She woke up from her sleep with a start. Randhir being a light sleeper rose immediately, realising that she must have had a nightmare. As she found her bearings she hugged him tight telling him that she had dreamt that she was being swept away down the rapids of a river, being carried far from him as he stood watching on the bank. "I cannot swim, Banna sa, I would surely drown." She cowered, refusing to let go of her grip. "I swim very well, Baisa, you woke up before you saw me save you. I could never leave you alone in danger!" He comforted her with his words while caressing her. "I want to marry you and bring up our babies, ever since I met you I keep daydreaming about how our life will be together, if you refuse to take me with you I'll just run off and find you." Without giving him time to react she threw off her odhni and crawled up into his lap; locking her feet around his waist. 

As she wrapped her hands behind his neck her lips found his, soon they were kissing each other passionately. Instinctively his fingers undid the strings of her choli, sliding it off her shoulders. She lay back on the bed, pulling him over herself and he proceeded to savour every inch of her exposed skin, his excitement rising with every passing second. He stopped himself just in time before he lost control, helping her dress till she was fully clad again. "I better get back to my own room now, we need to start at dawn, try to get some sleep." He told her. "Some day you will have every right to spend your nights with me, I will never let you go." She called after him as he let himself out of the room, leaving her tossing and turning in bed. She blushed as she recalled the thrill of his kisses and the feel of his hands and lips on her body, fondling her lovingly. In a few minutes she dozed off, having forgotten the nightmare that had disturbed her sleep earlier.

Early next day Randhir bathed and got dressed to look over the arrangements personally as Samsher was not accompanying them on the trip. He paid his aunt a visit where she had instructed her staff to get a light breakfast ready for him. Sanyukta was still busy bathing and getting dressed. "My apologies Randhir banna, but without consulting you I had my astrologer look over yours and Sanyukta's natal charts. He is of the opinion that your match will be auspicious, the girl is destined to bestow her spouse with tremendous good luck though her own life will be fraught with several ups and downs. Also she will bear her husband at least two children." She told him as he heard her quietly. "Does she know about this?" He asked."No, she know nothing, nor does anyone else. Her aunt had her chart sent over for a second opinion from my astrologer, they were happy to know that the prediction made by their astrologer was exactly the same." She replied with a smile.

 "You know it is not possible, Kaki sa, Sanyukta and I getting together." He told her in no uncertain terms. "I know you both love each other, and your uncle has set a precedent by marrying me outside of his caste and class." She said adamantly. "But you know the situation, her father is to marry her off to some boy he has chosen for her. How do I defy that convention without giving him offence? Also you know the custom, I will have to take at least one Rajput bride, and I do not want Sanyukta to bear the brunt of a co-wife, she will be very hurt if she has to play second fiddle, as the other wife will command more respect, being equal in status as her marital household. I could never see her suffer unhappiness." He admitted to her helplessly. "All she needs is your love and support, she will figure out a way somehow if you accept her." She managed to tell him just before Sanyukta stepped into the room, having said goodbye to her family and glowing with the flush of young love. She was accompanied by Keshav.

In a few minutes they were on their way, Kaki sa, Sanyukta and Keshav inside the carriage along with Kaki sa's handmaid while Randhir and two other guardsmen rode alongside on horseback. The route was very scenic and soon they were crossing the Betwa river at its shallowest point. On the bank they could see the chhatris or cenotaphs of the erstwhile Bundela kings, erected on their cremation sites, looking imposing and solitary in the early morning light. Flocks of parrots and pigeons darted around them. Kaki sa told Sanyukta that many royal widows had joined their dead husbands there by immolating themselves on their pyres. These were later venerated as Sati mata and shrines bearing their palm prints were erected to commemorate them. While the custom seemed barbaric, every Rajput girl was brought up with the certainty that she may have to walk that path if fate deemed so. 

Some widows saw sati as a means to escape indignity and neglect at the hands of their husband's successors while others vied for the honour to die with their husbands. It was often an unscrupulous way to resolve the inheritance issue as after committing sati the widows were no longer contenders for their husband's property. The successor's own harem would simply replace that of the erstwhile king in the Zenani Deorhi following the immolation of all his wives and concubines. "Do you endorse the practice of sati personally?" Sanyukta asked Kaki sa in a hushed whisper. "Not at all, like you I was not born Rajput, neither of us was brought up to venerate it as the practice is generally restricted to the warrior elite." She replied.

They reached the Goddess's shrine and went forth to worship with rituals and customary offerings. Both Kaki sa and Sanyukta had chosen to fast until the completion of their obeisance. While the young girl echoed the same sentiment as she had while worshipping at the haveli shrine, Kaki sa prayed for the young couple to be united against all odds, at the same time also seeking blessings for her husband's longevity and for the well-being of her children. Randhir, who had joined the two women in their devotion did not fail to notice the earnestness with which Sanyukta offered her prayers, already convinced that she had chosen to epouse the right man. After partaking of prasad, the women ritually broke their fast and soon they were on their way to the family's shikar kothi close to the river bank where they could prepare the midday meal for their travelling party. 

Sanyukta took the initiative to make lunch, assisted by Kaki sa and her handmaid. As the guardsmen tried their hand at fishing for some trout in the river the women had the kitchen fires burning, and within minutes a delicious fare was ready including a smoky baingan bharta, papad ki subzi and bajra rotis. The men had baked their marinated catch over glowing embers and after serving the men and Keshav the women sat down to eat. For dessert they had some fresh fruit which they had carried from home, along with some homemade churma laddoos. A little drowsy after the meal, everyone settled down to rest for a couple of hours. Kaki sa put Keshav off to sleep next to her while the maid lay down on a mat nearby. 

Seizing the opportunity, Sanyukta sneaked quietly into Randhir's chamber bolting the door shut as she joined her eager lover in bed for the second time, just a few hours apart. "You cook really well, Bai sa!" He whispered his verdict in her ears as she nestled in his arms. "I do a lot of things well Banna sa, and only you are allowed the privilege of experiencing them." She whispered back, her voice hoarse with desire. "Be careful about what you have to offer, this is hardly the time and place." He teased her. "You can choose to keep your clothes on, but I wish to cast mine off. This place is quite warm, and you have seen me undressed before on that night, haven't you?" Saying so she shed off her garments before his widened eyes and slipped under the sheets to embrace him, inviting him to explore her unabashed femininity, having laid bare her inhibitions. She knew he would go only as far as his honour would permit, but she was willing to experiment anyway, knowing she was sure to stoke his desire and sorely test his will. Even a few minutes would suffice, she would brand the pleasure in her memory forever.