How the night had passed, Hari did not know. But that is life, it goes on even when one does not feel alive. Her attendant urged her to eat at least some fruit, but she pushed it away.

Krushanu had left for Sudhagadh before dawn.

Before riding off, he had called on her "Bhabhi-sa, it is my responsibility to take the royal seal and a few other things to Sudhagadh. I must also present the official account to Rajmata-sa and others. But I will return for you in a couple of days. A ceasefire has been declared for now, but I don't know what strategy will be adopted in the coming days. Hence, as was planned by Raja-sa, Raghavendra will escort you to Churu. You will be safe there. Later, I will take you to Dasi Mahal."

Hari, who had been impassively listening to him till then, violently shook her head "No! I will not go there without him. I told him... I won't."

When Krushanu rushed to assure her "It's okay... if you don't wish to return there, I have a small haveli that you are most welcome to live in. Please consider it your brother's home.", she didn't respond.

Finally, after many instructions to Raghavendra, accompanied by two of his best horsemen, Krushanu had galloped into the forest in the direction of the difficult but shorter route.

While listlessly laying in the tent, as his memories played in her mind, she had slipped into a fitful sleep. It hadn't been for very long but had proved long enough for a nightmare to peek in.

Vayu and she had been enjoying a meal sitting on a portable cot in the middle of a busy camp.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge herd of water buffalos led by a huge man with a terrifying aura had stampeded through the camp, trampling most of the occupants.

Horrified, she had uttered "Is that Niramal, the king of Panchagadh?!"

Looking sad, Vayu had sighed "No, he is Yama. The one who really wins on every battlefield."

After casting another long glance in the direction of the God of Death, trembling she had turned to Vayu "Why is he here??" But the spot where her husband had been sitting just a moment before was empty.

Hari woke up in a sweat. Yes, Yamraj was here... and he took my Vayu away.

In that moment a deep-rooted hate and fear of the water buffalos took root in her psyche.

Sometime later, she was forced to step out of the tent to answer nature's call. While returning, as her gaze swept over the camp, she noticed more pyres now burned in the distance. Long lines of wounded, awaiting treatment, sat outside the physician's tent. Some guilt swirled within when she realised, in that moment, she couldn't bring herself to care about any of them.

As she stood staring at the tent when he had drawn his last breath, Shera rubbed against her legs. Forlornly, she muttered "Why do you come to me now??" When he continued nuzzling at her feet, she tried to push him "Go away..." and started towards the tent she had been housed in for the night. But, whining sorrowfully, the dog followed her.

Suddenly stopping, she addressed Shera "Can you feel him too? I feel like... he is still here with me." But recalling the nightmare where her husband had disappeared at the end, she broke into tears again.

Harinakshi couldn't decide what had failed her the most.

Was it the beautiful eyes he had loved so dearly? How had they been so blind to the man who had seen her from the first moment he had laid his eyes on her to the moment he had closed his? Why had she not seen that nothing but him could hold meaning in her life? Not the illusion of freedom, nor the animals and birds she had always believed she could love wholeheartedly without them hurting her back.

Or was it her stubborn heart? For it had refused to surrender to him even after he completely and irrevocably ruled it.

Chandrika had once scolded her – pride is good, but not when it stops us from embracing who we truly are.

Love and pride. When they stand together, they can reach the unattainable. But when they war with each other, even that which had been laid at our feet stays out of reach. Her pride had built walls around her heart for months. And when you get less than six full moons together, those months turn into millions of missed moments.

Her eyes had lost all their lustre. The future she had seen with Vayu had been snuffed in an instant and there was nothing she wished to see but him. His knowing smirks that had so irritated her, or even his angry glares that had stirred a storm in her guts, what wouldn't she give to see them just once again?

Her hand travelled to her flat belly. Since the last time she had bled, she had been filled with mixed feelings. Fleeting disappointment that they had not yet created life together, but later some relief that it meant she could still march alongside him on the campaign. Now the disappointment invaded her every pore, sucking out the will to take even a single step. It seemed the Gods had decided not to give her any reason to draw another breath. Nothing to force her to keep walking without her better half.

