SS: In The Closet, part 7, page 20 - Page 13

Six

Maanyata knocked on the door once, then twice. When he didn't answer on the third call, she irritably pushed it open, and found Aakash spread eagled on the bed, talking to someone on his Blackberry.

"Yes, ermm yeah, I'm getting out of here as soon as she gets finished with her prick of a family-"

"Excuse me, but she is standing behind you," Maanyata said, clearing her throat. "And pricks they might be, but they are still my family, so keep your tongue in check."

Aakash got up guiltily, immediately cutting the phone and sputtering, "Maanyata I'm sorry, that was actually my-"

"Brother?" Maanyata taunted. "Or sister? Or I guess one of your parents right? Or maybe just a friend. I think friend is a suitable term, isn't it?"

"Maanyata, I can explain," he said hastily, but she cut him short. "No need to explain, Lover Boy. You can do whatever you want once my crowning ceremony is over. Till then, keep your nighttime talks in check, okay?"

"Maanyata!" he called out, as she turned away, "You're getting me wrong! I wasn't talking to her I swear!"

-----------------------------

Well at least one dilemma's over, she thought, while brushing her teeth before retiring for the night. She'd thought that if not a responsible boyfriend, Aakash would at least be a good consort, but even this plan of hers seemed to have failed. Aakash didn't seem to be in any mood to let go of his previous habits, and Maanyata didn't have the inclination to persuade him to leave them. Such things were done by women who deliberately wanted to invite misery into their lives, and Maanyata was more content ignoring him than putting him on the right path.

"Maanyata?" a voice called from outside. She groaned as she spat the toothpaste into the basin, wondering why the hell was Uday choosing to pop up every two minutes wherever she went. Wiping her mouth with a flannel, she went and opened the door, and was surprised to see him enter in a remarkably solemn mood, with no trace of either anger or a desire to make fun of her on his face.

Uday looked at her with her wavy hair falling down to her shoulders, framing that angelic face which even with dark circles under her eyes, looked about ready to tuck into bed. He bit his lip, wondering whether he was allowed to touch her hair anymore, then decided against it. She looked like she would kill if pushed beyond a certain edge.

"What?" she asked irritably. "Nothing, I'm leaving," he shrugged. The frustration was replaced by surprise. "Leaving? But I thought you would stay here till Unnati's wedding."

"Ermm no," he said, suddenly very interested in the make of his shoes, "I have some work in Jaigarh, so I'm going."

"Oh great," she yawned, "Good bye then. Take care of yourself, and try not to ever come back."

"I'm not coming back, that's one wish of yours I'm going to fulfill," he laughed. Once again surprise clouded her face. "Why? Where are you going?" she asked curiously.

He smiled. "Why? Planning to follow me there?" he asked mischievously, the way he did whenever he was aiming to make her speechless, and then move in for a kiss. She almost stepped back, having trained herself to dodge all his sudden embraces, before realizing that they didn't share that camaraderie any longer.

"No," she said, rolling her eyes, "Just like that."

"Somewhere," he shrugged, "Somewhere very far away from you. I hope you would like that."

"I would," she agreed, a genuine smile playing on her lips for the first time she'd arrived there. Anyone would have thought they were flirting, and yet she could feel a small clump of fear sprout up in her chest. "But what if you change your mind, and decide to come back?"

"I'm not changing my mind," he said, digging his hands into his pockets. "So, no troubling poor Dadisa about how I've got some wicked plan up my sleeve, okay?"

She sighed. "Whatever," she said, and closed the door. As soon it clicked shut, alarm bells started ringing in her mind. Where is he going? What does he mean by he's not coming back?

No, he's probably trying to play some emotional game with you. He's trying to see whether you're going to come rushing to him and say, "Please Udayveer, don't go away." I'm not going to do any such thing though. I'd allowed him to make a fool of me once-and not again.

-----------------------

"Goodbye Dadisa," Uday said, folding his hands and touching the royal matriarch's feet one last time as the servants loaded his luggage into the car.

"Goodbye, Uday," Dadisa said, sadly touching his head. "My blessings will always be with you-"

"-whether I want them or not," Udayveer finished, flashing a thousand-watt grin. She smiled inspite of herself. "Uday," she called out, as he stepped towards the car. "Please, for one last time consider what I've told you. You still have a chance, you know."

