Mahina, Durja
"Don't you have other matters to attend?" Nakshathra had asked him when he followed her on her first day of the fast to pluck a thousand flowers.
"Nothing important this early in the morning and it won't kill me to accompany you. It's your first day fasting for a ritual that never exists, anyway," he said with a shrug.
Dhruva's Yujyagana had done some information check and found out there were no such fasting observed by any bride of the kings or the princes in the past. They then figure out; the queen and the ladies had purposely come up with it. A few Yujyagana had gone a little further to gather information from the lady's court through the maidens.
It seemed the Pradhan Mantri had wanted Dhruva to marry his daughter while the Maha Mantri's wife had wished for her granddaughter to take the title of the crown princess, Yuvarani. Troubled with Dhruva's choice of bride, they teamed up with the queen to make Nakshathra's stay a little less easy. The maidens had also whispered cautionaries to the guards to keep vigilant while guarding Nakshathra, afraid for more serious scheming.
"Your Highness, we can go to the king. He will overrule the need to observe such long term fast and rituals," Sudarshan said, the others nodded in agreement.
"That's fine. It's not too hard, half day fasting is actually good for your body. So, let's give the ladies a little moment of victory," she said as they walked to the temple.
"But you are also restricted to go out of the palace. You were supposed meet the people with Yuvaraja," Dandapani added.
Dhruva turned to her with the same thought. "Yes, I'll speak to the king. You don't need to do any of this," Dhruva emphasized on his disagreement on the fast.
"That's alright, Dhruva. I'll speak to them, the ladies. No loyalty to the country and its people can be shown by being locked in the palace, right? I'll add some sense into their heads."
And just as she said, Nakshathra now stood before a set of aged ladies glaring at her after three days of observing the fast faithfully. "Well, now that I have explained. Perhaps you should not take too much to the heart if I skip a rule of this no-name custom since there isn't a history for it even."
"That's nonsense!" Sembaruthi retorted, throwing the pillow she had on her lap to the ground. "Who said this ritual has no history?"
"You may adhere to everything an elder tells you but I," she point her index finger to herself, "do my research, Devi. There is no such thing as sixty days fasting. Neither in Durja nor in the vast Lambodara. There was no history recorded of any bride observing it too. But, to respect your wish to see me fulfil this made-up tradition, I'll do it. All of it." Nakshathra glanced at the queen who wore a small smile. "Except for the part to keep myself within the palace compound. I have duties to fulfil alongside my husband as well."
"You are an outsider, you should follow some rules, Yuvarani." Madhurika's voice rang a little louder than she should. She quickly retreated with a small curtsy, aware of her crossing lines in front of the queen.
"I agree to disagree, Devi Madhurika. I am an outsider, yes and so I don't follow rules. I break them. As Rajakumari Nakshathra, I have a long running history of doing so. If you are so interested in this fasting, feel free to join." Nakshathra grinned and left a dumbfound group of ladies behind.
As she stepped out of Suryakanti Sabha, the queen's palace, Nakshathra recollected the look Kumudhavalli had on her face. Unlike the rest of the ladies, Kumudhavalli remained calm even as she spoke the truth about the fake ritual. It made her wonder if she had defied or eventually fell into an invisible trap Alli had laid for her.
If yes, then what was it?
*-*-*-*-*-*-*
On the night of the seventh day, after she broke her fast with the water from the temple and sent Dhruva to see his other duties, she set to do some sorting. Nakshathra sat in her study chamber, unpacking her stuffs she had brought from Kavish. While she and Arunya were into organising her little vials of herbal potions, Arunya nudged her elbow on Nakshathra. She took out a small bundle she had hidden and inside it was a few small berries in golden shade. In one glance it may appear to be baby tomatoes but what Arunya had in the little bundle was Nakshathra's favourite, Rasbhari, (Cape Gooseberries).
Nakshathra eyes lit bright as she took one of the berries, examined it with a smile. She took a bit and savoured the sweet and earthy taste of the berry like she had not had it in years. "Hmm..." she moaned, relishing the tropical taste. "Where did you get this from?" She picked up another berry and dropped it in her mouth.
"I went to the market today and saw a vendor selling it. Immediately bought it, I know you would love it."
"You went alone?"
Arunya bit her lip, a shade of crimson spread on her cheeks. "I went with Arasu."
Of course, she had seen it coming. Now that Arunya had said it, Nakshathra understood those stolen glances and shy smiles. Nakshathra expressed her happiness with a hug. "I am so glad you have found someone other than me to spend time with. I believe he will keep you happy," she said. "I'll also put a word to him "
Arunya nodded. "He sure is doing the best to make me happy even now."
"That's wonderful."
"Oh, remember you asked me to watch Ramani?" she started after a brief silent. "I saw her going in and out of Suryakanti Sabha recently. Does she know anyone there?"
