When Esdeath and Maruti finally arrived at the Vanara tribe, the sight that greeted them was far from impressive. The entire village looked like something straight out of the 19th century, with very little development despite its size. It was a large settlement, home to thousands of barbaric-looking villagers who carried on with their daily lives, Actually they were all barbarians.
All around, mud and wooden houses dotted the landscape, with cows and buffaloes tethered by ropes nearby. The animals' occasional lowing and roaring echoed through the village, oddly contributing to the peaceful, laid-back atmosphere of the place.
At the heart of the village stood a grand temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman. A massive statue of the deity watched over the village, radiating an air of divine protection. Beside the temple stood two important homes: one belonged to the village patriarch, Mourya, and the other, to remaining family. Both were significantly larger and more developed than the other homes in the village, at least twenty to thirty times bigger and constructed with a finer quality of wood that gave them a more luxurious appearance.
As their carriage rolled to a stop in front of the main entrance, Maruti's eyes fluttered open. To her surprise, a group of people had gathered outside, waiting for her return. There were six women standing together, each one enchanting in her own way. These were Mourya's wives—Maruti's six mothers. Standing beside them were two young men, their faces strikingly similar to Mourya's—clearly, they were his sons, and Maruti's brothers.
And then there was the most striking figure of all—a tall, tomboyish young woman, about a year older than Maruti, with long, messy vermilion hair, large eyelashes, and piercing blue eyes. This was Sasha, Maruti's older sister.
Taking it all in, Esdeath couldn't resist a mocking comment. "Congrats," she teased with a sly grin. "Looks like you've got yourself quite the big family, All six of them are your father's wives, I wonder which one is your birth mother! "
Maruti rolled her eyes at Esdeath's teasing remark, but deep inside, a gnawing worry took hold of her. "Who was her real mother among the six women waiting for her?"..If she mistakenly called the wrong woman her mother, it could lead to some awkward and troublesome situations. But at that moment, there wasn't much she could do.
With a deep breath, Maruti stepped out of the carriage slowly, and Esdeath followed. The reaction from the family waiting outside was immediate—shock swept across their faces. When Maruti had fled the tribe, she had been overweight and lazy, but standing before them now was a transformed woman: a **stunning, seductive, and mature beauty**, with a toned, muscular body. Her drastic transformation in such a short period was hard to comprehend.
On top of that, the presence of Esdeath, who looked like a vampire with her pale skin and fierce eyes, left them even more bewildered. They could only assume that Esdeath was a friend of Maruti's—but how had their lazy, arrogant daughter managed to form such a close bond with someone?
But how could a real mother botherer by something as significant as this, Out of the six women, one with **long, silky brown hair and a slender waist** ran towards Maruti without hesitation. Her legs were long, and despite her leaner frame, she was taller than Maruti. Tears welled in her eyes as she enveloped Maruti in a tight hug.
"Maruti, my daughter! You've become so thin. Did the kingdom's people not feed you well? Your mother is so sorry for not being there!" she sobbed, clutching her tightly.
Maruti's heart softened at the sight. "So this is my birth mother," she thought with a bittersweet smile, returning the embrace.
Just as the emotional reunion unfolded, "Sasha", Maruti's older sister, cut through the moment with a sharp, almost mocking tone. "Can someone explain why there's a vampire here?" Her voice was as firm and commanding as their father Mourya's.
Before anyone could respond, Mourya himself arrived. His towering presence immediately silenced everyone, and they quickly bowed down in respect. Even Maruti's mother loosened her embrace and bowed her head slightly.
Without hesitation, Mourya spoke, his voice authoritative, "Prepare a room for them and call everyone. There will be a meeting. I will explain everything." His tone left no room for questions or discussion.
The family, without a second thought, followed his command. Maruti and Esdeath were soon given a large room with two beds. However, the room was basic—there was 'no proper lighting, and insects and mosquitoes' buzzed around, adding to the discomfort.
Maruti, now lying on the bed, stared at the wooden ceiling, and then closed her eyes deep in thought. Everything had changed so quickly—her body, her return to the tribe, and even the dangerous situation with her father. She wondered how things could have spiraled so fast.
Meanwhile, Esdeath paced back and forth across the room, her mind racing as she analyzed their position. After a moment of silence, she abruptly turned to Maruti, her voice sharp. "Hey! Stop just lying there and tell me—what exactly did you say to your father?"
