Samyukta Part 8 - Siya feels cheated....

OSR SAMYUKTA Part 8 - Siya feels dejected

Aryanagar – In an exclusive bar room

"Harsh! You have not allowed me to enjoy even one sip of my drink so far.... be quiet…They think they have everything planned…little do they know we are always a step ahead of them…" Apprehensive of upsetting Agni, his friends wait patiently till Agni relishes his last drop and then mutters "I have found someone who is capable of tracking every move of Dharam and Veer...so don't worry...you can return to Chatarpur peacefully"

After paying the maids for their services, the boys stand up from their seats slowly. As they stagger outside the magnificent interiors of the bar room into the hot bleak street, Agni spots the silhouette of an attractive young lady in a worn-out yet colourful skirt, walking in their direction. Devoid of any ornaments bar a black holy thread around her neck and flat anklets on her feet, she wipes the sweat off her face with the corner of her veil, while balancing a large heavy basket on her head.

Agni shouts "Oh! Look who is coming this way… daring to walk through this street all alone…" She looks at the four of them nervously, trying hard to dodge their advances.

Agni continues "I must say you are very fearless indeed! Just like your father…" In a fit of drunken rage, he knocks the basket off her head spilling its contents everywhere. She kneels on the ground to collect her items; all the while mentally praying for help. She avoids looking at their menacingly sadistic expressions as they surround her on four sides.

Agni bellows "Isn't this flour too much just for yourself and your mother? Who is it for?"

Receiving no answer from her, the unruly royal slaps her with all his might. She bravely fights back the tears in her eyes and her hand quivers as she wipes the blood trickling from her nose. Suddenly, a raucous group of men at the far end of the street distract them. She seizes this opportunity to grab the basket, shove them aside and escape from there immediately

Aryanagar - Forest of Sawai

She gracefully jumps off the rickety cart and carries her seemingly lighter basket, walking barefoot through the rough winding paths. For a long while, the only sounds in the still noon forest are the alternating rhythms of her anklets. A gentle tap on her shoulder briefly startles her and she turns around. Her weary face lights up in joy at the familiar pair of eyes gazing at her.

She speaks softly "My… I was about to drop the basket again…"

Dhruv immediately takes the weight off her and they both resume walking "Again? You are becoming careless…" he weighs the basket and smiles teasingly "Looks like we will all have to survive with one roti less this week…"

Reminded of the harrowing incident with Agni and his friends earlier, she covers her right cheek with the veil and immediately changes the course of the conversation "Dhruv… how are the children…how is chotu feeling now… Is abhay eating well?"

Observing her reaction, Dhruv stops in his tracks and slowly turns her face towards him. He notices the bruise on her cheek and the spot of blood from her nose. His pleasant disposition gradually gives way to seething anger "Sakshi! What happened? Who did this to you?"

She tries to pacify him but he stubbornly insists on knowing the facts. Realizing that he would not give in, she hesitantly narrates parts of the incident to her agitated lover.

He becomes infuriated "Why did you take the short cut? How many times have I told you not to use that route even if you are delayed?" he touches her bruise tenderly "How powerless I feel…if I ever faced that man, I would crush his head with one blow" she nods her head and tries to reassure him that she was all right, but he persists "Lord! I am not even able to protect you… you are facing those brutes in the capital alone, while I am here tucked away safely in the forest"

She finally closes his mouth and looks at his worried helpless eyes "Dhruv! Answer me…I asked you if Chotu is feeling all right now…" Unable to recover; he removes her hand and starts walking, refusing to look in her direction.

She tries to cheer him up by making pleasant conversation "Oh! By the way… I think massive celebrations are going to take place in the capital… I think the monarchs are organizing something on a large scale for the princes...chants...prayers...feasts...donation of clothes…I wish you could come too. The children would have loved it" Dhruv walks behind her silently, while she continues updating him with all the information "Mother is so excited about attending it…she talks about nothing else…. she is looking forward to watching Veer from close quarters after a long time… I think he has not been around in the capital for the past few days… always on the move! I wonder where Rajkumar Dharam and Veer are now..."

He notices a large insect on the back of her veil and breaks into a slow smile. In order not to alarm her, he tries removing the insect stealthily, but she feels his touch and immediately turns and asks him doubtfully "What did you do just now?"

Dhruv smiles "Nothing Sakshi…what would I do to you?" She catches sight of the insect hovering over her head and starts screaming in panic.

After nodding his head in fits of laughter, he grabs her hand tightly and drags the jittery girl behind him "No wonder everyone fails to understand women! You will travel alone night or day...you are courageous enough to stand up to beasts like Agnivardhan...you are even brave enough to agree to marry me...but you will run at the sight of an insect...now come on!"