The mention of Ramani, reminded her of a task she had given the girl a few days ago. The work must have been going on since Ramani has been going in and out often. Nakshathra bobbed her head. "Yes, I have given her some work to be done there."
Late that night, a knock on her study chamber woke her up from her nap. When she answered the door, Ramani stood with a shawl over her head. Nakshathra stepped aside to let her in and locked the door.
"Is everything well?" She asked as she poured a cup of water from the ewer.
"Yes, Your Highness. I have done as you have asked and she believed that you have not noticed my role in your palace," Ramani said, keeping her head bowed.
"Good. Here, have this." Nakshathra handed her the cup of water and sat on a vacant chair. "Any message for me from Alli?"
Ramani gulped the content and handed her a sealed envelope.
"At least she had a sense to send me a message," Nakshathra commented and took the envelope. She left it on her lap, unopened and fixed her gaze on Ramani.
"I know it's hard for you but I request you to keep this exchange a secret. No one here knows about you. I don't want to put you in a bad light despite what you have been doing behind my back. Let Alli not know about it as well." A mild breeze pushed the seer curtain to a dance as it circled the room. Nakshathra watched the curtain move. "I promise we will find your father as well. I'll not rest until I have each one of them sent back to their families."
*-*-*-*-*-*-
The tenth bell rolled thunderously in the quiet night, the last of the bell to ring aloud for the night. The royal couple, the Yujyagana and the four guards from Kavish left to their destination, a one day of travel to a secluded village in Durja. They were heading to a place where the Kavishians, Alli had captured were kept. Alli had clearly mentioned of the place, date and time on when they should be able to get them but Nakshathra had inkling of the search might not end the way they have all wished but had silently trotted behind Dhruva.
The next day, as the sun reached the peak and after a relentless search in the forest, they found an opening covered with green and broken branches. They worked on to clear the path and the troop finally managed to bring all of the captives in the dungeon out into the open. It was only when they were out under the sun, Nakshathra noticed how bad their conditions were; they were all beaten, bloodied, extremely thin and were emitting foul smell.
Nakshathra sat on a rock next to the pathway to the dungeon with her face buried in her palms.
"I don't believe she is playing this sick game now," she muttered to Dhruva. "How could she only give us a hundred of them? Where are the rest?"
Alli did not deliver all of them as she promised. In fact, when Dhruva went it with the rest while Nakshathra waited outside of the dungeon, he found a similar purple script. A message for them, she had left.
For the love of a treasure hidden in your country, I seek its possession. Bring it to me and I shall release the rest of the Kavishians.
When she read the content of the note Dhruva had given her, the first thing that she said was, "how much more does she need?"
"What?" Dhruva asked.
There was a brief silent between them before she diverted the topic. "She is asking for a hidden treasure. How did she know about it?"
"By treasure, she means money?"
"Golds. Loads of it," she whispered.
She was barely audible but Dhruva read her lips. His eyes grew big. "And the golds are from?" he asked curiously.
"It belongs to the people who lived in Kavish decades ago. It was collected and safely kept in a place out of reach when something horrific took place. We were strictly told to only open it when the nation falls into massive economic downfall. The treasure was to be equally divide to every individual who belong to Kavish." She ran a hand over her face, wiping off the sweat. A ray of sun fell on her through a tiny gap between the branches and leaves. "But the thing is, no one knows about it."
"Perhaps, Ranganathan would have told her."
She shook her head. "Only the immediate family members of the ruling king have the knowledge of its existence."
Dhruva exhaled audibly. "Then it means, someone who knew about the treasure would have told her unintentionally." He sounded a little annoyed.
Nakshathra was quick to notice the change of his tone. She regretted for only talking her problems on a repeat mode. I must have been harassing him with all these matters.
A shadow towered her. She gazed up, Dhruva was on his feet dusting his hands. "We will figure it out later. Now come on, let's go to the village and gather some help for them."
Guilty without being charged, Nakshathra promised to herself kept her lip sealed as much as she could. It was the only way to not annoy him.
They ventured back to the village to get enough carts to carry them all to a secured place to rest and have Nakshathra heal them. It was essential, Dhruva wished them to leave Durja in a dignified way and not send them back the same way they were found.
*-*-*--*-*-*
A week had gone by since, a ratha vimana was sent to Kavish with the retrieved Kavishians in it. Since then, Nakshathra and Dhruva had been figuring out a way to find the rest of the Kavishians. The former had put her foot down to never touch the treasure in Kavish to satiate Alli's greed and retrieve her people.
Before the recently rescued group were sent back, Nakshathra had held a brief interrogation and learnt, they were all been kept captive in different places. According to them, some described the places as caves and underground dungeons while some say the cells, they were in had stone walls.
"More than seventy of them were tied in various caves, right?" Nakshathra's voice trailed off as she rolled on the floor in her study chamber.
