The attendant led Anand and Narada through a series of corridors until they reached a quieter section of the palace, far removed from the bustle of the royal court.
Unlike the grand halls they had passed earlier, this part of the palace possessed a certain tranquility. Sunlight streamed through the open arches, illuminating the polished floors and the intricately carved pillars that lined the passage. A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowering trees from the gardens outside.
The attendant stopped before a pair of wooden doors and pushed them open.
"These are the quarters assigned to you, revered sir. Please let me know if you require anything else."
Anand stepped inside.
For a moment, he simply stood there, taking in his surroundings.
The room was considerably larger than he had expected. A spacious bed stood against one wall, covered with clean sheets and several neatly arranged pillows. Beside it rested a low wooden table, while a few lamps had been placed around the room to provide light after sunset. The far side opened into a small veranda overlooking a garden.
There was even a separate space where he could keep his belongings.
"Whoa," Anand murmured.
He walked farther inside, examining the furnishings with undisguised curiosity.
The room was simple compared to the grandeur of the royal court, but it was still more comfortable than he had imagined. Everything appeared clean and well maintained, and the quiet surroundings made it feel like a welcome retreat after the exhausting events of the day.
"I must say, this is rather impressive."
Narada entered behind him, looking thoroughly unsurprised.
"Does it meet your expectations?"
"My expectations?" Anand turned toward him. "I wasn't even sure what to expect. A room with a bed and a roof would have been enough."
Narada chuckled.
"Then I am pleased that the king has exceeded your modest expectations."
Anand shook his head with a smile.
He set his bag carefully on the table, making sure that his notebook and other belongings remained secure.
Only after doing so did he become aware of how tired he actually was.
The excitement of meeting Dasharatha, the questions about his belongings, and the unexpected offer from Sage Vashistha had kept his mind occupied for hours. Now that the immediate tension had passed, the fatigue he had been ignoring began to catch up with him.
There was only one thing he wanted at that moment.
A bath.
He turned toward the attendant, who was still waiting near the entrance.
"Excuse me. Would it be possible to arrange a bath?"
"Certainly," the attendant replied. "There is a well near the guest quarters. I shall show you the way."
Anand paused.
"A well?"
"Yes, sir."
He glanced instinctively toward the bathroom he had hoped would exist.
Of course.
Why would there be a modern bathroom in an ancient palace?
"All right," he said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "That will do."
Narada watched him with amusement.
"Is something troubling you?"
"No, nothing at all."
"Your expression suggests otherwise."
"I was just remembering how much I miss hot showers."
Narada tilted his head.
"Hot showers?"
Anand stopped.
"Something from my homeland. Never mind."
"Ah."
Narada didn't asked further and anand walked following the attendant bidding farewell to Narada.
He followed the attendant outside.
The well was situated in a small courtyard not far from the guest quarters. A stone platform surrounded its opening, and a wooden mechanism with a rope and bucket had been arranged to draw water. Several earthen vessels stood nearby.
The attendant helped Anand obtain enough water for his bath before leaving him to his privacy.
Anand looked into one of the vessels.
Then he dipped his fingers into the water.
It was cold.
Not refreshingly cool.
Cold.
He withdrew his hand and stared at the water as though it had personally offended him.
"Fantastic."
He glanced toward the sky.
"Just fantastic. From modern plumbing to a bucket of ice-cold water. What a wonderful upgrade."
Naturally, the water wasn't actually icy, but after a lifetime of becoming accustomed to convenient bathing arrangements, it felt like an unreasonable hardship.
Still, there was little point complaining.
He had survived considerably worse circumstances over the past few days.
At least, he thought he had.
With a resigned sigh, Anand began his bath.
The first splash of water made him suck in a sharp breath.
"Oh, that's cold!"
He hurried through the initial discomfort, splashing water over his shoulders and rubbing his arms to keep himself from shivering. After a while, his body adjusted to the temperature, and the experience became considerably more bearable.
The courtyard was peaceful. Birds called from the surrounding trees, and somewhere beyond the walls, he could hear the distant voices of palace servants going about their duties.
For the first time since arriving in this strange world, Anand had a few moments in which nobody was asking him questions.
No king wanted to know where his belongings came from.
No sage wanted to learn an unfamiliar language.
And no mysterious celestial traveler was smiling at him as though he knew every secret in the universe.
He resumed washing his hair.
King Dasharatha is real. Sage Vashistha is real. And I'm somehow living in their world.
He had spent much of his life reading stories, watching adaptations, and imagining what it would be like to witness the events of the Ramayana firsthand.
Now that he was here, the reality was proving considerably more complicated than the fantasy.
He finished his bath, dried himself as best he could with the cloth provided, and returned to his quarters.
His body felt lighter, and the cool water had helped clear some of the exhaustion from his mind.
He changed into the clean garments that had been provided and placed his used clothes aside.
Then he looked at the bed.
A magnificent invention, he thought.
Perhaps not as magnificent as a hot shower, but close enough.
He sat down on the edge of the mattress, intending to rest for a few minutes before dinner.
The mattress gave slightly beneath his weight.
Anand leaned back against the pillows.
Just five minutes.
He closed his eyes.
I'll get up when Narada comes to call me.
The thought had barely formed when exhaustion overwhelmed him.
Within moments, he was fast asleep.
And for the first time since arriving in this world, Anand dreamed.