Her thoughts flew to Veerawati, barely flowing, a few miles away. It had all been in vain. Her Raja-sa was lost, as were his dreams. And soon Sudhagadh would be too. The people whom he believed he owed his life to would slowly leave and find another promising land. Agreed, every now and then, they might remember the land that had nurtured them and shed a tear, maybe even many. But then they would wipe them, smile encouragingly at their children and get on with trying to give them a better future. But in the pursuit of their wellbeing, Vayu had given his life and ended her will to live.

Shera nudged at her feet, again, and barked as if demanding something. As Hari sat down heavily next to him, he immediately starting whimpering and licking her tears. Throwing her arms around him, she buried her face in his fur and sobbed, mumbling incoherently.

Manilal, the old cobbler, watched the pitiful duo with a heavy heart.

About twenty minutes went by and Hari's sobs slowly subsided into sniffles. But looking around, her ire at the unfairness of the situation surged. Had all this loss of lives been completely pointless?! Why had Raghavendra declared the ceasefire when the dam was still intact?

Springing to her feet she went looking for the commander and demanded "Why are you sitting here?!"

"Bai-sa... why didn't you send for me? I was going to come to you after these records were updated." The man rushed to his feet and then added "I think we should leave for Churu in another hour. That way I will be able to drop you off and return before sundown."

Ignoring the proposed plan, she asked "What is being done about the dam?"

"What about the dam?? We must wait till orders arrive from the new... from the palace." Raghavendra muttered uncomfortably.

"It must be broken... now! This war will not be lost in vain. My Raja-sa will not lose!"

Not sure how to calm her, the man nodded "Of course... we will not let Panchagadh win. We will avenge our Raja-sa. But we must wait. Forgive me Bai-sa, but my hands are tied. I cannot act without my orders."

Hari's despair grew thinking there was no plan to get justice for her Vayu.

"Well, I will not wait for any orders! I cannot let people forget him... This victory must belong to my Raja-sa! I will break the dam if you won't do anything about it."

As Raghavendra stood stupefied, Jagat, one of Vayu's personal attendants, stepped forward "Bai-sa... please calm down. None of us will ever forget how bravely Raja-sa fought. The army will get justice for him in due course. But meanwhile, please oversee your attendants while they pack your belongings that you need to take to Churu." Gesturing to one of the women standing in the vicinity, Jagat added, "Come, take Bai-sa to her tent... she needs some rest before the journey."

This further flamed her anger.

"I am not going to Churu or anywhere till that dam is broken! I don't need any clothes... or jewels... What I do need is the black powder for blowing up the dam!"

She turned away, muttering "He had said three packets should be enough... maybe I should carry four to be on the safe side."

Everyone around watched in alarm as she headed to the tent serving as the armoury. Shera, with his ears now perked, followed on her heels.

The man in-charge listened flabbergasted as she started issuing instructions on what she wanted – four packets of the black powder tightly bound in oilskin of a certain size.

Joining them, Raghavendra tried to explain to her how futile the idea was and tried to impress upon her the high risks of embarking on such an endeavour. But Harinakshi's mind was made up and was beyond all reason.

"If I want some explosives, I will have them! Are you saying no to me?! I am still your king's wife!"

When Raghavendra tried to assure her "Of course... you are. I did not mean any disrespect. Believe me, I will protect you with my life."

"But you won't honour my word?!" her tone was scathing.

The commander bowed "Please don't choose to misunderstand my words. I only fear for you."

"I don't care if I am caught or die! Why can't you think of me as just another soldier heading to the battlefield?! Stop worrying about all the things that can go wrong. Just think how wonderful it will be if the plan works. Right now... high on their victory... they must be more relaxed than they are when our soldiers on the clandestine mission tried to sabotage the dam. We must strike now! It is the right time. And I can approach the area more easily... pretending to be just a helpless woman from one of the surrounding villages. They won't suspect me."

