Chapter 31

Before leaving for videha.rudra first went to his father's room and touches his feet.he then goes to his daimaa's room and touches her feet. He was feeling bad that he was leaving without even telling anyone. He left for videha. It was already late night so he was riding his horse very fast coz he had to reach videha before sunrise. He knew that it takes hours to reach there so he was trying his best to reach there as soon as possible. He was only thinking about shambhavi. He was remembering her smiling face when he was leaving for mahisha. Although he was enraged too but right now his priority was only to save shambhavi.

Videha's palace.

Everyone was asleep. Rananjay was talking to his soldiers and was giving them instructions.

Rananjay: you all know what you have to do and if anyone does any mistake then he won't be spared. If you didn't do what i have told you then you all along with your families will be dead.

Soldiers nods in yes. It seems like they were only following his instructions because of their families. Satyajeet comes.

Rananjay: and i have done my work. That birju won't get up early in the morning. I have given him a medicine due to which he won't be able to get up in the morning.

Rananjay: good and what about the carriage?

Satyajeet: don't worry. The carriage will never reach to its destination.

Rananjay: that's what i wanted. Maybe we'll get rewarded later for this work. They'll be very happy to know that we have removed a thorn from his path..

Satyajeet: you are right.we'll be rewarded for this. Why didn't we think of this before?

Rananjay: everyone in the family is very lucky. We have tried to harm everyone but no use. Don't worry we don't have to wait for long. Its a matter of only few days..everything is almost set.

Rananjay and satyajeet smirks.

Early morning

There was still sometime for Rudra to reach videha. Everyone was outside the palace.

Vikramaditya: take care of yourself daughter. Better be careful while crossing the jungle in between your way. I heard its a very dangerous forest and its full of wild animals.

Shambhavi: of course i'll pitaji. You don't worry.i'll be back soon.

Raunak: Shambhu is not here now you are going too. With whom i'll play now.

Shambhavi: raunak I'll be back soon after meeting guruji.we'll play when i'll return ok.

She hugs him. She takes blessing from Vikramaditya and padmavati. While she was taking blessing rananjay signals one of his soldier to sneakingly take out her sword from the carriage so that she won't be able to fight and defend herself. The soldier does the same. Shambhavi was looking for birju.

Rananjay: what happened princess?

Shambhavi: where is birju? I thought he is coming with me.

Rananjay: princess he is busy in some other work but you don't worry all these soldiers are very good. They'll protect you.

Shambhavi looks outside the gate to see if Rudra is here or not.she didn't find anyone and dissappointingly sits in her carriage but she didn't notice that her sword is missing. She left the palace with the sodiers.

Rananjay: go princess. I am sure you'll never forget this journey..this journey will be your last journey..

After few hours

Birju gets up slowly. He quickly gets up from the bed.

Birju: its already morning. how come I didn't get up early?

He quickly goes outside and asks a soldier about princess.the soldier told him that princess left the palace a long back. Birju becomes very worried. He came outside the palace and saw someone coming on horse. It was Rudra. He quickly gets down from the horse.

Rudra: where is shambhavi?

Birju didn't answer. Rudra was about to go inside to see her but birju stops him.

Birju: she is not here. She is gone. She left the palace few hours ago..

Rudra becomes stunned. He was unable believe what he just heard coz he was sure that he'll reach in time.

Rudra: what? What are you saying? Why didn't you go with her?

Birju: I don't know what happened Rudra but I just got up from my sleep. I am sure someone purposely did that so that I can't go with her.

Rudra was fuming in anger. He knows rananjay did all this. Rananjay and satyajeet comes there. Rudra becomes more furious seeing him. Only he knew how difficult it was for him to control his anger that time. Rananjay says in a sarcastic way

Rananjay: so you are here..mr. Bodygaurd..how is your mother now? Oh so sad that princess has to go without you.

Satyajeet: now who'll protect her.

Rudra fist clenched in anger. He would have broken their necks at that very moment if he wanted to but he was worried about his love.

Rananjay: yes who'll protect her now..i think,she doesn't need protection afterall she is a warrior too.

They both gives him an evil smile smile and left from there. Rudra moves forward to go behind them but birju stopped him.

Birju: not now Rudra. Princess shambhavi needs you. We'll deal with them later.

Hearing shambhavi's name his anger cools down for a moment.

Rudra: they won't even get a chance to regret for what they had done..

Birju: I know the way.lets go now. They must have reached too far by now.

Rudra: it doesn't matter.i'll find her anyway.

They both left on their horses to find her.

In the afternoon.

Shambhavi reaches near the jungle.

Shambhavi: its the same forest pitaji was talking about. I better be carefull.

she looks around in the carriage but didn't find her sword.

Shambhavi: how is it possible? Where is my sword? I remember clearly that I have kept it in the carriage.

When she reaches in the middle of the jungle suddenly her carriage stops with a jerk. A soldier comes and informs her that there is a minor problem in the wheel of the chair. The soldier asked her to stay inside as it will not take long to fix it. Shambhavi was sitting inside the carriage and was waiting for the carriage to get fixed. After waiting for sometime she asked about the wheel but didn't get any reply. She asked again but still didn't got reply. She came outside her carriage.When she comes outside. She was stunned to see that nobody was there. All the soldiers left the place. She was all alone there. Shambhavi becomes confused. She was unable to figure out what was happening. Why all of her soldiers left her alone.

