Okay guys only one more chapter left after this.. lets hope it goes down well. Chapter 6
A weekly royal meeting took place In the palace the next afternoon. The king, the whole family and members of the royal board were all present to talk on the most pressing issues in Amerkot.
Gayatri happened to me one of the maids cleaning In the background during this time. Normally she would be beside her husband as the queen yet today she stood far in the background dusting furniture listening non the less.
There was silence in the room no servants ever made a noise unless they were spoken to. The respected members were mid discussion when there was a small cough in the background.
Nothing was made of it ..
A few minutes later another cough was heard followed by another few minutes.
Rana a very sharp personality took note every single spoken word as well as noise nothing went past him. The coughing maid in the corner had repeatedly got his attention.
It was some time into the meeting when Ranaji put a halt to the talks mid way.
Asking Swarna to fetch a glass of water, nothing was made of it and Swarna obliged that was until she returned Rana had her put the glass of water to a side and dismissed the meeting. Part way, a king needed no explanation however his command certainly drew eyes.
"Ham Aaj ki sabha darkwas karte hai , Gayatri ki alava sab ko agyay hai."
("Everyone apart from Gayatri is dismissed.")
From under her veil a shocked Gayatri looks towards her husband at her distance.. surprised that he knew of her presence surprised that he had done such a thing in front of everyone remains stunned at the goings on.
...
The royal hall was now empty, bar the two of them.
As Rana waits for Gayatri to take the glass of water he is struck by her silent refusal. He wasn't her favorite person at this moment in time that he was aware of so he didn't force anything upon her. Leaving her with a look of concern yet assurance Rana accepted that his own rules were stopping her from crossing a very thin line but her heart was yet to heal.
"Apna khyal rakheyeyga, Aap ki kheryat par hamari nazar rahengi.."
("Look after yourself I will have my eye on you ..")
...
Rana had just returned from a horse riding stint mid afternoon but as good as his day had been it was about to be diluted with a little bit of spite in the form of Kuwar chacha.
"Good afternoon Kuwarji to what do I owe this pleasure.. ?"
Rana's English was perfect as his choice of attire for the sport, mixed with a hint of sarcasm as he stepped down from the horse.. and took off his helmet.
"Aap ke liyey ek jankari hai Ranaji ham toh hehran hai ke aap ki nazar is cheeze ko kaise andekha kar gayi..
Magar Rani Gayatri aur rani bahu mil kar aap ki saza ke niyam tore rahe hai Ranaji."
(I'm surprised you've not picked up on this already but Rani gayatri and Rani bahu Swarnlekha are breaking the rules of your punishment Ranaji)
Giving his uncle a resentful glare Indravarden strides off into the Mehel.
.....
Both ladies had been summoned by the king to his room with instance, but whether it was intentional or not Rana's eyes were for Gayatri who he had seen without the veil for the first time in days. Her saari still covered her head but not enough to cover her face it was almost a gift from the gods for a husband who had been long awaiting to see his wife.
His eyes time and time again yearned to make out her feelings but she didn't look at him to allow that. She stood silently with her eyes downcast.
"Yey joh keh rahe hai kya yey satch hai..?" (Is this true ? )
Questioning in a royal tone although his question was aimed at both Swarna and Gayatri his eyes and attention was much more for his silent wife.
Swarna was quick to answer and also take the blame.. "Ji.. Magar galti Gayatri bhabhi ki nahin hamri thi woh hamne pehl ki thi.."
That's enough aap jaa sakte hai. (You may leave now..)
Not only did Rana want Swarnlekha to leave but Kuwar chacha too who thought he just put another nail in the coffin for the royal couple.
...
Rana waited for the room to be vacated and once it was he put eyes to his wife without restriction still not a glance in his direction nor a word Rana closed the space between them very slowly. The sound of his riding shoes against the floor of the chambers was the only thing to be heard. Stopping at a closer proximity he looked down at Gayatri who's eyes seemed to focus on his shoes and alternate between the shoes and his hand.
