Sarvaan city, Mandhaar
Madam Sulabha made a face and reported her sister-in-law's words to her husband. "How can your sister be so clueless about things around her? When she heard that Avantika wanted to go up to Nildiri hills this morning, Madam Kuntala berated her strongly and asked her to concentrate on brushing up her household management skills instead of wasting time thinking about the welfare of her wayward cousins. What did she mean by this?"
With displeasure in her words, Madam Sulabha vented at her husband. "Do you think that my sister-in-law really has no clue about our intentions towards her family or is this her way of warning us off her family?"
Girikraaj laughed and patted his wife on her shoulder. He got up from the elaborately carved mahogany chair and said, "Let's take a walk in the front yard. Today is a rare sunny day in this chilly weather."
Due to Sarvaan's close proximity to the Nildiri hills, the weather here was considerably lower than the other places.
Madam Sulabha walked dutifully behind her husband, shaking the creases off her voluminous silk skirt. She was extremely fond of jewellery and loved to don on bangles and necklaces studded with various gemstones.
In stark contrast, Madam Kuntala had been influenced by the austere living style of the Sirsa family and she hardly had any accessory on her body except for an ancestral silver hairpin and the heavy waist keychain which was always tucked in the crevice of her saree or skirt, quietly displaying her status as the current matriarch of the Sirsa clan.
After spending five minutes admiring the small stream which ran past the expansive bed of flowers in the garden, Girikraaj turned towards his wife. "Do you know how our Kola family survived and expanded across generations after my first ancestor started off as a poor street peddler selling his wares?"
Madam Sulabha compressed her lips and waited for her husband to continue. Married to him for more than two decades, she knew that most of his questions aimed towards her were rhetoric.
He was simply in love with his own voice!
"We must never assume anyone to be stupid nor weak. Always respect the opposite person and be willing to listen to their views. Only then can you start to understand and influence that person," said Girikraaj in a calm voice.
"Even though my sister has always been a little naive and led a protected life, we cannot forget that she is eventually the wife of General Chandraveer. Till date, I haven't been able to figure out whether my brother-in-law was aware of my purpose in approaching him all those years ago. Even though he has taken good care of my sister and even our relations continue to be harmonious, I have always gotten a feeling that he is cognizant of and probably disapproves my lifelong ambition," Girikraaj's voice had taken a depressing hue, unlike his usually composed demeanor.
Madam Sulabha got perturbed looking at her husband and reacted in a horrified manner. "You mean he is aware of our plans regarding Avantika?"
Her husband wasn't the kind to indulge in straight talk but when he did, he didn't mince his words.
"I have no way of knowing that. All I want us to do is stay patient and take one step at a time. It is not such a serious matter anyways. If they don't want our Avantika as their daughter-in-law, there are many families in Sarvaan who will leap at the chance," Girikraaj said in a soothing manner.
He knew that his wife didn't like his family much, whether it was his mother or his sister. But what she didn't realise was that much of the prosperity of the Kola clan was due to these two women.
Hence, it was important to keep them appeased for the long-term welfare of his clan.
150 miles away, Marketplace at Dima city
"Dai Maa, what is the important thing that you called me here so urgently for?" Katyayani's melodious voice floated into the near empty office of the music hall. She was wearing a beige silk top with seven-colored, geometric patterned phulkari* embroidery on it. A light pink skirt was worn underneath, with a delicate silver chain tied around her slim waist, emphasising the inviting curve.
With every step, her skirt swayed like a lake, beautiful as heavenly work.
Mandodari looked up from the sitar which she was cleaning with care and put it down carefully.
This room was not accessible to anyone except for Mandodari, the four attendants and Katyayani. The latter always came into this room through a secret passage linked between the residence behind Mrigtrishna and the music hall.
Wordlessly, Mandodari got up and reached for one of the concealed cupboards in the room. Pulling open a drawer inside, she took out an official looking paper and handed it over to Katyayani.
"It is time for the owner of Mrigtrishna Music Hall to stand up and show her prowess," she said as Katyayani started to read through the contents of the letter.
Katyayani sank down gracefully on a burgundy colored, fat cushion on the ground. Dvi had surfaced beside her, holding a bowl of warm water to remove the mud-pack from her face and hands.
There was no danger of anyone gaining an entry in this place unannounced.
Since Katyayani intended to spend the entire day here,the thick disguise was being taken off by Dvi at the moment.
Surprised by the contents of the letter, Katyayani looked askance at Mandodari. "What is this, Dai Maa?"
With a dark smile, Mandodari explained. "Everyone across Mandhaar and beyond is well aware of the reputation of this music hall which was opened by your mother. Over the years, we have maintained our prestige and supremacy when it comes to the best instruments. But the same can't be said for the music school side. As you know, keeping in mind the instructions of Elder Miss, we have only accepted students in the music hall who are talented and have shown potential, irrespective of their status or wealth."
*Phulkari - means floral work, the designs include not only flowers but also motifs and geometrical shapes. The main characteristics of Phulkari embroidery are use of darn stitch on the wrong side of coarse cotton cloth with coloured silken thread.