“Tell His Highness,” she told the messenger, “That I will not take more than ten minutes. Mrinalini. You have to help me with my hair. It is in no condition for me to step out of my room.”

“Yes, Queen Ma’am,” Mrinalini gathered herself together on hearing her mistress’ order and got up to help her.

Chandrika entered Bhumimitra’s chamber with trepidation in her heart, but composure in her countenance. After exchanging their greetings, she asked in a low voice, “I hope all is well with Your Majesty.”

“Oh yes! I am sorry Devi Chandrika. Did I disturb your afternoon nap?”

“No. No Sir. I am not used to taking afternoon naps. If I can be of any service…”

“I was getting bored. So, I sought your company. If it is an inconvenience…”

“No,” her heart skipped a beat on hearing him, “Not at all. It’s an honour.”

“Please do sit down.”

“I hope there are no distressing news from any neighboring states,” she sat down and asked by the way of making small talk.

“No. There isn’t. Feels almost unreal. It has never been so peaceful for so many months at stretch in last couple of decades.”

“That’s why you are bored,” she joked and then got worried. Would he be offended?

But to her relief, he laughed, “Well. I am a soldier at heart, Devi. What do you expect?”

“Hmm…”

“You don’t approve of wars?”

“We’d be better off as a race, and we’d progress much more if there were fewer wars.”

“But there are always evil forces. Good has to win the wars. Evil won’t let us progress.”

“You are right at some very broad level. But in most wars around us, one can never be sure which is the good side, and which is the bad one.”

“One can’t be?”

“If Raigarh and Chandranagar had fought, which side would one consider good? One’s own side? Isn’t that always the definition? But hardly ever rational.”

King smiled. It was an irrefutable logic. “It looks like women have an advantage of broader perspective. You belong to at least two different places.”

“Possibly. And some would argue that world would be a different place if women were the decision-makers.”

“But you can’t stop wars by yourself. We are a greedy race. Even if you don’t want to fight, others will attack your home and you will be forced to.”

“I’m not saying that you have any option, Sir. You have your duties as a king. My thoughts are often ramblings of someone used to inaction.”

“You do yourself and your thoughts a gross injustice. They are always extremely refined and wise.”

“I will accept that complement as gracefully as I can. And yet…”

“And yet?”

“Nothing, Sir. Would you like to have some sherbet or a paan?”

“I want to know what you were saying.”

“It is nothing great, Sir. The ingredients for paan that I see in this paandaan are exquisite. I believe you ordered each of them from the places where they grow them the best.”

“Don’t force me to order you, Devi Chandrika.” For some reason, Bhumimitra just couldn’t let go.

She sighed, “All right. I will speak. But you will have to pardon me in advance. For my intention is not to insult anyone. My thoughts are wayward at times.”

“I have pardoned every act of yours in advance, Devi. One can hardly use conventional yardsticks with you.”

“Thank you, Sir. I often think that princesses and queens are the most useless amongst humans. Kings and princes run the country, maintain peace, protect their subjects. Common man works hard to create things the society needs to survive and progress. Common woman also has her role to play in her society. Even if her status is inferior to her man, she is needed for running the society. She cooks for her family, takes care of their health, keeps the house clean and livable. She serves her husband, she brings up her children. She is responsible for the welfare of her husband and children. But queens and princesses? What are we useful for? For adorning jewelry, for petty fights in antahpur, for symbolically giving alms from public funds? For being exchanged as a seal of political contracts, for being held up like an object – the trophy of honor? Our status as even wives and daughters is at best symbolic. Other people run our households. We just sit there, all adorned and doing nothing. And if I can be utterly honest, unlike a common woman, we aren’t needed even for satisfying the carnal desires of our husbands. They have professional women at their beck and call to do that. There isn’t another creature in the world, not even the insects swarming in mud, which is as useless as us.”

King Bhumimitra was speechless for a while. This was one extra-ordinary woman for sure. She had the ability to turn someone’s world upside-down just with her words. If she got a chance to act… She would probably turn not just his, but the whole real world upside-down. There was that spark, that intelligence, that internal strength, which was beyond comprehension by most mortals. And yet… there was something extremely pitiful about what she had said. He finally found a word for what it was…

“Devi. Such self-loathing! That’s not right,” he commented gently.

She gave an embarrassed chuckle, “I am sorry, Sir. I have scandalized you with my bitter outpourings. Don’t think too much about them. I have overwhelmed Mrinalini all my life with this nonsense. Poor woman. She finally stopped paying attention. You were getting bored. Let’s find something to talk about that interests you.”

