A walk in the clouds

Chapter six

Two days later
Ujjangarh palace
The Chinese drawing room

There was a spring these days in her steps and a wide smile on her lips, every now and then she would stop whatever she was doing to take a deep sigh and then return happily to doing whatever she was doing. A dreamy far away look studded in her eyes.
No!! No!! No!! Something was not right. Something was definitely not right. This was not the serious Adira everyone around here knew. The no nonsense girl. Something was up with this girl!! She was behaving so oddly these days. She was looking so happy. If I knew better I would say the girl was in love. Not that, that was even a possibility!!! The mere thought!!!!! What am I thinking these days. Who will dare love a widow, especially a princess at that.  Ahh.... I shouldn't have said that..... Anyhow this new predicament had to be handled first. Then I will see to this girl!!!

Rani Charumitra was sitting in her private drawing room, a contemplative look on her face. Too restless to sit, she got up after a while and started walking around the room. Then she walked up to the window standing there looking out at the gardens. So deep was she in her thought that she almost didn't react when her brother Rana Gangadhar Singh Sisodia the Rana of Sialkot entered her salon. Opposite to his sister in appearance, he was overweight, with round features. He was attired in a long cream colour silk brocade  Kurta pajama with a silk brocade vest, looking like a stuffed mannequin. He preferred wearing the traditional Indian attire to the english style of coat pant and shirt worn by the younger generation these days. Avoiding the turban, which he always wore when he stepped out of the palace, instead he was wearing the sleek Indian topi as it was called. A cap really.
He had just arrived a day before. Sialkot was a very tiny town. Their name not that high up in the royal ranks. But their family links kept them with the elite of the royalties. That had given him a self created sense of importance. Entering the salon he had a very determined look on his face. A huge man, he was huffing by the time he sat down. His body was bursting out of the couch. The Chinese couch was uncomfortably small, meant more for a small stature women than a large man. The Ranaji looked around hoping he could find a bigger piece of furniture to sit on. The whole damn room had small tiny chairs or whatever they were called.

"Uffff..... I am too old to be galavanting around now. If not for this predicament I would have been enjoying the airs of Mount Abu." He morned.
"I too have been bedevilled by this issue, brother!! I am still not too sure how to handle this delicate matter. I have been in shock since you gave me this most distressing news.Here we were hoping KamalLata would be giving us some good news. But ..."
"I know dear sister. My kamalLata is looking very happy. She has not stopped praising the Kumar Ratankot. I believe they are in love."
Smiling she looked up at her brother."I do think so too. I believe the Kumar was very upset at having to leave Ujjangarh. Why he promised he would be back as soon as possible." She had a smug look on her face. KamalLata was like a daughter to her. Happy her young charge was be going to be married if every thing went as planned. She would be going into just the kind of family she had in visioned. It had taken her a lot of efforts and convincing, pulling favours and what not to get the family to agree to send their son to meet with Kamallata. But it seems it would be worth everything in the end.
"Well!!! Think of something, she's your step daughter for heaven sake. " her brother's ranting broke into her musings. "I will not have that girl as my daughter in law. My handsome son's, my only son's, my heir's wife!!!! She has bewitched him. No! I damn right won't." Huffing with indignation. He should never have let his son Rajkumar Chander Singh Sisodia come here to Ujjangarh. That's right!!! Then he never would have met that destitute widowed!! girl and fallen in love with her. A widow of all things. My poor ancestors will be weeping with horror in heaven. Oh!! Just the thought of it has me in fits. "My family name is at stake here." He said indignantly.
Offfff........ wish she could stop her brother 's wailing and prattling for a while, it was giving her a headache already. But he was right, that retched girl was not going to become a part of my family.
"I have an idea." She spoke smugly, finally a solution at hand. Why hadn't she thought of it before. Two birds with one arrow and all that thing. She definitely couldn't afford to loose her. This way she would be unreachable for Chander and yet unable to leave Ujjangarh even if she wanted to leave. Who would manage the estate for her, she would be her unpaid servant for life. And she would have no choice in the whole matter. Hmmm... this was highly appealing.
"What?!!!!!" He asked eagerly, desperate for some solution.
"Well!!!........"pausing for effect. Then continuing she said," We will get her married off to someone else, then she will be out of reach for Chander. He will have to leave her alone."
"I..... I don't know. Where will you get a man, a groom for her? Will she agree to marry him. I have sent Chander on a ruse to Mumbai, but he will be back in a month. Then what will we do. I cannot keep him away indefinitely."
"You don't worry about that my dear brother. I have just the right person in mind and Adira will be married by the end of all this episode whether she agrees or not does not matter."