Read Online MAHABHARATA SERIES BOOK#2: The Seeds of War (Mba) by Ashok K. Banker - Free Book Online Page B

Devayani. ‘Perhaps I shall stay a brief while longer,’ he said. ‘But only a brief while.’
    ‘What is your pleasure, sire?’ Sharmishtha asked, in a voice and manner that were servile yet still provocative, a combination that instantly raised Devayani’s hackles and aroused Yayati’s emotions. ‘Name your desire and I shall fulfill it.’
    Devayani raised a hand as if intending to strike out with it, then with visible effort, lowered it again. Her teeth bit into her lips while her eyes glared daggers at Sharmishtha. The maid seemed unaware or unconcerned by her mistress’s agitation. She took three steps forward toward Yayati, her delicate silver payals tinkling suggestively, hips swaying, then bent to her knees before the king. He looked down at her, his lips parted slightly. 
    ‘May I have some water to drink, please?’ he said.
    ‘Certainly,’ Devayani said loudly, taking charge of the situation again. ‘Sharmishtha…’ she began sharply, then reconsidered and corrected herself. ‘No, never mind. You girls,’ she pointed randomly at a group of girls nearby. ‘Fetch water, wine and refreshments for Maharaja Yayati. Move quickly!’ She turned back to Sharmishtha. ‘Place one of my cushions here that the king may seat himself more comfortably.’ 
    Sharmishtha obeyed without response. Yayati watched her as she moved with swaying hips and tinkling anklets, leaning over, bending down, crouching, stretching out, and rearranging the cushions. Devayani watched Yayati as he watched Sharmishtha and two high points of colour began to blaze on her cheekbones. She looked as if she would dearly love to whip the maid if not for the fact that her male visitor might find even that punitive act to be pleasing to watch. She settled for changing her tack. 
    ‘Raje, please refresh yourself,’ she said, gesturing at the maids who had returned bearing jugs and bowls and vessel containing every kind of food and drink that was available. Yayati gladly did so, for he had been on the hunt for three days, riding far and wide without food and with scarce water. Devayani was more careful about how she spoke and what she said, and as nourishment entered his body and he felt the warm satisfaction of a full belly and a slaked thirst, he began to look upon her less judgementally. Devayani could be a fine performer once she set her mind to it. And she had decided that she would outmatch Sharmishtha now. It was her goal to ensure that the king had eyes for none other than Devayani herself. She laughed mellifluously, throwing her head back to reveal her long flowing neck, stretched out langurously, bent over to pick up fruits, kicked out her legs, and did everything she could to demonstrate that she was no less desirable a woman than her enticing maid. She threw herself into the part body and soul and as he ate and drank and was amused by her witticisms and comments, Yayati began to feel that she was not as bad as he had thought after all. He still thought of her as pampered and self-indulgent but she was not without her charms. In some ways, she could even be considered beautiful and desirable. 
    Devayani persuaded Yayati to linger with her in the forest for a day or two, on the pretext of showing him a rare grove where unusual deer roved, a pond where the most beautiful lotus flowers blossomed and similar ploys. Yayati, for his part, had come this way precisely to see Devayani, if not this Devayani then the vision he had first seen in the well, and as the hours turned into days, and Devayani’s masterful performance only deepened in excellence and mastery, he could not help but fall under her spell. There was also the added attraction of having Sharmishtha around. From time to time, when Devayani’s guard was down or she was momentarily absent, he found his eyes seeking out the alluring maid. More than once, she figured in his thoughts when laying to sleep at night on Devayani’s overly effeminate cushions and blankets. He