They were reviewing the map of Durja and were trying to guess places of caves and secluded places where Alli could possibly go and come in a day. Reminding herself, Alli was actually the queen of Durja, Nakshathra made sure to always have the point in her head while she suggested locations.
While she blankly stared up the patterned ceiling, a thought struck her. "We should get their help." She sat up and her hair-do came loose. Her black tresses cascading down to her hip.
"Who?" Dhruva asked, tearing his gaze from an old historical geographic script. A corner of his mouth turned up.
"Yamilvas." Her eyes shone bright with hope. "They are just like Achi Mangalam but they have a power to communicate and control the elements of the nature. Mostly of soils, rocks, mountains and trees."
"Those from Varmohin?" He bobbed his head shortly after a thought. "I have heard of them. You think they can help and do you by any chance know them?"
She nodded. "I once got treated by them. One of them was a hybrid of Varhinsa and Yamilva. So, yes. I know them and I think they can locate any living beings underground. We should try."
There was a knock on the door.
It was time for Nakshathra to break her fast for the day. She tore the door open and Arunya waited with a glass of water from the temple. Gulping the content in a go, she sent Arunya back and locked the door behind.
"I shall write to them," she continued as she traced her way back into the centre of the chamber where Dhruva sat, staring at her with a beckoning look. "Request them to help us with their expertise."
Dhruva let out a chuckle and reached for her hand dangling by her side. The room rang with the sound of her giggle as she fell on his lap. "They are not experts, Nakshathra. They are born with it."
"Yes, of course," she said. "I mean they too need to do certain kind of practice to be an expert in using their powers, right. Like me, because I have spent my time practising, I am now a good physician."
"That you are," his voice muffled in her hair.
When she turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, she melted in his arms for his bewitching look. It took her awhile to discover the beauty of his features that appealed her the most; his dark brown eyes often shone like black diamonds whenever their gaze met. Nakshathra leaned in to kiss the beckoning lips. Dhruva caged her in his one of his arms while the other cupped her cheek.
"Shall we go for a walk after dinner?" He asked soon after they broke the kiss.
They had made a deal to go for a walk at least thrice a week. Their night walk had often ended up with them learning new pieces of their life and brought them closer.
She had not noticed how attached they had gotten with one another until she started craving for those quality time together more when Dhruva left for an official trip outside Mahina two weeks later.
*-*-*-*-*-*
It has been thirty-nine days of fasting and as usual she breaks it by drinking the sacred water from the temple used for prayers every day. The recent days had been somewhat hazy and dull. Nakshathra had started experiencing light-headedness and she found herself mostly resting all day. It was unlike of her but she had no much say to it when her body hardly listens to her.
Dhruva on the other hand had been busy with court and local matters. He had been working diligently to dissolve the taxation while the finance minister kept providing reasons to not remove the taxes. Hence, she had requested him to shift his attention to Durja's need while they waited for Yamilvas to arrive.
While Dhruva invested in local matters, Nakshathra opted to put her medical knowledge to use. She started with administrating treatments for minor health problems for free outside Utpala. She practices it in a mud house she and Dhruva had built along with a few palace workers. Nakshathra found the process of building it therapeutic. Soon the news of her free care service reached the wives of the court members and workers.
Lalita Sundari, the wife of a Bhupathi Kankeyan was her first patient from the ladies' quarters in the palace. It so happened to be Lalita was five months conceived with her second child and had wish to be treated by a lady physician ever since. "I have always wanted a lady physician but we don't have one in Mahina. I was so happy to learnt you were not only a princess but a physician." Lalita was beaming, her faint dimple peeped a little.
"I am glad that I am," Nakshathra said with equal glee and gestured Lalita to lay on the bed specially made for her to treat her patient. "So, you are pregnant with your second child. Let's see how is the little one doing." Nakshathra then placed her hand on Lalita's abdomen and felt for the baby's position. "Little one is good. Now let's read your pulse and do other examinations."
As Naksahthra worked on checking up Lalita, she occasionally had to sit to work. The lethargic was kicking in for the day despite administrating herself some energy booster she had made for herself. While she gradually moved about picking up right herbal potions for Lalita, Arunya barged in and curtsey to both of them. "Your Highness, Devi Sembaruthi and Devi Madhurika has come to visit you," she said.
"They will need to wait."
"Can I go to greet them?" Lalita asked as she adjusted her saree.
A brief consideration later, Nakshathra nodded.
Sometime later, Nakshathra headed to meet her two guests. "Greetings ladies. I am sorry for keep you wait. How can I help you?" She greeted to the two sour faced ladies and an annoyed looking Lalita. "Is everything alright?"
"Yes, Yuvarani. I am absolutely pleased with the care you have provided. I'll come back next month." Lalita flashed a smile, not quite reaching her eyes.
