"No no, absolutely not brother, I'm telling you, it wasn't a wise move. "
Mahamaya's voice was quite audible from even outside the door of the modest porched hut. Manaranjan was squatting outside, at the clay verandah, slicing banana leaves, probably for a meal. He looked up as Raimoti entered the premises, carefully latching the bamboo barricade forming an entrance at the front. She too had heard Mahamaya speak.

"I can't... I just can't let her ruin this... I've lost too much to lose now brother. " Her tone was harsh and unapologetic. And then Raimoti heard Satyakirth's voice, calm and composed as ever.

"Give her a chance Maya Di. She'll prove herself, and she has on numerous occasions before. She isn't a liability... Come on! "

"That's your weak heart speaking brother, not your strong mind." Mahamaya huffed. "She's that Neelmoni's daughter Satya!! How can you just ignore that? Have you forgotten already how he brutally... "

Raimoti couldn't stand anymore. Ignoring Manaranjan's presence, she stormed inside the room and stood in front of them, Satya was seated on the floor, a bunch of papers laid in front and Mahamaya was standing in front of him. Raimoti too stood beside her.

"So you are playing the bitchy sister-in-law already, are you?" She raised an eyebrow and looked straight at Maha without any prior pretence.

Satya pressed a smile on his lips, and Mahamaya looked away.

"My brother is a stupid man in love Raimoti madam. At least you should understand better. "
She sighed.

"What is with this Madam thing? Why such an unnecessary elaborate salutation?" Raimoti asked instead.

"Why not?" Came a prompt reply. "You're everything that I... We, all despise. Pro-British, pseudo elite, western educated, rich!" She chuckled, "Tell me madam, what else should I address you as?"

"Why Rai... "
Raimoti smiled, a brief exchange of glance with Satyakirth, and he too smiled back, before diving into those papers once again.
His soul sister, and his lady love was having a 'conversation' and under no circumstances, Satyakirth wished to be an active part of it.

Raimoti however had inched forward, keeping her hand on Mahamaya's shoulder.
"Don't hate me so much Mahamaya. I won't call you didi till you don't ask me to... " She paused, smiling calmly. "But tell me, do you really love your brother? Do you really know him? Trust him? "

"I do. " Mahamaya gulped.

"Then don't mistrust his judgement... I was born to riches, so was he... We don't have control over that, but we both took charge to change our destiny... And now, my destiny is where he leads me to! "
Raimoti left Mahamaya's shoulder and sighed deeply.
"My father's sins are limitless, and with my life I'm ready to repent... I wasn't a patriot like you, but I chose to come out of my house in one single cloth with this man sitting here." Raimoti pointed toward Satyakirth and he too raised his head, and then his hand to touch her fingers. Their fingers entwined with each other's for a moment.
"I love this man here, your brother, and trust me when I say this... I can do and go to any extent for him... " She paused, thinking, "and if this mission is his life's purpose, then it's my life's purpose too. "

She sighed again and closed her eyes, and Satyakirth got up slowly, and stretched his arms, taking Raimoti in a silent embrace. Raimoti too rested her head in his chest, smiling faintly. No words were needed, as this small action was more than fighting for her with swords and shields.

Mahamaya smiled too, and then left, silently, leaving the duo inside the hut, tied in each other's embrace.

"Was my princess caught stealing pickles today? " Satya planted a soft kiss on her Vermilioned hairline.

"Yes. Chilly ones, they looked irresistible." Raimoti muttered in his chest, her voice muffled with the soft caresses of his hands.

"And my princess was ready to kill the khajanchi with a knife? "
He asked again, tenderly, and it made Raimoti look up.

"No. Just to scare him. "

Satyakirth sighed and kissed her again.

"That man has the keys to the armory in his bedroom somewhere. Mahamaya is desperately trying to get there by winning his attention, and this small act of your left her unsettled. "

"I understand. I won't repeat. "
Raimoti apologized, and it made Satya lean forward to peck a kiss on her quivering lips.

"I know you won't. " He smiled, and then slowly his expression took a sharp detour.
"Miss Mukherjee, you should know that your father is here too, probably confined somewhere in the second floor West Wing."

