“No, but—”
“Then give me some,” he snapped, then immediately contrite, added, “I’m sorry. I’m just so very hungry. If only a bird or some animal comes into my sight, I’ll hunt it down for food.”
“I haven’t seen you like this before.”
“I’ve never been this hungry. It feels odd. I’ve gone hungry before. But this feels like I haven’t eaten for a month.”
Chandra’s brows were drawn. “I’m sorry. The concoction is almost ready. Do you want to try it?”
Veer nodded.
“Tell me about Rajgarh,” she said.
Veer knew she was trying to distract him. “What do you want to know?”
“I heard its cold there. That everyone wears fur blankets.”
Veer gave a tired smile. “Not everyone wears fur. Who gave you that idea? I admit it gets cold in Rajgarh, but we do see all four seasons, including summer, when temperatures are so mild you can go about bare-chested. The royal palace is built at the base of the lesser mountains of Vindhyas, so we see all kinds of weather.”
“Including snow?” she asked, interest in her voice.
“Yes.” Veer smiled at her excited expression. “I have a palace for myself, higher up in the mountains where there is snow all year.”
“All year round?” The corners of her lips turned down in dismay. “I don’t think I’d like that. I like having the sun on my face.”
Veer went silent.
“Forgive me,” she said, catching his expression. “I didn’t mean to say I’ll dislike your home.”
Chandra passed him the bowl of pleasant-smelling liquid she had ladled from the boiling pot.
Veer sniffed at the bowl and took a cautious sip.
Chandra bent to her own bowl of cooked yams, and they ate in silence. She kept glancing at him in between. Veer caught her gaze and said, “I’m all right. Don’t worry so much, Princess. To answer your question, Rajgarh is a big kingdom and not all of it is mountains. We also see river plains and such. I’m sure you will find something to like so you won’t have to stay in snow-covered places all the time.”
* * *
Chandra nodded and took their empty bowls to wash and spared a thought about her future. Once this quest was over, would she be living with Veer or would he banish her to somepalatial dwelling in Rajgarh and leave her to her own devices? The thought depressed her.
Kalpana should be there for company, though. Hopefully.
Sameera’s information that her maid had dared to take the long journey to Rajgarh, with no one but a seven-year-old for company, told her how desperate for answers she had become.
Chandra had begged and finally had to threaten Girish to go meet up with them and make sure they came to no harm. Poor Girish had been torn between duty to his mistress and worry for his love, and Chandra had deliberately stoked his fears into following her orders.
Speaking of companions who had to part ways, both Maruthi and Matangi had decided to stay behind in the temple city and eventually go back to their village in Thianvelli. Matangi had bid a tearful goodbye to Chandra, but she knew the girl was happy with her brother by her side and a new friend in Radha.
A retching sound jolted her out of her thoughts. Contrary to his earlier words, Veer looked worse. Beads of sweat dappled across his brow. A pallor spread across his skin. He clamped a hand over his mouth and rushed to the bushes, where he proceeded to empty his stomach.
He came back looking drained. Chandra gave him more water and helped him sit against a tree. Her satchel held the stone that they used to heal injuries, but it worked only on physical ones.
She had used her mother’s drug concoction earlier, but she knew it was not the answer even before she gave it to him. There was something seriously wrong with her husband and she had no idea what it was or how they were going to deal with it when they were deep in the forest.
She placed a cool cloth over his brow and noticed his skin felt clammy. When he opened his eyes, Chandra saw they were unfocused.
“Veer?”
He didn’t respond.
