"Undoubtedly you are very talented, Najma bai, my husband tells me you are an artiste par excellence and I could not agree more!" Anokhi meant it to be genuine compliment and hoped Tara would appreciate it, she did take pride in her professional accomplishments. Anokhi could never be sarcastic with Tara; she remembered that not too long ago she was in the same unfortunate metier, albeit against her will unlike Tara who left her husband to become a celebrated courtesan and who enjoyed her command over her audience.

"If you know so much about me already you are also aware that even for a talented and strong willed woman like me certain goals remain unattainable. What one desires very much belongs to another!" Tara said wryly, the ache in her heart evident in her words. "Najma bai, chasing a mirage is nothing but fallacy. You are young and beautiful and your admirers worship you. Let those who have opted for domesticity build their world indoors, you are meant to be the toast of endless exclusive mehfils! May your voice hypnotise the listeners for as long as you shall sing! I will now take your leave!" Anokhi said to Tara.

Before she left Anokhi  presented Tara with a set of magnificent robes in appreciation for her assistance. Her words had showered sincere praise on Tara because she had witnessed how affected she had been after seeing the passionate encounter between Randhir and Sanyukta. A woman spurned could be dangerous and Anokhi had made an effort to flatter Tara hoping that it would help diffuse tension. That was all she could do, she was unable to discuss the matter with Sanyukta who was clueless about Randhir and Tara's history. It was important to keep the information from her as Anokhi did not want Sanyukta stressed over it, she also know Randhir would hate to see Sanyukta upset.

After Tara's entourage left the haveli the official whom Parth had offered hospitality followed soon after, assuring Parth and Randhir of getting their work done. Anokhi went to look for Sanyukta in her chamber. "Where is Saloni baisa?" She asked the maid. "Baiji sa is with Chhote Kunwarji sa down in the stables." The maid replied, adding that Saloni was dressed in a man's riding clothes like breeches and tunic implying that she was probably going riding with Randhir. Anokhi smiled, she remembered how Sanyukta had been badgering Randhir to teach her horse riding from the day they were married, and it looked like he had succumbed to her pressure finally.

Down in the stables an enthusiastic Sanyukta and a cautious Randhir were observing the horses, the mare Bela was in estrus and was obviously restless. Randhir had given the staff instructions to keep the other stallions away from her intending to get her to mate with Pawan who was a thoroughbred Marwari. A successful breeding between them could result in the birth of a thoroughbred foal who would be Pawan's first, although Bela had been foaled before. "When do we start riding?" Sanyukta asked Randhir, unsure about what was going on. "Not right now, the mare who you were supposed to ride is in heat and is distracted, we have to give priority to mating her, and then after observing her if she seems in the mood for it you can ride her!" Randhir said.

"Then let me ride Pawan instead!" Sanyukta pouted. "What do you think the stallions have on their mind right now, including Pawan? It is not the best time to begin riding lessons right now, the horses may buck and kick, they can detect from the smell that Bela is in season and are distracted by her. And don't you want my boy to experience his first female? He is old enough to sire a foal!" Randhir grinned. "They can tell from the smell? I don't smell anything other than hay, horse dung and urine!" She wondered how the stallions knew. "Look at them carefully, it may look as if the stallions are trying to smile by flaring their upper lips, they are trying to smell the pheromones in her urine to see if she is ready for them! And she is showing off her flank while lifting her tail, "winking" her rear at them and spraying every now and then to signal her readiness to mate." Randhir explained.

He asked Sanyukta to wait patiently while a couple of men held Bela securely in place by a lunge line. Randhir led Pawan to the mare, taking care not to let him approach her too closely, if the mare rejected him she could show her displeasure by kicking him unceremoniously; causing him to become nervous and discouraged, or worse, injured. From her vantage point Sanyukta could see Randhir pat Pawan affectionately and whisper encouraging words to him. She has always been fascinated by the bond between Randhir and the horse; there was an unspoken understanding between them. Spurred on by Randhir's words Pawan gingerly nuzzled the mare and to Sanyukta's surprise, the mare raised her tail, exposing her flank to Pawan, who sniffed the air instinctively.