As she went on presenting one argument after another, Raghavendra listened. And slowly the idea started taking root.

Agreed, it was a long shot... but it was still a shot worth taking. He had been extremely ashamed of their almost defeat on the battlefield the previous day. If they could get this plan to work, he would be able to return to Sudhagadh with his men waving the banner proclaiming victory.

Looking solemn, he nodded "Bai-sa... I think there is merit to your plan. But you cannot go there alone. Ideally, I would like to join you, but I can't abandon my command here. One of my highly skilled men will accompany you. You could travel in disguise as a couple moving from one village to another with many household items so that the explosives can been hidden amongst our belongings. When you are close enough, he will leave you by the shore and venture into the river to plant and set off the explosives."

Hari breathed a little easier seeing he was seriously considering the plan. But she was not convinced by the proposal "I worry...the enemy soldiers might not lower their guard in the presence of a young man. What if they grew suspicious and thoroughly search our belongings? This is truly our only chance. No... I can't risk it! It has to be foolproof."

Nodding in agreement, Manilal hobbled over, "If we want to really have a chance of fooling Panchagadh's guards, I should go with her. They will never suspect an old man with a limp. We will easily pass off as father and daughter."

After some initial pushback, Raghavendra was convinced that Manilal and Harinakshi would make a good team of undercover operatives. Over the next hour or so, many ideas were thrown around and background stories constructed. Routes were mapped which would help them get as close as possible to the dam without drawing too much attention and at a suitable time.

Manilal and Hari received a crash course on how the explosives had been constructed and the order in which they should be planted. Raghavendra reiterated the risks involved and when they should consider calling off the attack.

* * *

It was about noon, the sun blazing overhead, when Harinakshi atop her mare and Manilal, on a loaded mule, left the camp, accompanied by a dozen soldiers on horseback.

Stripped of the few expensive jewels she had started donning in the recent times, and dressed in an inconspicuous black ghagra-choli, Hari could easily pass off as a poor subject travelling with her aged father. The real treasure of explosives, wrapped in some equally dull clothes was packed under some sleeping mats and bundles of grain, flour and some ready to eat foods.

The soldiers were to accompany them to a certain point, and then Hari and Manilal were to start their descent towards the river basin, while the soldiers would head up to a point of vantage which would allow them to track Hari and Manilal's movements and report back.

But the moment the little party set off, they encountered a new problem. Despite many orders and entreaties, Shera wouldn't leave Hari's side. Everyone now feared that the sight of such an unusual animal by her side was bound to alert the enemy that she wasn't some ordinary woman. Hari spent some time trying to impress upon on him that if he followed, he had to listen to her as their Raja-sa's dreams were at stake, and hoped he would follow her orders at the crucial time.

A part of her was greatly relieved by his stubbornness as she interpreted his need to be by her side as an indication that Vayu's soul must still linger around her. Fortified by this belief, she set out on the mission with higher hopes of success.

By the time they reached the point where the soldiers and Hari were to part ways, it was late afternoon. The sun was expected to set in a couple of hours. This was well in line with the planned timeline. Disembarking from her mare, Hari took leave of the soldiers and began the last leg of her journey with Manilal and the two animals.

During the discussions with Raghavendra earlier in the day, it had been decided that, to appear as innocuous as possible, Hari and Manilal would exit the forest just where Panchagadh's soldiers were heavily patrolling the riverbank. Accordingly, a little before sunset, after issuing instructions to Shera to stay in the woods till she called for him, Hari and Manilal walked out of the woods and slowly approached the enemy troops.

As expected, an old man and a young woman did not raise any alarm but just roused some mild curiosity.

Pulling her odhani to barely cover her face, Hari dragged her feet allowing Manilal to lead the way.

As soon as they were close by, Manilal greeted the soldiers and announced that they were citizens of Panchagadh and were heading to the capital. When questioned why and where they were travelling from, the old man lamented "My daughter's husband, who lived in Bhagapur, recently passed away from an illness. There wasn't much work for me to do there and earn a living for the both of us. So, I am taking her to the capital. Hopefully we will be able to make do... and I hope the new place will prove a much-needed distraction for her..."

