Chapter – 62 Her Detractors

Padma was getting desperate. She was now in the Old Palace. Aarna was always lost in her own world. Pradyumna who had seen her bad mouthing Tanisi, had distanced himself from her. She had to fend for herself and needed a job for that. Daily she would leave the Old Palace and go around doing odd jobs. Sometimes she helped florists to prepare garlands. Sometimes help the clothing merchants fold the clothes and keep them back neatly arranged. She finally found an old lady who used to sell vegetables who needed help to get the vegetables to the market and to take care of her. Her only son had gone to the war and never returned. She was paid a huge fortune by the Emperor for her son’s service. But she was a prideful woman to simply use the money given to her. So, she had taken to growing and selling vegetables. But was now too old to manage everything herself. Her vision had blurred, and her body had grown weak. She took a liking to the honey laced words of Padma.