"What happened was necessary, what would happen is necessary too."

"Rajkumari'' I felt a nudge on my shoulder accompanied by a gentle shake. "Rajkumari, wake up." The soft whisper continued.

Though my body felt extremely tired, I fluttered my eyelashes open only to squint them when a direct ray of sunlight struck my eyes. The hard surface beneath me reckoned that I was still lying on the floor. My neck was angled in an odd position with my arms aching due to the weight of my body being concentrated on them. So was the condition of the muscles on my waist and sides. I tried to lift myself but got entangled with the dupatta that was wrapped around me.

Wordlessly Sugdha held my arm to help me upon seeing my unstable posture. Getting me seated on the nearest settee she lightly kneaded my shoulders to ease the pain.

"What hour is it currently?" I asked while languidly stretching my arms.

"The second Nadika after the sunrise is passed, currently it must be the beginning of Ahi muhurat. We tried waking you up but you were not deep in sleep." She answered while massaging my neck in circular movements. I groaned at the euphoric relaxation of my stiff body. The ache of my back was still comprehensible but the rest of my body was at ease due to the masterful touch of Sugdha.

"We are late." I let out another groan with my eyes closed and stretched my back. "Get the bath ready."

The maids scurried off with Sugdha continuing her massage and Jasvi arranging my clothes. The warmth in the chilled air was discernible marking the summer that was about to come. The parrots were now shifted inside the room and their gurgles and thrills were nothing but relaxing.

"They are exceptionally noisy today." Jasvi complained at the chattering of the birds.

"Yes they are, spring has a unique charm." Sugdha mused with a final knead at my shoulder. While these girls were having a mundane talk my mind was still stuck in last night and the unaltered chirpiness of Sugdha unsettled me on so many levels that I could help but be silent the whole time.

"The bath must be ready by now. Rajkumari could you please?" Sugdha lent her hand to be which I taciturnly took in order to stand up. My movements were still jerky due to sharp pain on the soles of my feet but at least they were suppressed because of the support Sugdha provided.

With stumbling steps, we crossed the corridors where faint whispers were still audible. Some women had a disgruntled look on their faces due to my awkward posture and my discourtesy towards routine. Their dissatisfaction was obvious but they couldn't word them out directly hence they directed their thoughts through whispers that travelled from one's lips to the ears of others, creating a chain, a web to get a hold on the mind of their victim. The tactic was not only subtle but also a brutal way to punish someone mentally.

Finally reaching the bath, I rushed inside were my maids were already ready with warmed up water and scents lingering in the ambience. Descending in the water, I took a quick bath and hurriedly put on my clothes trying to ignore scratches on my body. I tried my best but the faint marking and redness along with a few blisters on the skin were clearly visible, articulating a gruesome design apt for someone like me.

On seeing my gaze transfixed on a particular blister on my hand Sugdha covered it under my white dupatta that I adorned along with a green blouse and skirt that had a golden border gracing it. She again helped me get up after perfume my body and arranging my hair in loose braids. I looked at the bronze mirror, the redness and swelling in my eyes were obvious but due to the meticulous shrouding of my garments all the blisters and scratches were hidden behind the brocade.

"Let's go." I muttered and limped towards the temple.

The sun was now shining brightly indicating the nearing of noon. Mitra muhurat was nearing its second Nadika and almost everyone was now rushing to their posts. The crisp singing of birds along with sporadic steps of children playing in the gardens was like a pleasant stroke to bring my thoughts out from last night. Not only did the flowers bloom a bit more brightly today but the sky too had a more beguiling shade of blue, everything was just perfect, too perfect that it contrasted the gloom on my face.

My steps were slow but this time my eyes were not relishing the sight rather they were locked in a stupor.

"Rajkumari." Sugdha nudged me out of my daze and indicated my mother along with Shreeman Aniishvara standing near the temple.

Walking closer I bowed my head slightly with my hands joined muttering "Pranipat." In response, both of them just nodded.

"Shreeman Aniishvara over here is one of the devotees of Mahadev, so he couldn't help but come here when he got to know that we have his temple built in the garden." My mother explained the reason for their presence with a soft smile playing on her lips.

"Hope I am not bothering too much." Shreeman added with his eyes twinkling whenever his eyes shifted to the structure of the temple.

"Of course not." My mother answered with a polite smile while I shook my head to support her words. Getting an acceptance from our side the glee was apparent on the visage of Shreeman who was waiting for a chance to enter the temple.

With great enthusiasm, he led his steps to the entrance of the temple while I along with my mother followed behind. The vague sound of matra soon fell into my ears as soon as I started getting closer to the temple but my steps stopped abruptly at the door. The blood on my legs was back, they were still coloured with events of last night.

"Gandhari." My mother who was by my side nudged but I couldn't move forward. Witnessing me clutched in the ivy of my own thoughts my mother nudged me again. "Gandhari, child move ahead."

