Long lost foe

"Wh… what are you doing?" Yash had scooped the books out of Mriga's hand.

"Helping you," with that, he fell into step with her.

Mriga didn't resist or say anything post that, nor did he, for the entire way.

Dropping the books off with the librarian, Mriga turned to look at him finally and said, "Thanks for the help."

She sounded polite and distant. With a small nod, she stepped sideways to go past him.

"Sorry, I behaved like an ass this afternoon. I couldn't handle your proximity with that guy. I was jealous," Yash said without any preamble.

Mriga's eyes became widened to resemble a saucer and her face went on fire in front of his blunt admission. She looked up to see his eyes blaze with intensity.

She took a moment to collect herself and then said, "Same pinch."

Yash's face clouded with confusion for a fraction of a second before her meaning dawned on him. Their identical grins were enough to wash away any lingering sense of hurt. Yash didn't say it out loud but for me, her most endearing quality was not to hold onto any grudges for too long. As someone who grew up under the shadow of a caustic, unforgiving woman, he appreciated this particular trait of Mriga the most.

"I have the biggest gossip of the year," she leaned in and whispered to him when they stepped out of the library.

He raised his eyebrows at that sentence and said, "Do you want to share it with me while we walk towards the foodhall. I believe they are serving your favorite this evening – hot kesar milk."

She nodded her head vigorously and proceeded to give an exaggerated version of the happenings between Ishani and Vandit.

"I would have figured out that something was cooking between them earlier only but I was distracted by our fight," she said between sips of the warm liquid.

"Well, I am just glad that there is one less guy vying for your attention. Suddenly, it seems to me that everywhere I turn, there is some one or the other lurking around you. Do you know how nerve-wrecking is it for a person who has just entered into a romantic relationship for the first time?" He said the words, only half-jokingly.

"Haa… look who's talking? Why does it feel that you are saying things on my behalf? These are exactly my sentiments," she retorted.

Wiping an errant drop of milk from the corner of her mouth with his thumb, he soaked in the affection which was swirling around them at the moment. He wanted to tell her that none of those people mattered. In his eyes, no one even came close to touching his heart, forget finding space in it. She was all that he needed!

Vindhya, who almost never came to the foodhall, had agreed to join Gauri for evening tea to use the opportunity to offer explanation for her earlier request. It was plain misfortune that in the impossibly long room, the two people whom she saw first were Mriga and Yash. What had been the chances of that happening!! By the way they were looking at each other, it seemed that all was well in their world, already. Nevermind, I enjoy a good challenge.

Queen's Palace

Ujjwala Devi was seated in Rani Samyulta's official chambers alongwith the other zilla heads. Today was the last official meeting between the Queen and the zilla heads for this year, which was held at the beginning of the winter season.

Though she had met her nemesis a few times in the recent past, especially after becoming the zilla head for the South but that acute bitter feeling always resurfaced whenever Ujjwala saw that unworthy woman sitting on the throne. This time though, Ujjwala had come riding on the high horse of success.

Her hardwork had paid off and her team had developed a new method of house planning. The engineers in the Southern zilla had devised a blueprint which considered the wind direction, the effect of sunlight and the change in weather before building any new house. The blueprint was different for dirrent zones of the country, keeping in mind the geography of the area. The purpose of this exercise was to reduce the usage of man made resources and maximisation of the natural ones.

For example, the usage of lamps and oil would be reduced considerably if the house is positioned in such a way to make sure that the sun light keeps penetrating at least some part of the house for the longest possible time in the day. Also, the house remained airy and cool due to cross ventilation offered by the suggested window positioning. The materials to be used in making homes had been proposed as per the different weather conditions which the zillas faced.

A coastal area like the Western zilla needed thatched roofs to safeguard against the incessant rains while the Northern zilla required provisions for safeguarding against extreme heat and cold during changing seasons.

For the past hour, Samyukta and her ministers had been deeply engrossed in the presentation being made by Ujjwala's chief aide who had worked closely on the project along with her. Ujjwala had personally ordered a few houses to be made in her zilla on a war footing basis in the past few months to check whether the theory translated well in the practical world or not.

Ever since she had become the zilla head, Ujjwala's aim had been to win the best zilla award. Not only did it bring recognition to her and the zilla but there were many economic benefits that came along with the award, including taxation relief for a stipulated period of time. The Northern zilla head had been winning it successfully for the past few years due to their constant innovations.

Suppressing a triumphant smile, she stole a peek at the Northern zilla head who was frowning at the moment.