The orphanage

Dhruv sits cross legged amidst two rows of noisy children, as all of them wrap up their humble noon meal from large peepal leaves laid out in front of them. The older children muffle their arguments to put on their best act in front of Sakshi, while the younger ones carry on with their usual messy mealtime charades. Sakshi smiles to herself as she sees three children trying to copy one another through the entire course of their meal. The famished Dhruv mentally shuts himself away from all distractions around him, till he finishes his last mouthful "Sakshi! I always look forward to your visits … I can never cook a meal as good as this…and these children…they allow me to eat my meal in peace, only when you are around…I guess they are frightened of you, just like I am…" he sighs out aloud "I wonder how much longer your mother is going to take… to fix a date for our marriage"

She laughs in response to Dhruv's hilarious claims while soothingly patting the ill child on her lap. After a while, she adds softly "I hope Bhimsen chacha or the other revolutionaries have not been frequenting this place after our last confrontation …"

Dhruv nods his head slowly "They are not worried about this orphanage. Bhimsen ji has started bringing even more revolutionaries than ever… this is a convenient hidden place for them to meet…far away from the capital… I have worked so hard to keep my mission a secret. I don't want everything to get destroyed by the revolutionaries! Can you imagine what would happen if they came to know that few of our children here, are Aryavarts too?"

Sakshi frowns worriedly "No one can reason with them about achieving freedom the moderate way. They are extremists with dangerous ways and means. They think that ending the entire Aryavart lineage will solve all Shramik problems. I fear for Veer's life..."

Dhruv ponders "Didn't you mention that Veer was not in the capital now… I wonder if my shocking conversation with them last week had anything to do with this trip of theirs."

Niphaud Bazaar – Seva Marg

The colourfully disguised princes ride the horse driven cart at a snail's pace through the busy Niphaud bazaar. Leaning against the edge of the cart, Veer yawns loudly, stretches and shuts his eyes "What a lovely feast! It has changed my horrible impression of the cuisine here…Thank God! I don't have to fast anymore...my…what a hot afternoon…I am sleepy…"

Irritated by Veer's sluggishness and inconvenienced by his large turban, Dharam wipes the sweat off his brow and replies "I wish you would co-operate and help me…we have been going around in circles and I can't seem to find the route…"

With his eyes still closed, Veer replies drowsily "Some time back you couldn't find your scroll… now you can't find the address…read the instructions properly…" he pauses "if only I had my soft silk bed now…"

Evoking angry reactions from the pedestrians, Dharam bends over his cart in order to read the rustic signs on the wall and then sighs "The instructions say Siya Marg. I cannot find any Siya Marg"

Eventually frustrated by his brother's incompetence, Veer opens his eyes, sits up and grabs the scroll from him. He looks at the scroll for a moment and then looks at Dharam angrily. He touches Dharam's face and forehead and utters meekly "Are you feeling all right? Something is wrong…we need a physician!" he pauses worriedly "Are you b…becoming…m… m… mad?"

Dharam glares are Veer furiously "Don't ever… ever… even dare to call me mad… I have been doing all the hard work here, while you have been sleeping casually…"

Veer stares at him "Working hard? It clearly says Seva Marg and we have been circling around the same place looking for a Siya Marg" Veer pauses, as realization dawns upon him "Siya? Rajkumari Siya? Rajkumari Siya…garden…she…you…saw… oh my God!"

Dharam pulls the scroll back from Veer and nudges the horses "Stop being silly Veer…I think I am sleepy too…" he then spots the route, a short distance away "Oh…now I can see Seva Marg… it's down that way there…"

Niphaud Bazaar - Procession

Kept at bay by foot soldiers on both sides of the streets, the commoners push and shove for a clearer view of the glittering procession. Flanked by guards on horses and bevies of chatty girls, the magnificent stately palanquin carrying the princess, sashays through. Aware of the thousands of curious onlookers waiting to catch a personal glimpse of their beautiful princess, the intimidated Siya refrains from peeking through the golden muslins.

Clad in stunning burgundy attire, she is decked in matching resplendent sets of rubies embellished in her necklaces, armbands, earrings, anklets, bangles and hip-chains. Her face glows in silent anticipation, while she sits nervously on her lush silk cushions twiddling the bows of a well-wrapped bundle in her hands. She whispers to Nanda "I hope I am not too late…it took me so long to convince mother. I could not reveal everything to her due to the strange message in the scroll. Additionally, you girls delayed me too" Nanda peeps in as Siya continues with her string of complaints "Try this blue dress...no this pink one...then again the blue one...try on these matching anklets...those ear rings...flowers... kohl...beeswax...turmeric...sandal water…" she hesitates "I hope all this was worthwhile…blacksmiths… I wonder why the blacksmiths…"

Nanda smiles at the apprehensive princess "Siya… why do you worry… look at Daksha… she is walking so confidently hoping her prince charming would be there too…I am sure Rajkumar Dharam has invited you to find out your opinion." She continues dramatically " He is probably very different from other Rajkumars…he might be having an intricate swing made for you… maybe a large statue of the Lord …even an ornate chest of various alloys…be patient… oh!…by the way…we might have to walk on foot after a while… the streets become very narrow nearer the bazaar"

The Blacksmiths

An old man in a simple dhoti wheezes heavily, as he tries to explain the purpose, strength and composition of numerous weapons of warfare through crude paintings. Veer concentrates hard, not minding the clangs and heat waves caused by a man and a fully veiled young girl hammering a molten iron in the smelting furnace, at the far end of the shop. Dharam tries to remain patient, as Veer meticulously inspects the quality of all the weapons displayed in the small shop individually. Finally satisfied, Veer places an order for a variety of samples that would be required as props, to pose as weapon merchants in Gadhwar. After reminding the blacksmith that the order would have to be ready by the very next day; he enquiries about the prices to begin the long process of bartering, after confirming that only half the amount would be paid upfront.