A glance at the young woman's dull puffy eyes reconfirmed the tale of her loss.

Manilal added, sounding relieved, "With my limp and her frequent outburst of tears... we took much longer than expected. I was worried about having to camp in the woods with her... but if we can camp here for the night... we will feel much safer knowing you are close by."

While the old man spoke, Hari quietly took in the surroundings. She guessed the stone wall of the dam, visible further up, to be about seven hundred yards away. Apart from the two soldiers who were conversing with Manilal, there were another eight a few yards away, lounging by two tents.

One of the soldiers who had spoken to Manilal now headed back to the rest and exchanged a few words with someone who seemed to be in-charge. When the man beckoned to Manilal, Hari, pulling the mule, followed her supposed father.

The man in-charge introduced himself as Kanji and then addressed Manilal "Kaka, what are you planning to do in the city? You don't look like you will be able to do any work involving hard labour."

Manilal nodded "You are right... there is not much strength left in these old bones... but fortunately my fingers and eyes still allow me to be good at my job. I am a cobbler."

Eyes narrowed, Kanji first ordered his men "Go check the woods and ensure there are no wild animals lurking around. We wouldn't want any unpleasant visitors at night."

Manilal's hands turned clammy, understanding that he was trying to verify that they were truly some villagers. Glad that the Sudhagadh soldiers had not accompanied them down the mountain, Manilal prayed that they wouldn't spot Shera.

Kanji addressed the old man "So, you are a cobbler? That's good... we have few pairs of juttis requiring some repairs... if it's not too much trouble."

Not sure if it was a test or a genuine requirement, bowing slightly, Manilal rushed to assure him "No trouble at all! In fact, it's my good fortune to be able to help our good army men."

Though the soldiers assembled there had in all likelihood never even set eyes on Vayu, Hari was anguished to hear Manilal addressing the enemy so respectfully. Some of her frustration and pain overflowed down her cheeks.

The old man mumbled "Please don't mind her... she is grieving... let me grab my tools and fix your juttis while we still have light."

Kanji, who had a recently windowed sister at home, muttered gruffly "These things take time... let her rest."

As Manilal dug out his box of tools from the assortment of things loaded on the mule's back, a couple of soldiers watched him attentively and, seeming satisfied by the uninteresting contents, walked away.

"Baba, may I walk to the water to fill our pot and freshen up?" when she timidly sought permission, Manilal nodded, "Of course... but don't venture in too far. I will be here with the men."

As the sun started moving towards the horizon, Hari's heart panged in realisation that it had already been a whole day since she had lost him. Briefly abandoning all thoughts of the dam, she collapsed on a rock and broke into sobs recalling that one time he had tried to tempt her to go bathing in Veerawati. Now she cursed herself for not giving in to his demand. Another beautiful moment that could never be. The half-finished lotus pool back at Dasi Mahal came to mind and she cried some more.

Anxiously glancing in her direction, as he wiped a few tears, Manilal enquired of the solider, "How deep is the river right now?? She isn't in her right mind... tried to jump into the pyre... I worry that she might do something stupid."

While the men assured him that the water wasn't running very deep, Manilal was relieved that he had already set stage. If she was caught heading to the river that night, he would make it seem like she had been trying to drown herself.

After some time, Hari splashed some water over her face and turned her attention to the dam. Though she had four packs of explosives, one of them was meant to be a backup. The job would require three. Staring at the dam she recounted all the directions given by Raghavendra and tried to decide where she should plant the explosives. She tried to mentally plan how to determine the distance to be covered from the shore to the first point and then timing the following two points. If timed perfectly she would be able to swim across to the other side. She had been a strong swimmer since her childhood days and with the self-defence training that Bhairon had imparted these past months, Harinakshi knew she was the fittest she had ever been.