Maruti, ever casual, rolled her eyes and stretched. "Oh, that?" she answered nonchalantly, waving her hand dismissively. "He was going to kill you, so I had to think fast. I told him three lies to save you."
Esdeath froze in her steps and stared at her. "What *kind* of lies?" she asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
Maruti sat up slightly, propping herself on her elbows. "First, I told him we were lovers, and you nodded 'yes,' so you kinda agreed. Then I told him you love me so much you'd never leave me, and you shook your head 'no,' which, in my brilliant mind, meant you'd never leave me alone," Maruti explained, a smug grin on her face.
Esdeath's jaw clenched, but Maruti continued, unaware of the growing tension. "And lastly, I said you were feeling dizzy, and that weird nodding you did made it seem like you were about to faint, so boom! Here we are! Pretty smart, right? You should rate me ten out of ten!"
The room went silent, but no praise came. Maruti frowned, then lazily called out, "Uh, Fable? Fable?"
When she opened her eyes fully, they widened in shock. Esdeath stood at the foot of the bed, her face twisted in rage, her eyes glowing ominously. In her hand was a gun, aimed directly at Maruti. "FUCK YOU!" Esdeath yelled, her voice cutting through the air like a whip.
*BANG!*
The sound of the gunshot echoed through the room like thunder, startling everyone outside. The guards, who had been stationed just outside, heard the noise and rushed in, expecting the worst. But when they flung the door open, the sight before them was far from what they imagined.
Esdeath was casually lying on the bed, seemingly unbothered. Maruti, on the other hand, was standing with a gun in hand, aiming at the wall. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger again—*BANG*—the bullet shot clean through the wall, leaving a hole behind.
Maruti's eyes lit up when she noticed the guards. She flashed them a relaxed smile and spoke in the Vanara language, "Oh, don't worry, I was just practicing!"
One of the guards, still catching his breath from the rush, shook his head. "My lady, you can't practice something this dangerous in a room like this! It's not safe!"
Maruti chuckled, scratching the back of her head as if embarrassed. "You know what? You're right. I shouldn't be doing this here!" She casually tucked the gun away, as if it was no big deal.
Seeing her cooperate so easily, the guards were visibly relieved. One of them even wiped at his eyes, pretending to cry. "Our lady has truly grown up!" he muttered before turning to leave, clearly proud of her.
But as soon as the door shut behind them, Maruti's face shifted from playful to furious. Her gaze shot to Esdeath, who was still lounging on the bed. "You idiot! What the hell were you thinking? I could have actually died!"
With a sudden burst of anger, she grabbed Esdeath by the collar, yanking her up off the bed. As she did, the bed shifted, revealing a large hole where the bullet had torn through. When Esdeath had fired the gun earlier, Maruti had instinctively dodged, and the shot had gone straight into the bed. Esdeath had quickly laid on top of the hole, covering it up when the guards arrived, pretending nothing had happened.
Esdeath's eyes narrowed, her tone sharp as she replied, "You've got bronze essence skin and muscles. A pistol bullet won't hurt you much, so stop acting like I owe you anything. This is all your father's doing, not mine."
She smirked, mocking Maruti further with a sly glance. "And you've been hiding things from me this whole time? You're actually gay?"
Maruti's temper flared even more. "What did you just say? You want a fight? Who would even want to marry someone like you?!"
She was on the verge of starting a brawl but suddenly stopped, realizing something. Letting go of Esdeath's collar, Maruti's face shifted. "Now that I think about it... it's been a while since you killed anyone. Are you at your limit again? You could've just told me. Let's wait till night, and you can take care of it then," she suggested, her anger subsiding as concern replaced it.
Maruti's words, though thoughtful, only got a casual shrug from Esdeath. "No... I'm fine. Ever since I got stuck in this body, the urge went away. It just aches a bit from time to time, but it's nothing serious."
"Oh, well, I guess there's one good thing about that body then," Maruti teased, jumping back onto the bed and laying down again. She glanced at Esdeath, curious. "You said you have another problem?"
Esdeath leaned against the wall with a smirk. "Yeah, I do."
Maruti perked up, intrigued. "Well, what is it?"
Esdeath crossed her arms. "I'm not telling."
Maruti scoffed. "Hmph, figures!"