"It's okay Dadisa," he said, his eyes unusually bright even though he was aware of the predicament that stood ahead. "Thank you so much for caring about me, but your love and care is all I need. There's nothing more I want."

And with that, he got into the royal car, and went away from the palace. As soon as it was within some distance, Brijraj erupted, "Ma Sahib that boy is behaving like an absolute fool. He has the chance, the perfect solution, and yet he wants to go and put himself in so much trouble-"

"Brijraj," Dadi Sahib interrupted, "Udayveer's decision may be reckless, and it may harm him, but he's doing it for a motive which you and I have long since failed to understand ever since we've stepped into this world. So let the boy spend his days in peace."

Brijraj only 'harummphed' and walked away, muttering something about "They've all gone mad." However, just as she'd expected, the Rajmata felt her daughter-in-law's comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay Ma Sahib," Komal said softly. "I understand why you and Udayveer did what you'll had to do. Please don't mind the Maharaj. It's just that you know how much he'd been counting on having Udayveer as a son-in-law."

"Brijraj has a curtain over his eyes," Dadi Sahib said firmly. "He doesn't want to accept the harsh truth yet. In fact, we won't even tell Maanyata, or for that matter, any other member of the family, because they're not going to understand now. Sooner or later, they all will realize-and how Maanyata will react, god only knows."

--------------------------

Maanyata watched from her window as Udayveer paid his respects and then sped away from the palace. She knew she was supposed to be studying, but she just wanted to hold his face in her eyes for one last time. She knew she would feel like an incredible fool later for doing this, but even then, she wanted to treasure this memory before she became a queen and a bride to someone else.

She wondered whether she should have gone and said goodbye to him, just like the rest of the members of the family. However, even J, Menaka and Vijay had been conspicuous by their absence. She couldn't help but think to herself that all of this seemed to have been arranged in secret, then shook her head. Perhaps she'd seen too many scenes of cars whisking away people in the night in the movies.

"Look at me Maanyata, I've won such a big trophy!" Udayveer exclaimed.

They had been a part of the same exclusive preparatory school when Maanyata was five, and that day, a football match had been held for the tiny tots. Udayveer had been the captain of his team, and he had scored two goals to lead his team to victory.

"It's 'kay," she said dismissively, too busy making sand castles in the playground to pay attention to him. He frowned at her, obviously dejected by her ignorance. "Don't play in the sand, Princess, it's dirty," he spitefully admonished, knowing very well that would definitely make her look up at him. She put her hand on her hips and glared at him. "Why? You can play in the mud, and I can't play in the sand? You're bad Udayveer, I don't want to talk to you," she said, scrunching up her face.

"Fine!" he said, equally haughty. As the two children bickered, they got lost in their own world. They failed to realize that their escorts had mysteriously disappeared, and that a pair of unfriendly eyes was gazing at them from the nearby bushes. They were too young to understand what was going to happen. All they cared about was their sand castles and football trophies-but they would never enjoy either of the two again.

"I'm going Udayveer," she said finally, sticking out her tongue at him. "Where?" he asked worriedly. "Far-Far away from you," she said, obviously delighted that her words were having such a grave effect on him. Immediately, tears welled up in the prince's eyes. "Princess, you'd promised never to leave me," he wailed, all thoughts of bragging about his victory in the match forgotten. Maanyata snobbishly ignored him, though her heart pierced to think that he had taken her joke seriously.

She began walking away, expecting him to follow her, when suddenly the figure in the bushes materialized behind her and clamped a handkerchief on her mouth. Quick to respond in dangerous situations, she immediately swiped at the kidnapper's wrist with her little nails and ran towards Uday. "Udayveer!" she squealed, but the man, obviously being taller and more powerful, had grabbed hold of her waist and started carrying her towards the car, which was waiting for them.

"Maanyata!" he said immediately, getting up and rubbing his eyes. He then spotted the bearded man striding towards the car, and could feel his eight year old temples throbbing with anger. "Let go of her, you monster!" he shouted, charging towards the man and sinking his teeth into the man's thigh. The man screamed in pain, but continued to hold onto Maanyata, who was pounding her fists on his shoulder. "Get the kid away from me!" he shouted to his accomplice, who had already gotten away from the car.

Udayveer had been taught never to lose his cool in public, but as he struggled with his princess' captor, he looked more like a ruffian and less like a well-mannered prince. Unfortunately, the accomplice snatched him away from the brute's legs, picked him up in the air and tossed him onto the road.