If Nakshathra had noticed, Lalita did glare at the two before leaving ladies but what happened? As she wondered, Sembaruthi threw the end of her saree she had been holding and snapped at Lalita. "Lalita Devi, I think you did not catch what I said earlier," taunted Sembaruthi as she minced closer to the Bhupathi's wife. "She... is not fit to be a physician. A Yuvarani should behave like one, not trying to be someone she isn't."
"Who are you to say whether Yuvarani, is fit to be a physician or not? Are you a renowned vaithiyar to claim one is or not a professional?" Lalita questioned her back, maintaining the respect and curtsey to the lady.
Giving her lazy arms a light massage, Naksahthra watched the exchange with heavy eyelids. "Does your claim state in any rule book? If not don't waste my time and Devi Lalita's. She needs rest and not get into petty argument about me with you," Nakshathra said and turned to meet Lalita. "You go back, I'll send you the decoctions through Arunya later."
Nakshathra lifted a hand up seizing Madhurika from speaking as she waited for Lalita Sundari to go beyond the compound of Utpala. "What is the problem with you two?" She finally asked the one question that has been eating her up for the past three weeks.
These two ladies have been relentlessly spewing rumours of her being unfit for the job and Nakshathra herself wasn't in a great health to treat others. The rumours began to spread when they happened to witness Nakshathra fell unconscious outside Utpala once and another when she staggered to walk straight for a brief moment on her way to the temple. Citing her weakening physical condition, Nakshathra had put a stop to her fasting and only added the sacred water from the temple in her everyday routine.
"You are too weak to treat anyone, Your Highness. If you don't take care of yourself then how will the royal family have a healthy heir?" Sembaruthi's old tongue began to show its true colours.
"A lady who falls sick isn't a perfect fit for a Yuvarani. Perhaps you should step aside and let Price Dhruva remarry." Madhurika shrugged as if it was a norm to do such a thing.
"So that one of your daughters' could take my place?" Nakshathra huffed and shook her head. "Over my dead body, ladies."
"You are not meant to be here, princess." Sembaruthi hissed without a tinge of fear of to whom she was talking.
The audacity of the woman, Nakshathra thought. It must have sprouted from the freedom Kumudhavalli gave them.
"You are not meant to here too, ladies," she snapped back at them. "Am I not well enough to speak to you now that you consider me weak just because you saw me fall ill twice? It could simply mean something else altogether." Nakshathra made sure her voice rang in a different tone as she ended her statement.
They were taken aback for a moment, baffled. "Are you... are you ..." Madhurika struggled to get her words together as Sembaruthi stared ghostly.
"If I were the Yuvarani." A coarse voice rumbled through the doorway. "I would have answered you back in a way you would think twice to even speak again."
Prithvi, her brother-in-law, the young prince of Durja stood with his hands crossed across his chest, eyes glowering the ladies as if he would burn them to ashes. He minced into the chamber. "You both are the wives of Maha Mantri and Pradhan Mantri. That's all you are. You neither have been helpful in administrating the ladies' quarters nor are a pride as a palace dweller. You are nothing but problematic ladies," Prithvi bellowed.
"Prithvi, be little kinder. Please." Nakshathra said, almost pleading him to stop being rude to the ladies.
"I would have been kinder, anni. But they need to know their places. Another word I hear from you speaking ill of the Yuvarani, I'll see to it that you both get the punishment you deserve." His raging gaze switched between the two ladies. "Now, clear the place, please."
Sembaruthi and Madhurika stomped their way out of Nakshathra mini arogyalaya. Once they were completely out of Utpala, Prithvi turned to her with a concern marred face. "Is it true? I heard you are not doing well," he asked. Away from the palace for more than fifteen days, Prithvi was kept away from her health updates and he didn't like it.
"I am feeling a bit weaker than I normally do and I don't know what's causing it." She dragged herself to a chair and slumped on it. "Some other older ladies working around Utpala had started spreading rumours of me with a child. Which I'm not." She let out a loud exhale. "What's worst is Dhruva had to answer to people asking him about it. It's so frustrating."
"I happened to witness that earlier but worry not, Dhruva is handling it pretty well," Prithvi said and fetched a cup of water for her.
Despite Nakshathra's test on herself for the unaccepted change in her body condition, she couldn't diagnose the reason. She had tried to get more sleep, eat nutrient rich food, did physical activities and administrated some energy booster decoctions for herself—none worked. As she was beginning to doze out, a knock came at the door.
Prithvi answered and a while later, a messenger followed behind him. "Anni, there is a message for you."
"What is it?" She asked.
"Greetings, Your Highness. Someone named Toisara has requested to visit you. He had brought along three men with him," the guard said, his eyebrows drawn casting a worried look.
"They are harmless." She assured him. "Send them to me immediately," she ordered. "Prithvi, can you ask someone to get Dhruva."
*-*-*-*-*-*