"Confined? " She asked, and from her tone Satya gauzed that she might had already guessed this little information.

"Shashi wants your father's Birmingham property, which I believe he would have claimed as a dowry on marriage with you. "

Raimoti smiled.
"So now the property belongs to you then!" She smirked meaningfully and Satya couldn't help but let out a laughter.

"Of course... Of course... The princess and the property... I have legitimate claim indeed." He chuckled.
"So let's get married quickly... What's say? "
He joked, but this little light humour pinched her heart like a sore wound.
They weren't married... Atleast not socially or legally. Although that act of smearing Vermillion in front of the holi RadhaMadhav would have probably been enough to qualify as a marriage to Raimoti, after all the love they've shared, but this sudden denial of Satyakirth to acknowledge that act made her shrink into a shelled apprehension. Was he then not considering her to be his wife? Was everything just a rude... Like his Name?
Raimoti felt like crying, but she took a deep breath and smiled instead, for, in her heart and mind and body, she had already accepted Satyakirth as her husband in every possible way.
She was, however, too proud to admit it.

"Princess? " Satya called.
"I love you. " He added and cupped her face with his right hand, his eyes fixated on her forehead with a smile of calmness in his lips.
"You would make a very very beautiful bride someday... " He kissed her again.

A pit of sorrow rose inside Raimoti's stomach, churning everything inside, and involuntarily she touched her stomach, gentle caressing her flat toned belly into relaxation.

Satyakirth continued to speak.
He spoke about the wedding that was to take place that night, Shashi Chandra marrying a minor girl from his own village, and how the ceremony was to take place in his place instead of the girl's humble residence. How there was a grand Baiji Dance performance planned tonight, and how he and his team would utilize this opportunity to smuggle the required resources and make adequate arrangements to smoke blast the palace, especially the West Wing, where the guests would stay. The blast was to happen on the next night, during Shashi's so-called fulsojja, and the intention was to distract and bring everyone to the east wing. Once everyone would gather at the East wing, frightened from the smoke bombs, Satya and his team can easily smuggle the weapons out of the armory using the keys stolen by Mahamaya.
Girish would already be there, and Mahamaya would operate from the inside. Manaranjan and the other boys would carry the weapons out, straight to a steamer in the Padma.

Raimoti heard everything, but didn't ask about the exit details, for she knew he had none.

"You will already be at the steamer with Fazal, and once the police comes, which I'm sure will happen, you'll signal the steamer to leave.
Satya paused to look at her changed expression.

" That's the easiest thing Satya! " She nodded her head in objection. "Anyone can do that, I'm not leaving your side, you understand me? "
She rolled her eyes and he pinched her nose lovingly.

"The final plan won't change Princess, and you'll be in the steamer. "

"No! "

"Yes! "

"We'll see. " Raimoti flinched her face and turned to leave.

"Stay... " Satya held her back.
"I've something of your liking Miss Mukherjee. Something better than that pickle of yours I'm sure. " He held her hand and pulled her closed, and then from inside his pocket, he took out a small silver foil and placed it on Raimoti's open palm.

Raimoti narrowed her eyes in surprise.

"Hazelnut Dark Chocolate... Your favorite" He smiled, slowly opening the foil, as he ever so lovingly held the dark sweet delicacy to her lips.

Raimoti closed her eyes and inhaled, a strong stench of chocolate and sweetness hitting her nostrils, the aftermath of which made her insides twitch and curl in distaste and discomfort.

Satya smiled fondly and touched it to her lips, and Raimoti jumped backward, gagging, pressing her mouth with both her hands, and probably throwing up a little inside that confinement.

Satya stood baffled, stupefied, and with a flabbergasted expression he saw Raimoti running out of the door.

"Are you sick?" He too came out of the door, following her out, and Raimoti ran straight inside the shaded bath-space.

"Nooo.... I'm not! " She shouted back.
"Just acidity!" She screamed louder than necessary.

"It is the pickle?"
He too raised his voice, contemplating to entire the bathroom, as he saw Mahamaya rushing inside to aid his girl.
"Shall I come?" He asked still.

"Noo... "
Came the reply, in unison, from both the ladies inside.