"Kunwarji sa, Jiji has asked for more aambli." Keshav conveyed her request for more tamarind to Randhir, who was busy saddling up his horse preparing for departure. Keshav had noticed that the guardsmen addressed Randhir as Kunwarji sa, a honorific for a high born Rajput, even though he was much younger than the men. Only Samsher called him Randhir banna informally as he was related to him. Keshav felt intimidated by Randhir, he only approached him after much prodding by his cousin Sanyukta, who had to bribe him with favours to get the job done and to keep it a secret.

"Ask your Jiji to get it herself, she is a grown girl, is she not?" Randhir told the boy a little indifferently, not wanting to be seen at the feisty girl's beck and call."But Jiji said she has a stomach ache. She has been asked to sit aside,and  they gave her bland and unsalted food." The boy parroted the excuse which she had rehearsed him well to deliver. Randhir let out a sigh as he considered what he had heard, or rather what she wanted him to hear. 

It must be that time of the month for her, and as far as her meal was considered he was willing to believe what Keshav told him, he had seen her being given a rather Spartan diet, even his hired help at home ate heartier meals in comparison. While her own kin were starving her she expected him, a stranger, to indulge her cravings. He was confused, was it not pregnant women who craved tangy foods? And from the recent disclosure this one was far from pregnant. No man could understand what went on in a woman's mind and he was not going to waste his time trying. Finally without much ado he helped the boy down a bagful of tamarind before sending him off to the girl who was waiting in anticipation.

He could not erase the sight of her relishing the tamarind pod earlier that afternoon. Even the thought of it was enough to arouse him, it was going to be hard to ignore her presence when she kept pushing the envelope with him, stretching the strict social boundaries by sending him subliminally sexual signs as she indirectly let him know that she was on the rag. What goes on between a woman's legs was her private business, why was she announcing it to an unknown like him? For any other woman the matter was a taboo, not open for discussion. But this girl was unlike any other, he had seen her shed her inhibitions only for him, and that was going to become a problem if she persisted. Someone would begin to notice it unless he put a stop to it.

Over the next few days she kept herself out of his scrutiny, her confinement confirming her status. He knew she was feasting on the tamarind though, he could see her stick out her hand from the carriage curtain as she discarded the glossy dark seeds. When her ordeal ended he noticed that the women helped bring her pots of heated water and soapnuts and shikakai pods for her ritual cleansing bath, and after that helping her to dry her long thick tresses before combing and braiding them. He could not be sure but she did seem like she had shed a few pounds from the last time he saw her. 

When the women lit the kitchen fires he could see her focused on stirring something with an appetising smell in a kadhai, with Keshav hovering around her waiting for the dish to be done. As she finished she wrapped a generous portion of it in a sal leaf wrapper, before passing it unnoticed to the waiting Keshav, whispering some words in his ears. The boy ran straight to Randhir, handing over the food. " Jiji says thanks for the aambli, it made her stomach ache go away." he told him before he ran off. As he opened the parcel he saw it was badam ka halwa. 

Randhir shared it with Samsher who relished it very much, claiming that the cook was indeed gifted, and he wished his wife's cooking would match up to this standard. Randhir did not say who had made it, but Samsher had experienced life enough to guess who sent it, telling the boy to enjoy the attention while it lasted, albeit from a distance. From the baniyas' talks Samsher had guessed that the girl was not meant to return to Bengal, she was travelling to be wedded off to an intended groom, along with her trousseau and dowry. Randhir listened with an impassive face, he had always suspected this. 

Being a warrior her safety was his responsibility, the moment she reached her destination she would become inconsequential to him, he tried convincing his mind with that. He was glad no one could read his thoughts, if they did they could see how she kept running through them in a continuous loop. She was now back on her feet and her anklets tinkled when she moved, her ghoonghat parted slightly when he was around, her doe eyes darting toward him to watch his every move. She moved about in the vegetation plucking ripe berries or fragrant flowers which she strung into chains. From the green fields she picked up spinach, tender mustard tops and green peas. She continued to bring carrots to feed Pawan who was so used to her he would nod his head whenever she approached him, acknowledging her. Randhir noted wryly that even his horse was falling for her charm.