Fatigued, Dharam whispers to Veer "Why are you fussing about this so much Veer? We just need a few samples for tomorrow! Now, I don't know if this was a very good idea…"

Veer replies assertively "Stop calling me by my name here! We could not have done this at Aryanagar, as Agni would have found out. We need to look as professional as possible if we want entry into Gadhwar…" he then pats Dharam hard on his back and starts conversing loudly with him in order to try and not raise any suspicions.

Unwilling to be as dramatically enthused about the proposition as his brother, Dharam mutters to himself "I wonder why Bhalla has not turned up yet! I am sure he must be fast asleep after that heavy meal he had. This is why I am not fond of sending him alone anywhere"

As Veer continues with his bossy performance, the curious workers at the back of the shop pause to have a short peek at their troublesome customer. Bored of the lengthy business transaction, Dharam turns around and supports himself against the shop wall. He observes the interesting interactions between the stubborn shopkeepers and their disgruntled customers. A group of loud women compare their goods and wares, while their children hide and seek around them in circles.

Through the swaying clothes and rattling pots dangling from rows of small shops, he becomes stiff, as he catches sight of the stunning princess in a parallel street a short distance away. He is astonished by how her light complexion glowed in contrast to her red adornments. He admires how her presence stood out distinctively even through the various colourful shades of the bazaar. Awestruck by the genuine smile on her lips and her paralyzing beauty, he becomes aware of his feelings of desire kindled by her pure self.

A quick tug on his sleeves distracts him and he turns around to find Bhalla staring at him wearing his ill-fitting disguise. He grins at Bhalla and instantaneously turns back to look at Siya. Unable to find any trace of her now, he becomes tensed and rubs his eyes over and over again. Coming back to his senses, he muses on the situation and is unable to think of any rational reason for the princess of Niphaud to be present at the bazaar. Veer notices Dharam's worried expressions while paying the blacksmith; and walks up to them, waiting for an explanation. Dharam touches his own forehead and contemplates "Veer I… I… think I need a physician… I am seeing illusions…Am I…I really becoming mad?"

Veer looks at him dubiously and on receiving no clarification with regards to the illusion, he comforts him slowly "I think you have been troubled with many problems off late… Dhruv's complaints about the kingdom…now Gadhwar too… you need to rest"

The three of them step into the main street, while Dharam makes a final attempt to search for Siya and mentally re-assure himself of his sanity.

Bhalla suddenly speaks up "Oh! I apologize for the delay…I don't even know where to start! The girls in this place…they are very strange. They are always up to some strange tricks…" Veer interrupts him, as his attention is distracted by the familiar voice of a girl and he turns around to find Daksha making enquiries a few shops away. Reminded of her bold advances and romantic overtures from the previous night, he forgets he is in disguise and fears for his safety. He grabs his companions and starts walking towards their cart.

Bhalla exclaims "What are you doing? I have just arrived! Can I not stroll around for a while?"

Veer ushers the puzzled boys on to the cart hurriedly "No…No… the girls in this place are very strange Bhalla… they are always up to some strange tricks…"

Dharam agrees with them, now convinced that his sighting of Siya was an illusion "Yes probably that's what it was… the girls in this place are strange…they play strange tricks on you….I can't wait to get back to Aryanagar soon"

Veer tugs on to the reigns of horses and immediately takes off in the opposite direction, not minding the longer route for a change.

Streets of Niphaud bazaar

The guards try to keep the overbearingly helpful pedestrians and shopkeepers away from the princess and her friends, as the girls roam through the tiny noisy pathways in search of the shop. Commoners' initial envious expressions at the sight of the posh entourage, instantly give way to admiration and awe as soon as they gaze at Siya's innocent visage.

The girls eventually become tired of searching for signs of the princes or the blacksmiths, street after street. As the sun begins setting, the eagerness and hope on Siya's face begins to gradually flicker.

Daksha's booming announcement brings back a faint glimmer of hope on their exhausted sullen faces "Here it is Siya... I have found it!"

Siya frantically rushes to the shop, picking up her heavy skirt and tightly holding on to the parcel in her hand. Running short on time, they hurriedly look around and make enquiries with intrigued bystanders. Having found no signs of the princes anywhere, Nanda calls out to the young girl at the blacksmiths and asks her "Did a prince come by here today? Did anyone leave any message? Did …" the veiled girl coyly nods her head negatively, while Nanda persists "Are you sure? Were there any special orders placed? No one…"

The girl peeks slightly through her red cotton veil "I am sorry… no prince came here today…I apologize for the impudence but we have to shut the shop now…"

Daksha and Nanda sadly observe how Siya's pretty face becomes clouded with dejection