each one of you should say a prayer aloud for the family. The condition is that you must pray for the others rather than for yourself! Kashi, why don't you begin?" Godubai offered a suggestion to help build solidarity among the girls.

"Very well, Kakubai Saheb! We pray for good health for you and for Aai Saheb! We pray for success in battle for both the Peshwa Saheb and Appa Saheb! We ask for Bhiu Vansa to become accomplished in managing the finances in her family business and for Anu Vansa to enjoy her childhood thoroughly before she assumes adult responsibilities. We also pray that our co-sister Rakhmabai blossoms quickly so that she may come and live with us permanently!" Kashi blinked as she opened her eyes after unclasping her palms.

Bhiu stepped ahead next. She tried to look as mature as she could, assuming a serious expression on her face. She asked Godubai if she could improvise a little and was readily granted permission to.

"We pray that Aai Saheb and Kakubai Saheb remain healthy and cheerful for as long as they live. May the Gods continue to inspire Kakubai Saheb to take us out on many such outings to help break the monotony of our lives! May Aai Saheb never object to the fun times we avail as young girls and may she forgive us for using mild swear words when we are angry! May our little sister Anubai sprout her permanent teeth soon so that she can go back to flashing her pearly whites before us! May our brothers remember that they have domestic roles alongside their professional ones and wives to come home to! May Kashi Vahini crave tangy pickles and swell like a pumpkin around her middle soon! May Rakhma Vahini announce her coming of age so that we can initiate her into our girl gang permanently!" The girls tried to muffle their laughter while Bhiu grinned contentedly. A few minutes ago no one would have believed that the sombre mood of their discussion would transform so suddenly. 

"Now it is our turn! May all our elders be blessed with what they need the most! May Aai Saheb smile more and fast less often! May Rau and Chimna Bhau capture Delhi soon and send the Mughals running for their lives so both can spend more time in Saswad! May Kashi vahini and Bhiu tai learn how to be children again because I know they enjoy eating what they like, sleeping when they wish and playing games without worrying about being scolded!" Little Anu looked pleased with her short and sweet plea. 

"We think the Gods would be happy to grant Anu's wishes because the simplest desires are often the easiest to be fulfilled!" Godubai remarked with a benevolent smile on her face.

The women spent the rest of the morning exploring the precinct of the temple situated in the midst of wilderness. The generosity of the rain was amply reciprocated by the earth. Everywhere they looked there were colourful wreaths of wildflowers in myriad hues of white, yellow, green, red, orange, pink and blue. They would vanish as soon as the weather turned dry but just then they were living evidence of the potential that the stark rocky Sahyadris carried within their innards. Rivulets turned into magnificent cascades and leapt on precarious rocks, filling the valley with mists and their noisy din. Earlier that morning the girls had bathed in one such less imposing waterfall. Their maids shielded their modesty from prying eyes by holding up screens made of nine yard sarees. 

Kashi had suggested that they cook a meal using foods they could gather themselves. Baji and Chimaji's army routinely lived off the land while on campaign, though sometimes snacking on roasted chickpeas and puffed grains while on horseback instead of wasting precious time cooking and sustaining on elaborate meals. The speed with which their army covered ground was their biggest asset, giving them a tactical advantage as they sprung on their enemy when least expected. 

Godhubai and the maids showed the girls how to tell if the taro leaves growing around them were good to eat.

"If you are choosing the dark stemmed variety look for leaves with coppery borders. Your hands will itch- don't handle the leaves without protecting your skin with a barrier such as oil. And they are rendered safe when you leach out the itchy irritant in water like this and then cook them with something acidic like hog plums or tamarind pulp!" Vithi, Kashi's personal handmaid who had served her since Kashi was a toddler, gave her valuable kitchen tips.

They were soon sitting down to a simple lunch in the wilderness enjoying the taro tops, corn and peanut stew with cooked rice and lentils. There was just enough milk for a starch pudding made with ground finger millet and jaggery. Kashi wished they could stay there for another day or two but they had received news about Rau's imminent return from campaign during the forthcoming week. There was no way she could stay away from Saswad now that Bhiu's prayer about her craving pickle had kindled in her the desire to see it come true.