Bhumimitra keenly observed as his bride walked to the mandap. She had her veil on and walked with bowed head as modesty demanded. So, he could not make out her face. He tried to focus on her height and gait. Could it really be she? No. She was of shorter height and heavier built than the girl in the jungle. A prank it was then. He was about to slip into his usual disinterestedness in the proceedings, when he felt someone’s looking at him. Not liked other curious guests, but… He looked in that direction and found himself staring into a pair of shocked and terrified eyes. But they still and there was no mistaking them. She had obviously recognized him and was anxious about the consequences. Who was she? She was walking with the bride. Some companion playing the prank in the name of her mistress, he thought at first. But then he noticed her dress and jewelry. Those were next to only bride in their splendor. And then it struck him. It was no prank. She was Maharaj Chandravarna’s daughter, all right. But not the one he was getting married too. The younger one. He tried to think what her name was, but could not remember. He hadn’t been paying attention when he was getting those details. The only reason he remembered his bride’s name was because he had seen the invitations being sent out.

Even though he could marry her if he wanted, but today he was marrying Madhumita. And fantasizing about her sister on their wedding day just didn’t seem right. He averted his eyes and tried to focus on the ongoing rituals.

—

Chandrika felt her world coming tumbling down the moment she laid her eyes on King Bhumimitra. She had tugged at her dupatta to cover her face before he could see her. But it was her sister’s wedding at her father’s place. She hadn’t planned on being in purdah and her dupatta was not arranged to allow it. Before she could think of an alternative, he had already seen her. If her presence weren’t required for several of the rituals, she would have fled the scene. But as the luck would have it, she was obliged to sit next to her sister throughout the wedding, and in consequence, to be in close proximity with him. He did not give any signs of remembering the jungle-meeting all this while, but she knew better.

Chandrika lingered around the room in antahpur where Bhumimitra was staying after the wedding. She had to meet him and clear the air somehow. He was supposed to be resting; so just barging in won’t do. She was cursing herself for her recklessness. Of all the things, why had she introduced herself to him? If she hadn’t declared who she was, she could now have pretended that she had nothing to with the jungle and he must be confusing her with someone else. She didn’t usually go about revealing her identity when she rode around. But it was her last time there. Once she went to Raigarh with her sister, she knew that she would be confined to the antahpur. She couldn’t take these liberties there. That’s why the heedlessness had taken hold on her. Announcing who she was had felt empowering. Nobody was going to see her in those jungles again. And if some soldier did claim to have met the princess of Chandranagar there, who would believe him? If only she had known what potential calamity she was bringing upon herself, and more disastrously, on her sister in that one rash moment…

She saw a maid going in with a glass of juice and some refreshments. “Is Maharaj Bhumimitra awake?” Chandrika intercepted her and asked.

“Yes Princess. And he has asked for these…”

“Let me take it…”

“You Princess?” the maid was appalled at the idea of her mistress doing this, “Am I doing something wrong? There hasn’t been a royal wedding in years here. But we are trying our best…”

“Nothing is wrong, Champa. But nothing is wrong in me carrying it either. He is our guest, isn’t he? And the son-in-law of the royal family. Don’t worry. Give it to me. And stay around in case he wants something else.”

“As you say, Princess,” the maid reluctantly handed over the tray to her.

Bhumimitra and his aide were also startled when they saw who had come with the tray. Bhumimitra stood up. The orderly did not need to wait for his master’s signal. He hurriedly took the tray from her and set it on the table. Bhumimitra and Chandrika exchanged greetings silently by folding their hands to each other. Then he motioned his orderly to leave.

“Princess Chandrika. You need not have troubled yourself,” Bhumimitra spoke as soon as they were alone. He had found out her name by then.

“You are the most important guest this palace has ever seen, Maharaj. There can be nothing wrong in my being of service to you.”

“Please do have a seat,” he waited for her to sit down and took a seat himself before continuing, “You are too humble, Princess. I appreciate it. But you must not do this again. Servants will do just fine for me. Your people here are well-behaved and well-trained. They have not given me any reasons to complain till now.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Sir. And I am sorry that my actions repeatedly offend your sensibilities. I will try to stay out of your way from now on. But for the sake of my family and my sister’s honor, I must explain one of them.”

Bhumimitra knew where this was going, but he waited for her to complete.

“Firstly I must apologize. My address to your in our earlier meeting was crude. I did not recognize you…”

“You weren’t supposed to. That was the whole point of disguise.”

“My presence there itself was offence enough. But I assure you, Sir, that I had no dishonorable motives in my jungle trip. I just love being there for myself. But it doesn’t reflect in anyway on my father or my sister. Despite my childish boast, my father knows nothing about my sojourns there. He wouldn’t have allowed it. Nor would my sister.”

—

To be continued