Raghavendra had instructed that once the dam was destroyed, she was to head to a village about two miles downstream and approach a certain family for help. They were Sudhagadh's allies and would help her lay low for a few days before organising her journey to Sudhagadh. Harinakshi had nodded along as he had spoken about her getaway, but her thoughts had been focused only on destroying the dam.

Once she had the orientation of the landscape, she filled her pot and headed back to the where Manilal was mending the soldier's footwear, who were now satisfied by his skill. After offering him some fresh water, she wordlessly plopped down next to the mule at some distance.

After completing his task, Manilal pulled out a parcel of some flatbreads and pickles. Cajoling Hari to nibble on one, he carried his dinner over to where the soldiers were now eating theirs. The men offered him some of the vegetables cooked and he in turn shared his pickles and chutneys.

Having forced herself to swallow some food, Hari had laid out her sleeping mat and pulled a blanket over herself. As she lay nervously trying to catch any sounds coming from the woods, she was wondering what Shera was up to and if he was still sitting where they had left him.

Post dinner, when someone suggested that Sudhagadh's defeat warranted a celebration, Manilal pretended to sneakily pull out a jar of madeira from his belongings. Generously sharing his madeira, while he sipped on a cup himself, over the next hour Manilal asked many questions about the newly built dam, and then expressed his awe at the king's brilliance. He also stoked their ego by repeatedly thanking the soldiers for their valour.

Manilal observed with relief that the sky was well lit by the moon, just a few days shy of shining at its brightest. This would greatly help Harinakshi carry out her tasks ahead.

When he put away the empty jar, he returned to the soldiers with a packet of sweets. He forlornly uttered "Please help yourself to some. These were made few days back as they were my son-in-law's favourite. She wanted to throw them out when we were packing... call me an old man... but wasting food isn't right." When the men seemed to hesitate, wiping his eyes, he plopped a tiny piece in his mouth and muttered "God works in mysterious ways... she cooked these for him... but he wasn't meant to eat them... maybe I was destined to share this evening and these with you all young men... my sons for an evening." Seeing the old man getting emotional, the men all muttered some awkward words of consolation and helped themselves to the sweets. Finding the sweets very delicious, everyone ended up reaching into the parcel for seconds and Manilal breathed easier.

The old man soon muttered that it seemed he had consumed too much madeira and should be heading to bed. Thanking them for watching over him and his daughter that night he stumbled over to unfurl his mat next to Hari.

As soon as he lay down, he urgently whispered "Bai-sa, I had to eat a little of the sweets to get them to eat as well. Please don't mind me if I fall asleep. Give it an hour and then carry on with the plan." Hari nodded with a thumping heart.

About an hour later, all the soldiers lay unconscious thanks to the madeira and the sleeping powder added to the sweets. Manilal, having consumed a very small quantity, hadn't lost consciousness but was feeling a little groggy. Forcing his eyes to stay open, he watched Hari carefully bring out the precious bundle. Tying it across her front, so that she would be able to access the contents when required, she quickly sought Manilal's blessings and headed towards the riverbed.

Though she tried to blame it on the cold breeze, Hari knew the shiver in her limbs had more to do with the apprehensions seizing her heart. Even the walk of few minutes to the water's edge felt like miles.

Manilal first flinched in fear when a dark shape prowled out of the woods and stealthily approached Harinakshi and then blinked in surprise on recognising the animal as Shera.

Hari's heart too stuttered for a moment as Shera ran to her side. So... he has been watching me all this time, waiting for some signal from me?!

Once again, she threw her arms around his neck, albeit much more carefully considering the package on her person and shed a few tears. But this time of relief. Shera, how did you realise my quivering heart and trembling hands needed a calming, steady presence by my side? Did Raja-sa call for you?

The mute beast licked her hands in kind assurance. And suddenly, the distance and the task ahead did not seem quite as dauting as it had moments ago.

Manilal watched in awe from far away. It had always been clear that Shera was a very bright animal and absolutely loyal to Vayu. But this behaviour was still extraordinary. The old man mused – Shera has stepped up just as a son would have in a situation like this... He is staying by the mother's side, as his father had asked of him.