Crunch. Udayveer free-fell through air for about three seconds before making a head-first collision with the ground. He could feel something wet and sticky coming out from his head and knees, and failed to recognize that he was bleeding, having never so much as suffered a little cut before. "Maanyata," he groaned, trying to get up, but his bones seemed to be in no mood to co-operate.

"Uday!" she screamed, as the car drove away from the school gates. "Uday help me!" However, her squeals did not last too long, for the kidnappers instantly tied a gag around her mouth, and she saw uncontrollable red whirlpools spiraling in front of her eyes as the effect of chloroform swamped her body.

He had just won a football match, but now eight-year old Udayveer felt like a total complete loser. He miserably whimpered, "Leave her alone," unaware of the blood that was coming out of his knees, for the terrible pain that had rendered him immobile in the middle of the road came from some other unknown part of his soul altogether.

-----------------

Is that what you're doing now Udayveer, he thought to himself, as he looked behind at the palace, are you being that same eight-year old Udayveer who allowed his Maanyata to step into a life of misfortune, simply because he was too weak to stop her?

He knew very well that Aakash would never be a good king or a life partner. There was nothing too evil about the guy as such: he was just an ordinary student, and as such he would never be able to be an effective part of the royal life. Maanyata was stubborn, she could even be reckless, but heck, she desired the throne of Devgarh as much as she wanted an entrance into a top management institute. She had the royal ambition flowing in her alright; a few years of running the estate would be enough to tame her wilder side.

But Aakash was just not cut out for the vagaries of the lifestyle. He had no qualms about creeping into his girlfriend's bed in the middle of the night, that too drunk. He would never pause to think about how he might end up being caught in a compromising position the next morning, nor did he have any escape route by which he could avoid trouble. He was just your everyday Romeo for whom life meant marrying some beautiful girl and having a dozen kids with her. There was no thought of uplifting the society, no responsibility towards a decades old dynasty in his mind.

And yet you're letting Maanyata go away with the fool, just so that you can prove yourself heroic in her eyes, his mind chided. He cringed, and then shook his head. No, he wasn't going to be an Aakash, who indulged in acts of carelessness just for a momentary fifteen minutes of fame. He had to go back and conquer Maanyata's heart, the way he originally had. And yet...

Didn't you see the look in Dadi Sahab's eyes? You know very well that she's never going to bequeath you to Maanyata, now that you are not the perfect son-in-law she'd wanted anymore. And if you go for a compromise, you'll be losing out on Maanyata's love, as well as tarnishing both your reputations. No Uday. Jaigarh will intensely suffer if you let your selfishness get in the way. It's better for you to settle your life elsewhere, and just end your kingdom's troubles once and for all. And after what you'd done sixteen years ago, you deserve just this...

"Maanyata..." he moaned, blinded by the flashlight that the doctors seemed to be poking his eye.

"He's okay," the doctor said, moving over to a furious Giriraj, who was pacing the length of the hospital ward. "He's suffered multiple fractures, not to mention blood loss. But his vital organs are still in shape, which is good. We'll have to keep him under observation though. He's lucky he only fell from a small height, but he seems to have been thrown with a lot of force. I guess for two or three months he'll have to use a wheelchair..."

"A wheelchair?" Giriraj exploded. "You're trying to tell me my son is going to be an invalid?"

"It's only temporary," the doctor assured hastily, "I'm sure Uday will be playing football matches soon, won't he?"

"No football!" Uday exclaimed hysterically. "I just want my princess back!"

"Yes Uday beta, we've sent the police to look for Maanyata, okay? We have the number plates of the car..." he trailed off, knowing it was impossible to satisfy his son with any explanation of the procedures they were carrying out. Only Maanyata, in living flesh and blood, was capable of bringing him to sense now.

"Nurse, administer him a sedative," the doctor said. Giriraj snapped back, about to say "My son's not a mental patient!", then relaxed. Perhaps it was best for Uday to remain unconscious for a little while before the inspectors came and started their annoying rigmarole of questions.

I'm sorry my son, he thought, looking as the little boy as he sank into a deep sleep, but I'm sure you will understand me one day. Till then, just be content in dreaming my boy.

