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A sudden storm had swept through the plains of Neelambargarh in the following days. Many of the villagers needed to be relocated, and many lost their homes and cattle. The ministers kept a close watch on the affected areas, and many from the banks of the River Maya were evacuated to higher lands. Ishaan Dev delayed his initial plans to leave for Suryapali by a few days for safety concerns. The storm made way for the torrential downpours that would mark the beginning of the rainy season in the land beyond the Heemdevi. The peacocks danced in the palace gardens and occasionally called to the peahens, their voices breaking through the otherwise silent afternoons. The incessant rain didn’t seem to stop as the sky was overcast, and gusty winds played through the corridors and curtains of the palace. Priyambada cursed her fate. If the rainfall had been delayed by a few days, Ishaan Dev would have left. She wouldn’t have to witness the daily encounters in the courtroom or the dining hall. Kee...
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The afternoon sun was blazing over the heads of weary travellers as the ravens seemed to keep crowing at a distance. The forestland was otherwise silent, with the occasional chirping of birds or the chatter of monkeys jumping from tree to tree in groups. Rajkumari Sumedha had stopped her horse carefully at the sight of Rajputra Ravi Varman’s horse grazing near the ruins of the secluded temple. She removed the drape that veiled her face and ran to the premises of the shrine. Ravi Varman was pacing the altar, trying to figure out a gentle way to tell Sumedha to face the reality of the situation. He had played the conversation in his head a thousand times over before writing to her to see him again. He stopped at the faint sound of her anklets and raised his eyes to spot her at the threshold. The sight of him overwhelmed Sumedha. She rushed into his embrace before Ravi Varman could react. He stiffened as she held on to him. “I knew you wouldn’t abandon me,” Sumedha spoke in between her so...
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Tarabai was overwhelmed. She had received a letter with the royal seal of Neelambargarh, ordering her to make her way, with the ladies of the Kothi, to the new state. As the news of Adhiraja Ishaan Dev’s alliance broke in Suryapali, and the very excited Rani Ratnawati herself decided to arrange the wedding in the palace itself, Tarabai’s hopes of seeing Ishaan Dev again had been low. Worse, one day, a very intoxicated Trishaan Dev, in the arms of one of the concubines, had spoken of how the new Maharani of Neelambargarh now ruled Ishaan Dev’s heart and mind. Tarabai just couldn’t picture that. Not especially when she knew what most of these people didn’t. He had never shown interest in her more than as a prize. But Tarabai was wise enough to know that a few months were a long time to change perspectives on the matter of the heart. His order set her fears to rest. Even after deciding to take a second wife, he summoned her. Tarabai made preparations to leave. Rajkumari Sumedha of Vairath...
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Last updated: February 4, 2026.
