Chapter 8— Respect

Everyone had their dinner quietly and went to sleep. Kalindi went towards her chamber and from a distance she could see a girl wearing a dress like that of a courtesan was arguing with the new maid Gopi, who was waiting for her mistress.

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Seeing Kalindi approaching the wing, Gopi immediately came towards her and greeted her. Kalindi asked," What is happening here? " Gopi hesitated but finally said, "Yuvrani, she is one of the courtesans sent by the other Kings as a wedding gift for Yuvraj". Gopi was afraid of hurting Kalindi by her words so she waited for Yuvrani to process the situation before explaining the situation further. But when she looked at Yuvrani's face, she didn't have any change in expression and was waiting for her to finish with her explanations.

Then Gopi continued, "And that girl is making a fuss that she is going to spend the night in Yuvraj's chamber as the wedding night is already over". Gopi didn't look up this time as she felt pity for her newly wed mistress. Kalindi glanced at that girl who looked arrogantly at her and then entered Yuvraj's chamber as Gopi was not stopping her anymore. The guards didn't stop her as courtesans can be called beforehand sometimes to wait for their masters. Kalindi just said, "Let her be. We shall get inside. Its already time for sleep".

Then the maids helped her to remove the jewelleries as they were heavy and then Kalindi changed to a simple saree to sleep. The maids went out and Kalindi went to sleep while suppressing her anger towards her husband. The anger, which she couldn't justify as she felt she doesn't have any rights to control him. The night went by quickly.

The next morning, Kalindi woke up and spent sometime in the balcony overlooking the Shastrashala (weapon store) and the dense forest, similar to her own room in Hridaypura. "I have to be patient before exploring my options to continue my practice", Kalindi thought while looking at the forest. Then she went to the attached common bathroom to take a bath and warned herself mentally to be careful hereafter and not barge in. Then she asked Rekha to clean the bathroom and prepare the water for her bath.

After bath, Kalindi got ready and proceeded to move out the chamber when Gopi also joined her. Kalindi instructed all three maids, "You people stay here, I am just going to meet Yuvraj". The maids nodded and then Kalindi went to meet Abhyuday in his chamber. Seeing that, it's Yuvrani coming to the chamber, Yuvraj's guards didn't stop her. But Kalindi didn't noticed that the guards stationed here last night and the ones present now are different, when the shift is yet to be over. She went inside Yuvraj Abhyuday's chamber and was standing in the vast hall. His chamber was triple the size of hers, with a door from the hall which opens to the bedroom from where the common bathroom is connected. From where she is standing in the hall, she could see that there are two more rooms apart from the bedroom, one of them most probably will be a study room as it is common in King's and Prince's room. The other room she doesn't know.

Then she heard some sound coming from that room, so she went near the door and opened it. There sat her husband in front of the Shivling (Lord Shiva), still some water droplets falling down from his hair on to his bare back, which shows that he is praying right after his bath. And he is reciting shlokas which is what she heard from outside the room. She went out of the prayer room not disturbing him and waited outside, in the hall within his chamber. That's when suddenly, Rekha came in hurry and greeted her first before telling, "Yuvrani, that girl we saw yesterday, she.... she". Rekha couldn't continue anymore due to her panic and just pointed outside the chamber. So Kalindi went out with Rekha, only to gasp at the sight. The courtesan, who she met last night, was dragged by two guards and that's not it, she was fully drenched in blood.

Kalindi hid her shock and composed her stature before probing the guards,"What happened to her?" One of the guards answered,"Yuvrani! Yuvraj had ordered us last night to whip her continuously till morning, as her punishment ". Just then another voice entered the conversation," Greetings Yuvrani! " Kalindi smiled at Parth and said,"Please don't be formal Brother ".

