One spark can burn the whole grassland

Unfortunately, Dharitri's father was busy searching for the reflection of his 'one true love' in different women and her mother was pretending to live a carefree life while rotting away on the inside.

As a result, the onus had come to rest on Dharitri's shoulders.

In fact, her mother had called her over the previous day and told her that this was the time for her to shine in front of the prestigious guests who would come over on that day. Since Rudradev wasn't making much effort towards finding a suitable groom, Lilavati wanted her daughter to use this opportunity to make the most of it.

Owing to Kirtidev's illustrious career as a successful minister in the past, almost all aristocratic clans had accepted the invite sent out a month ago by the Bali family. The invitees list also included the imperial merchants and various business associates of Jayantdev, the third master of the Bali family.

Dharitri was in sync with her mother's thoughts and believed that she wouldn't get a better chance than this to show herself in the best possible light. Hence, she was giving it her everything!

This morning Ekshika followed behind Dharitri as the latter headed towards her grandfather's study.

A message had been sent to Bhadrak, Kirtidev's trusted servant, about this visit in advance. Despite living in the same house, it wasn't easy for the family members to barge into Kirtidev's pavilion without a prior intimation.

This rule was applicable to everyone, including his two sons. The only exception to the rule was Katyayani, who hardly stepped out of her boudoir anyways.

Dressed in a misty green silk dress, Dharitri had piled her hair in a top knot. There weren't many accessories adorning her body this morning, barring a fresh jasmine flower tucked into a soft bun.

Dharitri had made a conscious effort to dress like her deceased grandmother. The lady had been a simple, gentle woman who abhorred wearing ornaments and preferred to use flowers to enhance her looks.

Ekshika was carrying a few lists in a tray and kept her head low when they reached the closed door of Kirtidev's study.

Bhadrak was waiting outside the door and greeted Dharitri with a bow while Ekshika blushed, catching a glimpse of the man.

Bhadrak had come to work for Kirtidev when he was a 6-7 year old lad. In the past twenty years, he had grown from an inconsequential page boy to the most powerful attendant next to Kirtidev. Moreover, he was also the prestigious most and privileged most servant in the Bali Mansion.

Not just Ekshika, but most of the young female servants in the house had dreamt of catching his eye at one time or another.

Bhadrak had taken the vow of Brahmacharya* till the age of twenty five. Now, he was a highly desired marriage candidate amongst all the upper class maids of the Bali mansion.

"Greetings, Eldest Miss. Master is waiting for you inside," he greeted her with a polite smile.

Dharitri gave a respectful nod and pushed open the door.

"This granddaughter wishes you good health and a long life, Grandfather," Dharitri crossed across the room and bent down to touch Kirtidev's feet.

"Ayushmati Bhav!*"

Gesturing her to take a seat, he looked at her inquiringly, waiting for her to state the purpose of this visit.

"Grandfather, I am here to show you the list of guests who have confirmed their presence. I also wanted you to look at the entertainment program which I have organised for that evening. Apart from the aristocratic and merchant families, the invite has been sent even to the royal family. Do you think we could expect someone from the palace to be in attendance that day? If so, please guide this inefficient granddaughter as to what preparations should be made for that scenario?" Her tone was brisk and businesslike, earning a quiet look from Kirtidev.

"It seems that all the adults in this household are too busy to bother with this inconsequential matter and hence the responsibility has landed on you, Child! This old man feels sorry for you." His words held untold censure, making Dharitri go pale.

She stood up from the straight back, red lacquered chair and hurriedly said, "Grandfather, please do not misunderstand Mother and Father. It was this girl who was greedy and wanted to take this opportunity to experience organising a big, illustrious event which is hard to come by. I begged my parents to allow me to arrange your milestone birthday party. If you are displeased with my efforts, I will immediately step back."

At her distressed expression, Kirtidev waved at her to sit down. "You don't need to cover up for your parents. I am well aware of your efforts in managing this household in the last couple of years. I haven't intervened or transferred the management to the third daughter-in-law simply because I thought that the exposure would do you good. Your mother is too busy to train you on her own. Looking at you today, it seems that I wasn't wrong in my decision at the time."

Dharitri breathed in a sigh and sat down gracefully.

Unfortunately, his next words made her lose her composure again. "But you are still young and need to do a better job in the future. It isn't a common occurrence for any household to find an unidentified dead body in its backyard. Assuming that it was done by an external force, the issue is all the more distressing. Especially, because in a mansion like this, it is near impossible for someone to enter the well-cordoned off area near the lotus pond without any internal help. For outsiders like the investigating officials, it may be tough to find any clues. But, as the person who is aware of the presence and movement of each and every servant in the mansion, you should have noticed something to be amiss during or at least after the event."

*Brahmacharya - In Hinduism, it is the first 'shram' (hard work or effort) amongst the four social institutions. It refers to a lifestyle characterized by sexual continence or complete abstinence.

*Ayushmati Bhav - Blessing which means a long life