Glancing up at the sky, the old man prayed that the Gods would indeed bless him to be born as their son in another life.

* * *

Every now and then, casting some backward glances in the direction of the unconscious soldiers, Hari hastened to the dam. A couple of times, she almost lost her footing on the mossy stones, but Shera was always there to break her fall. Whenever the silent eerie night started to overwhelm her, Hari would whisper some words meant to reassure herself to Shera, like – "Don't worry... the men are still fast asleep. But still stay very quiet, okay?" or "All we have to do is find a place to stick in the package where it will stay dry till it detonates... and light the fuse... just three times."

Once she chided him "Shera! Stop trying to catch the fish now... once this is done, you can catch as many rabbits or birds as you like. Right now, let me focus on the task at hand." Looking chastised, he obediently followed her lead.

A little further up, the water level started to prove challenging. It was neither shallow enough to easily wade through and nor deep enough to swim in, not that she would be able to swim till all the three explosives were put in place. Also, navigating the riverbed, scattered with rock of varying sizes, in the darkness was very tricky.

Time seemed to be dragging extra slowly, or maybe it was the heavy, water soaked ghagra that was slowing her down. When walking in it became too cumbersome, untying the string she discarded the ghagra and moved ahead thankful for the shalwar she had donned for riding earlier in the day.

It felt like she had shed something else too, for she started pushing through with a new urgency. Picking on her demeanour, Shera diligently swam by her side.

When the water reached her hipline, Hari anxiously wondered how she would manage to keep the precious cargo dry if it got any deeper. But fortunately, the level increased only a bit by the time she reached the area of wall which she had deemed ideal for the first explosive.

It took her close to ten minutes to find the spot to wedge in the packet with the longest fuse in the wall. Taking few deep breaths, she cleared her mind. From here on, time was of essence. The moment the first fuse was lit, the final countdown would start.

Was it surprising that her hands did not tremble as she rubbed the flint against a special strip of iron? Or when she lit the fuse with the resulting sparks? Probably not. For her heart was empty of the fear of loss. What more was there to lose? He was gone.

Mentally trying to tick of the seconds and minutes, she tried to hasten to get to the half-way point where the biggest explosive was to be planted. The plan was to inflect the most damage in the middle.

After planting and lighting the second explosive, Hari felt a calm descend upon her. For surely, at least one of them would go off, and even if the dam wasn't completely demolished right away, the force of the water would complete the job over time.

Whether the relief reduced the internal urgency to hurry, or her limbs grew weary, or was it a subconscious decision, but Hari's movements slowed down. As she started feeling the fatigue spreading through her, Hari ended up planting the third packet much closer to the second than what she would have ideally wanted to.

"There... it's done... for our Raja-sa." She remarked to Shera, a wistful smile flickering on her lips, as she continued towards the other bank albeit without the warranted urgency.

They were still a fair distance away from the shore when the first explosive went off and the wall started crumbling. The water level steadily started rising and Hari started swimming.

She had hardly covered any distance when the second explosive went off and instantly a deluge of the water that had been trapped on the other side rushed forth, sweeping Hari off course. As she wildly splashed about, she felt Shera trying to stay by her side. Though she managed to briefly grab on to him, the turbulence made it impossible for them to make any progress towards either bank.

With every passing second, energy continued to seep away from Hari's already exhausted limbs and the current dragged her down. The darkness of the night multiplied. For a few moments, she tried to push to the surface but slowly the will to try ebbed. Diving under Shera tried pulling her up but perhaps he too realised the futility of the situation and just focussed on staying close to her.

On her way to Sudhagadh, Veerawati claimed two more lives. Or maybe, she set two souls free, who were no longer invested in the world around them.

As the two bursts of luminant energy rose upwards, the one they loved was already waiting for them.

When he reproached her "I had told you to not rush behind me! You were supposed to achieve so much—", she interrupted, the pout evident in her tone, "Veerawati flows again... I think that's a big enough achievement! And I too had told you... I won't stay down there without you." And then added in a conciliatory manner "O ho... don't sulk now. Next time, we will stay down there together... for a long time, okay?"