Parth nodded with a smile and said, " Bhabhi (sister-in-law), you should know that we are mere servants, fulfilling the orders of our Yuvraj. What else we could do? " Kalindi was not amused by his comical behaviour but definitely surprised that he could make jokes at this point of time, as if there is no one with blood dripping off them. Then suddenly everyone went pin drop silent on hearing the heavy footsteps coming towards them.

Yuvraj Abhyuday came fully dressed for the day, and looked at all of them who are waiting outside his chamber. Then he noticed the hanging figure with her head hung low and fully covered in blood, making it difficult to even identify her. Satisfied, he nodded at the guards, who then took her to the royal doctor. Then Abhyuday turned to Kalindi and asked,"Anything you wanted to talk about? "

Kalindi was about to say when Parth interrupted,"Abhyuday, Bhabhi wants to know what happened to that woman ". Abhyuday looked at Kalindi again and said," She disobeyed my orders, even after I warned her. So she should learn that Yuvraj's orders are not something to be disregarded. This will teach her a lesson for life ". Kalindi could understand that he is not telling the full story but still she just nodded her head. Yuvraj Abhyuday said,"Parth, I need to discuss some matters with you. Let's get inside". Then he walked away leaving the other people there. Kalindi and her three maids were about to walk away when Parth told, " Bhabhi, you don't know the exact reason for the punishment right. Let me tell that story. Actually last night, this courtesan girl came inside Yuvraj's bedroom, which is her first mistake. Yuvraj doesn't like someone entering his room without his permission. And second mistake, even after he ordered her to get out of the room, she didn't obey. Lastly she tried to seduce him, which ultimately broke his patience, which generally doesn't exist in the first place ". Parth was recalling the incidents that happened last night, in front of him, as he came along to take some documents and maps.

While Rekha and Lekha felt their jaw dropping at this harsh punishment, Kalindi had a slight smirk as she had some kind of punishment for that girl in mind but only after a warning to behave in front of Yuvrani. Otherwise she felt nothing abnormal except that he was not interested in that girl as well. That was the only thing which confused her, otherwise she felt like she got a very compatible partner, except in their personal life. Only difference between them is that, one gives punishment anonymously while the other does the same proudly in front of all, without any inhibitions.

Parth brought her out of the thoughts and said,"Bhabhi, even the two guards got punished for allowing her inside the room, without his permission. And the punishment was that they have to whip that girl, without stopping for even a second. Now I have to go before he does something to me". Saying so he quickly went from there, leaving Kalindi to think, "What will Yuvraj do when he will come to know that I entered his chamber? " Then she herself answered her question mentally,"The only way is to face it head on. I shouldn't be comparing myself, the Yuvrani, with a courtesan. I do have all the rights to get inside his chamber. If situation called for it, then I will have to make use of my otherwise useless rights ". Then she went away from there, along with her maids.

Parth saw Abhyuday working in his study room, sitting on a small metallic stool with folded legs and writing something in the scroll over the desk. Parth suddenly said," Good that you are slowly realising your feelings towards your wife. I thought I would have to work hard, to push you in your marital life. But now it doesn't seem necessary ". Abhyuday looked at his friend for a second and then went on to continue his work. " You are not going to ask any question? ", Parth asked.

To which Yuvraj Abhyuday replied still continuing with his work, " What do I ask about your nonsense theory? " Parth exclaimed and said, "It's not nonsense. Then you tell me, why did you assigned her a new maid yourself? And that too Gopi? It was to protect your wife right". Abhyuday closed the book which he was writing and said," No. It was to protect Yuvrani of Rakhshatra. Now take this and get on to work ". Saying so, Abhyuday gave him the book and went away. Parth saw the book in his hand and sighed heavily while murmuring," Then what about ordering new guards to not interrupt Yuvrani whenever she comes to your chamber? He says that it is out of respect, rights and all that, but it is just the budding phase of love ". Parth went away to complete his work.

𝙷𝙸 𝚐𝚞𝚢𝚜,

𝙳𝚘 𝚟𝚘𝚝𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛. 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚜.

By:- sahawrites

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