"What does he think of himself? Disrespecting an elderly like that. Wait till the words reach the Queen Mother. I am her handmaiden, not just any lowly maid. I have served here the longest and watched him grow up, changed his diapers, and wiped his snot. How dare he badmouth me for that village girl?"

Amika gritted beneath her breath with clenched fists. Fury was settled on her brows as she contemplated the prior situation while making her way to the Chitrakoot Palace- The Queen Mother's residence.

The princess was long asleep in King's chambers. Just how happy would be the old woman when she gets this news? Her son finally accepted that sacred bond. Allowing his lawfully wedded in his private residence.

Rolling her eyes at the absurdity of the situation, she bites her lip when her mind wanders toward forbidden thoughts. She calculated what must have transpired to drive the girl in front of the locked Chandra Mahal and scream her lungs out, alerting everybody on the premises. If the words get out of the Fort, people will start labeling her with crazy names. Her unnatural stance still sent shivers down Ambika's spine. Whatever Gauri's disease or the nightmare was, it certainly did a number on everyone. They will whisper, spread rumors and add meaningless statements as witnesses. She needs to take care of that. The High Queen wouldn't be happy about this when she returns.

The situation must be dealt with after sunrise as soon as possible.

Nodding her head in agreement, she crossed the very enigma of everyone's fear- The Chandra Mahal. Bowing her head and not looking at the ancient dark structure, she hurried towards the burning lanterns on the doorstep of Chitrakoot palace, when all of a sudden, a gasp escaped her.

Her limbs froze and her body went rigid.

A second later, two dark hands with claws emerged from thin air and clutched her legs in a bone-crushing grip. Ambika could only pant feeling lightheaded and terrified to her bones. Her heart beat faster than a bullet. Her throat constricted, unable to produce a cry of help as the grip tightened, blocking the blood flow. She stared ahead with tears in her eyes, not daring to see what evil lurked behind her.

Something sinister in a demonic voice was whispered in her ears, next a high pitch womanly scream rang in the area. Perspiration coated her like a second skin. She started feeling weightless and soon was lifted high in the air, her limbs spread like an offering.

"No,"

She whispered and slowly shook her head.

"No, this is not happening."

Disbelief shone in her eyes as she floated 7 ft high in the air. Her saree was pulled at. Her eyes started rolling back.

"STOP..."

The screech that left her lungs was stronger than the devilish hold and in the next second, her bony figure was hurled ruthlessly over the verandah of the Chandra Mahal. A crack resonated. The frail woman broke her arm and hip.

"Dirty pest. Dry and soiled."

The same unholy presence retorted before spitting a black goo on her face and leaving the premises.

Ambika grunted in both shock and horror, unable to comprehend what just happened, and started to cry. Her shouts of help were answered by nearby guards.

The uniformed men stumbled watching the mauled elderly and quickly rushed to her aid. That night, the handmaiden whom everyone in the Fort feared was admitted to the palace hospital and advised to not move for an entire week. The doctors prescribed her painkillers, which made her feel sleepy, and covered the broken arm and hip in a cast. She couldn't help but curse the stars for now who will look after that naïve princess and paralyzed husband?

The next morning, when this news reached Gauri, she didn't waste time visiting the handmaiden.

Though Ambika was a bit woozy, she answered the queries and refrained from telling the truth. No one must know. One word spilled from her lips could empty the place within a blink or she will be officially announced unfit to work. The King will personally see to her retirement plans.

Ambika willed to serve the household till her last breath.

"What must I do now, Ambika Ji? Should I call mother? Why has the staff admitted you here when you could be treated in the best hospitals? I heard from the women in my village that it is hard for old people to recover from such severe wounds. Moreover, the ache is terrible in monsoon."

The old woman wanted to pull her little hair out of her scalp. The girl was not leaving her alone. She's been fretting over her for an hour now.

"Princess! Go and let me rest! I mean, do not worry about this small maid. I am sure you must have important duties to attend and places to be."

Gauri gasped dramatically and then chuckled in humor.

"I must have bored you with my blabbering. I am sorry for what happened, Ambika Ji. Please take care of yourself and have fewer ventures during the nighttime. I confess it was partially my fault otherwise, you'd be running around, scolding the staff for slacking. If I hadn't sleepwalked last night, ruining your rest in the process, you wouldn't have worried so much and collapsed. I deeply apologize."

The guilt in her tone melted Ambika's icy stature a bit and she sighed.

"Never mention last night's incident to anyone. Anyone. They wouldn't fail to spill more dirt over it and present it as something scandalous. Rumors are a woman's biggest foe, they are deadly. The higher you reach, the more people seek to bring you down. I have already talked with the people who witnessed it to put an end to this. The next time, remember to lock your room and hide the key."

Ambika instructed carefully and Gauri nodded in disdain.

The poor girl had no idea what all the fuss was about. She has sleepwalked through a nightmare and was woken by her husband. What she didn't know was the unholiness surrounding it. Her unnatural position and screams lured many mortal eyes. In reality, they were all scared of her now, thinking she might be possessed.

"Now off you go. Have breakfast and serve the old King as well."

Gauri nodded and lazily strolled away. Ambika finally took a relieved breath and closed her eyes.

Gauri smiled as the Old King stared at her without blinking. She took a small spoon with soup and fed him before wiping the remains on his lips with a kerchief. Her reluctant husband was sitting on his father's left at the dining table and immersed in the newspaper.

