Chapter 100
Font:
Text Size:
Theme:
[MEMBERSONLY]
Chapter One Hundred Seventy Three: A Bitter Proposal
The wheels groaned as Ram rode his cart up the hill and stopped it beside the huge Castle gates. He got down of his cart and walked through the gates, hoping he was not late for the procession.
The garden of the Castle was crowded and noisy with a lot of primly dressed women, men and children, and the little boy edged his way through the assembly until he was before the Castle. His eyes instantly fell on Kushi, who was waiting for him at the central doors of the Castle.
He smiled when their gazes met.
"What took you so long?" Kushi asked anxiously, rushing towards him, and Ram paused in wonderment, on seeing how shaken she looked, as though she'd seen a ghost.
He signed to her the question if anything was wrong.
She shook her head, "The procession is beginning. For our Jiji, we must remain happy, shouldn't we?"
With a gentle smile, she crouched before him, her head at the level of his, and she patted the sleeves of his shirt, ensuring that there were no creases or dust but he saw that her smile didn't reach her eyes, her gaze absentmindedly on the collar of his shirt.
Ram was worried. He was wondering about this when a tall shadow fell upon them and they looked up to find Lord Arnav standing beside them, frowning down at Kushi.
Kushi straightened up, relieved to have found him at last for she had been looking for him after the shock she had had of the General's true face.
But her smile faltered when her mind registered his expression and she stared at him, surpsied to see the coldness in his eyes, "My lord?"
"Come with me," said Lord Arnav in an impatient whisper.
"But the procession-" Kushi began, her eyes looking towards where the procession of carriages, family and friends had already commenced moving through the Castle gates, heading down the hill.
"I said COME WITH ME!" he said in a low mincing voice and both Kushi and Ram were taken aback by his tone.
Lord Arnav turned about and walked towards the side of the castle where the shadow of the wall fell upon him and concealed him from everyone's view as he waited. His eyes were trained on the procession, keeping particular watch over a certain person whom he had to take care to avoid for a while.
Shocked by the strangeness in the First Lord's demeanour, Kushi stood where she was for a moment to gather her senses. Then, reluctantly, she obeyed, telling Ram to wait at the gates.
She moved towards the shadowed side of the garden , worried and anxious for the man whose presence ought to have regained her strength after the scare she had with the General, "What is it, my lord?
He turned to her and Kushi's heart almost froze on seeing the cold hatred in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak but he was disabled of words.
Angrily, he moved towards her and clutched her by her shoulders, the sudden strength of his fingers hurting her.
Painful tears sprang up in her eyes and she stared at him, shocked, "You are hurting me, my lord. What-?"
"Not. A. Word," he threatened coldly, his eyes glazed from anger and pain, "You will do as I say without a word in refute."
Kushi closed her eyes, unable to bear the pain of his fingers digging into her shoulder, "Please," she whispered weakly, "You are hurting me. Let go…."
In her desperate attemtps to weaken, she reached out and pressed her hands to his chest.
As though struck by lightning, he withdrew from her, disgustedly stepping away.
She blinked away the tears and stared at him, wondering what had come over him. A man who had almost confessed his feelings to her…..…a man she-
"I will give you five minutes to acquiant yourself to the decision I have made for you. Then we will go see Nani."
Kushi was confused, "What are you talking about? Decision? Nani?"
Lord Arnav, standing in the shadow, saw the General in the crowd at the gate. The General was smiling at his wife but for a flashing second, he had looked over his shoulder as though searching for someone.
Lord Arnav clutched his fists and then looked at Kushi sternly, "Tonight, I will wed you."
The wind died.
Or Kushi thought it did.
In fact, it was her own breath that had been held back as the insane words coldly echoed with the heartless wind.
"To…..tonight….." Kushi fumbled weakly, "Tonight what?"
She tried to smile, believing he was only jesting, but then Lord Arnav stepped forward from the shadow and she saw the cold determination on his features, "Tonight, we marry."
Kushi felt her legs get weak. She was certain she would throw up if she stood there any longer listening to what this strange apparaition spoke to her of. Go away, nightmare, haunt me some other night….
She closed her eyes knowing that when she opened her eyes, she would be with Lady Anjali, laughing as they proceeded with the marriage procession.
