"RAjamata Sivagami Devi?"
The older man shook his head thinking of the woman who promised to safeguard his home, who was responsible for all the ruckus.
"She was not a person whom everyone thought to be."
"Obviously chachu. Else you are not a person to brand someone with so much bitterness that easily unlike Chachi"
He chuckled remembering his impulsive wife.
"Devasena!"
Devasena felt a breeze caress her. She closed her eyes reveling in the feel.
"Amma!"
She turned to see her son looking at her with a frown.
"What happened Nanna?"
"How did you come to know about the rumours Amma?"
"Naayaka"
Naayaka shook his head.
"I broke the news to her"
"But.."
Devasena thought of the day..!
"Deva! Deva"
He shook her awake near the dawn as she said. Devasena yawned and went back to sleep turning to the other side. Amarendra shook his head looking at his wife behaving like a kid. He shook her again, but in vain. He carried her in his arms thinking of taking her to shower and waking her up there. But she curled up in his arms hugging his neck and slept again placing her face in the crook of his neck. Exasperated Amarendra looked down at her.
She looked so serene and peaceful as she slept. He stood there looking at the bundle in his hands. He so wanted his baby to be like her. He shook his head thinking about another crazy person he would have to take care if his wish was to come true. At that precise moment Devasena opened her eyes and looked into smiling eyes of her husband.
"What happened Amarendra"
She asked caressing his stubbled cheek.
"Thinking about the craziness I will have to bear if our baby turns out to be like you!"
Devasena glared at him and hit on his chest making him laugh.
"Imagine my state if I had one like you."
"You will be more happy"
He said winking. She just got down and pushed him.
"Yes like now! I said we have to leave before dawn! Look outside. Is this before dawn?"
"I have been waking you since.. I don't know how long"
He complained.
"Yeah? By carrying me in your arms?"
"I was planning on dropping you in the pond as you were not waking!"
"Huh? Is this the way you treat your wife? Huh! I am not even ready to argue. I am going to get ready. We have to leave even before Naayaka gets a wind of what we are planning to do."
Saying she rushed towards her bath area only to halt as the world around, spinned and stopped. Amarendra steadied her and wiped the beads of sweat forming on her forehead with his vastra.
"Calm down Devasena! Relax."
She just smiled at his worried face. She looked into his for sometime and all of a sudden she pulled him to her holding his vastra and slowly took his lips in a nice long kiss. Amarendra savoured the feel of her against him as pulled her more close putting his arms around her waist. Suddenly Devasena pushed him and rushed back to her bathing suite mumbling.
"This man's smile is dangerous! Makes me forget everything"
Amarendra laughed out loud at her complain and enjoyed the red hue spreading on her neck and cheeks.
They both got ready and were ready to sneak.
"What have you decided?"
"We take merchants' carriage and reach jeevanadhi, from there boat to Mahaparvatham backside."
"Maahishmati is on the top.."
"There is a short cut to the kingdom from the back of the Mahaparvatham Maharaja"
Devasena winced! Amarendra turned and stood to his full height not flinching as the owner of the voice approached them! Devasena too turned slowly and stood looking at Naayaka approached.
"What are you doing here?"
"Aren't you supposed to be assigning duties to the warriors and change of watch shift?"
"Bhargava is there to take care of that Rani Devasena. I am here because I know that Rani Devasena would do such stunts Maharaja"
Devasena glared at Naayaka and Amarendra as the men chuckled.
"Spying on me?"
"No. Just on safe side"
"What?"
"I know that like last time, you are sneaking to Maahishmati. And I am not here to stop you as you have the rights to share the news with your family."
Devasena sighed. How fortunate was she to have such understanding and supporting people around her. But then she saw Naayaka's tensed stance. She frowned.
"Rani Devasena.. Maharaja.."
He stuttered. Amarendra held his shoulder in support.
"Enti Naayaka? What happened?"
He just gave a pained look to Devasena and then turned to Amarendra.
"I think you should be very well under disguise as you enter Maahishmati"
Amarendra frowned.
"Because I don't think you will be welcomed there Rani Devasena"
Amarendra grew tense.
"What are you saying Naayaka?"
His voice grew a tensed edge.
"There is a rumour defaming Rani Devasena Maharaja"
Devasena's shoulders tensed. Defame her? Amarendra gave Naayaka a pointed look.
"Source is unknown. But all started with someone saying about Rani Devasena being adulteress as Rani Devasena is rumoured to be seen with MAharaja Bhallaladeva on various occasions including him visiting Kunthalam once."
