A King"s Wife

Chapter -26 -Mist Engulfed

 The garden of Udaykhetra. 

You are such a beauty!   Bhabisa!  Satakshi traces her fingers on Riddhima 's soft cheek. It was a mellow warm afternoon, when Riddhima and Satakshi were strolling   lazily in the garden. Sataskshi was of same age of Riddhima  and was highly mesmerized by the beauty of her sister in law. 

Your finger is so beautiful as if you are a painter.

"You are exaggerating now!  
 Riddhima blushed heavily on hearing such praising words openly. 

" No, I am serious. I really liked you the moment I saw you. You looked like a fairy ".

Riddhima blushed again. 

She had heard from others that she has beautiful features but Satakshi seems to be too mesmerized by her beauty.

She  was a cheerful,chubby girl,who befriended Riddhima  easily  as they had similar tastes in nature and gardening.

  "You are beautiful too."

  Riddhima pulled her fluffy cheeks and smiled.

" I so wished we could stay here for longer, I would have then been lucky to spend more time with you, Sataskhi 's head hung low. Tears trickled down from her eyes.

"Why?Are you going back to Chunargarh?

Riddhima 's heart ached in pain to see tears in her eyes.

"Maybe. replied Satakshi.

"When?" 

"Maybe within two or three days. Bhaisa  does n't like us. He will not allow us to stay here.

"No No Satakshi! Riddhima holds  her hands. 

"Rajasaye is not like that.  Why would he not allow his own cousins to stay in Udaykhetra. You must have mistook his intentions. He loves his family 's company.

"Will you ask his permission for us to stay for a longer time? There is no one in Chunargarh with whom I can play and talk. I have no friends there. It's always Meenakshi and me. I don't like Meenakshi. 
 
"I will talk to your Brother for sure".Riddhima patted her hair and smiled reassuringly.

"I don't want to disappoint you. But I know my brother very well. He will not. He hates me.  But still I would want you to try to convince him for once.

Sataskhi immediately left Riddhima alone in the garden quite confused.

"Why is she so scared of him? Riddhima recalled how harshly Vansh dismissed her when she first came to meet her. She was an intelligent girl who understood that there is something cold and unwelcoming between Vansh and his cousins. The person who is so warm and loving towards his subordinates,maids and subjects, was ruthlessly cold towards his little sisters. This seemed off to her. 

"Maybe they have stayed farther than the palace, that's why they didn't bond much"..If she could mend the holes of this relationship, nothing would be better than it, thought Riddhima mindfully.

Vansh and Riddhima 's bedchamber.

When Riddhima entered her room, she found her husband resting on the bed already, keeping his one hand over his eyes,  and the other was kept on the mattress lazily. 

Summer was approaching. Vansh was making arrangements to dig more wells, canals and ponds for the subjects. He also took some initiative of tree plantation in the corners of the  state.  Bathing grounds for the animals in the palace were getting reconstructed. 

She had noticed that her husband was quite active in taking part in those projects. He used to supervise those schemes by going different places by himself on horseback, 
 rather than sitting lazily in the four walls of the bedrooms.