"While the procession makes for the Temple, we need to take the other road," said the voice from the nightmare and Kushi opened her eyes.
Through tear-filled eyes, she stared at him, her heart sinking with the realistion that this was not a dream afer all.
This was really happening.
She pressed a hand to her waist, feeling overwhelmingly sick.
And then before she could think clearly or let him realize what was happening, she turned on her heels and raced into the Castle.
She knew he was chasing her, right at her heels but she ran as fast as she could, stumbling and almost tripping on her white gown as she raced for where she was not sure. She was nearly at the living room when she heard his sturdy boots rushing up behind her. She didn't stop even to catch her breath and ran on, knowing not what she was intending with this running or where she wanted to escape to. There was no one inside the Castle, no one who could stop this crazed chase.
Blinded by her streaming tears, she lifted the sides of her gown and raced for the stairs that waited before her.
'"Kushi! STOP!" he yelled angrily behind her, but fear added the speed to her weary feet. She leapt up the stairs, one after the other, praying with all her might that she be redeemed from this scare of her life.
She made it to the landing, hearing the unusually loud sound of his swift footsteps nearing her which were not louder than her own heartbeats, and without thinking, she rushed forward through the dark corridor and slipped into the first room she could find the strength to enter, and bolted the door from within.
With her back pressed to the door, she stared at the silent Library she was in, the room lit by a single candle propped on the table candlestick.
Loud bangs rang on the door and his voice called out her name threateningly but the sound of her hard breathing blocked out all the sounds outside the room.
She didn't know what she was doing running away, why she had entered this room or what she wished to gain by bolting it, but she found herself walking to the candle, hoping it will give her the strength to rise from the darkness that was beginning to full her insides.
Her hands fumbled across the papers strewn on the table, and as the sound of his fists banging on the door grew more impatient and angrier by the second, her mind began to clear.
She realized that whatever this madness was, she had to be prepared to fight it.
But first, she needed to assure the safety of her family against the impending uncertainity.
Suddenly, she was picking up a blank parchment from the scattered mess and, leaning over the writing desk, she dipped a quill into the inkbottle and scribbled a few words onto the rough surface of the parchment.
The thumps on the door rose aloud though not so loud as to let those outside the Castle hear.
Hastily, her trembling hands folded the parchment and stowed it, crushed, in one of her fists. Then, taking a deep breath, Kushi courageously made for the door.
Dropping his fists, Lord Arnav scowled at her angrily as the door opened to reveal her passive expression, "You must tell me why you need to do it."
"There is no time to talk," he grunted, fuming over the time she had wasted, because now he could not ask Nani for she had moved on with the procession and that filthy General would be with her, eager to tamper with his plans.
Clamping his hand on Kushi's wrist, he tagged her along the corridor, down the stairs and out into the garden, and they saw that the procession had already left the Castle grounds and was going downhill, towards the South Temple.
"If we hurry we can reach them..." Kushi suggested hopefully, trying to act oblivious of his rash plans to wed her. Mayhap, when they were halfway to wherever he was planning to take her, he would stop and laugh and tell her he was only teasing with her.
"We don't have time for that," he said crudely, dragging her over the garden towards where Shadow waited beside a dark tree.
Kushi caught sight of Ram who was waiting for her by the gate, reluctant to move or near them, fearing the strange look on the First Lord's face.
As Lord Arnav dragged her to his horse, Kushi dropped the crumpled parchment, her eyes on Ram, and she signed with her free hand that he was to hand it to her father.
The immobile little boy only stared, scared and worried for his dear friend.
When the two reached where the dark horse stood, Kushi yanked her hand free from his hold and he stopped and frowned at her over his shoulder.
"This is the wrong way," she said, "Jiji's marriage is at the South Temple."
"I told you, Kushi, just shut up and do as I say," he said through gritted teeth, reaching for her hand again but she stepped back, "What if I don't?"
Ice cold glint stared back at her, "You will marry me or I shall order your sister's marriage to be dissolved."
Kushi was staggered: she couldn't believe the words he had just uttered were his. Was this the same Lord Arnav she had fallen for...?
"Why are you doing this?" she felt hopeless tears rise in her eyes, "Why this change?"