Randhir encouraged Pawan to mount Bela who was held in place by a handler, and with a little trial and error Pawan managed to grab her and position himself in readiness to commence mating. A handler stepped forth guiding his organ in the right position into the mare and instinct did the rest as Pawan pumped himself into Bela, planting his seed in her. Both horses neighed in response to each other, and to her amusement Sanyukta could see Pawan trembling with pleasure briefly before he went quite still and dismounted. The handler led Bela away and both the mare and the stallion has water sloshed on their privates to prevent any infection.

Randhir led Pawan outside to the open ground and gave him an affectionate rub and the horse reciprocated by nuzzling him and Sanyukta who was standing besides him. "Congratulations, he has finally become a real stallion!" Sanyukta smiled at Randhir who grinned back at her happily. "He was a little clumsy because of his first time, but the more he practices, the smarter he will get at charming the gals who will fall in love with him. By the way, since he is like a son to me you better attune yourself mentally to become a grandmother if he manages to impregnate Bela!" Randhir joked. "What do you mean by that? How can I become a grandmother when I still havn't felt a baby move in my womb?" She cribbed. "We can fix that, and then both our baby and the foal can be born close to one another." He said squeezing her palm with his own.

A handler helped to saddle up Pawan and after a quick tutorial Randhir helped Sanyukta get into the saddle instructing her on how to maintain a correct posture and balance. He let her hold the reins once she knew how to use them to communicate with Pawan. With the lunge line firmly held in his hand Randhir made Pawan walk around him in circles. He then let him trot slowly asking Sanyukta to stay alert. Once she learnt how to stay steady in the saddle he let her ride freely for some time before asking her to dismount. "Your flank will be very sore if you overdo it as you are not accustomed to being on horseback!" He explained and led her back indoors.

"Lunch will be ready in a couple of hours; you two lovebirds can freshen up and relax in your chamber until then! I'll ask the staff not to disturb you until lunchtime." Anokhi smiled to see Sanyukta dressed in Randhir's clothes, with the sleeves rolled up and a long dupatta tied around her upper body to secure her breasts under the translucent tunic material. "Thank you Jija!" Sanyukta responded warmly as she led Randhir back into their chamber. She locked the door behind her and peeled off the dupatta and breeches off her body, leaving only the sheer fabric of the tunic on as she fell back on the bed, her contours inviting Randhir to join her. "They smell of you now!" Randhir breathed deeply into the breeches that she had just cast off and doing that filled him with excitement while he lay down besides her.

"Why did the mare need to wink her vulva at the stallion? He was quite charged up anyway!" She asked Randhir. "It happens naturally in mares, especially when they are in season. They spray pheromones that send an invitation to the males about their receptive state. The heat lasts for under five days before a few weeks of anestrous set in. The mare must be mated within that window if one expects to breed her!" He replied. "Randhir, I did not know how formidable a horse's organ really is before I saw Pawan drop his before mating!" She had mischief in her eyes as she spoke those words. "Pervert, are you trying to give your man a complex? The stallion has a large organ because the mare has a wider passage for it, unlike in the case of women." He told her and she threw herself upon him.

After their passion play they lay close to each other and he kissed her on the forehead. "Stay close to me always!" He whispered to her. "I am going nowhere; you are the one headed away from me!" She pouted, trying to make her discontent obvious. "I will have to travel occasionally both for personal reasons as well as business; you better brace yourself for such times. And you will have Anohki Bhabi sa for company, don't worry. Tomorrow I'll try to get Bela ready for you to ride, she is more experienced in seating riders unlike Pawan who is trained to respond to me!" Randhir knew how to distract Sanyukta. "But he let me ride him today!" She remarked. "That is because you smell like me!" He said, planting a kiss on her mouth. "Let me always smell like you then!" She looked in his eyes and smiled, her love for him more than evident in her expression. Life was getting more interesting for the two lovers.