In the Wake of the War

Chapter-26

As Vrishaketu walked through the gardens, unable to keep himself from mulling over his grandparents' words, he bumped into someone.

They slipped and shrieked in a feminine voice and he managed to catch their--her hand and pull her up before she fell.

It was a girl around his age--maybe an year or so older and the poor thing was dressed in ochres along with the all too common Widow's white.

"I'm sorry Devi--"

He cut off as he took in all the gold that she was wearing.

Right. She was clearly nobility and if she was living in the Palace then she must be Royalty. As he had not heard of any guests from other Kingdoms coming here.... it could only be Princess Uttara.

"Ah Princess, I apologise."

"No, its quite alright."

And suddenly Vrishaketu felt very awkward. Should he offer to escort her wherever she needed going? That would be the gentlemanly thing to do. But how could he, when the reason she was in the colours that she wore now was partially due to his father?

Well, he wouldn't waste her time with apologies(unlike certain stupid Pandava Princes) because he knew perfectly well that apologies didn't make one whit of a difference in these situations where you could offer no recompense along with your apology. They only made you seem pitiful as you tried to show how upset you were about something you had done that had caused pain someone else life. As if the person offering the apology could ever come close to offering any solace. And when no solace could be offered, the apologies only seemed insulting.

Alright, he might be projecting a bit, but whatever. He was certain she didn't want to hear useless apologies from him.

"Um..." Uttara said and Vrishaketu realised that he had been staring intensely at her the whole time. Heavens, that was so unseemly.

Well he might as well offer to escort her wherever she needed going, just to be polite. She would refuse and then they would go on their ways.

"Ah, is there somewhere specific you were going Princess? I might be able to escort you."

She raised her eyebrows as any normal person would. The corners of her lips twitched. But then, unlike any normal person she said, "I mean, I was only going to my favourite section of Pitamahi Gandhari's gardens but certainly, you can escort me."

Wait. What? Why would she agree?! She was supposed to refuse!

She looked a him expectantly as he gaped at her. Well. He had just put his foot in his mouth there, hadn't he?

So he walked with her, all the while feeling more awkward than ever.

They moved to the section of the Palace Garden that Pitamahi Gandhari often tended to, herself, and then Princess Uttara moved to sit on one of the stone seats carved near the fountain.

Vrishaketu hovered for a while before opening his mouth in an attempt to excuse himself but then the Princess said, "Will you sit with me for a while?"

When he stared dumbly at her, she added "Please. It might nice to just sit with someone who is not way older than me."

And at this point it would just be far to rude to refuse the lady, so feeling somewhat uncomfortable, he sat down on the seat beside her.

"How have you been Rajkumar?"

He turned to her, startled.

"I mean.... since the war ended.... none of us have been fine. But how... how have you been coping up?" She asked, her voice growing timid a the last part of her sentence.