The Tumble Through Time

10.The Court

Note: All english words/sentences spoken are italicised.

Saanvi decided that she will try to speak to the girl about going back to Varanasi. She may have learnt the Vedic Sanskrit but she still did not know how to speak it. as till date she only read in that language.
Saanvi went out of the room to Lata and Shantidevi and said in a broken Sanksrit- "Thank you for saving me Madam."(She didn't know what madam was called in sanskrit)
Shantidevi looked at her and then at Lata and she- "Lata I think you have hit your head and not her as i can clearly undestand her."

They talked for a while about how they found Saanvi, about how she fought Vishwas, etc. But when Saanvi asked them about Varanasi they simply claimed that there was no such place nearby. May be she drifted a long way on the course of Ganga. One good thing that happened was that along with Saanvi, her little backpack having a few of her items was also present attached to her body at the shore.

Slowly in 1-2 days Saanvi healed fully and began roaming around in the village. She found the place way too odd for her taste. she felt as if she was in an entirely different country and not India.

One such morning, Saanvi and Lata were sitting in the house veranda when a few people dressed in same wierd costume holding spears in their hand came to halt at the door.
One of them said, "All residents of this house are called by the Maharaj of Hastinapur in the Court for common people immediately."
Apparently Vishwas, the goon went and lodged a complaint against Saanvi/Devi for having inflicted grievous injuries on him.
"Maharaj? What do you mean by maharaj? This is a democratic country you moron. Are you trying to fool us?"- said Saanvi. She still had to use a few of the words in English/Hindi as she did not know the sanskrit version for them.
"If the Maharaj has called us, we will have to go."- said Shantidevi.
They all soon followed the foot soldiers.

All this time there was only one thought in Saanvi's Mind- "How the hell is this place under a monarch?"
As they reached gates to the palace of Hastinapur, Saanvi was beyond shocked. She had never seen such a beautiful, magnificient building. The place looked to be made of gold!!

Lata pushed her inside the gates and dragged her to the place of the court for common people.
There on an raised stage were sitting 4-5 people all wearing weird costumes. Various people were standing on the back of the hall. Saanvi thought that she has entered some sort of feild set for a play or movie.

"Who is the lady Devi?"- asked the man sitting on one of the higher chairs.
"I am."- Saanvi answered in a daze.
Everybody looked at her with curiosity.
"Do you accept that you have beaten this young man here?" - the same man asked.
"yes I do."
"Do not lie Girl! Who are you trying to save? To think thay you can beat this giant men in a combat is absurd."
"I can show you again if you want."- Saanvi immediately regretted what she said.
Sometimes she can be too sassy!
"Why you little women! How dare you speak to me like that?"
"Forgive us oh great Senapati Duryodhanaji! She is a little weak in the head. you see she was drowning in the river when we found her. she still hasn't recovered!" - Pleaded Lata's Baba.
"Wait did they say Duryodhana?"- Saanvi mused aloud in english.
"See Maharaj, she still sometimes speaks gibberish."- Said Baba.
"Did you say you found her in the river?"- said one other man.
"Yes respected crown prince Yudhisthirji!"- We found her and gave her a shelter in our home.
"Did he just say Yudhisthir?"- Saanvi said again in english.
"Why did you beat this man, which I still find doubtful, up here Little girl?"- asked the man sitting on the highest throne.
Lata nudged Saanvi
"Because he was molesting Lata jiji."- Saanvi somehow uttered thise words in the ancient sanskrit.
"Gasp! What are you saying Devi? Don't do this to our Lata. Her reputation would be ruined. Do not speak of this incident."- pleaded Shantidevi in a quiet voice.
"I beat him up because he was molesting me. Sir."- Saamvi said.
"Nobody dares to speak such things girl. do you not fear for your reputation?"- asked the man named Duryodhana.
"No sir! Why should my reputation be tainted? I was not the one doing the wrong thing. He entered out home and she violated the morals. He should be the one fearing for his reputation."- some saanvi managed to speak in a broken sanskrit.
"She is definitely mad in the head Maharaja Dhritrashtra! Shameless girl!"- This was said by the man named Duryodhana.
"Did they say Dhritrashtra?"- mumbled Saanvi in english.
Saanvi looked up at the men sitting on dias one by one. She suddenly started feeling dizzy and the last thing she heard was a thud and she found herself on the floor. Unconscious.

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