“Devi. Unfortunately, it is time for me to return to the court. But can I have the pleasure of your company tomorrow afternoon as well?”

She was surprised that he wanted to talk more to her. “As usual. It will be an honour.”

“Shall I need to send a messenger?”

“No Sir. I will be here. Shall I see you in the evening for practice?”

“Yes.”

She already knew that it wasn’t her turn that night. So, she did not ask about that.

—

The king appeared lost in his thoughts when Chandrika entered his chamber next afternoon. He was surprised on seeing her there; then remembered his invitation and smiled at her.

“Am I disturbing you, Sir? Would you rather rest alone?” she asked courteously.

“No Devi. Please sit down,” he rubbed his forehead as he sat up straight and then leaned against the headboard of his bed.

“Do you have a head ache?”

“A slight one.”

“Let me give you a head-massage.”

“No!” he was startled. Why would a queen do that? “You don’t need to do that Devi Chandrika. There are servants….” Then his voice drowned as he remembered her lamenting the uselessness of queens and princesses the previous day. “I’m sorry,” he said in a gentle voice, “That was insensitive of me. I only stopped you because it might be considered beneath you. But I also know that the conventional yardstick doesn’t apply to you. If you do this for me… it would be the… most special thing anyone would have ever done to me.”

“Then, let me do it,” her voice quivered with emotions.

He nodded and lied down. She shifted to sit near the headboard so that she could massage his forehead. Her hands were warm and soft. The king was no alien to female proximity and touch. But her touch still affected him. As he recalled her quivering voice, a thought crossed his head. Was it possible that he was winning the heart of this utterly unconventional, incomprehensible woman? Even if not already, could he do it in future? Play the game of love? Something he had read about, but never got a chance to play. All his marriages had been political alliances. And while he was happy enough in them, he never had an experience of winning a worthy woman’s love!

—

Chandrika looked thoughtful with her naked sword at king’s throat, his own having been thrown away by her in an earlier move.

“I haven’t improved that much Your Majesty. What is the matter? You were distracted,” she asked after withdrawing.

“Please sit down, Devi. There is something I want to tell you.”

It sounded ominous. But Chandrika followed the king to the chairs placed near the practice area and sat down.

“What is it?”

“In the afternoon, what I was worried about was the news from Chandranagar. It is not good.”

“How so?”

“Our spies have reported that they are planning to break our peace treaty and try to capture the villages along the border.”

“That doesn’t sound right…”

“I’m sorry. But if you think neutrally, you’d see that it is very much possible. Even if it is from your own folks.”

“Sir. I know my father. He is a stubborn, idealist. He doesn’t promise things easily. You know how much you had to wait for the peace and alliance treaty. But once he makes a promise, he will keep it, even foolishly sometimes, irrespective of repercussions.”

“You are saying that reports are wrong?” his brows furrowed.

“No. I am trying to think what the reports could mean. The people I am not sure about are my brothers and cousins. Most of them are more unscrupulous and they don’t like to be ruled by my father’s iron hand. In all likelihood, whatever is happening is happening without my father’s knowledge.”

“Either way, we will have to protect ourselves and then react.”

“You could just have my father informed. He would himself quell what he’d see a rebellion against him. You won’t have to put your men at risk.”

“That is a very dubious suggestion you make, Queen Chandrika,” he smiled and shook his head. He had addressed her as “Queen” for the first time. Chandrika thought that he was trying to remind her of her duty towards Raigarh over Chandranagar.

“Sir. Given the vows I have taken, my loyalty lies with you first, and with my father later. Between my father and brothers, my loyalty lies with the former. There isn’t much conflict of interest here, thankfully.”

“Hmm…” Bhumimitra looked thoughtful.

“And anyway. If you decide to inform my father, you shouldn’t do it officially.”

“Why not?”

She chuckled, “He’d take the presence of your spies in his kingdom an effrontery to his honor. That you didn’t trust him.”

“That’s naïve!”

“So was the thought that he could hold his own against Raigarh. But that’s my father for you!”

“So, what do you suggest?”

“You let the ‘rumour’ reach him about the plans from his sons and subordinates. Meanwhile you do whatever preparation you have to do. If he doesn’t take action, you can take your own.”

Bhumimitra laughed pleasantly, “If your father had employed you in his court, instead of letting your run around in jungles, I’d have to fear Chandranagar. Good day, Devi. I will see you at night.”

—

To be continued