Chapter 43

Gopal says from now on you are not rudra but rudraksh. Rudra determinably nods in yes. He says.

Rudra: when are we leaving for videha?

Gopal: we are not leaving for videha but we will. Vikrant will himself take us to videha.

Rudra: I don't understand.

Gopal: leave everything on me and just as I say.

Rudra nods in yes. Radha maa says.

Radha maa: what would I do here without you two? I think I should also come with you.

Gopal: not now radha. I'll come to take you later.

Radha maa: all right.

Gopal: we have to wait for a day or two.

In palace

Conditions were getting worse. People of videha were crying their heart out to god and cursing their fate. Vikrant and his men were brutally torturing videha's innocent people. vikramaditya too was cursing himself for not being able to do anything. Vikramaditya, padmavati and raunak used to share their pain by crying and talking to each other but shambhavi was getting distraught. She becomes weak. Her mind gave up all hope. She started keeping it all to herself. She distances herself from her parents and raunak.a storm of emotions was brewing inside her. The only thing she used to do every day was following vikrant's order. She was breathing but has no life. She stopped reacting to anything.vikrant became successful in making her life living hell.

Vikrant was drinking and girls were dancing to please hi. Shambhavi was standing near him all numb as if she don't even know what is happening around her.she was serving him the drink. Birju was there too but he wasn't drinking. Suddenly vikrant gets irritated and throws the glass of alchohol. Girls stopped dancing and become horrified seeing him angry but shambhavi didn't react. He says.

Vikrant: stop all this. You all are good for nothing. You don't have anything new to show me. Get out from here.

All the girls went from there. Birju says.

Birju: maharaj, I think you are exhausted. You have been working so hard since past 5 months. I think you should take a break.

Vikrant: what do you mean?

Birju: I mean you should go for a vacation or something and who know you may get more beautiful girls for you.

He winks and vikrant gives him a evil smile. He says

Vikrant: you are right. Sometimes you also talk sensibly. I need a break. But where do we go?

Birju: I know a place maharaj. Its not very far from our kingdom and I heard there are many beautiful girls in that area. We should go there.

Vikrant: beautiful girls? Then I'll definitely go there.

He laughs out loud and falls asleep. Birju breathes a sigh of relief and looks at shambhavi who was lost in her own world. Birju had a doubt that she even heard their conversation.

Next morning

Viikrant with birju and some of his men were preparing to leave. Vikrant was happy with the thought that he is going to get more beautiful and young girls for himself. They were ready to leave. Shambhavi was outside too. Vikrant goes bear her and says.

Vikrant: today i am very happy that's why i am giving you a off today. You don't have to work today.

Shambhavi doesn't say anything and they left. After they left vikramaditya and padmavati comes and says

Padmavati: we heard what he said to you. You should take rest. Look at yourself you have become so weak.

Shambhavi looks at them with emptiness in her eyes. She goes inside the palace. Vikramaditya and padmavati cries seeing their daughter's miserable condition.

In the village.

Radha maa does aarti of Rudra and puts a tilak on his forehead. She blessed him. He touched her feet. She says.

Rudra: I'll pray to god to give you courage and strength.

Gopal: god helps those who helps themselves. He helped himself and now its god turn to help him.

Some men came and tell gopal that they are ready. rudra asks

Rudra: who are they?

Gopal: these are my students. They agreed to help us in our first step to defeat vikrant.

Rudra: thank you very much for your help.

Gopal: we should leave now.

They left and Radha maa watches them going with a smile on her face. Birju was taking vikrant to kalpi forest. He told him that there are some tribal girls who are very beautiful. Vikrant was just blindly following him because of his lust for women.

They were in the middle of the jungle by the evening. Vikrant asks birju

Vikrant: how much more time it'll take to reach there.

Birju: we are gonna reach soon maharaj.

They decided to rest for a while. While they were resting an arrow came from somewhere and hits one of vikrant's men and he died instantly. Everyone panicked. Vikrant shouts.

Vikrant: who did this? Show your face. No one dares to attack on vikrant and his men.

As soon as he said this some more arrows came from somewhere and hits most of men and they died. Vikrant and birju panics. Birju says

Birju: maharaj, you should go inside the carriage. May be some enemy of yours has done this and I think they want to kill you.

Vikrant does the same. He goes inside the carriage and told birju to stay outside. One by one all his men got killed. Vikrant was hearing their screams and was freaking out. He sneakingly looks outside the window and saw that he is surrounded by some tribal people. He saw birju getting hit by one of those tribal people. Birju faints and fell on the ground. Those men were slowly approaching vikrant's carriage. Vikrant comes out of his carriage with a sword and decided to fight him but easily gets defeated by them. A tribal man takes out his sword and was about to attack him when someone hits a stone on his hand and the sword fall from his hand. Vikrant becomes surprised and looks around to see who did that. He saw two men coming towards him. They were also looking like those tribal people but were looking more ferocious and strong. The tribal men fights with those two men but those men got defeated by them and ran off to jungle. Vikrant was highly impressed with their bravery and strength. They were none other but rudra and gopal. Rudra was looking at him ferociously. Gopal looks at him and nods in no.vikrant goes near them and asks.

