Subahu stomped towards the portrait in the old, ruined section of the palace. He dusted and blew the layers of dust on it. He stared hard at it for a moment.

He started speaking to it, "I could drop you this moment and break you into smithereens. There is nothing you could do about."

However, he didn't turn that threat into a reality. He carefully placed the portrait in its original position. He smirked at it, "I will have the last laugh. You wait and watch."

The guards outside this section of the palace bowed to him. Subahu nodded curtly in return. The shades of the night had enveloped the palace in its silent stranglehold. He walked back to his personal chamber.

Eiravati had almost been nodding off on the divan when Subahu's hard and labored steps woke her up. She stood up on his approach. Subahu achnowledged her presence with a short grunt before he limped in.

"How have you been all these days, my Lord?" Eiravati asked with bated breath.

"Living through it", he carelessly replied.

"I am sorry", Eiravati said.

"For what?"

"For everything", she said.

His eyes showed a slight glimmer of understanding. But the next moment it was wiped out by a hard and blank look.

Eiravati clasped and unclasped her fingers. She coughed and cleared her voice, "I don't know where to begin or where to end. Trinethrini is innocent. I pushed the Rajamata down the balcony in a fit of anger. Sentence me to death. Please let my friend go. For all those years of life we spent together, spare me the ignominy of a public trial and execution."

Subahu heard her without interrupting. After she had completed defending her case for Trinethrini, he asked, "Why?"

A deafening silence succeeded. At last, Eiravati broke her silence. Her voice was very subdued but Subahu could listen every single syllable as though she had shouted it from the rooftop of the palace. It was as if the floodgates to her conscience were lifted. Everything came out in a torrent.

"I lost my baby the third time. I couldn't be a mother any more. Nature had deserted me. I was scared you would too. I found Narasimha floating on the banks of Mandakini. A mother found a son and a son found a mother. I lied to everyone that he was my son."

Eiravati corrected herself, "That he was our son."

Subahu's ears perked up when he heard 'on the banks of Mandakini'. He continued to listen to her confession. Eiravati said, "I wished to confess this to you and to Narasimha many times. But I could never gather the courage to do it. I was afraid of losing both of you."

Something about Subahu's behavior started to nag Eiravati. She had been expecting him to shout, to rage or to throw a fit of anger at this point. But he had been receiving whatever she told him in a very calm and collected manner, almost as though he was expecting this confession.

"And the Rajamata?" He poignantly asked.

"She had discovered the truth. She was furious. She threatened to expose me before everyone", Eiravati replied.

She hesitated for a moment, "She called me 'a whore'. I pushed her down. I wasn't myself. I regret what I have done."

Eiravati clung to his feet and pleaded, "I won't ask your forgiveness. I don't deserve it. I deserve to die. I am your sinner. Please punish me."

Subahu raised her up and wiped your tears, "Don't cry. You should have come to me with this truth before any of this happened. Matters wouldn't have come to this pass. I would have found a way out."

Eiravati could not believe her ears, "Do you forgive me? And Narasimha? Do you accept him as your son?"

Subahu gently patted her back, "Go to your room and rest. Trust me. I will take care of everything."

Eiravati gave him a broad smile, "I am relieved. I didn't think you would forgive me so soon. A huge weight is off my chest. I can sleep peacefully now."

Just as she was leaving the chamber, Subahu offhandedly reminded her, "Don't talk about whatever we spoke this night to anyone else."

"You don't want Narasimha to be aware of any of this?" Eiravati was surprised.

"I see no need for that", Subahu said. "Let bygones remain bygones."

Subahu politely gave her his arm and saw her out of his chamber. Just as they were parting, he wished her, "Good night, Eiravati. Sleep well."

Eiravati hummed a soft tune to herself on her way back to her chamber. There was a dance in each of her steps. She had never felt so light. Everything was going to be alright.
-
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At Kunthala,
The royal palace of Kunthala had been renovated and parts of it that had been ravaged were rebuilt. Trade, farming, housing and economy; there was quite a lot to contend with in the initial days after the reconquest.

Bhavani travelled extensively throughout Kunthala. She heard the people and their worries. She saw what constituted their life and what was lacking. She devised methods to make their life easier and increase their wealth and comforts.

"Where are we going next, uncle?"

"Slow down, my girl. You can't do everything in one day. It takes years to rebuild", Aditya Varma said. "We are going back. Are you ready for this?"

Bhavani took in a deep breath as she said, "I think I am. I'll have to face it one day or the other. I can't keep running around like a tramp or nomad always. I am the queen."

Aditya asked with concern, "Are you alright, Bhavani?"

She laughed at his fears, "I have prepared myself for this moment. The memories of the past will no longer weigh me down. I wish to be alone for a while, uncle."

"Okay. I'll give the soldiers instructions that we depart tomorrow morning", he replied. "And don't go off too far."

Bhavani smiled at her uncle's extra caution. She would always be a child to him however old she grew.

Her feet crunched on the grass. Droplets of dew had settled on top of the blades of grass. The cool nighttime breeze bent the ends of the grass in a southeasterly direction. The gently flowing waters of the river Bhagiradhi gurgled past her. A crescent half moon hung midway between the heaven and earth. A trillion stars dotted the night sky constantly emitting sparkles and twinkles. A fluffy cloud occasionally drifted past like the fleeting glimpse of time.

She stood and paused for a moment before lifting up the billowing ends of her long skirt and holding them with her long and slender fingertips. She rested her feet in the cool and soothing water. She sat down on the bank. Her hands playfully parted and splashed the water flowing beside her.

Bhavani mused, "Dear friend, I wonder how you are! You fought for what you believed was right. I am not angry with you anymore. I just hope you are fine. Except the waters of this river, nothing that touches me touches you."
-
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At Mahishmati,
Narasimha was  returning from an official visit to a neighboring village. He had been investigating charges of corruption against two of their administrative officials. He had been traveling alone and in disguise. He stopped to give his horse some respite. He patted his horse gently as it drank water from the river.

The breeze that blew from the north seemed to whisper in his ears. He got down from his horse and walked by its side. The waters kept flowing parallely to his direction. Suddenly, one wave broke the banks and splashed its cool and soothing waters on his face.

He broke down and wept, "I have never felt so alone. I don't know what is happening around me. Everyone is acting strange. I try to make up for it by being strong. I wish I had someone around whom I could afford to be weak and vulnerable."