"Let me be alone after you are done lighting the lamps" Vedangi ordered as she settled on the chair in front of her desk. She was alone in her chamber tonight. Shvet was staying in his newly introduced kakashree 's chamber for the night. Vedangi thought of asking Uttara to be with her, but she was with Devika. Ardhika was done lighting the lamps, leaving the chamber dimly lit. Vedangi leaned back on her chair, recalling Shvet's behaviour with Devika and Shvetketu earlier the day and a smile formed on her face. He was behaving as if a child has found a new toy and is busy playing with it, forgetting about the whole world. The genuine happiness on his face, which she had rarely seen, still made her heart skip a beat.

She nodded fondly and dipped a peacock feather in the ink bottle. Since past few weeks, she was writing about all her family members in a palm leaf book as if narrating it to her child. It was her way of introducing her family to the child in womb. She caressed her baby bump gently and opened the booklet.

Bansen dada

He is just four months elder to me and still asks me to call him dada. In champanagar, elder brother was called dada, kaka called baba the same and we siblings too learned it. Bansen dada would never miss an opportunity to smack my head and then I would scratch him with my nails. Yes, I did such things too!

When I was learning to use bow and arrow, for the first few months, I was not able to even aim properly. Dada would make fun of me in front of all my brothers and I would leave from there crying. One day, maa told me that instead of crying for something I can't do, I should prove him that I can do it too. Whatever I know today about archery is all because of Banasen dada's teasing. One day me and Dvipat threw a cat on his back for fun. The cat's nails tore the dada's skin, leaving huge wounds. Maa had locked me and Dvipat in my chamber, without food for doing so. But priyaai secretly gave us food that evening and even slept with us as we were feeling afraid.

Childhood is indeed the post beautiful phase. I miss pulling Baba's kundal and he smiling instead of scolding me. I miss jumping over Shon kaka's shoulder and he giving me a tour of entire palace. Those moments were most blissful!

Vedangi closed the booklet and called Ardhika to get some water, but Ardhika came with someone, the newly found kakishree. Vedangi recalled Sudeshna calling her Uma, a few times. Vedangi smiled and bent forward to touch her feet but Uma held her shoulders, "Devika jiji told you na, don't bend, you are grabhvati" . "You need something kakishree? What made you come here at this hour?" Vedangi asked making her sit on a couch and lighting nearby lamp. "Shvet asked to stay with you for the night" Uma smiled, formally. Vedangi noticed how she called Shvet by his name and not Shubr, they way everyone close to him called.

"I was going to your palace, but your dasi told that you stay here in Shvet's palace. So, you haven't captured only his heart but made your way in his palace and even private chamber" Vedangi replied with a smile and a blink of eyes. "How lucky you are, you became Yuvrani of the kingdom as soon as you were married" Uma continued, staring out of the window. Vedangi shifted a bit, sitting in the same position for long time made her uncomfortable. "Kakishree? Sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, but where were you both all these years? And why did you leave the palace? I have seen your and kakashree's potrait, but no one ever told me where you both were" Vedangi asked.

Uma smiled, "What is the name of your nath?", "Yuvraj Shvet" Vedangi replied, her cheeks warming up as wife very rarely called her husband by name. Uma shifted her gaze towards the ground, as if the word Yuvraj pricked her. "And of my arya?" She asked, trying to smile. That was when it dawned Vedangi that Shvet's name was like a short form of his kakashree's. "That was how their bond was, Shvet would follow arya like a shadow. He was almost a year old when I entered this family as a new bride. Arya and him were very fond of each other. So much that Shvet's name was kept from Arya's name" Uma smiled nostalgically.

"But then Sudeshna jiji's brother, keechak came to live with us and everything withered! He started to trouble me. He would come to my chamber unannounced, would gaze lustfully at me and a few times even stepped on my veil" Uma narrated and closed her eyes to calm herself. Vedangi gazed at her shocked, she had also experienced these things. "Is he doing the same with you?" Uma asked noticing the change in her expression, Vedangi nodded in a no, trying to smile. It's been just few hours since they have returned, they would get worried unnecessarily and may even think of going back if I reveal Senapati keechak's acts to them. I don't want the smile on my Nath's face to disappear, she thought.

"It's good, but still stay safe and away from him" Uma held Vedangi's hand into her's. "Kakishree, what was the reason you and kakashree left our kingdom?" Vedangi asked again. "One day he crossed all limits! While I was walking back to my chamber, he blocked my path and tried to pull my stanpatta , I screamed for help and my personal bodyguards rushed to help me" Uma paused taking deep breath to calm herself, Vedangi forwarded her a glass of water and gulped wrapping her hand protectively around her baby bump.

"When arya got to know about this, he asked Sudeshna jiji to ask her brother to leave the palace, but she and her brother both were not ready. Jiji forced keechak to ask for forgiveness and made him promise that this will not happen again. But arya was adamant, either we live in this palace or him, unfortunately we had to choose the former. I still remember Shvet was told that we are going to my natal home as he would never let his kaka go away. He had hugged arya weeping, asking him to return as soon as possible, while we were leaving and today it felt like I am seeing the same little Shvet" Uma wiped a tear that rolled down her eye.

"After leaving the palace we started living near outskirts of Shivi kingdom so we were in contact with Devika jiji, she was like a sister to arya. Few days ago, she urged us that it's high time we return back and now Shvet, Shankh, Uttar kids have grown up we too wished to spend time with you all, so here we are!" Vedangi too giggled with her for a moment.

"Take care of yourself and your child, stay safe from him. I came here to tell you this especially, because I don't want any other lady to go through this, tell this to Uttara too, okay?" Vedangi nodded positively. For some reason she was having mixed feelings towards Uma, for a moment this newly found kakishree seemed affectionate and the other moment it felt like she was a bit envious as Vedangi was Yuvrani and had a department under her supervision.
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