Suman - The Warrior Empress. ..(Completed)

The untoward incidences...

  The early morning was still foggy and dark... Suman got up from sleep...she closed her eyes and prayed for a minute...

She stood up and walked out of the chamber...

"Samrutha"

She called....

samrutha  bowed and wished her the good day...

"Samrutha.. where's Malla...? Ask him to meet me after the break fast..."

She didn't want to trouble herself  by keeping the secret...she needed clear answers from Malla.

   she thought to get ready soon...

  Delivering the message, she turned to leave and paused as she heard giggles...

Who is it?

She saw Malla laughing with Kayal... sort of anger bubbled with her...her lips quivered and a lump hardened at her throat...

She drummed her fingers at the side rail nervously...

What am I feeling...? he's an old man  and she's a gardener... They work together and laughing is quite normal..
Then, why it hurts me? What am I feeling? Embarrased...? Sad?

She couldn't find answers and she deliberately moved her view across the river...

Early morning mist was rolling from the river and visibility wasn't clear...yet, Suman could view hustle bustle arrangements and a state of rejoice across the river side village...

   " Samrutha...what is it..? People are arranging something ... what's going on..?"

Samrutha smiled...

" My Lady... This is a festival we celebrate in fond memories of our forefathers...from morning till night, there will be fun and frolic... The King encourages exhibition of valuable things at affordable costs  and people will buy them...we believe that the ancestors wish us today and there will be some plays or shows  which would inculcate moral values based on the vedic epics"

"Aren't you going...?"

Suman asked looking at her eyes..

"Yes... but...it wasn't important than you...we can see the evening program from here.."

Suman tapped her head softly and went back to morning chores...

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      It was a fact that Malla wasn't available at the palace for the whole day... no one knew where he had gone...

  Suman fought with her irresistible mind to be quite...

  Anyways, he has to return to the palace by night... I won't sleep today before I know who he is...

Though she was normal outside, her inner turmoil  escalated by time to time..

    Samrutha happily invited Suman to the balcony... unlike every day, she was wearing a traditional saree ...

" You are looking pretty..."

Suman said and sat in the marble stone....

From the balcony, they could see the huge stage and the people gathered over there to witness the programme..

     Initially, some holy bajans were sung followed by the classical dance...

   Meanwhile, down at the quadrangle Brihannala was humming a tune... she darkened the kajal and looked into the mirror satisfactorily...