The Emperor's Journey

29. Wife.

"Varsha." he smirked as she smiled at him. He felt she must have been waiting for him, all day. Little did he knew, she had as eventful day as him. "Swami,  come." she said and he went. As he was about to wash his feet,  she bent down and washed it herself. He smiled at her little gesture, his mother wouldn't have done that unless it was some compulsory ritual. As they both went to eat and she served him,  he observed with shock what she had cooked,  not only all of them were to his liking but also some were non vegetarian  food.

"Love." he stared at her speechless. This was least expected of her. But she explained him,  how she had come to know of his liking and she strived for it. He smiled gently at her and began eating. "Why don't you call me Rajkumar, as you called me for the first time?" he asks the question that bugged him,  the most. Though her calling him Swami felt good. "You don't like that I call you Swami?" she asked her head bent low. How would he answer this? He just wanted to tell her that when she was addressing him upfront of a third person,  she better call him by his position. And he said that,  to which she agreed making him happy.

After he was done eating and she helped him wash his hands, she was going to pick up his plate,  he stopped her and asked,  "Won't you eat in my plate?" He had observed during his last two years of learning of how in Praja,wives ate in their husband's plate and was confused as to why she wasn't doing that. "I... Umm..." she struggled. She didn't understand how to explain to him,  that she would never even let a piece of dead body come near her mouth.

"I... Swami... That.... Hmm..." she shuttered yet again,  as to how to put it in a way that won't make him upset. "What is it Varsha? Why are you shuttering?" he asked losing patience. She always seemed to do that,  make him lose patience. "Swami, you know I haven't been brought up,  eating non vegetarian food. " she finally said it,  but he pursed his lips. Now the reason dawned upon him. Though she could go to any extent,  including cooking non vegetarian food,  to keep him happy,  but she wasn't the one to leave her culture and tradition. "Fine, go ahead." he said nonchalantly making her believe he wasn't angry,  but he slightly was because she was different  than him.

He excused himself and let her eat. Coming to his chamber,  he slowly realised what his mother meant, the importance of Manik Mahal. Sometimes, no matter how close husband and wife were they needed space from each other. Sighing he removed his accessories and kept them on the table. He got rid of his heavy clothing and dressed in his night clothes, which consisted of Dothi and a shawl. He stood in his balcony the cold air of late night hitting him. From faraway, the sound of music and dance travelled to his ears. There was only one place that would have music at such late night,  the house of ill fame.

It was the place where he had first met his cousin Rajendra, in the real sense. Only son of his parents and after losing his mother immediately after birth,  he was one of the very few people who had as much hold in foreign affairs  as he does. He was only a few months older than the Prince so they were on first name basis. Not only was his cousin extremely good looking but was the only one in the team who had a thing for woman. They didn't have a long acquittance, had infact known each other for only a little over a year. The Rajkumar was about to turn 18 and Rajendra had just turned. They both happened to dump into each other at the house of ill fame. The situation had got terribly awkward for the Prince,  but Rajendra didn't seemed to care. That day they ditched the woman they had been with and instead had spent entire night talking with each other about almost everything under the sun, at that moment actually under the moon. The next morning, it was no more a doubt that Rajendra will be in the team. But now that the Rajkumar had a wife and he was angry on her for a thing he himself knew was small and wouldn't even exist if she were a royal,  as Royals never ate in others plate,  he couldn't help but remember the conversation  he had with his brother about woman.

After the initial awkwardness had broken,  the Prince acknowledged genuinely poring some more wine for his cousin,  "Seriously, the way you dealt with it with so much of diplomacy is fabulous." The older boy smirked,  "Come on Vikramaditya,  we have been talking about Foreign affairs for a long time. Such talks are not very great in a brothel. Let's talk something more personal,  now that you know I dote on you,  tell me more. What you think about women, I heard your affair with the 3rd princess of Kunthal just last week and you are here." The older boy smirked. But the Prince being the Prince smirked back,  "Oh come on Rajendra, you activities are themselves like that of Dev Indra,  why say me. Look at yourself. You have two beautiful wives sitting in your palace and you are here." the younger boy spoke back. "Wife..." he let out a laughter. "Wives are a true torture sometimes Vikramaditya, you don't know. They always need to be kept in control or else they are gonna ruin you." he said. And the Prince agreed with a nod. He had heard many men have been ordered around by their wives.

At the precise moment he heard the sweet sound of anklets,  he turned to see his wife clad in clothes of his favorite  colour,  the sunrise colour,  orange. He had always felt,  the colour is the colour of hope. But felt a slight doubt. Why couldn't he order her to eat in his plate? She could do it, if it pleases him right? Unaware of anything going on in her husband's mind, she took slow and shy steps towards him and extended her hand. He could see a paan, in her hands. A look at her and he realised she had dressed up for him. She wasn't like other woman,  trying to control or manipulate their husband for their own personal gain. She always tried hard to please him,  to be good enough as she always thought low of herself. He smiled and took it from her hands,  touching her hand leading her cheeks to burn. Would it have been wrong to order her like that? His mind was wavering. But even with all the confusions, on his head he couldn't stop admiring how beautiful she looked in his favorite color.

"Varsha..." he said huskily as he slowly neared her, when suddenly he could hear a knock,  sighing angrily he shouted a quick come in. A Daasi came in, "Rajkumarji, there is a messenger for you. He requests entry. And says it's urgent." the Rajkumar nodded, "Allow him." he said and dismissed her. Varsha quickly pulled the pallu that covered her head to cover her face also. The messenger came in and bowed. "Rajkumarji, Rajkumar Rajendra has gotten married to a Rajkumari of Kunthal Desh." his eyes widened and he couldn't control his laughter but then quickly sent the messenger and laughed to his heart's content. Varsha was perplexed as to why but she knew better than to question him, he would let her know if he wanted to she remembered  her mother's teachings. Finally!! He thought, Rajendra had always wanted to marry Kunthal Desh's Rajkumari Maya. Seeing his wife he went back to her.

He pulled her in his warm embrace against the cold of the night. He knew Varsha didn't plan it,  but she is going to earn the jealousy of many women. She had no co-wife and no insecurities of having one in future. How easily he had given in to her demand and how strong his cousin looked in current scenario made him a little upset leading him to tighten his hold one her. "Dear,  how did you decide to call me Swami,  because as to what I know many wives call their husband Bhagyavidhata." he asked a question,  just for the sake of it. She pulled out from his embrace and lifted her pallu to meet his eyes,  seeing her gesture he just pulled it away making her look away and again pulled her to him. "Tell." he ordered. "Hmm... So my parents also called each other Bhagyavan and Bhagyavidhata, but Swami I feel Bhagya can only be controlled by Krishna.... So I don't believe in calling that, also Maa Sita, the Ideal woman herself used to call Ramji as Swami,  so I stuck to that." she completed. Now it was his turn to pull away, "You have read Itihaasas?" he asked shocked. But concealed the look of shock in his face when he noticed the offended look on her face,  "Yes Swami,  Ofcourse  I have." she bent her head low and asked in almost a whisper,  "Do I look like a complete Illiterate?" she mumbled but he heard.

A. N:-
Namaste! Sorry for the delay, so but here goes the super long chapter,  hope you enjoy it.

Please vote and comment and tell me what you think about-

i) Rajnedra's thinking.

ii) Rajkumar's assumption about her being illiterate.

iii) overall chapter.

iv) is Rajkumar right in thinking more wife, more strength?

v) and do you think, Rajkumari has been thought a lot of rules by her mother?

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