Our exchange was not left unnoticed by Shreeman who now had scrunched eyebrows. "Are there any issues?" He questioned for which my mother shook her head.

"Yes, I was a bit late." A familiar manly voice rang the place. I turned around and there stood my brother with his usual sly grin on his visage accompanying our father. I looked at him with confusion as our father rarely gets time to attend the morning prayers along with the family. As a matter of fact, we hardly get much of his attention but whatever moments we share, they are usually peaceful with him nurturing us with his wise words and experiences. He smiled at me and discreetly signalled me to move ahead.

On seeing my feet stuck on the ground beneath, he nudged bhrata Shakuni who gently pushed me inside the temple with a nudge, a nudge to strengthen, to support, to nurture.

As soon as my steps entered the compound the maids rushed to hand the priests the garlands and the chants started resonating the place with new vigour, sending out a message that the prayers had started.

Everyone seated around the shivling and started losing themselves in the devotion of Mahakal with closed eyes and joined hands. The peace I felt was undeniable, it felt like a cool zephyr touching my face and a breather for all these bizarre happenings.

The prayers were soon over and now it was time to depart. My father and Shreeman were the first ones to vacate, leaving my mother, brother and I in the temple. My brother tried to clear the awkward silence among us by clearing his throat.

"So are your luggage packed?" My mother tried to initiate a conversation.

"Not at the moment." My brother replied curtly which was followed by a shake of denial from me. Listening to his words my mother clicked her tongue and flicked his forehead.

"Do you even want to visit that place or not?" Mother chided with a disapproving look on her face. "For a moment I could accept such negligence from Shakuni but Gandhari, even you?" She turned her attention to me.

My response was a bowed head and a quick apology which earned a muffled snicker from my brother. "Someone looks extremely blissed, I wonder why?" My mother said icily then smacks his head. With tables turned it was my time to hold onto the laughter bubbling inside me.

Seeing our lips almost turning into a smile and shoulders trembling to hold down our crackles, my mother gave up scolding us and shook her head. "You little critters." She muttered under her breath. "At least I ordered the seamstress to ready a trunk full of cotton and woollen clothes for Gandhari."

"A trunk full?!" My brother exclaimed and I couldn't now hold down my giggle and let that slip through my pursed lips. My brother ignored that instead, he cast a disgruntled look at my mother. "Mother, are you sure we would need that?"

"Of course, actually I think they are less." The reply came almost immediately, leaving no room for denial.

"Gandhari, why are you standing here mute? Back me up!" My brother pulled me in this direction as if marking me as his teammate.

Before I could speak anything, my mother flicked my brother's forehead again. "Now listen to me young man, I am the mother of both you and Gandhari. Thus what I speak is to be followed as long as both of you are living under my roof. Is that clear?"

"But mother..." he trailed, then a devious grin appeared on his face that was concealed within a nimash as if this was just a figment of my imagination. "If this is the case, then think about the poor servants... I perceive our journey would take longer than 3 days." He said coaxingly, sadly for him our mother didn't fall for that and gave him a blank face.

"You would complete the journey in 3 days regardless of the belongings you are carrying." She smiled sweetly at him. "And don't you dare to trick me because I would make sure you are accompanied by a few of my trusted people who are definitely not scared of you or could be bribed."

Listening to the words of my mother, my brother tried to articulate words but failed resulting in him to gape several times. I shook my head in amusement and patted his arms, "She is our mother." I reminded her quickly before pursuing my lips to hold down the crackle forming within me.

Before he could answer my mother took my hand and turned around to leave. "Now you could gape all you want but I am adamant. Gandhari would be leaving with me and you too should do the same instead of just standing there."

She pulled me along her till we were out of his sight. "You should care more about yourself." She muttered out of the blue.

"Mother..." My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion on listening to her words. Instead of replying to me directly, she traced her fingers on the fine scratches of my arms.

"I noticed it during the prayers. You are limping too so it was obvious." She sighed.

"I-I.." Words failed me yet again and I stood there unable to answer.

"I know everything and I understand." She whispered and instructed her most trusted maids to get medicine for my wounds. I just stood there, staring blankly at my palms that were stained by blood. The droplets that were marked started moving to that of hers, marking her as well.

"You would be marked too." I hurriedly retraced my palms that suddenly looked clean as soon as it was out of her hold.

"Gandhari." She took my hands back and looked directly into my eyes. "What happened was necessary, what would happen is necessary too. You have to face them regardless of your choice." With her last words, she handed me the bottle of medicine and left me standing there, alone.

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Hello people! Another update!
Yes, I did it!

How was the chapter?

Was it okay?

I took a small break from all those dramas and tried to make things a bit light. Did it work?

Please tell me your opinion through your comments! Till then byes