Devika - A journey unbound by time

3: The Fugitive

Devika stood near the inner sanctum of the temple. Her hands were folded in reverence and her eyes rested on the idol of the deity. She was staring at the idol of Lord Kaal Bhairava without blinking. Her mind was completely empty of all thoughts but one. She kept wondering about the purpose of her second life.

"Princess..." Rewa interrupted her thoughts. "Prince Bhadra is on his way back. We have sent a squad of our soldiers to ensure his safety. We should also head back to the palace."

"Is Guruji coming with us?" Devika asked her.

"Yes, he and his wife will be following us to the palace." Rewa replied. A smile was playing on her lips. She was thankful that Devika was okay, though she was sure that all maids would get punished in the palace later.

"Please ensure that they are well cared for. They after all helped save my life." Devika instructed her.

Nodding her head happily, she replied, "Yes, Princess."

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It is only after a couple of days, that they could reach the palace. As soon as they entered the residential area of the palace, a lady came running towards them.

She held Devika's arms and pulled her into an embrace, "Dearest Devika, how are you? The messenger told us about the poison. That... How could you?"

She could barely string the sentence together. Emotions of worry and anger were swirling in her eyes. Finally she settled on scolding the maids of Princess Devika, "You... What were you all doing?"

"Aunty... I am okay. I am fine. Please calm down. Do not worry so much. What can happen to me when I have your blessings?" Devika cajoled her.

Devika was really happy to see her maternal Aunt Gayatri, Princess of Kuru kingdom. Gayatri had brought up Devika after the death of her sister. She had stayed unmarried for the sake of Devika's upbringing. Even when her parents had asked her to get married to Devika's father, she had refused steadfastly. She knew that Devika's father was in love with Devika's mother, even after her death. So giving up on worldly pleasures, she had stayed back for Devika.

Devika was so happy to see her aunt that small tears were threatening to leak from her eyes. She remembered how cruelly her aunt and her father were massacred by Bhadra when he forcefully kept Devika in confinement after he became the King and they had opposed it.

The maids had hung their heads and kept looking at the floor while Gayatri kept berating them. In order to distract her, Devika skillfully introduced Guruji and his wife and told her how they had saved her from Dhatura poison.

Immediately from scolding the maids, Gayatri went to thanking the couple profusely. A mother's gratitude could be seen from her words and her actions. Guruji and his wife were then asked to freshen up and join the family for dinner in the dining hall.

"Aunty, where is father?" Devika asked as the couple left the room.

"He is still busy in the court. Apparently there was a matter of dispute that required his attention. But you don't worry about anything now, and go freshen up. Take your maids with you." she replied. Then turning towards the maids, she said,"Although you faced a threatening problem, I am glad that you kept your head and sought medical help for the Princess immediately." Her words absolved the maids from their blunder. They gratefully followed Devika and left to freshen up.

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As Devika entered the dining room, she saw her father already waiting for her near the entrance. He immediately stopped her and looked at her with a critical eye. Noticing the bandage on her arm, he frowned heavily. Worry for Devika was reflected in his eyes.