Unsure why there seemed to be a feel of insecurity from a normally strong woman something he hadn't felt earlier on in the morning in his interaction with her Rana recollects the presence of the riding crop still to hand. Surely she didn't think he was going make use of it on her ..
Tossing it a side.. with quite a thud It gets Gayatris attention..her eyes with instance look up to Rana who carries only warmth and compassion in his eyes.
She was wrong oh so wrong maybe these couple of days away from him had brought a sense of distance between them so much so that she had forgotten how loving a husband he was.
"You really think I would do such a thing to you?.." She realized that she may have miss assumed but it didnt mean that she didn't have the fear that he could punish her in that way.
"Raja joh chahe kar sakte hai aur yey saza us saza se toh syaada takleef nahin deti " (A king can do as he pleases, It would have proved to be a lot less painful then the last at least")
He had heard her loud and clear, the wife behind the queen dressed as a maid. It was no pleasant thing to hear from his wife, never in a million years would he have used such a initiative if he had thought it would be so painful for his most loved one. Stepping that closer Rana took away Gayatris saari that was covering her head very softy almost discreetly and placed the palm of his hand over her forehead because a he hadnt forgotten about this morning.
"How are you feeling..?"
The temperature had gone but Gayatri looked different, maybe a little more pale or was it just his imagination?. There was no verbal reply again she refrained from looking at him until he lifted her chin with his finger tips so there eyes could meet.
As ever his eyes were full of affection for her no matter what he possessed the influence to melt her heart in moments even now.
Her hurt, her recovering illness, her anger and her fight to prove that she could handle what he had put upon her was all visible in Gayatris eyes. He read him with the ease only a husband could and that's exactly why she refrained from eye contact. It was the only way she could guard her feelings from him some that she was too proud too embarrassed to share
The proximity between them was something that sparked feeling.. how she longed for him to make this all go away and how he had waited to lay eyes on her these past few days but before it got out of hand Gayatri was the sensible reminder to her husband.
"Is vakt ham ek sevika hai hukum". (I am stood before you as your maid servant master )
"Aur ham ek Pati.." (and I as your husband..) Rana didn't have a care in the world. Not even regard for his own rules words or what people would think. All that mattered was his wife and that was ever so clear in his ways.
As soon as he mentioned the term pati Gayatri looked up at him willingly for a moment. "Hamare pati hamare saval ka javab denge?"
(Will my husband answer a question of mine? )
Bhool se bhool ho gayi aur sasa itni sakt agar kal ko vakeeyin mein koi gunhana ho toh ..." ("A mistake is all it was yet the consequence so harsh, I dare to think if I commit a crime what would be of me.. ")
He didn't have answer to that because the question was wrong, her perspective was wrong.
He shrug his head with the thought that his wife all people would understand this, his words gradually turned from that of a husband to a king.
"Aap ko saza di gayi hai uska matlab yey nahin hai ke ham aap par vishwas nahin karte. Kaun kehta hai maksad sirf aap ko saza dena tha.
Aap rani hai Gayatri Rani ki tara sochyey!
("Just because you have been punished does not mean to say I do not believe you and who's to say this was all just an act of discipline. You are a queen think like a queen!)
His tone of voice was a little more serious now whether he was scolding her for her wifely behavior or it was his way of clearing a misconception only Gayatri could know that but he was surely reminding her of the power she possessed.
He hadn't answered her question and he wasn't going to.
"jab aap hame kuwarji ke kilaf sabut pesh karengi .. us vakt aap hamse yey saval phir se kijyeyga." (When you bring me something concrete to condemn kuwar with then ask me that question again.)
...
Gayatri had left his chambers with a lot more questions then answers but a reassurance that her husband & king was on her side and the answers were not far not far at all.
As Gayatri walked the corridors of the mehel ..more toward to servant quarters now she heard a cry behind one of the doors. When entering the room Gayatri sees that girl Chanda sitting in one corner almost as if she intentionally did not want to be found.
Edited by jagrutid - 9 years ago
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