"Jija, gently, it hurts!" Sanyukta groaned as Anokhi ran an ornate ivory comb through her thick tresses, in an effort to tame and dress them. "You are complaining about such trivial discomfort, how are you going to bear childbirth?" Anokhi laughed, running the comb gently through the younger girl's hair. "Just like I bore the pain of my husband breaching me for the first time!" Sanyukta blurted out quite unabashedly. "Shameless girl! Trust me that will be nothing in comparison to labour pain!" Anokhi remarked. "I know Jija, but do women really have a choice in this matter? Oh I miss my husband so much I don't know what to do!" Sanyukta cleverly switched the topic when she realised she may have touched a raw nerve, Anokhi would probably never experience childbirth.

"In that case find something creative to do. It will take your mind off your missing husband!" Anokhi drew the girl's attention to her own hobby of needlework. "Jija, sometimes I feel that life could have been less complicated had I married a farmer or potter. At least that way one's husband returns home each evening and is less likely to seek comfort in a strange woman's arms!" Sanyukta sighed. "But Kunwarji's only been gone a few days, and you are already cribbing. Don't forget, you are the wife of a great cavalry general in the making! Combat campaigns will be routine for life. Hopefully when your babies come they won't leave you with any free time to brood. Come, I have an idea for how you can use your time!" She led her indoors.

"This is a new type of screen used for writing and sketching, one can inscribe on it using a pigment dipped in oil. You can draw patterns or better still, keep a journal to log important events or just random thoughts. And also, like I said we can create embroidered or hand painted textiles to keep us occupied!" Anokhi suggested. Sanyukta felt it was a great idea to start a journal, she could pen down her private thoughts as a form of expression. She decided to write in the Bengali script which she was familiar with, that way she need not worry about any prying eyes having access to her innermost secrets. 

 She began with a Sanskrit invocation, a prayer to the Goddess Durga. The Goddess Chamunda or Bhavani Mata was the clan deity of her natal as well as her marital families. It was important to seek her blessings before beginning any new venture.

  The first entry in her journal was about the day she began the journey across from Bengal to Rajputana, about how her life transformed after she set her eyes on a handsome new bodyguard called Ranjit Singh Shekhawat who was assigned to offer protection to the caravan that her father was travelling with. As she recorded the details which she recalled with perfect clarity she hoped that someday her children would get a glimpse of the life she had lived, of the great love that had bound her to their father. She hardly knew that she had invested several chapters in the journal to chronicle her life in the past few months.

She started a new chapter to record her pregnancy, about the experience of having a life grow inside her. She wondered how big the baby had gotten and for comic relief, drew a timeline illustrating a poppy seed, followed by a sesame seed, lentil, green pea, kidney bean, tamarind, carrot, turnip, coconut and finally a pumpkin, trying to imagine the baby's developmental stages over months. Everytime she threw up and lost her appetite it took her strong will and coaxing by Anokhi to eat again in order to assure nourishment for her child. She spoke to the baby whenever she was alone, carrying out long monologues about how much she missed the man whose love had brought her so far in life.

Far away in another town Vidushi and Parth's daughter's Naamkaran was being performed. The haveli's main hall was beautifully decorated. A havan was conducted on the auspicious occasion and the baby girl clad in red silk and brocade swaddling clothes was placed in a silver cradle gifted by her paternal uncle Randhir. Vidushi wore new saffron robes with silver work and emerald and kundan antique jewellery presented by her husband. Family and relatives gave rich gifts, including gems necklaces, silk clothes, silver tableware, carved sandalwood toys; among other things. Harsh Singh Shekhawat had made it just in time to attend the ceremony and among other presents, had bequeathed an important village to his first grandchild. 

Vidushi's brothers and Randhir stepped forward and offered their guardianship, promising an upbringing and nurturing befitting a child born in a noble family. A lavish feast followed, including ker sangri subzi, panchmel subzi, dhana moong wadi, govind gattey, and boondi kadhi. Scrumptious desserts included imarti, malupa, moongdal halwa and ghevar rabdi. Randhir ate sparingly, staying away from the heavy ghee laden food and sticking to simple fare such as a bajra roti and some kadhi subzi, avoiding the sweets altogether. He did not want his senses to be dulled after the feast.

"So, we are on?" He whispered almost inaudibly to Ratnavali who had sneaked in behind a pillar. "You bet!" She replied. "Good luck, and do your best!" He told her, before parting to rejoin his father. "Randhir, my son, I suppose you know about your Bhabhi's proposal to get you hitched to a suitable bride from among the eligible girls in her family? If you agree it will cement our family bonds further and we will add to our political clout through the girl's maternal side of the family." Harsh could see no reason for his younger son to decline the proposal. To maintain his status Randhir needed to take a suitable bride who brought him more power, unlike the modest wife without any fortune whom he had married out of compassion."Yes father, I have been told about this by Bhaisa." He responded cautiously. 

Harsh took this as a positive response, unaware of Randhir's state of mind. Randhir could hardly afford to reveal the truth about Sanyukta's and Anokhi's background to his family, so he had no plausible excuse to refuse an alliance proposed by Vidushi. Around the same time Ratnavali sneaked into Vidushi's room, on the pretext of playing with her little niece. She fussed over the little girl till she fell off to sleep. "Jija, I need to share a secret with you!" She told her sister in a conspiratorial tone. "It is about Kunwar Randhir sa! You are planning to find him a match among our cousins, aren't you?" Vidushi's ears pricked immediately at the mention of Randhir's name. "What is it Ratna? Come on, spill!" There was an urgent curiosity in Vidushi's voice.