"She was not afraid of me."

The rest of the night was spent with me turning the pages of my diary. The pages that were initially covered with blotches had now words written on them. My thoughts, the musings, the happenings and the impact was written down with a breath of sigh accompanying them. The sigh that escaped my lips when the passion of the moment embraced me and my words for the first time felt apt for the emotions that I wanted to relay. Small beads of sweat covered my forehead that glistened under the light from the earthen lamp and my throat felt parched despite the cold air occasionally entering my tent. The maids were dismissed, this time Sugdha too was along them and I was all alone jotting down sentences, no, rather they were phrases, phrases that I heard earlier. The phrases that I am trying to escape, forget but they seem to knock at the doors of mind again and again. Though the lack of sleep from the prior night demanded me to sleep, they only took rest when my wish to write things down was sated. With the last blotch from the nib, my eyes started to feel droopy and the sleep dragged my consciousness to the dreamscape as soon as I closed the diary.

The next morning, rushing for our return started at the first break of dawn. Everything was packed and I was arranging a box of trinkets when I felt I was missing something, something that should have-

"Rajkumari! The sedan is ready!" Sugdha trotted by my side and stuffed everything in my box hurriedly. When everything was packed and secured in trunks, I was guided inside the palanquin. The last phase of our journey commenced with the constant rocking of the sedan and the footsteps that now started to have a monotonous feel to them. Unlike the mixture of anticipation and apprehension I felt at the beginning of the journey, in return I felt most of the storm brewing within me died down and I was mostly at peace after this journey. Perhaps due to the break from regular customs or maybe due to the things that were now clear to me on a large scale, at least that is what I am believing currently.

I closed my eyes, feeling tired from the long nights, filled with lack of sleep and too much musing in order to get some rest in the cradling sedan and my dreams didn't fail me at all. I was deep in sleep for the most part of our journey, hardly registering anything happening. It was evening by the time we entered city gates and by now I felt fresh and wide awake. The palanquin slowed down while the crowd on streets parted to give way. There was silence, whisperings that this time had a gloomy touch instead of joviality. I peeked outside from the curtains and witnessed some fingers pointed at me, no, they were aligned back to my sedan. An ominous feeling started to creep up in my mind and subconsciously, my fingers tightly held onto the soft cushion beneath me.

With a thump, the doors of the palace parted to give us access and unlike previously  we didn't have to stop for anything, neither at the city gates nor at the gates of the palace. At the entrance did we halt finally where maids and helpers were lined to deal with all our needs. My mother too was standing there, ready to welcome us. I stepped outside the palanquin sans any help, the medicine indeed did wonders and I no longer felt unease from the wounds which allowed flexibility. I turned around to arrange my dupatta that was sprawled from the back when I noticed the absence of Nityasha's palanquin.

One of my brother's servants scampered to his side and mumbled something that was inaudible to me but whatever it was, it was enough to make my brother sprint inside without acknowledging anyone. Gingerly, looking in his direction and the bizarre expression donned on everyone's face, I trotted towards my mother. If scrunched up eyebrows or the regular bites on the lips were not enough marks of my confusion, then the creases on the side of my lehenga sure were.

"Mother-" I started but was cut off by her, "The journey must be long, freshen up." She smiled brightly and before I could question further, she  turned to leave with her maid Lekha at her support.

"I would investigate." Sugdha mumbled while guiding me to my room. I nodded but the eyes lingering at my direction made me feel uncomfortable. They sure were sharp like always but this time they had something different about them, something that I was unable to point directly.

"Does she know?" I barely caught onto one whisper.

'Know? What should I know? What exactly is happening?' My brows knit further and my temples throbbing trying to hold onto any piece of memory that could have filled in for such behavior but nothing felt fitting except-

"Take Rajkumari to the bathing area while I bring a fresh set of clothes for her." Sugdha asked one of the maids and sprinted in some alley. The murmuring continued but as soon as I turned to them, trying to scavenge my answers from their reactions, they silenced themselves and continued with their errands.

The familiar scent of roses and jasmine accompanied by a distinct whiff of sandalwood struck my senses which calmed my racing mind. The mist formed due to the vapours tingled my skin as if scrapping the sweat covering my body due to the long journey. They meticulously undressed me and after my bath was half done, Sugdha came inside.

"Did you?" I questioned, not completing the sentence on seeing the number of maids roaming around to do one thing or the other.

"The clothes you wanted, only parts of them were found." Sugdha answered cryptically while rubbing my back with turmeric paste. Though the paste was lightly applied, the stings of ants and broken skin still felt ablaze due to the turmeric, making me hiss. I didn't ask further about the news considering the company we had and waited for them to finish up with my bath.

"How long more would it take?" I querulous enquired Jasvi who was braiding my hair. Due to my constant interruption, her hold used to waver and the task was delayed as my unbridled locks used to find a way out.

By the time I reached my room, I was partly annoyed and was desperately waiting for answers but my wish had yet to be granted as my mother was sitting in my room.