He clenched his fists and the muscle in his jaw stiffened, "Keep your questions unspoken and follow me in silence, Kushi."
When he said her name, she was certain she had sensed the ring of disgust in his dictum. It broke her heart.
"No, I will not do this," she pressed her lips together.
His expression was unchanged and detached, "Then your sister's marriage will not take place."
"It will," Kushi retorted firmly, "I sent a letter to my father insisting that the marriage should happen even if my presence is absent."
His smirk was cold before he turned confidently towards his horse, his back to her, "I saw your father before coming here and warned him that my brother will hesitate to marry if I am not present."
After a few numbing seconds of letting his threat sink in, she realized she had no choice. She didn't know if she could keep fighting anymore, because it was her family being endagered here. With a sickening feeling, she understood that the trap was well laid and that if she needn't to make it in time to save her sister's marriage, she would have stop stalling and surrender herself to the doom he was leading her to.
She stepped forward and stood beside him, her tear-filled eyes cast on the ground, and though she said nothing, he knew she had finally stopped fighting his decision.
He lifted her by her waist and helped her onto the saddle, after which he mounted up on Shadow behind her.
Though they wear thickly dressed, Kushi found herself flinching when his cold chest pressed against her trembling back. But all she felt was a numbness, born of a disbelief of all that was said and was to be done.
She felt so utterly lost and her mind so flooded with dismay that her fear of riding on live horsebacks failed to surface. And her heart, that had fallen in love, was so shocked by the betrayal that she was not her fighting self anymore.
Lord Arnav's hands picked up the reins and they were soon riding away, in the other direction, presumably towards the North Temple, while Ram rushed after them, the crumbled paper in his hand from where he had picked it up.
He stopped and stared as the dark horse and its riders disappeared into the darkness.
Turning his head in the other direction, Ram watched the slow trail of the procession moving towards the South Temple.
If he was to go with them, he knew he would never reach Kushi's father on time.
He looked at the crumpled parchment in his hand, tears in his eyes, and then he looked up determinedly, turned about and rushed to get his horsecart.
Wild winds roved coldly all over the land and, as he walked through the forest, his bare feet crunching on the leaves that had fallen from the autumn-touched trees, he paused and listened to the wind. Then he shook his head and sighed, "You really make the most startling entries, you know."
The shuffle of a long robe on the leaves was heared, followed by the low voice of a woman which sounded as though it was the wind speaking, casually, "Everything about me is a suprise."
He looked over his shoulder and stared at the darkness, his eyes searching, "Are you planning to give me one now?"
"Not to you," her voice betrayed her smirk.
The truth sank in his mind and he groaned, frowning at the ground, "Is it tonight?"
"Yes."
"Where do you want me?"
"North."
"The Village or the Temple?"
The woman must have cocked her eyebrow at the question, " Do you really expect me to answer that?"
He shrugged, "Alright. I know."
She must have straightened up, her head lifted proudly, "Act natural."
"I always do," he mumbled, "But I will tell you this, I don't like it one bit."
"I don't really care," she said, "Yet, seeing that you are itching to explain more: Why?"
The man paused for a moment, knowing well that she already knew the answer, "I like the girl."
"But you despise the boy."
"Yes, a proud sort, that one."
"You can't expect a Lord with a curse to be humble, can you?" she was mocking him, he was certain.
"His brother is humble," he reasoned, "I've seen that one. He is even a fervent believer of rituals."
There was a long pause and he sighed, "You must think me to be too whinny."
"I think you to be quite daring," her voice replied, "I don't let many people talk to me so freely as I let you."
"I am a hermit," he pointed out, "Its one of my rightful privelages to be attuned to your demands."
There was no answer except for the cold howling wind.
He grunted, "Left without a goodbye, too!"
Turning on his heels, he changed direction and made way through the forest trees towards the North Temple, mumbling to himself, "It was not as though I had a choice."
And then he paused and looked up at the stars, ascertaining something from the way the constellation was spread over the dark sky, "Well, I knew from the moment they wandered into the premises of my hut that I was meant to bind them together. And look at me: Fullfiling just that!"
Your reaction
Nice
Awesome
Loved
LOL
OMG
Cry
62 Comments