Satya waited inside the office, seated on the floor next to the senior scribe.

Hearing the door open, she turned her pretty head. Their eyes met and a blush spread over her round cheeks. The young general’s heart skipped a beat. Before he knew it, Veerata was smiling from ear to ear. 

She wore indigo-coloured cotton garments instead of the usual saffron-coloured student uniform. Silver jewellery adorned her ears, neck, and wrists. Her aunt sat behind her, dressed in similar fashion. Her uncle, sitting a little further apart, was the first to rise and greet the young general. 

“Pranam, Senapati,” Uncle Madhava joined his palms and bowed his head. 

Satya and Aunt Sulochana did the same.

Veerata returned the greeting and urged them to be seated. Having settled down behind his desk, he spoke. “How are you, Satya?”

“I am well, Senapati,” she replied. 

Her eyes dropped for a mere second and looked up at him again. The blush was gone. Determination shone through her visage.

Ravi cleared his throat, gaining Veerata’s attention. “Senapati, as I already informed you, the petitioner, Satya, is here to—”

“—to seek my help in securing the pending license for her new store. Yes, I’ve heard all about the case. Tell me, Satya, is your store in the village market?”

“Yes, Senapati.” She nodded.

“When did you receive the notice for a valid license?”

“A month ago.”

“Have you applied for it since then?”

“Yes, I applied the day after. Pundit Ravi has kindly allowed me to continue running the store in the meantime.”

“And have you completed all the formalities required for this license?”

Ravi interrupted. “Some parts of her application were rejected due to lack of information at our end.”

“What information?”

“Her store sells free medicine. Our office has many licenses in different categories. But we can’t find a category listed for free drugs.”

Veerata looked at Satya. “Free medicine? Is it because you’re still a student?”

“That’s right. I cannot charge anyone until I complete my studies at the university. Acharya would never allow it.”

“What kind of medicine do you provide?”

“Draughts for common cold and cough, balms for aches and pains, topical creams for skin treatments and pills for indigestion. Sometimes, I also provide first aid treatment for cuts and bruises.”

Veerata addressed Ravi. “Can we not use the general medicine category?”

The younger scribe, Atula, interjected. “Senapati, if I may, the general license is for the sale of medicines in chemist stores. It has no provision for free drugs. We have issued a temporary license under the same so that she may continue to dispense her services. However, for a permanent license, it would be more beneficial to find the right category.”

“Beneficial to whom?”

Ravi added, “For the official records, of course! In the history of Satvikshila, there has never been a single chemist store selling free medicine before now.”

“Are you saying that no one has ever sold free medicine in this town before?”

“Not in an official capacity, especially inside a market store. Some travelling apothecaries distribute free medicine to the people in small quantities now and then. Since there is no definite time or place for such distributions, it is impossible to monitor and hence not eligible for a license.”

“What about creating a new category?”

“That would require a minimum number of chemist stores selling free medicine within a certain distance of this town. The procedure would take well over two years to complete and require approval from all the senior scribes in the palace.”

Veerata rubbed his chin. Ravi had already explored all the potential routes and found none acceptable. Another thought occurred to him. 

“Satya, do you pay a lease on the store?”

“Yes, I’ve provided all the details on my application.”

“Who is your investor? Where do you get funds to run the store?”

She hesitated, shooting a glance at her aunt and uncle, before replying. “I received a thousand gold coins most graciously from Samrat Padmapani three months ago. I used some of it to buy the lease, furniture, and ingredients.”

Veerata looked incredulous. “You used the reward money?”

“Uncle Madhava says that the remaining amount should be enough to run the store for at least five years.”

“Satya, you’re incredible...” Veerata’s voice trailed off. 

She could have bought anything she wanted—clothes, jewellery, property. Instead, she used the money to help people in need. Her selflessness amazed him to no end. His words made her blush again, and she averted her gaze. 

A low cough called his attention to her aunt’s stern and disapproving face. The old woman had caught him staring at her niece. Behind them both, he could see Uncle Madhava narrowing his eyes in suspicion. 

He cleared his throat and turned back to the old scribe. “Pundit Ravi, I have made my decision. I shall approve a special license for Satya’s store in my capacity as temporary mayor.”

“Special license?” Satya turned back to him in surprise.

“Yes, it will be a royal license containing a grant from the treasury in the name of Samrat Padmapani. Since you used the reward money Samrat conferred upon you, it seems only fair that the license should be in his name and seal.”

“But there’s still a lot of gold coins left,” Satya protested. “I told you I don’t need any funds for at least five years.”

“And what will you do after five years? A backup source of funds will ensure that you can continue your good work for many years more. Plus, you may use the royal grant to do more research on new medicines or even give yourself a nominal monthly stipend.”

“That is a wonderful idea, Senapati!” Ravi sounded most pleased. 

Veerata assumed it saved him a lot of parchment work. “Pundit Ravi,” he said, “the formalities should not take more than a week. That’s an order.”

“If I may,” Ravi replied, “it might be better to inspect the store before approving the special license. Senapati, have you ever visited the place before?”

“No, I haven’t.” Veerata raised an eyebrow. 

The old scribe grinned, his eyes darting to Satya and back to Veerata again. “Your personal inspection would truly help speed up the process at our end.”

The idea hit home. It was another chance to see her again. He bit down on his lip to avoiding grinning back. 

“Would that be alright?” he asked Satya.

She nodded. A strange look of resignation clouded her mystical deep-brown eyes. Aunt Sulochana shot a worried glance over her shoulder at Uncle Madhava. The old man remained inscrutable. Veerata felt too happy to care about her aunt and uncle’s reaction. 

“Pundit Ravi,” he asked, “how soon can we schedule the store inspection?”

“Tomorrow, Senapati. I will reschedule all your other meetings right away.”