Amarendra and Devasena thought of the time Bhalla was in her suite chamber and how he got warning from Amarendra. Naayaka thought about the time Bhalla was seen in Kunthalam and escaped from being beaten to pulp by Rani Devasena. Both men fisted their palms tight. But Devasena stood there without any expression. Her fists were also closed tight. So tight that her nails pricked her skin and blood started oozing out. Amarendra was by her side immediately. So was Naayaka.
"Enti idi Devasena? See blood is.. Huh"
She just pushed Naayaka's hand and pulled Amarendra to their Chamber that was nearby. Naayaka who understood the need for privacy stood outside.
Once inside, Devasena held Amarendra's angarkhi above his heart in her fist and shook him.
"Adulteress? Me?"
Her one question held so many questions that mirrored her turmoil. Amarendra held her fist in his and looked straight into her eyes.
"Devasena! Do you see any mistrust in my eyes as I look at you?"
Devasena looked into his eyes that was red with suppressed anger. But towards her? No.. She knew her husband to know the direction of the anger.
"Remember Devasena. Even if that god comes down and says something defaming about you, I will not believe. Parameshwar may test us a lot. But its we who should stay strong. I know my wife well to believe some stupid rumours. I think my wife knows me well to believe that of me."
He pressed her fist to his heart.
"The moment you believe that of me, will be the moment this heart will beat for the last time"
Devasena closed his mouth as angry tears mounted in her eyes.
"My husband is far better person to talk about death! I like to see the culprit's heart beat stop rather than my husband's"
Devasena said fiercely that made Amarendra chuckle.
"And my Devasena makes a comeback. But you had to hurt yourself for that? See.."
He said as he tore a piece of cloth from his vastra and tied it around her palm after applying oil above the cut her nail had made.
"Not once I have been accused of such a thing even when I was surrounded by men Amarendra!"
"Deva! You have always been seen as a man among them. But now you are being seen as a queen and mostly a woman. And Maahishmati is a land of maze. What will turn to what and which friend turns to be your worst foe, you will never know. I expected something earlier. But not this"
He said winding the cloth tight but still leaving a way for air to reach the wound. At that time there was a noise outside. Both rushed out to see Sulochana standing in muddy clothes bowing her head and Naayaka towering her.
"Sulochana! Have you gone mad?"
Devasena looked like she was going to laugh out loud.
"Sulochana? What did you do now?"
She asked trying to contain her chuckle. Same was the fate of Amarendra.
"I asked her to get your merchant clothes ready. And she had to go and.."
At that moment Sulochana threw something into her mouth and munched happily making Naayaka more angry.
"Seriously?"
Devasena and Amarendra lost their battle and laughed loud.
"Usiri?"
"Plucked from the tree!"
Naayaka growled.
Devasena laughed more and held Sulochana's hand. She took one of the amla and tested, tasted it.
"Hmm!"
"Rani Devasena! Here I am losing my mind that she had climbed that tree and you are enjoying?"
"She has good eye for such sweet yet sour treats Naayaka"
Amarendra and Naayaka shook their heads in exasperation.
"How you got muddy?"
"She had gone chasing a duckling in the pond"
"I went to drop the duckling to the mother duck!"
Came a defensive answer from Sulochana.
"You should have asked Naayaka to do that for you instead of doing yourself Sulochana."
Amarendra advised. Naayaka gave him a look that had the ladies chuckling.
"Wont you do that for your wife? Anyways, this is a problem that cannot be solved by us Naayaka. Where are our vastra that you made ready? And where will the Naava wait for us?"
Naayaka gave him the clothes and gave the direction for the port. He turned to see the ladies enjoying the sour treats and wanted to bang his head somewhere.
"Rani Devasena. If you want to reach Mahaparvatham anytime soon, I say you get ready and depart now"
Devasena glared at him for ordering her.
"Cut that man some slack Devasena. He is hell worried about his wife and you too. Just get ready come."
He pulled Devasena with him to change and leave while Naayaka pulled Sulochana to their chamber to get her cleaned.
"Don't pull such stunts Sulochana"
"What can I do. I so like to eat these"
"I will make arrangements for this to be in our kitchen. You should learn to be careful."
"I know. I will be. Did you inform Rani Devasena and Maharaja"
"I did! For a moment you should have seen Rani Devasena. She held her fist so tight that it started to bleed."
"She is seeing the world as a woman for the first time. All this time she has always disguised a man or always hid herself well from such crowds Naayaka."