Shambhavi: whats happening? Where is everyone?

She looks around for sometime but she didn't find anyone. Suddenly some men came on their horses.they were many in numbers. Shambhavi saw them coming towards her.

Shambhavi: stop there. Who are you? And what do you want?

One of them gets down from his horse and says.

Man: come with us or else you'll pay.don't worry we'll not do anything wrong with you.

Shambhavi becomes furious and slapped that man hard. The man becomes very angry. He ordered his men.

Man: catch her and take her with us.

Shambhavi opens his carriage for her sword but then she realizes that her sword is not there. She then moves towards those men who were approaching her slowly. She slowly sits on the ground and throws dust in their eyes.while she was throwing dust her jhumka fell on the ground. She ran off in the jungle.some of the men followed her. Shambhavi was running fast but was having difficulty in running due to her dress and her heavy jewellery. While she was running her dupatta gets stuck in the bushes. She was trying to free herself but those men were coming closer so she left her duppata there and starts running again. She was getting injured with all the bushes and thorns but still running to save her life. She hides behind a big tree and the men stops and looks around for sometime. They move ahead to find her. After sometime shambhavi comes out of her hiding place. She was exhausted and was in the middle of the dense and dangerous jungle. When she was about to go suddenly those men came. One of them said.

Man: you can't fool us..

Shambhavi again starts running. While running she hurt her foot and she scream in pain. Her foot starts bleeding badly but she was running with all her strength coz she don't want to get caught. While running she found a river in between her way. The men were still chasing her. They come closer to her. She steps back. She was on the edge of the river.

Man: there is no way out. Now what will you do.

the men came more closer to her. She steps back and her leg slipped. She fell in the river. All the men become shocked and happy.

Man: she herself made our work easier. Our master will be very happy to know that princess is dead.

Other man: lets go and give this good news to him.

They all left from there.

Rudra and birju were coming fast. Rudra was silent. He heart was saying that something bad has happened to his love. Every passing moment was increasing his fear.

Shambhavi came out of water. She hit her head on the rock inside the river and it starts bleeding. She was feeling dizzy but still managed to come out of the river. As soon as she came out of the river she fell on her knees. She looks around to see that if those men are still chasing her but no one was there. She gets up with lot of difficulty. Her foot was hurting badly. She had bruises all over her body. She decides to find a way out herself. She remembers when she lost in the jungle last time and cries.

In the evening

Rudra and birju were passing through the jungle. They saw shambhavi's carriage. Rudra became shocked to see the carriage. He looks around. The forest was same he saw in his nightmare. The fear of losing his love was clearly visible on his face. He doesn't even want to think that something really bad has happened to shambhavi. He goes to check if she is in the carriage or not but she was not there.

Birju: why this carriage is empty? Where is everyone? Where is she?

Rudra doesn't answer. His lips sealed eyes turns red. Birju puts his hand on his shoulder.

Birju: don't worry we'll find her. I am sure nothing is happened to her. She must be around somewhere.

Rudra: its all my fault. I shouldn't have left her alone. I am responsible for all this.

Birju: no rudra, don't blame yourself. Lets find her.

Suddenly birju notices something on the ground. He takes a closer look. It was shambhavi's jhumka. He picks it up.

Birju: look at this rudra. I think its princess's earing.

Rudra takes the earring. He becomes more scared seeing the earing. Suddenly a shiver ran through him. Suddenly he felt that he'll never see her again. He felt that he lost her.he ran off in the jungle and starts screaming her name. he was searching for her madly. Birju stopped him

Birju: rudra, control yourself rudra. I know you are worried for her. I am also worried for her. but we have to keep patience. This forest is very dangerous.

Rudra nods in yes. They starts searching for her. it was getting dark. Shambhavi too was walking in the middle in the jungle finding a way out. While searching for shambhavi rudra saw something in the bushes and it was shining in the dark. He goes to take a closer look and was horrified to see the dupatta. It didn't take a second for him to recognize that it was shambhavi's dupatta. He removes the dupatta gently from the bushes. Tears rolled down from his cheeks. He became devastated and fell on his knees. he hugs the duppata. Birju tried to pacify him. Now he was also scared for shambhavi. He makes a wooden torch and somehow managed to make rudra stand up again. Rudra was cursing himself for leaving her alone.

In the night.

Shambhavi was exhausted so she sits down under a tree leaning against it. Her foot was still hurting and so her head. She didn't realize when she fell asleep. After few hours she heard some noise. She gets alert. Her head was still bleeding. She thought that those men came again so she picks up a stone to hit them. She gets up with the support of the tree. She turns behind to hit them. When she was about to hit them she heard someone's voice. They came closer. She breaks down seeing them. It was rudra and birju. Rudra becomes shocked and pained seeing her condition. Tears were rolling down from their eyes. The rock fell from her hand and she faints. Rudra screams "shambhavi"..

jyoti072014-01-10 02:58:56