Six years later,
The council finished checking, cross-checking and tallying the accounts. The books passed from lap to lap till everyone was satisfied.

"Our debts and dues to Emperor Sharyar have been settled with interest", Bhagiradhi declared putting the final period on the page.

All the ministers heaved a sigh of relief. They had run the administration on a shoe-string budget all these years. The army had been downsized to half of its original strength. Gajendra and Mrithyunjay had marshaled the army and navy with its depleted strength by working overtime.

The royal family eschewed luxuries of all kinds. All functions and celebrations of the royal family were simple and strictly personal. The living conditions of the common people improved in leaps and bounds. Their income levels and capacity to spend increased. They did not feel the pinch of the tight and reduced circumstances faced by the royal family.

One of the ministers suggested, "Amma, it has been a long while since the government has celebrated something on a big scale. Prince Shivaansh's birthdays, Prince Gajendra Baahubali's marriage, Prince Avanindra's birth have all been very private occasions. The people have been clamoring since a while for a huge and grand celebration."

Bhagiradhi sat back in a relaxed manner. The continual frown on her face was conspicuous by its absence. It was replaced by a sunny and broad smile, "True. We are free from debts and enemies. Make arrangements for the upcoming Agni Prastham festival."

She rose up and took leave of the council while the ministers stayed back to plan and oversee the arrangements for the festival. She returned to her chamber. She asked the maid, "Are the hot water, warm oil, the bath flour and the soap nuts ready for Prince Shivaansh's bath?"

The maid stammered as she searched for her words, "Your highness, they are. But the Prince is missing, as usual."

Bhagiradhi shook her head disparagingly as she said, "I told you to manage a small kid while I was gone. And you couldn't do even that? Did you check the baskets in the kitchen?"

The maid nodded vigorously. She launched into an extensive explanation, "I checked all the rooms, the closets, the ledges near the windows, behind the curtains, the chrysanthemum garden, the lunch halls, the food granary, all the balconies, the terrace, the porticoes. I checked every possible place that came to my mind."

"He must be somewhere within the palace. You must have been careless about something."

Bhagiradhi raised her palm trying to think hard. Her eyebrows were raised inquisitively,"Wait a minute. Whom were you flirting with just before Shivaansh went missing? My brother?"

Bhagiradhi scrutinized the way maid carefully out of the corner of her eye. Her fidgeting hands and legs, if anything, merely confirmed Bhagiradhi's suspicions "I will make sure to mention this to Rani Bhavani", Bhagiradhi mentioned as a parting shot.

The terror-stricken maid followed her pleading, "Please Maharani. I won't flirt with your brother. For that matter, I won't flirt with anyone in this lifetime."

"Come, Bhavani. You will live to be a hundred. I was talking just now about you to her. How has your day been? What is little Avanindra doing? Have you shown him around the palace?" Bhagiradhi remarked observing the approach of her sister-in-law. Avanindra bawled in her arms kicking out and punching his mother with his clenched fists. He pulled out fistfuls of Bhavani's hair.

Bhagiradhi gently helped disentangle Bhavani's hair from Avanindra's fists. The moment they were free, his fists latched on to Bhavani's earnings that glittered and bobbed up and down. She shrieked in pain, "Ahh...You do justice to your Baahubali name. Leave alone my earnings."

"He is a small baby, Bhavani. He doesn't understand what he is doing. It generally gets better as they grow older", Bhagiradhi consoled Bhavani.

Bhavani shook her head and wrung her hands as she flopped down on the bed, "God knows if it actually gets better or you just get used to it."

The maid took Avanindra from Bhavani's arms and showed him around the room pointing at different things. Avanindra jumped up and down in the maid's arms. His silky, straight brown hair rose up in waves "Such beautiful green eyes you have, little one. Come let's get some toys and rattles for you."

Bhavani's brows knotted as she launched into an interminable, rambling tirade, "Greetings Akka. It's been horrible so far. You can see this little ruffian for yourself. He hardly allows me a moment's peace. I have hardly clapped eyes on that invisible husband of mine. It is bad enough as it is with me staying in Kunthala and Gajendra staying here in Mahishmati. Things are never going to work between us."

Bhagiradhi hugged her and patted her back, "Come on, Bhavani. You mustn't lose hope. Gajendra loves you. Things will definitely work out."

"You must think I am crazy, don't you Akka?"

Bhagiradhi clicked her tongue sympathetically as she quashed aside Bhavani's dissensions, "Of course not Bhavani. How could you think I would judge you like that? You are going through a rough patch. Of course, you are going to cut up rough."

"I often wonder if Gajendra has found someone here. That is the reason why he ignores me so. If I find that meddling home breaker, I am going to twist and wring her neck like this", said Bhavani.

She held up a decapitated chrysanthemum flower stem to Bhagiradhi for inspection. Just the green twig remained. The yellow petals had all been crushed and ripped apart. They lay on the carpet below. Bhagiradhi stole a sneaky glance towards the maid whose eyes pleaded mercy.

Bhagiradhi cleared her throat and said, "Bhavani, faith and trust are like this thread between two human beings. It is the strongest and also the most fragile connection. We bind it and we allow it to snap. The choice and consequences are ours to make. You are the Queen of Kunthala and Gajendra is the Commander-in-Chief of the Mahishmati army. Both of you have duties and responsibilities towards so many. You must learn to balance your personal and professional lives without disturbing either of the two."

"How do you do this, Akka? Don't you miss Bhavagaru when he goes away from you? I mean on these long expeditions", Bhavani asked.

"I do. I compartmentalize every part of my life. I don't let one part of my life and duty affect the other."

Bhagiradhi turned to the maid and said, "You stay here and give Rani Bhavani company while I go and get Shivaansh. I think I know where he is."

The maid cradled Avanindra who had dozed off to sleep. She placed him on the bed beside Bhavani and was about to slink away from there. She had much rather be anywhere except where an irate Bhavani was. But Bhagiradhi glared at her and raised a warning finger before she left. She resigned herself unwillingly to the situation as she sat down beside Bhavani.