Chapter 15

Flickering his eyelids, Sid tried to open his eyes. His vision was blur and nothing was clear to him. A couple of seconds later, when his blurred vision slowly got clear, he found himself in an unknown place, laying on a king size bed. 

Sid anxiously sat up on bed and glanced back and forth while he felt a slight pain at his forehead where he got wounded. Holding his head, he carefully examined around the room he was in. At first he thought he might be in hospital when he found his forehead wrapped with gauze. But, the moment his vision was out of blurriness, he was stunned. 

The room did not look like an usual one. It was traditionally designed with a few paintings hanging on walls, curtains covering half of the windows and left the other half open to let the sun rays enter the room. Even the bed looked like a custom made. It was totally different from his room which was designed in western style. 

Sid got down from bed and walked near the door and opened it. He gasped the moment he stepped out of the room. He could not believe his eyes. 

What looked like a palace welcomed Sid, making him stunned with its beautiful architecture. Sid stood rooted to the ground in the middle of the corridor as he watched the surroundings in amaze. 

A huge candelabrum hanging at the middle top of the hall, enchanting the whole palace with brightness while every wall adoring a traditional painting and traditionally designed culptures were kept for decor at few corners, making the place look incredibly exquisite. Sid had never seen such a place except for in movies. So, he felt like he was dreaming. 

"Sahab, you are awake!" Sid was snapped back from his thoughts as he heard a person's voice. He turned his head towards the source of voice and found a man dressed in traditional Rajasthani attire. 

"Where am I?" Sid asked as he glanced at the man. 

"You are in haveli" the man replied, politely. He seemed to be a servant.

"I can understand that" Sid spoke in a low voice, glancing at the surroundings. "But, what place is this exactly?". 

"It's Bijaipur. Yesterday you met with an accident. Bade sahab brought you here last night and told us to take care of you" the man informed.

"Oh! It's Bijaipur. I need to go" just then it hit to Sid's mind about his purpose to come to Bijaipur. 

"No. You cannot leave. Bade sahab told to let you take rest" the man immediately stopped Sid.  

"Convey my thanks to your bade sahab for saving me yesterday. But, now I really need to go" Sid said all in a go and rushed downstairs. While the man followed behind him.

"Stop. where are you going?" Another man blocked Sid's way. "Did you forget what bade sahab ordered?" He turned to the man, who followed Sid and stared at him. 

"I told him not to leave but he didn't listen to me" the man replied nervously with his head down. 

"It's not his fault. I got some important work and have to leave now" Sid spoke up.

"But, we cannot let you leave. It's bade sahab's order" Rudra, the man who blocked Sid, said. 

"I don't care what your bade sahab ordered you people" Sid literally lost his cool and yelled. 

All the people present in the hall were shocked at his outburst. Till now no one in the whole village could dare to say against their bade sahab. They were stunned to see Sid, who was just a stranger for them, raising his voice against bade sahab's order by standing at his own place. 

"I have to leave. No one can stop me" Sid glared at Rudra and walked past him. But, before he could take even a few steps further, a voice echoed in the hall. 

"You are not going anywhere" Sid stopped at his place as he heard an authoritative voice. 

At entrance of the hall, a man in his mid-fifties, wearing royal pyjama-kurta and a pearl beeds chain around his neck, royalty alluring through his eyes, walked in with an aura of a king. While everybody else in the hall bowed to him respectfully as soon as he entered the hall.  

"Bade sahab, he is adamant to leave" Rudra walked near the man and said in a rather polite tone.

"So, you are the bade sahab" Sid glanced at the man, who was now standing before him. "Thank you so much for saving me yesterday. But, now I'm fine and I really need to go" he thanked.

"You cannot leave until your wound is healed" bade sahab said like an order. His face was calm without much of any expressions. 

"Listen Mr. You have saved me that doesn't mean I should listen to you. I'm in no mood to sit here and take damn rest" Sid again lashed out. His Roli was in danger and how could he just take rest now? 

"Do you know whom you are talking to?" One of the men standing behind bade sahab, glared at Sid as if he could not take someone raising their voice at bade sahab. 

Bade sahab raised his hand in air as if ordering his men to calm down. He then looked at Sid and calmly spoke "the person you are looking for is safe". 

"How did you know about it?" Sid was stunned. He didn't mention that he was here looking for someone then how did bade sahab knew about it. He wondered. 

"I know everything" bade sahab replied with a meaningful look, which Sid could not read. 

"Are you Rana Thakur?" Sid glared at him as he thought he was the person who held the hostage of Roli. 

"Hey boy, don't take that filthy man's name here" someone said with hatred filled voice. They all seemed to hate Rana Thakur that they got angered even by hearing his name.

But, bade sahab smiled making others stunned and confused. He watched Sid's face without saying a word and with a slight smile on his lips. 

"Where is Roli?" Ignoring everything, Sid asked looking straight at bade sahab. 

"She is fine but I will let you see her only if you promise me that you will stay here until your wound completely get healed" bade sahab spoke making his people stunned again.  

The man who would only order people was now literally looked like requesting, which made his people stunned at his behaviour towards the stranger.  

"I will do whatever you say just tell me where is she" Sid could no longer hold his patience after knowing Roli's whereabouts. 

Nodding at Sid, bade sahab turned to his people and beckoned at them. As if understanding what he ordered, one of the servants came forward and lead the way to Sid towards upstairs. 

It took a good few minutes to reach the room at a corner in the second floor. The servant opened the door for Sid and left from there. Curiously Sid entered the room to find a girl, standing near window, looking outside, facing her back at him. She seemed to be pensively in thoughts and did not realize his presence in the room. But, Sid smiled as he recognised the person though her face was not visible to him. 

"Roli" Sid called out, softly, standing at a few feet away from her. 

The girl immediately turned around in utter surprise as she heard the familiar voice. Sid's smile grew wide as he finally found her, his Roli! 

Without wasting a second more, Sid rushed to her and pulled her in to a bone crashing hug. Roli gasped at his sudden act and did not react anything as though she was still in shock. While Sid finally took a breath of relief as he hugged her tightly in his embrace. 

A little while later, Sid broke the hug and cupped her face while she blinked her eyes, still being in shock. 

"Are you alright?" Sid asked with much concern reflecting in his voice.

"You are really here?" Roli still could not believe. It had been a week since she got abducted. There was not even a second she spent without thinking about him. She even had visions of having him near her a couple of times and that's what made her wonder if she was again dreaming about him. 

Sid smiled at her words and kissed her forehead as he spoke "what do you think?". 

Roli smiled when she realized that he was really near her while her eyes flooded with tears. She fell on his chest, clutching his jacket and burst out crying. 

"Shh.." Sid softly caressed her back as he wrapped his arms around her. "Stop crying. I'm here right. Then why all these tears" he tried to console her. 

"Are you not happy to see me?" Sid pulled her from his arms and asked in his style as she was not stopping crying. Roli pouted for his question. Just then her attention caught by his wound. 

"What happened to you?" Roli asked, anxiously as she touched his forehead. 

"It's nothing" Sid held her hand and replied. 

"What nothing? You got wounded and saying it's nothing" roli started scolding him. Sid smiled and again pulled her in to a hug. 

"I'm fine" Sid whispered in her ears. Roli though was worried, hugged him back while he tightened his grip around her.