His stance softened and pride surged "You were so brave! And the way you took charge of the situation... it was truly heroic. Thank you for finishing what I had set out to do." 

She responded serenely "What does it matter who starts something and who finishes it? You and me... we are half of the same."

The third bundle of energy contentedly fluttered around them, content in the belief that next time he would be an even bigger part of their journey.

* * *

Down, in the Sudhagadh Palace, the mournful silence was broken by the rumours of Veerawati's return.

The previous day, after messengers had arrived from the camp at dawn with news of the king's demise, the palace had echoed with wails. Vaidehi had been inconsolable. But what words of consolation could anyone conjure for a woman who had lost both her sons?

When Krushanu had arrived late at night, she had first raged at him for returning without her son, then entreated him to share every word Vayu had uttered in his last few hours. Not wanting to cause her even more heartbreak, Krushanu had slipped in a few messages of love for Vaidehi too. When he was about to take her leave, Vaidehi had urgently uttered "If she is with child, bring her here. I want my Vayu's child." Not sure how to respond, but feeling let down, Krushanu had nodded before exiting the room.

When official confirmation arrived just before dawn that the river basin was indeed full as it had been before, everyone was even more confounded. Many hypotheses were proposed about what could have caused this, the most favoured being the dam built by Niramal hadn't been sound enough and had hence crumbled without any intervention. This thought left everyone even more despondent, for it seemed the battle had been unnecessary and Sudhagadh had acted far too hastily.

But sometime later, an envoy had arrived with news about the plan that Harinakshi and Manilal had set out to act on the previous evening. The idea that a young woman and an old man had accomplished what a whole army at failed at was both preposterous and baffling. And yet, Veerawati's bubbling presence in Sudhagadh meant the oddly matched duo had succeeded.

As hushed whispers uttering Harinakshi's name echoed in every corner of the palace, Vaidehi's heart lamented – If the girl is capable of such valour... perhaps my Vayu did choose wisely... and now Sudhagadh will be forever indebted to her.

Irrespective of personal grief, the matters of state must go on. Hence the ministers convened, and Malhar was quickly declared the King.

While Krushanu spent the day helping the new King access all the reports brought back from the camp and evaluate the damage suffered by the army, his mind was troubled, wondering where Harinakshi was and if she had managed to reach their allies. He had already dispatched a dozen men to the village she was expected to head to, as per the letter received from Raghavendra.

The next day, another set of messengers arrived with the account of how post the destruction of the dam, they had not been able to find Harinakshi despite searching for her on both banks. All they had found was a piece of her attire which had been caught in the trees lining the bank downstream. They recounted how they had observed Shera following her to the river from their point of vantage, but he too had not showed up after the explosions.

Fresh tears flowing down his cheeks, Krushanu muttered "Seems they have followed him to the afterlife... both couldn't live without him."

Whatever little hopes he carried in his heart crashed when his men returned two days later and shared that Harinakshi had never shown up in the village that she was meant to head after the demolition of the dam.

Shame engulfed him that he had not kept his word to Vayu. He had not kept her safe.

Realising his guilty and grief-ridden heart had lost interest in the politics embroiled world surrounding him, he sought Vaidehi's audience. Stepping into her chamber, he stood, watching the crumbling shell of the strong woman he had seen all his life. Moments slipped by as he struggled to come up with the right way to address her now. She was no longer Rani-sa or Rajmata-sa.

Finally, he fumbled "I am leaving Sudhagadh tomorrow... the men are saying it's unlikely she survived... but I want to go search for Bhabhi-sa myself. I wanted to call on you before I left."

Veerawati has appeared... and she has disappeared. But there was no relief accompanying this realisation, instead Vaidehi's heart panged that it had come to be just as she had hoped a few days ago.

