I jerked awake as someone shook me. I was a bit confused as to where I was as it looked like a tent and then I realized that I was still inside the carriage and had slept off. Both Vasundhara and Gayatri too woke up looking heavy eyed. All three of us had lied down to straighten our backs but the heat and the swinging motion of the carriage had lulled us to sleep.

The maid who had woken us up told that we had arrived at a dharamshala (rest house for travelers).We were led to a separate area where the ladies could wash up. There were five to six buckets lined up with lotas (almost spherical utensil ) inside. It was a low walled area made of red sandstone and also the flooring was done similarly. A cloth had been hung on a peg on the wall for drying up the hand and face.



Two varieties of lotas

The water freshly drawn from the well felt cool on the face and arms as we washed the dust and grime which had formed due to all the perspiration.

Few women got together to prepare for the lunch, as the men looked after the animals with them. Everyone looked very busy except for a few of us who had charpayis (woven beds made of jute ropes) laid out for them to sit on. Things were done in a disciplined fashion as everyone seemed to know their specific jobs. I saw few men and women drawing water from the well and wanted to try my hand at it.



A charpayi

After the luxurious life of the palace this was the first time I was seeing how the other half worked in this century to get things done. Everything was done manually and required lot of physical efforts.

"Can we go help them pull some water from the well?" I asked trying to subdue the excitement in my voice.

"Why would you want to do that? There are enough people for that" said Vasundhara.

"My parents always did that job and had forbidden me to go near the well. So I wanted to try out once". It seemed I was becoming an expert at story telling but then a lie if told for one's survival and doesn't hurt anyone isn't a sin, I hoped.

"Okay let's go , but I must warn you it's a very hard job and requires loads of strength" said Gayatri.

"Don't worry I am not that weak. I am quite capable of doing such jobs." I was quite confident about my capabilities, as I had just seen a girl in her teens effortlessly pulling out two pots full of water which she then loaded on her head with the help of a lady present there and later walked with ease towards the place where they were cooking. The part where she had balanced the pot on her head and also walked with them was indeed difficult I agreed, but pulling out two pots full of water was not.

"I am bored too. Let's make it a game" said Vasundhara now excited at the prospect . Both of us look towards her in surprise, but then smiled as the idea appealed to us.

"Let's see who can fill more number of pots with water" said Gayatri with enthusiasm. "Let me go ask maasa for permission. It will be a kind of help to others along with a fun activity for us."

She rushed inside where the older ladies were resting in the cooler rooms of the dharamshal to get the permit. A few minutes later she came out looking quite puzzled and frowning.

"Did taisa say no?" asked Vasundhara looking at her.

"I couldn't even ask her before chachisa (uncle's wife- Mahadevi sa) asked me to send you to her" said Gayatri looking towards me.

As both Vasundhara and me started to move towards the building she said "Alone".

We stopped in our tracks and looked back at Gayatri puzzled. "Why?"I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "That what puzzled me as both maasa and chachisa were looking so serious".

That made my heart palpate with anxiety.

"Don't worry. In the end it might be just nothing. Both must have become exhausted due to heat, so looking all serious"said Vasundhara patting me on my back.

"Yes, it must be that" said Gayatri nodding her head. "I was in such a hurry, maybe I didn't observe them properly."

Why I was being called alone, I wondered. I couldn't share my doubts with the girls as they would never understand. I simply nodded my head in agreement as I proceeded towards what could be my doom. Then I remembered the look taisa gave me when the carriage had stopped. It all summed up to be a big disaster in my head .

I felt my hand shake with nervousness as I lifted it up to knock on the door but before I could do so it opened from inside. Taisa came out and smiled at me as if she had a secret but didn't say anything. She put her hand on my head fondly and then moved out gesturing me to go inside by tilting her head.

I crossed the threshold with a disquiet mind even after the smile from taisa.

"You called me maasa? "I said softly, now unsure if this right of calling her a mother will be snatched away from me.

My troubled musing was interrupted by her soothing voice.

"What happened Lekha? Why are you looking so distressed? Is everything fine with you? Come... sit next to me , but before that please close the door."

I looked up surprised at her kind concern and my fears slowly started to dissipate, but I still wondered what she wanted to talk to me about 'alone'. I went to close the door and as I turned around, I saw her smiling at me in a motherly fashion. I laughed at myself as I had let my insecurities turn me into knots.



I closed the door and sat beside her on the takhat (a low wooden hard bed like structure).

"What happened Lekha?" she asked again taking my hand in hers to comfort.

"I..I mean nothing happened. It's just that I am anxious that my real story will come out and people might condemn me." Tears flowed down my cheeks as I tried to explain my woes to her. She gently patted my back to comfort me.

"Here ...here Lekha don't cry sweet child no harm will come to you till your mother here is alive. Why are you scared when I gave you my word that you are now my daughter and do you think this mother will let any mishap happen to you? I have not and don't plan to share your secrete with anyone in the future too ".

She became thoughtful as I wiped my eyes then continued " Lekha I can never share your secrete ever with anyone because if anyone comes to know they might outcast you for witchcraft and even I won't be able to help you. They might even harm you. So you see dear I would never wish such a punishment even for my worst enemy and here you are my daughter."

I felt much relaxed after this and gave her a slight smile in return.

"Lekha what I wanted to talk about is regarding your future here. Look child I know you have no hold over your travel through time and might just vanish one day but till the time you are here I want to make life secured for you." There was a pregnant pause while it seemed she contemplated how to put forward her plans for my future. I too had started relaxing knowing that nothing untoward was going to happen with me .

"Child have you thought what would happen if you never get to go back. "

As I opened my mouth to say that I would be happy to live with her, she read my mind and said "Yes I know you always have a place with us in our heart and our home, but Lekha we won't live forever and you have a long life ahead of you. I want to make you secured and protected for any circumstance which might occur down the line. I don't know about the place from where you come but here a husband is the best security a girl can have. More so if the girl is still partially a stranger ."

She let her words sink into my brain as my eyes went wide trying to register what she said. "A husband for me!! But ... but I am still too young. I mean in my time I still study in a school. I mean... I can't. How can you expect me to. I can't leave you maasa . "

My eyes which a few minutes ago had a faint smile to them at being relieved of the burden , teared up again.

"Don't be upset dear. You don't have to leave me so soon . You can still stay with me for a few years, but dear all the girls leave their mother's home to go to their husband's one day or the other after marriage. Vasundhara will also have to leave me and go no matter how much I want to keep her enfolded in my arms."

She hugged me and I her back . I stayed there comforted in her arms.

"Lekha I have a plan , so that you can stay with me for a longtime and also your identity will be secure too even after marriage."

I raised my eyes hopefully at the kind eyes smiling down at me. At that moment I felt as my own mother had come back in the form of maasa and asking me to leave all to her.





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