Not all wars are meant to be just won.
I turned and returned to Nandani’s chamber to wake Ranaji and greet him.
“Ranaji,” I called, standing far from his bed.
I heard Ranaji’s voice reply,“Suman?” as the curtains were drawn.
I lowered my gaze and informed him,“King Abhinandan has arrived at the borders of Suryagarh.”
He immediately stepped off the bed and nodded at me.“Prepare the guest rooms for everyone,” he ordered, and I left the bedroom.
I entered the common attendants’chamber and moved into the sanitation and cleaning section. I asked a few attendants to join me and briefed them about the guest rooms.
I spent the entire afternoon preparing for the guests and returned to Nandani in the evening.
I saw Rani-maa, Daadi-sa, and Queen Trisha sitting together.
I greeted everyone, touching their feet.
“Ah, Suman. How are you, my child?” Daadi-sa asked, her warm smile inviting.
I smiled back.“I’m good, Daadi-sa,”
She rested her hand on mine, her voice laced with sympathy.“Are you really okay, Suman?” she asked again, and I felt she understood me.
I nodded and shifted my gaze to Nandani, who was watching me suspiciously.
“Um… I should get something to eat for you.”
“No need,” she responded immediately, and I bit my lower lip, unsure what to say.
Honestly, she’d kill me for hiding the truth, and if she found out from someone else, she'd kill me and then bring me back to life with an elixir just to kill me again.
“I have to handle the preparations,” I said, excusing myself.
I spent the rest of the day in the kitchen overseeing our purchases for the big feast, which was just five days away. I counted everything and assigned tasks to the staff. We were to make laddoos the next day.
By the time I finished, it had turned dark, and I felt exhausted. Thankfully, the work kept my mind occupied until I returned to Nandani’s chamber to check on her. I saw her sitting on the bed, feeding her baby with great care. Attendants surrounded her, and she lifted her gaze when she spotted me.
“Leave us alone,” she said, glancing at the other attendants as I approached her.
I sat on the bed in front of her, and she looked at me with exhaustion.
“Is everything okay, Suman?” she asked. I wasn’t sure, but I couldn’t lie to anyone except her. She was the one who had always supported me.
I shook my head slowly, trying to express myself. That was probably the right thing to do. It was essential to forget what happened between Kunwar Agastya and me on that cremation ground.
“What happened?” she asked.
I lowered my gaze as I replied,“I lied to you about my visit.”
She touched my hand, encouraging me to look at her.“And what was the lie?”
A single tear rolled down my cheek as I replied,“My husband… he died.”
In my mind, I vividly pictured my late husband as I spoke, glancing into her eyes, which turned upset.
“Oh my God! How?” she asked, and I shook my head.
