"Jija, just observe that pair of crows perched on the branch outside the window!" Sanyukta gestured and Anokhi looked in the direction she was pointing.

One could tell that it was a mated pair of crows that in all likelihood made a nest and raised a brood of chicks every year. The female was just a little smaller than the male and she looked like she was enjoying preening her mate. As the two women observed in complete silence the bird preened the feathers on the top of her mate's head as tenderly as a woman running her fingers through the locks on her lover's head. 

Even the male crow submitted himself to the ritual most willingly, and when she used her beak to indicate where she wanted to groom him in a particular spot he obliged by moving his head in the direction she wanted. After a while the male crow returned her favour and once they had finished grooming each other adequately they simply sat close to each other like eternal lovers.

"We hardly notice them otherwise but I think their intimacy surpasses that of most human couples, don't you think?" Anokhi sighed. The message was lost on Sanyukta who was still admiring the pair of crows sitting on the branch. Before Anokhi turned to look at them again they had disappeared, they had probably flown to a higher branch to rest for the night.

It had been several days since Parth had visited Anokhi. This was hardly surprising as Vidushi and Tara left him completely exhausted in an attempt to compete for his attention. Their aggressive wooing of the man they shared left little scope for Anokhi. Not that she had lost hope of seeing him but there was no predicting when her turn would come. He did send her some perfume and a vial of almond oil as she had requested. There was also a message from him which mentioned that he missed her and would see her soon.Currently both Parth and Randhir were away attending to some official business in the neighbouring district and were not expected to return until the end of the week. 

"No Jija, I am tired of drinking saffron milk! I am beginning to detest the taste of the spice from consuming it daily. Could I please skip it today?" Sanyukta whined. 

"Absolutely not! Taken in the right dose saffron is beneficial during pregnancy. It manages your mood and helps you relax! You do want a good night's sleep, don't you?" Anokhi instructed the maid to bring Sanyukta her daily glass of warm milk laced with honey, saffron and slivers of nuts. 

"Jija, Kunwarji's soothing presence and his kisses work far better on my mood!" Sanyukta grinned. She missed Randhir as much as Anokhi missed Parth but at least Sanyukta was fortunate not to have to compete with another woman for her husband's attention.

"Ruma, stay still while I brush your fur!" Ratna scolded the curious monkey for whom it was difficult to sit motionless while her human mother fussed over her. Ratna would brush her fur with such dedication that Ruma's coat shone from the constant grooming and attention. 

"Baisa, you manage to make her look so pretty that you should think of marrying her off now!" Sanyukta laughed and Anokhi joined in.

"As if! Her monkey groom will only make her pregnant and leave her to raise the baby! Boy monkeys only make harems, they hardly care about individual females!" Ratna had indeed grown possessive of the rapidly growing simian.

"And are our husbands very different, Baisa?" Sanyukta's tone was casual. Anokhi kept mum. She had nothing to add to a conversation where having babies was being discussed.

"Baisa, I have a headache, I must go to bed now. Make sure to finish your milk before you sleep! I'll see you in the morning!" Anokhi bid them farewell and went over to her room. As she took off her heavy jewellery she examined herself in the mirror illuminated by lamp light. She had a complexion of heavy cream, without a single wrinkle on her face. Her breasts were firm, her waist slender and her hips well-rounded. Nature had been kind to her but had withheld motherhood from her. Anyway Sanyukta was due soon, and Anokhi looked forward to cuddling the baby in her own arms.

Sanyukta watched with amusement as Ruma greedily drank her glass of milk while Ratna went to put away her grooming kit. It had been the monkey's routine ever since Randhir left the haveli. Ruma enjoyed sweet treats and would beg for her share. Sanyukta did not mind obliging her, in any case she had developed a dislike for drinking the warm beverage. The monkey soon followed Ratna to her room and Sanyukta eased her heavy body on her comfortable bed, falling off to sleep easily.

The next morning she was woken by the clamour in the women's apartment.

"What is the matter, Luni?" Sanyukta asked the maid about the commotion.

"Baisa, it is about the monkey. It is not responding and Ratna Baisa is hysterical. She insists that the creature is fast asleep, not willing to accept that it has stopped breathing!"

Sanyukta, who was wide awake by now, saw Anokhi rushing into her room.

"Are you fine, Baisa?" She sounded worried.

"Jija, of course I am fine. It is Ruma whom we should worry about!"Sanyukta assured her.

The ball of fur lay immobile in Ratna's room. Anyone looking could mistake her to be fast asleep, but in reality the monkey was no longer alive, having died in its sleep. As expected, Ratna refused to accept the truth and it took a lot of convincing from Vidushi before Ruma's lifeless body was prepared for cremation on Ratna insistence. She did not want Ruma buried lest scavenging animals tried to devour the body.

Ratna refused to eat or drink anything all day. When she had cried enough she just sat in a corner, brooding over the loss of her adoptive daughter until Vidushi forced her to eat some fruit and put her to sleep next to herself. The haveli staff was given strict instructions to resume their routine the next day, as if nothing had happened. Vidushi could not bear to see her little sister depressed. No one really bothered to question why the monkey had died suddenly, because they were uncomfortable with the idea of defying the powerful Vidushi's orders.

"Sanyukta, tell me the truth! What happened after I went to bed last night? Was Ruma fine or was she looking ill?" Anokhi asked.

It was only then that Sanyukta shared with Anokhi about having let the monkey drink her milk . Anokhi gasped with horror as realisation finally hit her.

"I thought as much! Ruma looked like she succumbed to a strong sedative drug! I believe that milk was dosed with something unsavoury and of course you were the target! Only providence saved you, my dear, although poor Ruma lost her life in the bargain. This place is not safe for you anymore! Do not eat or drink anything until I supervise the preparation myself!" Anokhi immediately dispatched a secret message to Randhir describing the circumstances briefly and seeking his assistance to keep Sanyukta secure.

Anokhi had a fair enough idea of who was behind the mischief. Only one person stood to gain something if Sanyukta or her baby were harmed, although Anokhi had no way to prove it. Was Tara's lust for Randhir great enough to turn her desperate? Or was there a larger conspiracy at work here, Anokhi wondered!