Part 10



Home is where love resides, memories are created, friends always belong and laughter never ends.

-Anonymous

It was twilight when the bullock cart came to a halt and Meena anxiously glimpsed outside. The twins merrily jumped out of the van in the most unladylike fashion and disappeared through the gates.

Once Nair dismounted, he offered his hand to help her down.

It was eerie feeling that gripped her first at the glance of humongous palace of Bundi.



Perhaps, so much had already happened in her life that everything in fact the entirity of the world looks the same to her. Deceptive!

The palace that stood with his head held high in a violet cloured sky, trerirized her as though it had a large scandalous secret hidden beneath it's old walls and glamorous architecture.

It was large, towering high and mighty and the grounds around it stretching to more than her eyes could see.

The guards at duty saluted the Prince and pulled open the second iron gate that led them straight to the palace, curious eyes of maid-servants and guards glanced at her as she walked behind the crowned prince in her soiled red attire, the diamonds and jwels that had once belonged to her as the favorite queen of her husband, still adorned her. So, she did not blame them for their snoopy questioning gazes. And taking a deep breath, walked on.

The twins were nowhere in sight as they strolled through the long pathway leading up to the royal residence. Jasmine, rose, hibiscus and Dahlia lined the avenue they were walking on, the surrounding occluded with the natural exotic fragrances. The castle can be seen on the further end, aglow with golden fire lights and lanterns, exuding a sense of warmness and a hub of comfort.

But why was she getting chills down her spine? Why did it felt like a fly being attracted to the flame of candle only to be burned down into ashes?

'Was it a wrong desicion to come here?' But what else was she to do? Where else was she to go?

Wandering into the streets alone would either mean to be raped and killed by the ruffians at night or burned alive at the hands of her in-laws. But she wanted to live, even if life was harsher on her than most of the people. She had and she will fight to live!

When they reached at the end of the avenue and at the bottom of the castle, a large party was already gathered around to welcome them in. Meena gulped down the bile that had suddenly arisen to her throat. 'something terrible was going to happen and she knew it already!'

Her legs were about to give up watching the large regiment of maids that stood surrounding the princesses at the primices of the manor.

As if sensing her dilemma the prince abruptly turned around and smiled at her, her nerves were wrecking and it took her a while to believe that indeed he had smiled at her and it took her a little while more to register his words. "Don't worry, just go along with whatever I say, alright?"

She nodded.

The twins were in the middle of all the chaos and it seemed narrating a very interesting story to the ladies gathered around them. As soon as they saw prince Nair approaching they all bowed down as the custom called for. "Oh brother we were about to tell them what happened on our way back, and the adventures we did that they can only dream about."

Meena lowered her head and braced herself for the curious glances, piting eyes and questions and cross-questioning that were going to pointed at her, before she becomes the gossip of the town tomorrow. But then it was nothing compared to what she had already beared. She couldn't care care any less about what people thought about her.

But to her utter surprise the senario took a complete different direction there after.

"Oh yes we were about to tell them how the bandits attacked on us and how bravely you fought and took us us away to safety." Mohini elaborated in her everlasting dramatic way. Meenakshi was surprised but Nair was shocked beyond everything. Indeed, he knew his sisters like always going to feed them a lie, twist the facts and tatter the truth into pieces but what shocked him - was the last part of the sentence. 'how bravely you fought and took us away to safety!' The twins never praised someone except themselves and always made sure to put up a bad word about him everywhere, so why this complete U-turn, suddenly?

It spoke trouble! With a frown in his face, he glared at the duo, he did not like the way they were smiling, their eyes twinkling in mischief. He knew he was in trouble but it was already very late. "Bandits?" The ladies gasped around them. "Are you hurt your highness? Must we sent for the doctor? Do we need to notify her highness?"

And that is exactly when a middle aged lady emerged through the gates of the castle, dressed in the finery of silks and jewels and for some reason she looked highly comical to Meenakshi. Maybe because the two earrings on her either ear weren't matching in designs or perhaps because her bright shinning lilac skirt and blouse priced her eyes in the dark.



"Bandits? What bandits?" She asked, and suddenly aware of her presence the guards and maids bowed again. "Aunt Chamelii..." The twins sprinted through the steps before they were engulfed in tight embrace. "Oh- my darling girls." She caressed their cheeks affectionately.    "How did your journey and shopping went? And what bandits were you talking about?" She kissed their cheeks this time, but the act of affection did not sit well with the twins and they rubbed their cheeks rigoursly to get rid of the drool, if there were any.

"We lost all our shopped items from the fair because a group of bandits attacked on us. That's what we were telling them." Maya went on.

"What attacked on you?" She chocked. "Are you both alright? And where's your brother? Is he alive?"

Now it was Nair's chance to choke. "Oh my dear boy!" Aunt chameli walked up to her nephew and pulled both his cheeks in her characteristic, ridiculous fashion. "Chachi !"(wife of father's brother) Nair protested to be handled like a damned kid. "Please!" But Aunt Chameli did not let go, until she had her fill after giving a sloppy kiss on his cheek that had him shuddering in disgust.

"I am so glad to see you back." She purred. "Me too." Nair gave a small smile trying to get as far away as possible from Aunt chameli. "Where's mother?"He asked.

"Your parents are busy, entertaining some foreign guest so I thought to come here to welcome you three- " She stopped midway looking over his shoulder, her eyes widening in surprise before she sprinted to her next target. Meenakshi.

Until that moment no one had noticed the unknown lady, standing in a corner. But now that she had been bought to their notice by none other than Chameli chachi, every single pair of eyes were fixed at her. "My my!" She smiled ear to ear at the new commer. "She's a beauty!"

"But who is she?" Chameli chachi took a good look at Meenakshi and then back at her nephews and nieces for an answer.

And she didn't need to wait long before, Maya volunteered with the answer.

"She is Meenakshi Nair's wife!"