The cool monsoon breeze gently caressed Jahnvi's face waking her up. Jahnvi stretched her arms and heard her sockets click.

"Good morning Princess." Kanchi said as she stepped out of the bathroom attached to her chamber.

"Kanchi ?" Jahnvi said rapidly blinking clearing the haze from her eyes. "You are here so early, I just woke up. "

"It's almost mid day Princess." She said smiling at Jahnvi.

"Mid day ? How is tha- I've been sleeping all night and morning ?" Jahnvi asked looking shocked. "Why didn't you wake me up !"

"Aai saheb asked me not to, she said you looked too peaceful to be disturbed." Kanchi replied pulling out clothes for Jahnvi to wear from Jahnvi's trunk.

"Please wake me up next time."

"Noted." Kanchi replied rushing behind Jahnvi who had discarded her clothes and had stepped into the warm bath filled with rose petals.

"Gauri Tai has sent this cleaning balm for hair and skin, should I help you with it ?" Kanchi asked and Jahnvi nodded.

Kanchi brought two half shells of coconut, one filled with a white gooey substance and other a brown paste.

"This is called ubtan." Kanchi said pointing towards the brown paste. "It helps in softening your skin. And this is coconut milk with herbs infused in it and fermented rice water." Kanchi poured it on Jahnvi's scalp massaging the roots of her hair with the white liquid as Jahnvi rubbed the brown paste on her skin.

"Gauri is a wonderful girl, I've never met anyone like her." Jahnvi said as she soaked in the warm rose scented water.

"Indeed." Kanchi replied. "This palace has raised her and I'm sure she would raise the palace with love too when she becomes the queen."

"Gauri's parents work for the Bhos-."

"She is orphaned." Kanchi replied. "Lost her mother as a baby and then her father. Aai Saheb raised her along side with Parth dada."

"Oh." Jahnvi said, Gauri's life was not much different to hers except that she had received the love of a mother and had a family to call hers.

Jahnvi felt a pinch of jealousy rise in the pit of her stomach but doused the flame immediately.

She took the dry cloth and wrapped it around her body getting out of the bath, the cool wind from her bedroom window made her shiver.

She loved the weather at Satara, some people may find the rain too depressing and gloomy but Jahnvi loved the pitter patter of the rain and the curtained sunshine from behind the clouds.

She wore the saree Kanchi had removed for her, it was the same saree she had bought at the fair in Hyderabad with Parineeti. Jahnvi wondered how Parineeti was, how Billo Begum was, she was sure they were happy and safe and cared for, the aftertaste of her wandering taught a left her feel bitter. Jahnvi had no one to call hers, nobody to shower love, nobody to take care of her or care for her.

She felt her eyes burn, given the luxury of physical safety, her mind had now started to wander, forcing her to address the questions she herself didn't want answers to.

".. yes yes I'll tell her Lata." She heard Kanchi at a distance.

Zone back into reality Jahnvi saw a small girl standing by her door in a long skirt and blouse.

"What.. what's the matter Kanchi ?"

"Gauri Tai is calling for you." The young girl said.

Jahnvi smiled at her and nodded.

"I'll be with her shortly." Jahnvi said and now focused on draping her saree.
She quickly wore a simple chain around her neck and braided her long hair.

"Do you want to come along ?" Jahnvi asked Kanchi.

"No princess I'll go see my mother, she works in the kitchen."

"Alright. I'll see you in some time Kanchi." Jahnvi said stepping out of her chamber, zoon on her heels as the two walked down a couple of doors, she knocked on the wooden door and the door immediately swung open.

"Jahnvi you are up finally." Gauri said pulling Jahnvi inside.

"I have no idea how I slept for half the day, I've never been so ill mannered." Jahnvi explained.

"Oh don't worry, I too woke up some while back, we spoke until dawn yesterday, it was only acceptable to get at least a few good hours of sleep." Gauri tried to reassure her. "Aai saheb has sent a light breakfast for us." She said pointing at the covered trays of food. "She has asked us to finish breakfast and come meet her immediately."

Jahnvi nodded and moved towards Gauri's bed where the plates of food lay.

"This is poha and that sheera." She said pointing towards two dishes. "Poha is savoury and sheera is sweet."

Jahnvi took some Poha on her plate and took a spoonful in her mouth, a moan left her lips as her tongue picked on the burst of flavours.

"I'm in love." She said her mouth stuffed, Gauri laughed at Jahnvi's reaction.

"I'm glad you liked it." The voice made Jahnvi drop the spoon in her hand as she turned towards the door.

Aai saheb along with Malhar and Parth stood at the threshold looking at her. Parth's face had turned red completely as he tried to control his laughter while Malhar's inner thoughts had become sinful looking at the woman who had possessed his mind and bewitched his soul.

"Aa..aai saheb." Jahnvi gulped. "I .. I didn't see you, I .."

"I'm glad you didn't." Aai saheb said walking into Gauri's room. She placed a hand on Gauri's head affectionately and then moved towards Jahnvi.

"Because you if you had, you would have never expressed your sincere feelings so freely." Nanda Bhosley smiled at Jahnvi and then stroked her head like she had Gauri's.

"Aai saheb you brought these two along ? I'm assuming it's not for a girls gossip session then." Gauri said pouting in disappointment.

"We can have that some other time, for now we have more pressing matters in hand." Aai saheb said her demeanour changing. "The rains have been falling mercilessly for the past two days, the river is about to overflow, and when that happens, the village will get flooded, the villagers have already lost a lot of livestock and two men have drowned." Nanda said looking at Malhar.

"So we have decided to displace the people staying by the river bank, around fifty families." Malhar said. "We can't build them proper homes to protect them from the rain in this downpour on the upper ground, so we've decided to house them inside the fort falls."

"That's wonderful." Gauri said. "We can share our roof and food with them. We should, they are our responsibility."

"Indeed." Aai saheb smiled.

"I will need your help settling them down inside the fort, assign rooms and spaces to accommodate them." Malhar said looking at Gauri.

"Don't worry we'll get to it." She said looking at Jahnvi who nodded in affirmation.

"I'll send bullock carts down to the village to help them with bringing along their possessions and for the old and young." Parth said and Malhar nodded.

"Aai saheb I'll get to arranging mats and rugs for them to sleep on, the floor can get cold." Gauri said.

"Can I look after the food preparation and make kahwa for the people ? They'll need warm food and drink." Jahnvi said meekly.

"Absolutely." Nanda said caressing Jahnvi's cheek. "We have to put our strong front out, they will look up to us and we need to do everything in our power to help them."

"Aai saheb I should leave for the village, make sure everyone gets inside the gates before sundown."

"Yes. Parth join your brother as soon as you can, take Jai with you as well Malhar, I'm at peace when he is with you."

"Aai Saheb ?" Parth said cocking his eyebrow.

"What ?"

"Aai saheb you've forgotten that Jai is in Hyderabad." Gauri replied.

"oh! I'm becoming old, am I not." Aai saheb chuckled. "Call him back soon Malhar, I need all my children home."

"Yes Aai Saheb." Malhar said. "I shall take your leave now." he said and bent down to touch Nanda's feet.

"Be successful." she blessed him and all of them dispersed to fulfil their respective duties.

AN: unedited chapter, haven't even proofread it. Out of pre written chapters now. Let me know how you feel and what could happen next, might help wake up the sleeping writer within me.
Lots of love
xoxo