"Mother!" I looked at her exasperated at her impeccable timing. She gave a short glance at me and put down the goblet that was in her hands.

"How was the trip?" She interrogated, her fingers were trailing on the  engravings of goblet and her eyes fixated on the liquid.

"The trip? It was nice." I stuttered remembering our little escapade. 'Does she know?' I introspection but looking at the calm relaxed posture, the idea seemed ridiculous.

"Was it?" Her eyes finally found me, the piercing gaze analysed me from head to toe as if searching for some evidence, perhaps a weakness. I mentally clicked my tongue at the earlier stupidity of stuttering I committed but graced my bisage with nonchance in order to evade the trap she was laying for me.

"Yes, the temple was beautifully constructed and the nature…" I took a seat on the settee aligned opposite to her, "It was calming if I needed to sum everything in a sentence." I answered, this time with full confidence and an unwavering tone. Her eyes were set on my lips, scouring any wobble in them or a stutter but this time my facade wasn't easily broken.

"Glad to know there was no trouble but I would still inquire about everything, in detail." She put an extra strain on word detail but I kept my cool and just nodded. Seeing no reaction out of me, she stood up and arranged her clothes before leaving wordlessly and I finally heaved in relief. I swayed my hands dismissing the maids then turned to Sugdha.

"Report."

She fiddled at her spot and wrung her finger around the end of her dupatta, her lashes were fluttering and the lips stayed pursed for a while.

"The news, nobody is saying this exactly so I am not-" I cut her off with a single hand movement and stared at her.

"Get to the point." I ordered, clearly feeling annoyed by the delay.she but onto her lips then took a deep breath.

"There is a case of murder." She blurted out while looking straight into my eyes. The images of the shadows started conjuring in front of me and for an instance I felt, I was reliving the wretched moment.

"Who?" I muttered.

"What do you mean? Who are you to remind me that?" The voice started to feel more and more familiar as I pondered over it.

"Nurvi! Don't go there!" A voice interrupted my moment of peace while I was sitting at the swing of our- my secret garden. It has been almost a year since Bhrata Shakuni left for gurukul and I was left without a companion of my age. Sure mother tried to acquaint me with kids of officials but I hardly took any interest in them. Listening to the erratic steps that were heading in my direction, I stood up waiting to protect my garden from any intruder. I picked up a stick lying on the ground and held it tightly.

"Nurvi!" Soon the bushes parted and two girls came into my view. They were tidily dressed and from the jewellery they wore, I was sure they were daughters of some noble.

"Rajkumari?!" The younger looking her greeted me hurriedly, a reaction I had been used to. Her eyes were wide and the moisture present in them indicated as if she would cry any moment now. The older girl, however, grinned and waved in my direction. Her teeth had a substantial gap between them and eyes glistened looking at me.

"I am Nurvi! Would you be my friend?"

"Prime Minister's first daughter, Nurvi." Sugdha answered and my breath hitched. All the memories of the past started to resurface, the witty responses, that brash attitude and that melodious laughter that probed you to take impulsive steps.

"Are you sure?" I croaked and my vision started to turn hazy due to the tears accumulating in them.

"The gossip, sudden departure of Devi Nityasha and every source of information are pointing at the same." She answered, her face stoic contrasting my countenance that had all the emotions exhibited on them. I started feeling suffocated and the world started spinning, leaving an inexplicable weakness in my entire body.

"Who?" I tried to bundle up my anger, thinking of every possible culprit that could be behind this.

'She is experiencing those days of months.'  The memory resurfaced. My hand clung on the armrest and I pondered over the reasons behind all this. Unexpectedly, Sugdha's answer left me baffled.

"The blame is on the son of the Finance minister." She answered which confused me.

"What?!" My speculations, everything fell apart as I gaped at this new piece of information. Sugdha stood there, unperturbed by everything as if she was not bothered by this new mess.

"You seem really happy." My mother mused, patting my head as she untangled the knots of my hair.

"I made two new friends." I chimed while snuggling into her blossom, relishing the warmth and happiness of the moment. Her soft laughter rang in my ears but I smiled with my eyes closed.

"I know." She tucked a strand of my tresses behind my ear.

"You know everything." I replied.

"Not everything." She flicked my head and continued, "Like, why did you specifically choose them to be your companion."

Finally I looked into her eyes and grinned, "She was not afraid of me."

"Sugdha." I muttered. "Let's go to court tomorrow." My thoughts were now cleared up as I introspection more over the events. The illusions of palace, no matter how much I try to escape it returns.

╚⏤⏤⏤⏤╗❀╔⏤⏤⏤⏤╝

Hello people! The update is here!

So what do you think about this twist?

Yes Nurvi is dead and Gandhari initially suspected Nityasha due to her comment but the killer is son of finance minister?

The daughter in law of finance minister is suspicious too.

What are your thoughts? Keep thinking because I would not be updating tomorrow or day after tomorrow because of my real life engagements. Sorry for that priorly.

How was the chapter?

Tell me through your comments!

Till then byes!