" Maharani Avanthika? But... " , Devasena quietened for sometime. Then asked further. " Does that book contain illustrations? "
" mmm...minimal. I remember, the photos were mostly captured from the ruins of the palace of Maahishmathi. But very unclear, the book itself being written almost a hundred or more years back. "
" Ruins of the palace? ", Devasena kept staring, her throat felt dry.
" Yes... As far as I remember, the original huge fortress of the clan was demolished almost with the demise of the dynasty itself." , Avanthika was lost in thoughts again.
" ..however I rag my brain I don't remember the name of the last king. But he was Amarendra and Devasena's son. And Avanthika and he too had a son ... but..." , Avanthika tried hard to recapitulate.
" Mahendra..."
All of a sudden Devasena blurted a name out of the blue.
" Ahhh...exactly! Oh my god how did you know? "
How did she know? Devasena managed the situation, "because Mahendra rhymes with Amarendra. "
Avanthika laughed and went back to her thoughts, while Devasena grew colder inside.
How did she know?
" I give up. I am highly ashamed that I don't remember major events of a book I read only a year or two back. This thesis is to be blamed. It has hijacked my brain."
Avanthika got up and went to the washroom.
Avanthika had this thing. She wouldn't particularly interfere in affairs unless shared with.
And Devasena now needed time.
She very well remembered, the hall had lineage pictures of only Queens, and that ended with Raajmata Devasena itself.
If Mahendra and Avanthika had a son, why didn't he rule?
Most importantly, the palace which was at the banks of Narmada was demolished, the dynasty ended, then who created another huge palace here in Bhopal, that hung photos of the clan?
Now the biggest question, how did she have visions? How did she know names she'd never heard? How did she look like a Devasena some ccenturies back...?
The man... Devasena very urgently needed to reach him. Again.
'I know you will find yourself.'
Devasena decided to drop classes today. She couldn't afford to again run for life in the middle of the night. Morning was the best time to explore.
" Sreebhoomi, 13, Laalmaati road. "
She got up an auto.
The driver looked friendly. " bhaiyaa... Sreebhoomi is a palace right? "
" haan didi! Belongs to the Bhawaanis. After they shifted abroad, that too some fifty years back, it was almost passing to the hands of dealers and contractors when suddenly out of the blue, a Bhawaani turned up a few months ago. It's news madam! " ,the driver grinned at her ignorance.The simple man didn't care to wonder though, why the lady wanted to reach a place she particularly knew nothing about.
Devasena wanted to hit herself. How self engrossed did she remain ?
" bhaiyaa, do the Bhawaanis originally belong to the Maahishmathi ruler clan? "
To this the driver remained so dumb as if she spoke French.
Poor things. They only knew news. Not history.
The auto dropped Devasena to the huge gateway of most probably the palace she had roamed or rather marathoned around that night. The iron gateway almost ten feet tall, was half opened, and Devasena got in slowly.
She understood she was standing on a huge property, fenced all around with larger than life walls, almost secluding the palace from the rest of the city.
And a palace indeed! The structure whose insides were known to her, surprised Devasena on the outside with its mammothness. The palace lay in the middle of the grounds she was standing on, and the gateway was connected to it with a roadway of pebbles.
Devasena walked onto the door of the palace, which itself was again at least eight feet tall. She noticed an old bell beside the door. Though on the outsides the palace showed no signs of life, Devasena very well knew of the man in question...unless he wasn't really at home. But looking at the latch that held no locks, she hoped for the better.
She pulled the bell.
A long hour of no response even after repeated calls.
Devasena felt highly irritated. Why the hell was she running after something vague? Why even, when no one was ready to help?
Frustrated, Devasena turned to go.
Just then the door behind her opened with a noise.
Devasena immediately turned to find the door half open.
She pushed through, and walked in.
Amarendra poured tea from a huge teapot, a spellbinding antiquity, to equally beautiful cups. Devasena kept staring at the process once, and the man next.
The man in question.
" Welcome. "
A baritone reverberated through the walls of the typically royal living room, to her ears.
Devasena had walked in to find Amarendra sitting on a single sofa a distance away from the door, with tea and biscuits carefully placed on the table, everything with a smell of the previous centuries.
Once again Devasena was speechless at the hugeness of the living room which was a hall in itself too.
Amarendra had then beckoned her and she was now seated in a five sitter sofa just before him.
Those eyes. And a smile.
The uneasiness pulped up within her throat, once again.
Devasena hesitated taking the tea. Wasn't really worth it, having tea with a stranger in a palace. She could face anything any moment.
" I don't drink tea. " , she tried to stay safe.
Amarendra smiled wider , and placed the tea back to the tray, picking up his cup.
" Of course you do. I know you do. But it's alright. You needn't trust me. Just as I had said, neither will I hold, nor let go. Neither will I guide, nor mislead. It's your story, you are the hero, and I...a mere spectator."
Devasena looked on. Never had she felt so helpless in life.She cleared her throat.
" Am..Amarendra...right?"
" Right. "
" I...actually had gone to the..."
" the book is back there. I returned it last night." , a smile again.
Devasena got a blow at every step. The man knew so much!
She needed to talk business though.
" There's actually...another painting... "
Immediately the lights went out. A pitch darkness engulfed the whole scenery. Not even a string of sunlight entered through any slit. Death black, blind, that's how it felt.
Spontaneously, unthinkingly, gripped by fears of infinite degrees and dangerously paralysed, Devasena cried, the sound as if travelling light years, back from times unknown, connections unexplored, and meanings uncherished..." Amarendra!!!!!!!!"
Edited by Penfolk - 6 years ago
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