The departure of Randhir rankled Vidushi, to her it symbolised his abject rejection of her overtures. She knew well enough that the Sat or virtue of a Rajput wife was integral in the Zenani Deorhi or women's apartments of the mansion, infidelity would never be tolerated. But Vidushi was vain about her allure and sexual prowess, having her husband worshipping her was not enough, she fantasised about giving the other young man of the house sleepless nights. Being able to seduce him would be exciting enough but enslaving  both men who would share the Shekhawat inheritance would be triumph indeed. She saw it as the best means to usurp power in the Zenani Deorhi before Randhir took himself a bride. Intrigue was natural amongst Rajput women sharing the Zenana. Due to prevalence of polygamy the men took several wives, and these arrived with their own share of maids who could not refuse the offer to bed the powerful men of the house. There would also be concubines and other women whom the men fancied, and although these were not married into the family their upkeep was provided for depending on how well they served their masters. 

The problem with the men having access to several women under one roof, each differing in her appeal meant that the benefactors rarely showered their attention equally among the contenders, leading to jealousies and ill will. The status of any woman would depend on her hold over her man and her ability to deliver male heirs in quick succession. If she failed to produce these her husband would lose interest in her and replace her quickly. Vidushi was born and bred in such a home, she knew the rules of the game well. She was the first bride of her generation in her marital home and the sooner she bore a son the more credence her authority would find. Vidushi was apprehensive, her eagerness for bearing her husband a male child had not fructified yet sowing the tiniest of doubts in her mind about Parth's capability of becoming a father, and using Randhir seemed like the best fall back option. She would not be straying far from home and no one would be any wiser about the paternity of the child if she was discrete. The brothers did resemble each other so it would not matter if the child looked like either. However, with Randhir gone, if she failed to conceive they would find Parth another wife to bear his offspring, the family ever willing to doubt the woman's fertility rather than the man's.

Vidushi was careful in her selection of the maids she allowed her husband access to besides herself. They had been handpicked by her because they were proven barren, she could not afford to have a maid bear a Shekhawat heir. By offering Parth options for his amusement right in their bedchamber she was carefully curtailing the possibility of him bedding another woman leading to a possible pregnancy. Having to share him with another wife or concubine would prove to be a threat to her suzerainty in the Zenana while her barren maids would sleep with him only at her bidding, that too in her presence to ensure that no bonds of affection developed. When she thought they had serviced him enough she would step into bed to resume her role as the prima donna, often having Parth and the maids pleasure her simultaneously, unaware that another pair of eyes often witnessed the debauchery out of curiosity. Watching them romp together would send Randhir's hormones soaring, he knew it was better to leave home soon rather than stay and walk into a quagmire.

Sanyukta was restless, she was longing to interact with Randhir, to talk to him but he was always evading her, ensuring there was always someone around to avoid encountering her alone. His work kept him occupied during the day but at night, after finishing his watchkeeping he found it difficult to sleep, with the girl dwelling on his mind. He would smile thinking about how she barely knew who he really was, she probably thought he was an ordinary soldier of modest means, and he took care never to let slip his real status. One night as he was lying down thinking of her he heard the distinct swish of her skirt as she sneaked into his tent, obviously with Samsher's knowledge. Before he could speak she gently held her palm over his mouth, requesting him to lie quietly.  She found the ointment he had used on her scars and undid the strings of his angarkha, revealing the cat's paw marks that were healing well, and without a word she gently began applying the salve on them. After she was done she turned her back to him and dropping her ghoonghat she undid her blouse strings as she handed him the salve expecting him to return the favour, assuring him that her people were in deep slumber after having enjoyed her doped kheer.

If Randhir wished to he could have sent her back disappointed, but the sight of the marks on her skin changed his mind, and he gingerly spread the healing ointment over her back, taking care that his fingertips did not stray beyond their target, she was still someone else's bride-to-be. He tied her strings back and urged her to leave but instead she just turned and embraced him, her breath quickening as warm tears streamed down her cheeks, wetting his shirt. She held on to him firmly, even as he tried to pry them apart, and before he knew what was happening he felt her eager, warm lips on his. As if on cue he swept her up on his lap, holding her firmly by her little waist and deepened the kiss, his tongue savouring her willing mouth, the guilt of the taboo forgotten as they expressed their raw mutual attraction for each other to their heart's content. For her it was a touch of heaven, her first ever kiss, and with him it felt even better than what she had imagined in her fantasy, leaving her wondering how it would feel to surrender her body and soul to the man whose lover she had just become when he unwittingly acknowledged the affection his heart had silently nurtured for her .