Though Raghuveer was helpless and stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of his life, he didn't fail in finding the reason which caught Vasundhara's attention. The girl had a tranquil aura around her. Her hazel eyes were full of kindness and honesty. Her face was bare and glowing without any added layers of beauty products. She was simple, yet divine.

The smile didn't leave her lips as long as she fed him. The girl could have handed the task to a measly servant but chose differently. She was a devoted person, he vouched confidently.

"How are you this morning, father?" she asked sweetly and he would've smiled if he could. His son lowered the newspaper and glared at her passionately.

"Are you daft? He can't answer you. He hasn't spoken to anyone in the past 5 years?" Yagya's rudeness offended Raghuveer but didn't deter the genuine smile on her face.

"I know, but he can hear me." Gauri recited proudly as if she has solved an unsolvable mystery. Yagya sighs heavily and after folding his newspaper digs in the breakfast.

"I will be off to a construction site today. In my absence, do not dare leave this Palace, or be ready to face the consequences. I wonder why am I, of all the male population around the globe was chosen to bear such fate. Try not to create another chaos."

The smile on Gauri's face vanished instantly and she lowered her eyes. At that moment, Raghuveer wanted to smack his son and clear- this is no way to treat your woman. Yagya took a bite of his vegetarian dish and almost gagged. His mind begged for a feast of meat. Clearing his throat, he shifted his attention towards his pouting wife, who was feeding soup to his father.

"There's a library in the south wing of the Palace. Do you like to read?"

She nodded meekly, refusing to look at him. A frown settled on her lips as if she was cursing him in her mind, brutally.

Yagya had no idea why was he spending time here when he could be eating alone in Rajwada Palace. But a smaller part in his heart was eager to see her after last night's happenings. He wasn't ready to leave her alone so soon.

"I've got you a new phone so you can contact mother and me whenever it is urgent." He added and when got no response from her, left the dining hall without finishing his breakfast. Gauri poked her tongue at his retreating figure and after making sure he was out of earshot, turned to her father-in-law.

"Sometimes, he is such a bully. Look how he scrunches his nose and lifts his upper lip." She mimicked Yagya's expression to amuse Raghuveer but ended up coughing loudly when found Yagya leaning against a pillar and looking at her in deadpan. The color left her cheeks and morose descended on her forehead.

Busted!

"I will be back before dinner."

Announcing that he finally left. Gauri stood from her place and took a few steps forward. When heard an engine coming to life in the distance and driving away, she took a relieved breath and fell back on her chair.

"I swear, for a moment there I thought he was going to chew my bones."

She laughed heartily and began feeding Raghuveer again but it was no joke to the old man who was aware of the true nature of his son.

Later in the noon, a middle-aged maid, Garima guided Gauri towards the infamous library.

Since Vasundhara was always occupied and Yagyavardhan rarely visited the Chitrakoot Palace, the library remained untouched. It was dusted occasionally but nobody spend time here. When he was healthy, Raghuveer was often found reading here, sometimes even at night. He was a big admirer of Hindi poetries written by Kabir Das, Kali Das, Harivansh Rai Bacchan, and Rabindranath Tagore.

As Gauri wheeled him towards the beautiful section of the Palace, hope bloomed in his heart for once. He was looking forward to seeing what she does next. Would she read to him? What genre was the princess interested in? Adventure or Thriller. She didn't seem the romance type. Her innocence defied the thought she ever laid her eyes upon one.

The maid left them alone with a smile and informed her to call the staff using a telephone if his grace feels uncomfortable. Gauri nodded and fixed her gaze on the front.

A sea of books greeted her. The fragrance of old paper and ink filled her lungs. She breathes deeply and closes her eyes. They were too many to count in a single day. Rows of huge racks were arranged properly on all three floors and high wooden shelves were embedded in the walls. For a second her head spun. She can spend all her life here and never get bored. A squeal left her lips, startling the Old King and she hurried towards the filled shelves. Running a finger on the spines of books, she read the titles with delight.

"Oh my God, Rabindranath Tagore! I never read any of his work but always begged Baba to bring me some. The teacher in school used to tell us so much about him. Father, do you know, he even wrote our national anthem?"

She was a toddler in an ice cream parlor.

Raghuveer wanted to laugh at her excitement as she started to pile her arms with books in the Hindi language. English was still her weakness. But that didn't matter at this moment, did it?

As she was scourging through the material which seemed promising, something sharp pricked her finger. A thick drop of blood dripped from the puncture and splashed on the expensive carpet. Gauri immediately sucks her finger and looks at the source in amazement- a thick leathery journal.

The edges were decorated using a golden plate and it was what injured her finger. Forgetting about the rest, she slowly pulls out the item of fascination and traces the head of a stag punched at the cover. A small leather thread was tied around it, to keep the writing bound safely. Blowing on it, Gauri showed it to Raghuveer with a raised brow.

"Should we check this one out? What's it about? A treasure one of our ancestors buried somewhere in these grounds during the reign of Britishers or the dark secrets of Rana Family which must remain in books only?" Gauri shared an inquisitive expression with Raghuveer and examined the journal closely.

"The leather is of good quality for it doesn't look too old but the string binding it has lost its shine over time. It must have gone untouched all these years and I think was hidden with the purpose of not being found. But we are the rule breakers and shameless. We respect people's privacy as long as they don't wave it in front of our faces. I swear father, it is screaming at me to be read and uncover what's hidden. So, shall we?"

She asked and an equally curious Raghuveer blinked twice.

Gauri squealed again before taking a seat on the comfortable couch in front of her father-in-law.