"I know! May be I should have.."
"Its not your mistake. We never wanted attention to us Naayaka. So we always felt it good to be in shadows. But now that we are coming to light again, we should learn to face these things."
" I just hope she is not disappointed when she is carrying the heir of that kingdom. I will not spare anyone who will insult her."
"I will be around her always to let anyone even try hurting her. And Maharaja Baahubali is also there Naayaka."
"I doubt he will be able to stop any catastrophe there Sulochana. Because here he is standing against his own people. He is in a situation where even friends turn traitors. I won't blame Maharaja Baahubali if he is going to back from hurting people who are going to badmouth Rani Devasena"
He said and left leaving a thoughtful Sulochana behind. On the other side of the wall stood Amarendra who watched Naayaka as he left. Was he that weak? Or were men weak in that aspect? He did not know. But all he knew was he will not hear anything against his wife. But something else awaited him in his hometown.
Rani Devasena
Devasena came out of her reverie and looked at Avantika. She remembered someone while she looked at Avantika. She smiled.
"What amma?"
"How come you did not get angry hearing the news from Naayaka?"
"I was angry!"
"No I meant how come you did not go and just put sword through the person's heart. How you stood cool?"
She chuckled.
"I may be impulsive. But I am not stupid.."
She stopped not knowing the name of the girl sitting at her feet.
"Avantika"
Mahendra came to her help. Devasena raised her brow making both of them turn away blushing. But then her eyes took that recognition of the name. But she was not sure if this was possible.
"Avantika! I was angry enough to burn down him and his whole lot! But I had My husband beside me who was erupting like volcano. But still maintained calm as he knew that killing that person may not be solution for all these happening around us."
"Chachu! Chachi was being defamed and you did not react?"
The younger man asked the older man. The older man just smiled.
"Amarendra Baahubali is not a person to tolerate injustice and definitely not a person to tolerate backstabbing. But I also knew that if I react at that time it will only end taking every one of us down. So I waited for the moment to arrive when I can give the person a perfect lesson."
Bhalla who was now standing in front of the door to his mother's personal chamber fisted his palm. He never once thought his mother could hold such a secret.
Amarendra thought of the precise time when he and Devasena were all set to travel to his kingdom.
Chandrika rushing to Sivagami's personal chamber and knocked the bell near the door. She knew that this was the day when Rajamata was not to be disturbed. After last day's heavy rituals, Rajamata always liked to be left alone the next day. But something had turned up thay required her attention.
The doors opened and Rajamata Sivagami Devi appeared just as majestic but wearing a pastel color saree instead of her usual majestic regal ones.
"Enti Chandrika? You know I don't like to be disturbed on ekadashi day right?"
"I know. But there is something that requires RAjamata's attention immediately."
"What?"
But chandrika gave a palm leaf to her and left the place after bowing once. Frowning Sivagami closed the door and went inside with the leaf. She turned the leaf only to widen her eyes at the script. Brahmi Vatteluttu was clearly visible from the palm leaves. Brahmic Vatteluttu has disappeared from Maahishmati since long ago and now Bhattiprolu script was the one used. Who was sending her note in that extinct script?
Wondering she read the note and felt beads of sweat forming in her forehead. She closed her eyes and looked up.
"Parmeshwara! What a testing time?"
She went to inside and opened the box and took out a cloth that had a map drawn in it with inscriptions in the older script. It was map of Maahishmati, Mahaparvatham and its surrounding place. Only difference was that it had Kunthala kingdom mentioned and instead of Maahishmati, it had the name VeeraMahendrapuram Inscribed with Maahishmati as its capital.
Sivagami turned the cloth and caressed the name written on it.
MAHARAJA RUDRAKSHA
Bhallaladeva stood holding the cloth and looked at the empty wall in front of him and thought of his mother's secret.
There Bijjala walked to the room where all the portraits of earlier kings were kept. He walked to his father first, Maharaja Ranadeva Bhoopati, the man was smiling and looked so like him. Next Bijjala stood in front of the portrait of Vikramadeva! His younger brother who snatched the throne from him. Then he stood in front of Amarendra Baahubali, his nephew, his brother's mirror image who snatched the throne from his son. He again looked at Maharaja Ranadeva Bhoopati.
"You snatched the Kingdom from someone. From that time, your sons are not able to rule the kingdom you desired very much. What a fortune you have saved for us!"
He shook his head and went out but not before he gave a look to his brother's portrait which stood like mocking him.