When she sat staring blankly at the door, he continued "It has been decided that an engagement will be proposed between Rudra and Samidha... and it seems likely that it will proceed. After all, Sudhagadh is still indebted to Udaygadh."

So, Samidha will still arrive here... and will now actually find her happy ever after with Rudra, whose life is quite uncomplicated. But I did everything in my power to deny that joy to my Vayu. Her vision blurred with remorse.

The young man sombrely continued "I don't think I will return to Sudhagadh. If I find Bhabhi-sa... I doubt she will agree to return to Sudhagadh without him. And if I don't, I must go to Patanpur and inform her brothers. I am not sure what I will want to do after..."

"Patanpur?? Her brothers?? What... do you mean?" Vaidehi turned to him in confusion.

Over the next few minutes, he appraised her of Harinakshi's newly discovered origins. And with every moment, Vaidehi sunk into deeper shock.

Long after Krushanu had taken her leave, she sat cursing herself for all her willful and hostile behaviour of the past few months. 

How she regretted it! But to what end? There were no fences to be mended... or bridges to be built.

For some time, she allowed herself to envision what it would have been like if Harinakshi had entered her household as a very young bride. What would it have been like to watch my Vayu  falling in love as he grew up? She could almost imagine the bashful smiles that would have lingered at the corners of his lips as his eyes followed the doe frolicking in their yard. Instead of looking down on her, as Harinakshi sat  at my feet to pay respects, I would have lovingly embraced her and indulged her very whim! My home would have echoed with the tinkle of her bangles and their sweet fights over nothing!

And with every passing minute, she grew increasingly incredulous at her own stupidity. Even after knowing what Guruji had shared with me... why didn't I ever take a pause and wonder at her name? Or Vayu's unwavering attachment to her?

Memories from years ago when the proposal of the Princess of Patanpur was being considered came to her mind.

While others in the palace had been busy weighing the financial advantages of that alliance for Sudhagadh, she had taken Vayu's and Harinakshi's horoscopes to a holy man that she highly revered.

Sitting in the courtyard of a Shiva temple, under a Pepal tree, as the leaves harmoniously rustled, after studying the horoscopes awhile, the Guruji had closed his eyes in quiet contemplation.

On reopening them, he had addressed her with a serene expression "It is a match made by the Gods. These two are bound to each other not just for this lifetime but for an eternity."

Vaidehi had asked expectantly "So, they will find love and joy together?

"Yes, their union will be blissful, in this life too." the holy man had first uttered, then following a small pause he added cryptically "Human's dwell on time in absolute terms, without truly understanding that it's relative. In the context of eons that our souls exist for, the span of union in a lifetime is irrelevant, whether it is four decades, four years, four months, or four days. Only the ecstasy of the union is relevant."

Not able to make much sense of his words, she had sought reassurance "But my Vayu will be happy with her, right?"

He had smiled "Yes. Always."

* * *

(Dear All,

The story of HaVa's one lifetime has ended but many more, happier ones, will unfold in the YUDKBH universe.

Personally, I found it very hard to write the last few chapters of this story and have decided the next Samaina FF that I write will have a guaranteed happy ending. Also, the next one will be written in Hinglish like RGAB. I have some ideas brewing in my head... Not sure when I will start writing it, but probably in the new year.

As I take leave on this story, I would like to quote couple of lines by Gulzar, which I would like you to bear in mind for our HaVa.

haath chhute bhi toh, rishte nahi chhuta karate
waqt ki shaakh se lamhe nahi tuta karate

chhut gaye yaar na chhuti yaari maula...

Thank you all for the wonderful support for this story and my writing in general. As I writer, I want to try various themes which allow to explore a wide range of emotions in different characters. The next  one is probably not going to be a new idea but feels like an interesting experiment for the writer in me.

Finally, big thanks to my brilliant editor who has shared many insights and made this journey very wholesome in so many ways. Inu, I will never forget playing out a fight scene with you, as you explained how the hold I had described was flawed and then helped me rewrite it. Love you so much my darling. You are the wind beneath my wings.

May God bless you all.

Lots of love always, May)