Uday could feel the lights of the room dimming, and replaced by an all-consuming darkness. He was stripped of all his senses, except the ability to hear. Sounds filled his ear, right from annoying, crashing noises to pleasant ones. There was his mother, singing 'Tumse Milke' while preparing sweets for him. He'd always hated that song, and kept on telling her, "Don't sing that, it is bo-ring." He wished he'd not scolded her. Then there was a sound of tyres screeching on the pavement, and a faint smell of burnt metal as he saw his mother skid to her death just moments after saying goodbye to him after dropping him at school in her car. There was fire in the air, a huge explosion, and he'd just stood there stunned till his teachers had come and taken him away.

Then there was Unnati, baby Unnati wailing in her cradle. He was too small to pick her up, but sometimes, if he behaved nice enough, their ayah would allow him to hold her in his arms-only for a few seconds though. She was four now, and she would start school in a few weeks.

There was another baby, baby Jai Nandini. She would always stretch her arms towards everyone and smile. She was just three now, but she was already like a younger version of Maanyata, crawling on the floor and offering gap-toothed smiles to anyone who would see.

And finally Maanyata. Irritating, annoying Maanyata who cried if her hair grew too long because "she felt too hot in it." Who had ripped apart the royal turban which his father had gifted him on his sixth birthday. She was there somewhere, pointing her finger at the face paint she had smeared on his cheeks and holding her stomach as she laughed.

There were more blinding memories. Dadi Sahib, who smelt of the best perfumes, and that wise companion of hers, who reminded him of Merlin from Arthur and the Round Table, one of his favorite books . Brijraj Uncle and Komal Aunty and some other scary woman wearing a red lipstick. Vijay, that infernal fellow who always shuddered at the thought of playing with the other boys. Prithvi, his best friend, who'd lost both his parents, and was the only person who could understand what it felt like to be an orphan.

And Giriraj. His father, who had so many expectations from him. Giriraj, who wanted him to become a benevolent prince one day, who would bring prosperity to Jaigarh.

"He's my son, for goodness sake'I'd asked you to give him a few bruises, not give him a handicap!" he was shouting.

Uday tried to get up, but he was tied down by tubes and what seemed to be a lifetime of agony in his joints. "Papa," he called out weakly, but his father was too busy scolding some invisible person to listen to him.

"Yes yes, I know I know, but let me tell you, I am deducting the hospital expenses from your fee. No, I certainly don't think it's unfair. You should have thought twice before throwing away a prince like that! What? Who are you going to complain to? Shakti Bhai and I are old friends, so think twice before opening that big mouth of yours!"

Uday groaned, unable to process fully what his father had just said. "Fee? unfair?Shakti Bhai? Who's he?" he moaned, but only an inaudible whisper escaped his lips. He might as well as have been dead to the king.

"Uh-uh. No, you don't worry; they'll never come to know about it. You just go to Dubai and enjoy all the money I'm giving you. Yes yes, I'll send you a whole crate of Jaigarh wines to keep you going. Now keep the phone down."

"Papa!" Uday finally managed to croak. "Huh?" a bewildered Giriraj said, almost dropping his phone before he realized who was speaking. "Oh Uday," he gushed, "Today's such a grand day for us beta! My only regret is that you had to suffer so much for it, my brave boy."

"Papa...I don't...I don't...," Uday struggled to form the words he wanted to say on his lips.

"Hush, hush," Giriraj said, putting his finger on his lips. If Uday hadn't known him to be his father, he would have almost mistaken him for a more sinister version of the man who had made him land up in hospital. "Just rest beta. You need to sleep a lot, the doctor said."

Uday wanted to ask his father whom he had been talking to, but the drug-induced delirium got the better of him. Before Giriraj could say anything else, Uday dropped his head onto the pillow and went back to his world of memories.

--------------

Preview: "Maanyata, as a princess you are required to fulfill certain responsibilities. I hope you understand that?" Dadi Sahib asked, arching her eyebrows.

"Errmm yeah," Maanyata grimaced. "I know that Dadi Sahib."

"Good," the Rajmata said firmly. "So it's decided. You will go back to Jaigarh-and you will complete the photo shoot if you are to call yourself a Raajwada."

"And London Bridge is falling down..." Maanyata groaned mentally.

---------------

please press 'like button' if you liked this! 😳 and long comments are appreciated coz then i feel kind of better about typing 3000+ word chapters which is totally atypical of lazy old me.😆