Vikrant: who are you two? And why did you help me?

Gopal introduces himself as "keshav" and rudra introduces himself as "Rudraksh".

Vikrant: I am very impressed with your bravery. You can ask whatever you want. You saved my life; I want to give you a reward.

Gopal/keshav: we don't want any reward. We just want some work to do. We are warriors but we have no one whom we can protect.

Birju gains consciousness. He goes near them and asks vikrant about them. Vikrants tells him how they saved his life and fight with bravely with those people. Birju tries to manipulate him

Birju: maharaj I think we should take them with us. You just saw how bravely they fight with those men. They seem to be more powerful than any of your men. I am sure that if these two agreed to protect you than no one in this whole world can defeat you.

Vikrant easily get manipulated. He agrees and says.

Vikrant: I want you two to work for me. I want you two to become my bodyguard. I am a king and will give you everything you want. You will be very fortunate to protect king vikrant.

Keshav and rudraksh looks at each other and rudraksh says.

Rudraksh: where do we live? Where do we have to go?

Vikrant: you'll live in my palace..in videha..

Rudra smirks.he says

Rudraksh: we are ready to protect you king vikrant. We'll be your bodyguard.

Vikrant becomes elated to know that now no one will ever try to attack on him. He got two most powerful men as his bodyguard. He laughs out loud.

Vikrant: birju, let's go back to palace. We had spent enough time here. A king should not stay away from his palace for too long. And about those girls I'll come some other time to get them.

Saying this he goes back to his carriage leaving birju,gopal and rudra alone. Gopal looks at birju and smiles. Birju smiles back. Rudra looks at him angrily and birju becomes sad.

They all return to videha.

Late night they entered the kindom. Rudra was getting impatient to see shambhavi. While they were going towards palace rudra saw some people awake and bowing down in fear in front of vikrant. Rudra becomes angry seeing this but controlled himself. Everyone was asleep in the palace except shambhavi. She was walking alone in the corridor of palace. She was still the same as before sad,lost in her own world. No expressions on her face. As soon as rudra entered the palace she stops. She feels something. The same feeling which she had months ago when rudra entered the palace as a merchant. She turns around. After months she again feels his presence. She quickly rushed towards the entrance of the palace. Vikrant,birju, keshav and rudraksh were standing on the entrance of the palace. Rudra looks at palace and becomes emotional.shambhavi was running towards the entrance.They goes inside the palace.as soon as they goes inside shambhavi comes but didn't saw them neither they saw her coming. She becomes highly disappointed and distraught. She goes back. Rudra's eyes were searching for shambhavi but he knew that she must be in prison or somewhere else. He was yearning to see her. Only he knew how he spent past 5 months without the love of his life. Vikrant calls a man and says

Vikrant: these two people will stay here from today. Show them their rooms. I am going to sleep.

Vikrant goes to sleep leaving gopal,rudra and birju alone. Birju says to that man.

Birju: I'll take them to their room. You can go.

The man left from there. Birju asks them to come with him and they obeyed. He shows them their room but when he was leaving gopal stopped him and asks him to come inside. Rudra becomes shocked hearing this. He says.

Rudra: why are you asking him to come inside? I don't even want to see his face.

Gopal: I'll explain everything. But first you have to come inside.

Rudra: I don't want any explanation

He looks at birju angrily and walks off in anger. Birju becomes hurt and sad but he goes inside with gopal. Rudra was walking in the corridor and so does shambhavi.they were far away from each other but slowly reaching towards each other. Rudra was angry as to why gopal is showing so much concern for birju. Suddenly he stopped and shocked to see the sight infront of his eyes. His anger quickly turned into love and concern. He stopped breathing. His fist clenched. He got teary eyed. He was just standing there frozen.He wanted to speak but his lips got sealed. Shambhavi was coming towards him. She came out of the darkness like a moon came out from the clouds. She was walking towards him but didn't saw him. She looked even more sad from before. Rudra wanted to go and hug her. He wanted to tell her that he has return and now everything is gonna fine. As soon as she reaches near him he got shock of his life seeing her condition. It didn't take a instant to know him that she has become weak and pale. He reminisces all the good memories spent with her and her screams when he was getting beaten. He was holding himself hard which is probably the toughest thing he has ever done.he too becomes distraught seeing her all numb and gloomy. He never thought he'll see her like this. He becomes even more shocked to see that she didn't even notice him standing in front of her. Shambhavi passes by his side and their hands slightly touched. She stops and turned around. A tear fell off from rudra's eyes but he quickly wipes it. He too turned around and looks deep into her eyes in which no hope was left only emptiness was there. Shambhavi looks at him but didn't react or say anything. She then left from there. Rudra raises his hand to stop her but didn't stop her. She walks off leaving a shattered rudra alone.

jyoti072014-04-19 03:50:54